Dr. Nika Haghtalab

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Nika Haghtalab is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. She broadly works on the theoretical aspects of machine learning and algorithmic economics. Her research considers the impact of learning algorithms within the context of social and economic structures, particularly as organizations increasingly interact through learning systems. Prof. Haghtalab's work aims to build theoretical foundations that ensure the performance of learning algorithms in the presence of everyday societal and economic forces. She completed her Ph.D. in Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, where she was supervised by Avrim Blum and Ariel Procaccia. Her thesis, titled 'Foundations of Machine Learning,' received the CMU School of Computer Science Dissertation Award in 2018 and an Honorable Mention from SIGecom in 2019. Prior to UC Berkeley, she served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Cornell University from 2019 to 2020 and worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Microsoft Research New England from 2018 to 2019.

Research Interests

Experience

Assistant Professor

— Present

University of California, Berkeley • Berkeley, CA

Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences.

Assistant Professor

— Present

Cornell University • Ithaca, NY

Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science.

Postdoctoral Researcher

— Present

Microsoft Research New England • Cambridge, MA

Conducted research in machine learning.

Awards

#

Google Faculty Research Award

#

CMU School of Computer Science Dissertation Award

#

SIGecom Dissertation Honorable Mention

Requirements for University of California, Berkeley

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
GRE Subject
Overall Score
Required:500
Overall
Required:500
TOEFL
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree or recognized equivalent Preparation comparable to undergraduate major at Berkeley in Mathematics or Applied Mathematics 2 full years lower-division work (Calculus, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Multivariable Calculus) 8 one-semester upper-division courses (Real Analysis, Complex Analysis, Abstract Algebra, Linear Algebra)
Application Checklist
  • Graduate Application
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Personal History Statement
  • Three Letters of Recommendation
  • Unofficial Transcripts
  • C.V./Resume
  • Course and Textbook List
Specialization Notes

The Mathematics Subject GRE is required for the Fall 2026 admissions cycle. General GRE is optional.