Welcome, New and Returning UC Berkeley IEOR Students

Berkeley IEOR welcomes its newest students during fall orientation events, including Master of Analytics Orientation (left), Golden Bear Orientation (top right) and MS & PhD Orientation (bottom right).
Berkeley IEOR welcomes its newest students during fall orientation events, including Master of Analytics Orientation (left), Golden Bear Orientation (top right) and MS & PhD Orientation (bottom right).

UC Berkeley IEOR opened the 2026-27 academic year by bringing students together across programs to build connections, exchange ideas and discover the opportunities available within the department and across Berkeley.

This fall, 74 new undergraduate students and 211 new graduate students join the IEOR community. Their arrival marks the beginning of a year shaped not only by coursework and research, but also by the conversations, collaborations and new perspectives that define the UC Berkeley experience.

For incoming undergraduate students, Golden Bear Orientation, held Aug. 19-24, introduced new Golden Bears to the people, resources and communities that will shape their time at Berkeley. Led in part by continuing students, the program gave incoming students opportunities to meet their peers, explore campus and begin building connections across the university.

IEOR welcomed incoming master’s and doctoral students Aug. 21 in Etcheverry Hall. Faculty, staff and students introduced the department’s academic programs, research and graduate resources. Research talks by IEOR Assistant Professor Chenyang Zhong on optimal transport and Ph.D. candidate Grace He on AI and security gave students an early look at emerging research and ideas across the department.

Students entering the Master of Analytics program gathered Aug. 25 at the Grimes Engineering Center for an orientation centered on academics, careers and community. In addition to learning about the program and career resources, students heard from alumni who shared perspectives from their experiences at Berkeley and beyond, strengthening connections between the newest members of the program and its growing alumni community.

Earlier in the month, incoming Master of Engineering students began their Berkeley experience with an Aug. 10 orientation focused on connection and collaboration. The day combined opportunities to meet classmates with campus exploration and the Berkeley MEng Amazing Race, a team-building activity that encouraged students to work together from the start.

Each orientation took a different approach, but all reflected a common part of the Berkeley experience: learning from one another. The year ahead offers students countless opportunities to ask questions, seek out unfamiliar perspectives, build lasting collaborations and take on challenges that extend beyond the classroom.

Welcome to a new year at Berkeley IEOR.