Tele-BEARS

Tele-BEARS is an interactive computer system that allows you to enroll in classes via the Internet. With Tele-BEARS, you always receive the most immediate, up-to-the-moment information regarding your registration and class enrollment.

How Tele-BEARS Works

To ensure the fairest possible distribution of courses to the student body, enrollment in classes is spread over two phases and an adjustment period. Phase I, starting toward the end of the previous semester, allows you to enroll in a maximum of 12 units plus one physical education activity course. In Phase II, starting immediately after Phase I, you may complete your enrollment by enrolling in additional courses if necessary. You may then add and drop courses during the adjustment period, which starts one week before instruction and extends through the first three weeks of instruction.

Access to Tele-BEARS is regulated by pre-assigned appointments that are spread throughout each phase period. To enroll and register through Tele-BEARS, follow these steps:

Obtain Your Tele-BEARS Appointments

Your Tele-BEARS appointments for Phases I and II are made available online via Bear Facts. (See below for information on how to access Bear Facts.) The Office of the Registrar will notify you by e-mail when the appointments are available.* If you require academic advising, you also will be required to obtain an Adviser Code (AC) from your graduate adviser. The AC must be entered when you first access Tele-BEARS each semester.

*Appointments for continuing and readmitted students are usually made available in mid-March for the fall semester and mid-October for the spring semester. Appointments for new students are usually made available in early August for the fall semester and in early January for the spring semester.

Enroll in Classes

With the online Schedule of Classes and the General Catalog, you can determine a class schedule. Once you have selected your classes and have obtained your AC from your major adviser (if required), you can use Tele-BEARS to enroll.

Pay Registration Fees

A monthly billing statement indicating all University fees due will be generated for you, and posted online, by the Billing and Payment Services Office. You may pay your fees in full or in five installments on the Deferred Payment Plan. Fee payment (either in full or the first installment) is due on August 15 for the fall semester and January 15 for the spring semester. For more information, see the Billing and Payment Services web site at billing.berkeley.edu.

The Deferred Payment Plan

You may pay your registration fees in five installments if you wish. A nonrefundable processing fee will be charged to your first installment. Your billing statement will indicate the amount due for the first payment; subsequent statements for the remaining payments will be generated for you automatically. For full information on the Deferred Payment Plan, see the Billing and Payment Services Office web site at billing.berkeley.edu.

Bear Facts

Bear Facts provides information regarding your registration, grades, financial aid, billing, class schedule, and more. You can access Bear Facts at bearfacts.berkeley.edu. For more information, see the online Schedule of Classes.

Statement of Intention to Register

The admission letter to new (including reactivating) graduate students contains a Statement of Intention to Register that must be filled out and returned to the Graduate Admissions Office. Only the return of the form to the Graduate Admissions Office indicating an intention to register will reserve the registration slot allocated to you. If you do not want to accept the offer of admission, you should complete and return the Declination of Admission section so that your place can be allocated to another applicant. We will send you information about enrolling in classes after we receive your Statement of Intention to Register accepting admission.

Failure to Register

If you do not return the Statement of Intention to Register or return it but do not register for the semester in which you were admitted, you must request reactivation of your application if you want to attend any subsequent semester. You have no priority over other applicants for any subsequent semester by virtue of your previous admission.

Registration

To maintain good standing as a graduate student, you must register with the Office of the Registrar each semester until you complete all requirements for the degree, unless you have permission from the dean of the Graduate Division to withdraw. You can satisfy the requirement for full-time continuous registration by attending both semesters of an academic year. You must be registered or pay the filing fee, whichever is applicable, for the semester in which your degree is conferred. If you hold a nonimmigrant visa, you must be registered for both semesters of each academic year unless you have special permission from the Immigration Service to do otherwise. Consult the International Student Adviser for further information.

In summary, you must register in any semester in which you are enrolled in formal courses of instruction or are making any use of University facilities, including access to the faculty, except for uses accorded the general public.

If your studies or research requires absence from California for the semester, you must file a petition requesting absence and a reduction of the University registration fee with Graduate Degrees, 302 Sproul Hall.

Special Information for New Graduate Students

If you will be a new graduate student, you will not use Tele-BEARS until shortly before the beginning of instruction. You must meet with your graduate adviser to approve your class schedule and obtain an Advisor Code (if required).

Cancellation of Registration

Students who have registered and decide before classes begin not to attend Berkeley may cancel by meeting with their graduate adviser. For further information, see Academic Policies.

Class Schedule and Unit Load

Courses are classified as lower division (numbered 1 through 99); upper division (100-199); graduate (200-299); professional, for teachers or prospective teachers (300-399); special study for preparation for the master's exam (601); and special study for preparation for the doctoral qualifying exam (602). Lower division courses are not counted as part of a full program of study leading to a higher degree. You must be enrolled in 12 units in 200 series (or above) to be considered a full-time student. (For information on courses in the 600 series, see the Grading page.)

Graduate student instructors and graduate student researchers must normally carry a minimum of 8 units in the 100, 200, and 300 series. The substitution of lower division units taken to prepare for departmental requirements in languages, mathematics, or statistics for upper division units is permitted.

Fellowship holders and international students on nonimmigrant visas must carry a full program of 12 units in upper division and/or graduate courses, although individual study in the form of language preparation, comprehensive and qualifying examination preparation, etc., for the Ph.D. degree is taken into account.

In these cases reduced unit loads are accepted as full programs with the consent of the graduate adviser and dean of the Graduate Division.

Withdrawal

If you want to withdraw from Berkeley at the end of a semester or while the semester is in progress, you must formally withdraw through your academic unit, which will process your withdrawal online. International students with nonimmigrant visas must consult Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS), International House, 2299 Piedmont Avenue, (510) 642-2818, to determine whether they can withdraw without jeopardizing their visa status. For further information, see Academic Policies.