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Requirements for Graduate Degrees |
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| Berkeley offers instruction leading to both academic and professional
degrees. For specific regulations governing the professional master's
degrees, see the individual Announcements of the colleges and schools.
This section will deal primarily with the academic master's degree.
Academic Residence Requirement
A minimum of two semesters of academic residence is required for the
master's degree. Academic residence is defined as enrollment in
at least 4 units in 100-200 series courses. Specific subject requirements
and performance levels are set by the schools, departments, and groups.
Transfer of Credit from Other Institutions
To request a transfer of units, ask your graduate adviser to make
a formal request to the dean of the Graduate Division specifying the
units and courses involved. Your credits may be transferable if (l)
the units involved are equivalent to work normally offered within your
current program of study, (2) the grade recorded was at least a B, and
(3) you have a superior scholastic record (at least a 3.3) at both your
original institution and at Berkeley. No more than 4 semester or 6 quarter
units are transferable, and the work must have been completed previously
in graduate status at an institution of high standing. The units transferred
cannot be used to reduce the minimum required in the 200 series courses
or the minimum residence requirement.
Work that formed part of the program for a master's degree previously
conferred (either at the University of California or elsewhere) may
not be applied toward a current degree program.
Credit for graduate work that you completed on other campuses of the
University of California may be granted in excess of 6 quarter units
or 4 semester units. Requests may be made at the time of advancement
to candidacy. Concurrent Enrollment — University Extension
Courses taken concurrently through University Extension but held on
the Berkeley campus under the instruction of a regular member of the
Berkeley faculty are generally not applicable toward a Berkeley master's
degree. These courses are intended to provide Extension students with
an opportunity to take courses that would not ordinarily be available
to them. Concurrent enrollment cannot replace normal registration by
Berkeley graduate students, nor may it be used to accumulate credit
toward a Berkeley degree by an individual not formally admitted to graduate
standing at Berkeley.
Academic Master's Degree Plans
If you work toward an academic master's degree on the Berkeley
campus, you will pursue one of two plans, as determined by your school,
department, or group. (Units may adopt either or both plans and will,
in the latter case, designate which plan you are to follow.)
Plan I requires at least 20 semester units of upper division
and graduate courses and a thesis. At least 8 of these units must be
in graduate courses (200 series) in your major subject. Course units
are not granted for the thesis.
Plan II requires at least 24 semester units of upper division
and graduate courses, followed by a comprehensive final examination
administered by your school, department, or group. At least 12 of the
units must be in graduate courses in your major subject.
Please note: Departments, schools, and groups may have performance
standards that are higher than the minimum B average required by the
Graduate Division. Further requirements are specified by the major department.
Advancement to Candidacy
When you complete the requirements for your degree,
you will not automatically be admitted to candidacy for
the master’s degree; you must make a formal application to the dean of the Graduate Division no later than
the end of the fifth week of the semester in which your
degree will be awarded. The application must be approved by the head graduate adviser in your major
school, department, or group and must include a precise
statement of the studies on which the application is
based. If you are to submit a thesis, however, you
should consult your adviser as early as possible about
advancement to candidacy so that the appropriate committee can be formed. You will not receive the degree
unless you have been advanced to candidacy. The
Graduate Division will also not accept a thesis that
involves human or animal subjects without official
evidence of an approved protocol number from the
appropriate committee.
Use of human subjects or animal subjects: If the
research for a master’s thesis involves the use of human
subjects, the student is required to have an approved
protocol from the Committee for Protection of Human
Subjects (see cphs.berkeley.edu) before beginning any
research. Students using human subjects also must
complete the “Course in the Protection of Human
Subjects” (referred to as the CITI course), which is
available online (www.citiprogram.org), and print out
the certificate of completion. The certificate of completion must be submitted with the advancement form.
Students whose research projects involve the proposed
use of live vertebrate animals must contact the Animal
Care and Use Committee (ACUC, 642-8855) before the
initiation of research and, if so advised by the ACUC,
(a) the faculty member who is supervising the research
must obtain ACUC approval prior to any proposed use
of live vertebrate animals, and (b) the student must ask
the ACUC to inform the Graduate Division of the
adviser’s approved Master Animal Use Protocol number
within six months of the advancement to candidacy date.
If you are following Plan I, described above, you must
submit a thesis, according to the strict format described
in “Instructions for Preparing and Filing Your Thesis or
Dissertation.”
The thesis constitutes a report, in as brief a form as
possible, of results obtained in an original investigation
of a problem. The problem in question is discreet
in scope; however, the thesis should be comparable in
style, organization, and depth of understanding to
investigations of greater scope, such as the dissertations of doctoral candidates.
You must submit your thesis to a committee of three
members of the faculty appointed by the dean of the
Graduate Division. One member of the committee
should be chosen from a department other than that of
your major subject. You are required to confer with all members of your committee before beginning your
thesis; since the committee is not appointed until you
are advanced to candidacy, you should not begin thesis
work before advancement in order to avoid extensive
revisions. You are responsible for placing the completed thesis in the hands of your committee members.
If a thesis is not completed within three years,
candidacy for the master’s degree will lapse automatically at the end of that time. You can be reinstated,
however, upon the recommendation of the head
graduate adviser to the dean at the time your thesis
committee members have approved a final draft of
your thesis.
If all three members of your committee approve the
thesis, they sign your thesis title page. You then file two
copies of the thesis with the Graduate Division for later
deposit in the University library. If any member of your
committee doubts the acceptability of the thesis, the
committee chair convenes the committee to discuss it.
If the committee reaches agreement on its acceptability,
the thesis is signed and filed as described above.
If the committee continues to disagree, the thesis is
sent to the dean of the Graduate Division with a brief
statement of each committee member’s opinion. If all
members of the committee reject the thesis, it is sent to
the dean with a statement to that effect by the committee chair. In cases of a split vote, the Administrative
Committee of the Graduate Council makes the final
decision. For filing deadlines, refer to the Graduate
Division web site.
The Doctoral Degree
Berkeley offers both academic and professional degrees. Professional
degree programs are outlined in the individual announcements of the
colleges and schools offering them. The general procedures given in
this section apply primarily to the academic doctoral degree.
The Doctor of Philosophy degree is not granted solely for fulfilling
technical requirements such as academic residence and completion of
specified courses; it is awarded in recognition of a student's
knowledge of a broad field of learning and for distinguished accomplishment
in that field through an original contribution of significant knowledge
and ideas. The student's research must reveal high critical ability
and powers of imagination and synthesis.
Programs of Study
Programs of study for doctoral degrees are more individualized than
those for master's degrees, permitting more specialization within
a field or the establishment of connections among fields. Nevertheless,
if you are seeking a doctoral degree, you must have your program of
study approved by the graduate adviser of the department or group to
which you are admitted or later transferred. University policy mandates
continuous registration from entrance until receipt of the degree.
Your major department will offer the majority of your course work,
but it is recommended that you enroll in courses offered by other units
that are related to your field(s) of interest. You should confer with
your graduate adviser to select the sequence of courses that will best
prepare you for the qualifying examinations and your proposed research
work.
Academic Residence Requirement
A minimum of two years or four semesters of academic residence is
required for the Ph.D. degree. For a joint doctoral degree, a minimum
of one year of academic residence is required at each campus. Academic
residence is defined as enrollment in at least 4 units in 100-200 courses.
The period during which you are allowed to be in candidacy is limited;
after its expiration your candidacy for the degree will lapse. You should
consult your department or the Graduate Division for the time permitted
in candidacy for your major.
Foreign Language Requirement
The foreign language requirement ensures that you have the ability
to acquire wide knowledge in your field of study and to keep up with
foreign developments in your field. You are urged to complete the foreign
language requirement early in your graduate career. You must fulfill
the foreign language requirement before admission to the qualifying
examinations and advancement to candidacy. Each graduate program may
have somewhat different foreign language requirements. If you are a
prospective student, you are urged to inquire about the foreign language
requirement as soon as possible and, if you can, to fulfill it while
still an undergraduate. In some graduate programs, applicants for admission
must have satisfied the foreign language requirement before applying.
Qualifying Examinations
Before you are admitted to candidacy, you must pass a qualifying examination
administered by a four- or five-member committee approved by the Graduate
Council. An oral component is required. You must be registered in the
semester in which you take the examination, and you must have removed
any previous deficiencies in training, including incomplete grades in
courses that your graduate adviser required for your program. You must
have maintained at least a B average in all course work that you undertook
in graduate status, and you must have fulfilled the language requirement(s).
Please note: Departments, schools, and groups may have performance
standards that are higher than the minimum B average required by the
Graduate Division. They also may require passage of preliminary examinations
before a student is eligible to apply for the qualifying examination.
Advancement to Candidacy You must apply for advancement to candidacy, on a form furnished by
the Graduate Division, no later than the semester following the one
in which you passed your qualifying examination. For students whose
majors are elibible for the Dean's Normative Time Fellowship Program
(see the Normative Time list below), applications for advancement to
candidacy must be submitted by the deadline for this program: the last
day of the fall semester for a fall advancement and June 30 for a spring
advancement. The completed form, to be filed with Graduate Services: Degrees,
318 Sproul Hall, is available from the Graduate Division web site. It
must bear the endorsement of the head graduate adviser and dissertation
chair. You must pay a fee of $65 when you file the application, and
you must have completed all requirements for the doctoral degree except
the dissertation before you may be advanced to candidacy.
Reduced Nonresident Tuition
For graduate students who have been advanced to candidacy for the
doctorate, the annual nonresident tuition fee is reduced by 75 percent,
subject to the understanding that: (a) graduate doctoral students may
receive the reduced nonresident tuition rate for a maximum calendar
period of three years; and (b) all such students who continue to be
enrolled or who re-enroll after the three-year period will be charged
the full nonresident tuition rate that is in effect at that time.
Normative Time-Doctoral Students Normative Time is the elapsed time (calculated to the nearest semester) that students would need to complete all requirements for the doctorate, assuming that they are engaged in full-time study and making satisfactory progress toward their degrees. Normative times for doctoral programs have been recommended by department faculty and approved by the Graduate Council. Normative Time has two components: (1) time from the beginning of the student’s graduate work to advancement to doctoral candidacy; and (2) time in candidacy until the dissertation is filed. Most departments at Berkeley have total normative times of five to six years (10 to 12 semesters). Calculation of Normative Time in Candidacy The Graduate Division computes a student’s time in candidacy from the semester following the one in which the student has formally been advanced to candidacy, not simply the semester following the Qualifying Exam. Delays in applying for advancement to candidacy limit the student’s actual time as a candidate and may jeopardize his or her full eligibility for the Dean’s Normative Time Fellowship, if in a qualified major. The Dean’s Normative Time Fellowship (DNTF) The Dean’s Normative Time Fellowship provides an incentive for students in participating programs to advance to candidacy within normative time to advancement and to graduate by the expiration of their major’s normative time in candidacy. For a list of departments and graduate groups that participate in the program and fellowship amounts, see www.grad.berkeley.edu/policies/dntf.shtml. Students who are advanced for candidacy within normative time receive a two-semester stipend, plus fees (and nonresident tuition for international students). Those who are advanced within the following year receive a one-semester stipend, plus fees (and nonresident tuition for international students). Students may use the DNTF after advancement to candidacy and before the expiration of normative times for completion of the doctorate in their disciplines. The DNTF should allow students to make substantial progress on their dissertations without the need to work. As a result, students may not use the DNTF while the University employs them. For more information on lapsing and termination of candidacy, see the Guide to Graduate Policy, available in department offices and on the Graduate Division web site. The following normative times in semesters have been established for doctoral programs only. These times do not include the acquisition of a master’s degree. You should consult with your program if you plan to earn a master’s degree as well as a doctorate as that may change normative time calculations. African American Studies (12)* *This major is eligible for the Dean's Normative Time Fellowship. The Candidate's Degree The degree "Candidate in Philosophy," which gives formal
recognition to a definite state of progress toward the doctorate, may
be awarded when you are advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree.
The list of graduate degree programs that award the "Candidate
in Philosophy" degree is available from Graduate Services: Degrees, 318
Sproul Hall.
Annual Review of Doctoral Candidates
The Graduate Council requires all doctoral students who have been
advanced to candidacy to meet annually with at least two members of
their dissertation committees to discuss progress during the last year
and to set goals for the next. Students who are away from campus may
complete the evaluation by mail. Departments may use their own form
or one developed by the Graduate Division for this purpose. A copy of
the evaluation must be forwarded to the Graduate Division, 318 Sproul
Hall.
The Doctoral Dissertation
The dissertation, the product of independent investigation under faculty
supervision, is the most important requirement for the doctoral program;
the degree is never granted for completion of course work only, no matter
how extensive. The dissertation must be submitted to the committee in
charge (see below) and must receive its approval. The dissertation must
be filed according to the procedures established by the Graduate Council
regarding the presentation of dissertations. The format of the doctoral
dissertation must be filed according to the "Instructions for Preparing and Filing Your Thesis or Dissertation"
at www.grad.berkeley.edu/policies/pdf/disguide.pdf.
You are to work under one of two plans, as adopted by the department,
school, or group:
Plan A: On behalf of the Graduate Council, the
Graduate Division appoints a committee of five
Academic Senate members which determines whether
you have met the requirements for the degree. Three
members of the committee, one of whom must be from
a department other than that of your major subject,
guide you in research and judge the merits of your dis-
sertation. The entire committee conducts a final oral
examination dealing with the relationship between
your dissertation and the general field of study in
which the subject of the dissertation lies. Admission
to the final oral examination may be restricted to
the members of the committee, members of the
Academic Senate, and guests of equivalent rank from
other institutions.
Plan B: On behalf of the Graduate Council, the
Graduate Division appoints a committee of three
Academic Senate members, one of whom must be
from a department other than that of your major
subject, to guide you in research and judge the merits
of your dissertation. This committee may require any
necessary conferences to elucidate the subject treated
in the dissertation. After presentation of the disserta-
tion but before final action is taken upon it, the
committee may, if necessary, require you to defend
the dissertation in a formal oral examination.
After your committee has approved your dissertation,
you will file your manuscript with the Graduate
Division (318 Sproul Hall) according to “Instructions
for Preparing and Filing Your Thesis or Dissertation”
by the deadline specified for the semester by which
you wish to receive your degree. At the same time, you
must also file an abstract of the dissertation, no longer
than 350 words and signed by the committee chair.
See the "Master's Thesis" section for procedures
to be followed if committee members disagree about the acceptability
of your dissertation.
Programs using Plan A and Plan B are listed below.
Plan A
Buddhist Studies Plan B
African American Studies Minimum Requirements
All the procedures and regulations described above and in the preceding
section on master's degrees constitute the minimum requirements
for higher degrees, as set by the Graduate Division. Each academic unit
may adopt additional requirements, as approved by the dean of the Graduate
Division and the Graduate Council, according to the demands of its field
of study. |
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