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Fall 2026 deadline:
Monday, September 28, 2026

How to submit a paper to the Berkeley Undergraduate Journal:

Please do not contact buj@berkeley.edu with submission questions. This is the email of the Editor-in-Chief, so emailing this address with submissions questions undermines our policy of double-blind submissions. Please direct your submission questions to <submitbuj@berkeley.edu>.

I. Manuscript Preparation

  1. Prepare as a Word document (.doc or .docx).
  2. The name of the file should be the first five words of your manuscript’s title.
  3. Use 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins
  4. 20-page minimum and 50-page maximum. These limits do not include works cited/bibliography pages, endnotes, tables, figures, images, and appendices.
  5. Include an abstract of 250 words or less at the beginning of your document.
  6. Citations must be formatted in “Notes & Bibliography” style (NOT “Author-Date” in-text citations) according to the Chicago Manual of Style.
  7. Photos, pictures, graphics, figures, and tables should have a resolution of at least 300dpi and 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).
  8. Remove all personal information – name, biographical info, contributors’ notes, etc. – from your submission to ensure a double-blind review process.

II. Submission Policies

III. Manuscript Submission Instructions

The Berkeley Undergraduate Journal only accepts submissions electronically via eScholarship, an open access publishing platform subsidized by the University of California, managed by the California Digital Library, and offered free of charge to UC-affiliated departments, research units, publishing programs and individual scholars.

  1. Go to eScholarship > click “Submit Manuscript” in the top right-hand corner of the page
  2. Click “Submit Your Material” in the pop-up window
  3. Register a new eScholarship account or log in with an exiting account
  4. Read the journal’s guidelines > click “Start Submission”
  5. Click the Author Agreement and Copyright Notice checkboxes and enter any Conflicting Interests > click “Start Submission”
  6. Enter article info (title, abstract, keywords) > select “CC BY-NC-ND 4.0” > click “Save and Continue”
  7. Enter author information using @berkeley.edu email for correspondence > click “Save and Continue”
  8. Upload Manuscript (Word doc) and figures/images (as single PDF), if any > click “Save and Continue”
  9. Review submission > click “Complete Submission” (you will receive a confirmation email)

IV. Selection Process

Submissions are reviewed anonymously, undergoing a double-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.

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 (matriculated students only; not concurrent enrollment or visiting students).

2. You cannot submit more than one year after your graduation date. For example, if you graduated in Spring 2026, you can still submit content for consideration in Fall 2026 and Spring 2027, but not Fall 2027.

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.