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Academic Opportunities


Following is information on Cross-Registration Programs with Other Schools, Studying Abroad, The Berkeley-Washington Program, Research and Internships, Honors Courses, Freshman and Sophomore Seminars, de-cal: Student-Initiated Courses, and Advising and Academic Assistance:

Cross-Registration Programs with Other Schools

Berkeley has cross-registration programs with California State University, East Bay; Mills College; San Francisco State University; Sonoma State University; Holy Names University; J. F. Kennedy University; Dominican University; and St. Mary's College. With the approval of your adviser and the dean of your school or college, you may register and pay applicable fees at Berkeley and be exempt from tuition and fees at the host campus. You may enroll for only one course per semester at the host campus.

In addition to these established programs, any Berkeley student may attend a class each semester at any one of the campuses of the California state university, other UC campuses, or the community college systems. Under these programs, students from the other institutions can also attend classes at Berkeley. Students participating in this exchange program may be subject to a $10 administrative fee, depending on the institution. Berkeley currently does not require this fee of students from the other state campuses.

For more information, call the Office of the Registrar at (510) 642-5990 or e-mail orreg@berkeley.edu.

Studying Abroad

A shrinking world and expanding communication technology have made it increasingly important for practitioners in many fields to be able to function in an international context. The Education Abroad Program (EAP) at Berkeley offers a broad spectrum of opportunities for students to gain first-hand experience living in other cultures while progressing toward their bachelor's degrees. EAP offers a diverse array of programs across all the major disciplines in 34 countries, and students earn University credit for their participation while enhancing their undergraduate experience.

Options include semester-long, year-long, and summer programs. Some programs do not require foreign language proficiency. Financial aid recipients qualify for financial assistance while abroad on EAP, and the costs of many of the programs are less than those incurred by students who remain on the Berkeley campus. Scholarship and grant money is available specifically for EAP students, so do not let financial concerns discourage you from considering education abroad among your educational goals.

For further information, consult your academic advisers and the Education Abroad adviser in the Berkeley Programs for Study Abroad office, 160 Stephens Hall, (510) 642-1356. E-mail: eapucb@berkeley.edu. Web sites: www.ias.berkeley.edu/bpsa or www.eap.ucop.edu.

Programs Not Sponsored by the University of California

Many Berkeley undergraduates choose to attend overseas study programs sponsored by institutions and organizations other than the University of California. To obtain information about these programs, you should contact the programs directly. Among helpful web sites for accessing non-UC study abroad programs are studyabroad.com, goabroad.com, or iiepassport.org. The office of Berkeley Programs for Study Abroad, 160 Stephens Hall, (510) 642-1356, has a small library of information on non-UC programs. Credit for course work completed may or may not be granted, depending on a review of your final transcript by the Office of the Registrar. Before enrolling in any program, consult with the international admission specialists (110 Sproul Hall, (510) 642-3246) concerning the transferability of the course work for a particular program. Finally, consult with a college and major adviser as to the appropriateness of your proposed courses toward degree progress and procedures for readmission.

The UC Berkeley-Washington Program

The UC Berkeley-Washington Center hosts 25 juniors and seniors from all majors during the fall and spring of each year. The academic program allows students to combine course work at the UC Washington Center with field research in an internship that reflects each student's particular area of interest. Participants have worked in a wide variety of organizations and agencies. All participants will be registered as full-time Berkeley students and will remain eligible for financial aid as long as they meet the minimum number of units.

Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and have achieved junior status by the start of their semester in Washington. Applicants must have taken at least two upper division courses on the Berkeley campus that will prepare them for the research project they will pursue in Washington.

For more information, contact the UC Berkeley-Washington Program Office, 301 Campbell Hall #2922; call (510) 642-9102; e-mail: ucdc@berkeley.edu; or go to ucdc.berkeley.edu.

Research and Internships

Berkeley offers many opportunities for you to conduct research projects and engage in internships either as volunteers or paid employees.

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) seeks to involve undergraduates more deeply in the research life of the University. To this end, OUR coordinates and develops programs and resources that bring undergraduates into the field, laboratories, and archives. Whether assisting faculty with research or pursuing their own research under faculty supervision, Berkeley students can experience what it means to be a part of cutting-edge research at a world-class research university. For information on the great variety of undergraduate research opportunities at Berkeley, visit the Research@Berkeley home page at research.berkeley.edu or e-mail research@learning.berkeley.edu.  

The Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP) is the ideal place for students to begin to put their classroom learning to use. As research apprentices, students gain skills and perspectives as they assist faculty with research. More than 1,000 students participate in this program each year, working with faculty from nearly every department and college. Visit the URAP web site for a current list of faculty projects at research.berkeley.edu/urap.  

When students are ready to embark on research of their own design, the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, the Haas Scholars Program, and the David Scholars Program offer fellowships that allow students to pursue sophisticated research. For information about these and other programs, go to research.berkeley.edu.

The Office of Undergraduate Research is located in 301 Campbell Hall, (510) 642-3795.

Internships

A wide variety of internships—loosely defined as structured field experience—is available to you on and off campus. The positions may be paid or unpaid, may sometimes carry academic credit, and may have educational and career value. Courses with field components occur principally in the 97, 98, 99, 197, 198, and 199 series. Check the course listings in the catalog for specific information. The following offices have listings of numerous internships, both on and off campus: the Career Center, 2111 Bancroft Way; Work-Study Program, 212 Sproul Hall; Cal Corps Public Service Center, 505 Eshleman Hall. Individual internship programs are available through campus-based offices. Look for internships on CalJobs or consult individual offices and departments.

Honors Courses

Berkeley offers some honors courses for highly qualified students, usually in their senior year. A few of these courses are available to lower division students. See your major adviser for information.

Freshman and Sophomore Seminars

The Freshman and Sophomore Seminars arose from the conviction that early intellectual contact with faculty members would greatly enhance the under-graduate experience at Berkeley. Professors from nearly every campus department join together each semester to offer an impressive array of seminars. The courses numbered 24 (and in some cases 90) bear 1 unit of credit; they are limited to 15 students, and freshmen are given priority for enrollment. The courses numbered 84 bear 1 or 2 units of credit; they are limited to 15 sophomores. The courses numbered 39A-39Z are limited to 25 freshmen and sophomores.

Seminars, which emphasize interaction and discussion, provide a counterpoint to the learning experience in Berkeley's large lecture halls. These seminars also offer lower division students an unprecedented opportunity to explore a wide range of majors and even fields of study usually reserved for graduate students. As you browse through this catalog, you will find lower division seminars sponsored by Letters and Science departments as well as by the professional schools and colleges.

Descriptions of all the seminars scheduled for the upcoming semester can be found in time for Tele-BEARS registration on the program's web site, fss.berkeley.edu, which also contains other useful information and features for undergraduates.

For additional information regarding the Freshman and Sophomore Seminars, please contact the program office, 333 Campbell Hall, (510) 642-8378.

DeCal: Student-Initiated Courses  

The Program for Democratic Education at Cal (DeCal), a student-run organization, promotes leadership and encourages students to initiate classes that will help maximize their educational experience at Berkeley. While departments have ultimate responsibility for approving and overseeing student-initiated classes, DeCal promotes opportunities for students to sample diverse disciplines for 1-4 units of credit on a passed/not passed basis. It also provides a forum for more advanced, focused study. The program encourages academic interests outside of the boundaries of established disciplines and has a long history of encouraging progressive, socially responsible courses. As well as mainstream subjects, DeCal courses are ideal for explorations into issues of culture, race, ethnicity, and gender. They may also involve internships aimed at transforming theoretical knowledge into practical experience. For more information, contact the DeCal office at 320 Eshleman Hall, (510) 642-9127 or e-mail decalprogram@gmail.com. Also, visit their web site at decal.org.

Advising and Academic Assistance

College and Department Advisers

The College of Letters and Science has a staff of professional advisers who will help you plan your course of study, fulfill requirements, and eventually choose a major. After you have chosen a major, you will be assigned to an adviser who is a faculty member in your major department. Outside the College of Letters and Science, your adviser will most likely be a faculty member.

Student Learning Center

The Student Learning Center (SLC) Study Strategies Resources Program assists students in managing their current and future course work by introducing appropriate study strategies. Professsional staff and trained peer tutors connect students with an elaborate array of resources that enhance students' retention and academic success. Services are holistic in approach, helping students with a range of courses.

Education 98/198, Strategies for Success at Cal, is a 2-unit, pass/not pass seminar that encourages discussion, emphasizes collaborative learning, and focuses on study strategies. The seminar for freshmen emphasizes time management and procrastination, active reading and learning, effective writing and communication, and test preparation. The seminar for continuing students examines the cognitive, metacognitive, and affective variables that determine success at Cal. By actively engaging in a collaborative problem-solving process with other students, peer mentors, and instructors, students establish goals, monitor progress, and improve their academic success. Education 98/198 assists students with learning disorders in achieving academic and personal success at Cal. This course increases knowledge about specific learning styles and disorders, improves the application of effective learning and study strategies, enhances learning by using assistive technology and campus resources, and develops written and oral communication abilities.

For more information about these courses and the SLC, visit the reception desk at the César Chávez Student Center on lower Sproul Plaza, call (510) 642-7332, or go to slc.berkeley.edu.

Student Athletes

The Athletic Study Center, located in 179 César Chávez Center, offers academic support services for Berkeley's student athletes. Services are geared to ensuring academic achievement through academic advising, tutoring, study groups, and a computer lab. For more information, call (510) 642-8402 or go to asc.berkeley.edu.

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