Spring 2025 Submissions Deadline
February 5, 2025
How to submit a paper to the Berkeley Undergraduate Journal:
I. Manuscript Preparation
- Type in a Word document (.doc or .docx).
- The name of the file should be the first five words of your manuscript’s title.
- 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins
- 20-page minimum and 50-page maximum. These limits do not include works cited/bibliography pages, endnotes, tables, figures, images, and appendices.
- Include an abstract of 250 words or less at the beginning of your document.
- Citations must be formatted in “Notes & Bibliography” style (NOT “Author-Date” in-text citations) according to the Chicago Manual of Style.
- Photos, pictures, graphics, figures, and tables should be submitted in a separate PDF document. Please label in the text where this additional content should be placed. For example: A violin has two main structural features: the body and the neck (see Figure 1.2).
- Remove all personal information – name, biographical info, contributors’ notes, etc. – from your submission to ensures a blind review process.
II. Manuscript Submission
The Berkeley Undergraduate Journal only accepts submissions electronically.
1. Review BUJ’s Submission Policies.
2. Fill in and sign this Author Agreement – you will upload this PDF to your submission form.
3. Fill out this Submission Form using your UC Berkeley email. Note: only current UC Berkeley undergraduate students and recent graduates (one year since graduation) are eligible to submit.
III. Selection Process
Submissions are reviewed anonymously, undergoing a blind review process. Publication of selected papers is conditional and contingent upon editing. Notification of acceptance or rejection will be sent by e-mail for all submissions. Please expect submission decisions by late November. Please do not inquire about acceptances or rejections before this time.
Original manuscripts selected for publication in BUJ may be reprinted subsequently in another publication, if BUJ is properly credited.
FAQ
Q: Who can submit to the Berkeley Undergraduate Journal (BUJ)?
BUJ: You must fulfill these requirements…
1. You must have written your manuscript and conducted the research for the manuscript during your undergraduate education at UC Berkeley.
2. You cannot submit more than one year after your graduation date. For example, if you graduated in Spring 2024, you can still submit content for consideration for the Fall 2024 issue and Spring 2025 issue, but not Fall 2025.
Q: What kinds of papers are considered for publication in the BUJ?
BUJ: The BUJ publishes exemplary essays and research from disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. Essays should be well-reasoned and well-supported. All essay genres will be considered; however, the BUJ does not accept fiction, poetry, or creative writing. The BUJ also does not reprint previously published work (from any source), in whole or in part, under any circumstances.
Q: Can I submit multiple papers for consideration?
BUJ: Yes, but only one submission per author will be published in each issue. Authors should send no more than three different manuscripts per selection period, and each manuscript should be submitted separately.
Q: Can I submit my paper simultaneously to other publications?
BUJ: Simultaneous submissions with other publications are not acceptable, unless explicit written permission for dual submission has been obtained from the BUJ Staff Advisor and the Editor-in-Chief. Furthermore, the manuscript cannot be submitted to another journal for consideration before the BUJ has reached its own decision.
Please do not contact buj@berkeley.edu with submission questions. This is the email of the Editor-in-Chief, so e-mailing this address with submissions questions undermines the policy of blind submissions. Please direct your submission questions to <submitbuj@berkeley.edu>.