Units From Outside UC Berkeley (2024)

Concurrent Enrollment

Concurrent Enrollment is when students plan to enroll in a course(s) at another institution while they are also enrolled in a regular (fall or spring) semester at Berkeley.

BSE undergraduate students can pursue Concurrent Enrollment without requesting approval from BSE Advising. In other words, no petition is required. Official transcripts will need to be submitted to Berkeley upon completion of the coursework. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with a BSE Advisor to discuss whether pursuing concurrent enrollment is a good option.

Transfer Credit

Highschool Exam Scores

Before and during your first semester at Berkeley, the campus’s Central Evaluation Unit will perform an initial transfer credit review. All credit-bearing exams (e.g. AP, IB, GCE A-Level), high school transcripts, and transcripts from other colleges that you have submitted as part of your Admissions tasks will be reviewed during this process.

The initial transfer credit review is typically completed by the end of your first semester at Berkeley.

General Education Requirements

Exam scores may satisfy:

Entry Level Writing
American History and Institutions
Reading and Composition
Foreign Language
Quantitative Reasoning

Qualifying test scores that may satisfy these requirements can be found by clicking on the link for each specific requirement.

Exam scores cannot satisfy American Cultures or the Seven-Course Breadth requirements.*

BSE has yet to determine whether high school exam scores will fulfill major course requirements.

Study Abroad

This page refers to transfer credit from Berkeley Study Abroad courses, which includes UCEAP, Berkeley Summer Abroad, and Berkeley Global Internships programs.

Be sure to check out more information about studying abroad, including BSE requirements for study abroad and information about participation in independent study abroad programs, on the Study Abroad page (see below).

Assessing Berkeley Study Abroad Credit

Some basics on this type of credit:

Will transfer for unit credit
Grades earned through these programs will be calculated into your UC GPA
The Berkeley Study Abroad website has detailed information about how coursework will or will not show on the official Berkeley transcript, depending on the program you attend.

Seven-Course Breadth

Courses taken through these programs may be evaluated for Seven-Course Breadth. The Berkeley Study Abroad website provides helpful resources, including:

a database of pre-approved breadth courses for various programs
guidelines on how to choose courses for breadth evaluation
instructions on how to have courses evaluated for breadth requirements

International Studies breadth requirement: You may fulfill the International Studies breadth requirement by full in-person* participation in a UCEAP, Berkeley Global Edge, Berkeley Summer Abroad, or Berkeley Global Internships program. All of the required courses for your program must be completed with a C-/P or higher in order to satisfy the International Studies breadth requirement.

California Community College

Overview

California Community College coursework is the most common type of transfer coursework students pursue after being admitted to Berkeley. This is because articulation agreements allow you to be sure you are choosing courses that will transfer to satisfy particular requirements. Some basics on this type of transfer credit:

Will only transfer as lower division units and cannot satisfy upper division unit requirements (even if accepted to satisfy an upper division major requirement)
Grades will not factor into your Berkeley GPA
Has potential to satisfy several requirements

Taking Coursework at a California Community College

Where to take courses

assist.org

Completion Process

Contact your California community college to request your transcript be submitted to Berkeley. See the Central Evaluation Unit’s website for Submitting Transcripts.
Your credit will be reviewed based on the assist.org agreement for the year in which you took the course and will be assessed for units, major, and general education requirements. If you took your course after the 2016-2017 school year and no more recent agreement is available, the College of Letters and Sciences will use the 2016-2017 agreement.
Review of your transcripts may take two to four weeks after Berkeley receives your transcripts and will appear in your Transfer Credit Report once reviewed. After this time, if your credit is not in your Transfer Credit Report and you would like to check the status, open a case with Cal Student Central.

Frequently Asked Questions

Online courses

ASSIST does not indicate which courses may be offered online. It is fine to take an online version of a course as long as the department name and number will appear on the official transcript exactly as it is listed in the ASSIST agreement.

Which requirements can California Community College credit be applied toward?

American History
American Institution
American Cultures
Essential Skills*
*If you have already started at Berkeley, Entry Level Writing must be completed before Reading and Composition can be taken at another institution.
Seven-Course Breadth
Major/Minor requirements (see major/minor department for approval)
Total unit requirement (120 unit minimum)
See Degree Requirements page for more information on the above requirements

General Education/Breadth

If assist.org’s “Department” agreement says a course at a community college is equivalent to a course at Berkeley, this does not necessarily mean the course will apply to the same general education requirements as the Berkeley course. To satisfy a general education requirement, the course must be listed under the corresponding requirement in the “General Education/Breadth” agreement on assist.org.

Major requirements

to be determined

Unit credit

Community college courses will only transfer as lower division unit credit. No more than 70 units of lower division transfer coursework (not including UC coursework) may be applied toward the 120 unit minimum required for graduation. This includes work from other higher education institutions, such as California Community Colleges.

UC Berkeley Extension

Overview

Courses taken through Berkeley Extension's Concurrent Enrollment program (with prefixes “XB” and “XBW”) are actual Berkeley courses or are Extension courses that are equivalent to Berkeley courses and have the same content, title, number, and unit value as their Berkeley equivalent.

X300-499 or 800-899 are not transferable to your undergraduate degree.

Taking Coursework at Berkeley Extension

Basics
See Also
Getting a Job in Tech in Berkeley in 2024: The Complete Guide

Can satisfy: Courses taken through Berkeley Extension's Concurrent Enrollment program (with prefixes “XB” and “XBW”) will transfer for units, will apply to your Berkeley GPA, and will satisfy the same requirements for general education as the regular version of the course
"X" prefix courses numbered 1-299 can transfer for units and be petitioned for breadth (see "Other Higher Ed Institution" for process), but will not apply to your Berkeley GPA
Residence requirements: Extension courses do not count for any residence requirements, including upper division in residence, senior residence, or major residence.
Enrollment priority: Berkeley Extension Concurrent Enrollment students get last priority to enroll in Berkeley classes, so this is not an ideal choice for getting a seat in impacted courses. Talk with the department that offers the course to discuss your chances of getting into a course if you enroll this way.
Transcript: With the exception of Fall Program for Freshmen courses, Berkeley Extension course details will not appear on your Berkeley transcript. Instead, the unit total you received will show up under the transfer credit section of your transcript.
If you are in a dismissed status, you must obtain an Assistant Dean’s approval prior to enrolling in XB or XBW courses in order for these courses to apply to the Berkeley GPA once readmitted and for these courses to apply to the required standard terms for readmission after dismissal.

Before enrolling

It is always wise to discuss your plan with the department that hosts the course you are interested in to fully understand your changes of getting a seat in a course through the Berkeley Extension's Concurrent Enrollment program.
It is not typical to take Berkeley Extension Concurrent Enrollment courses while also enrolled in a regular semester at Berkeley. This is because your tuition already covers Berkeley courses and you have better enrollment priority in accessing courses through regular enrollment.
If you are considering enrolling in a Berkeley Extension course that you hope will apply to your undergraduate degree while also enrolled in a regular Fall/Spring semester at Berkeley or if you are taking Berkeley Extension courses in your Expected Graduation Term, make sure to review the red alert box at the top of the page.

After completion of courses

If you enrolled through Berkeley Extension through their Concurrent Enrollment program and were not in a dismissed status, Berkeley Extension should automatically send your transcript to the main Berkeley Central Evaluation Unit for posting. Like with all transfer work, this may still take some time to show up in your Academic Progress Report (APR). If six to eight weeks have passed and you do not see your transfer credit in your APR, open a case with Cal Student Central.
If you took Berkeley Extension while in a dismissed status or did not enroll through the Concurrent Enrollment program, reach out to Berkeley Extension to discuss having your transcript sent to Berkeley.
If you were admitted to Berkeley prior to fall 2016, you may have to open a case with Cal Student Central in order for your transfer work to be input into your Berkeley record.

Frequently Asked Questions

Repeats

If you repeat a course through regular enrollment that you originally took through Berkeley Extension (common with the Fall Program for Freshmen) or if you repeat a course through Berkeley Extension that you originally took through regular enrollment, the system can have a hard time catching this. If you are unsure if your repeat GPA adjustment has been made, open a case with Cal Student Central.

Continuous Enrollment/Start Anytime courses

Berkeley Extension offers some courses that allow students to enroll anytime. These are called continuous enrollment courses. You should be aware of potential challenges these classes can present if taken during your Expected Graduation Term (EGT).
For each EGT, there is a deadline by which any transfer coursework must be completed. The transfer coursework also must have a published last day of the term that meets this deadline. See our Preparing for Graduation page for more about these deadlines.
Because there is no set term for continuous enrollment courses, Berkeley Extension transcripts often list an end date that does not reflect when you completed the course, but may instead reflect when the instructor finalized the grade. If the course is needed for you to graduate, this can result in you needing to move your EGT to a future term.
We recommend you work with your instructor and the Extension registrar to ensure that your Berkeley Extension transcript accurately reflects the date you completed your coursework.

Other UC Extension

The information on this page only applies to Berkeley Extension. Many other UCs have similar programs, but grades from another UC's Extension program will not factor into your UC GPA. Other UC Extension is complicated and does not fall neatly into typical transfer credit categories. If you are considering taking courses through another UC's Extension program, meet with an College Advisor from the College of Letters and Sciences to discuss this plan.

Cost and Financial Aid

The cost for Berkeley Extension is per unit rather than paid for by tuition. Financial aid does not typically cover Berkeley Extension. If you have questions about your own aid packet, please contact the Financial Aid office.

Other UC Campus

Overview

This section covers undergraduate transfer work taken through another UC’s Summer Session, through UC Online (Cross-Campus Enrollment(link is external)), or through the Intercampus Visitor Program. Some basics on this type of transfer credit:

Will transfer to Berkeley for units (quarter units will be converted to semester units upon transfer). These classes follow the same numbering system as UC Berkeley where courses #1-99 are lower division and courses #100-199 are upper division.
Will apply to your UC GPA.
Will not count for residence requirements including upper division in residence, senior residence, or major residence.
Can satisfy select degree requirements (see "(Pre-)Review for Requirements" section below).

Courses taken through another UC's Extension program will not apply to the Berkeley GPA and may or may not be transferable. It is best to discuss taking courses through another UC's Extension program with a BSE advisor.

Taking Coursework at Another UC Campus/UC Online

Coursework taken at other UCs must be evaluated to determine whether credit can be applied to specific degree requirements.

It is ideal to get your coursework reviewed before taking the course. This gives you a guarantee that a course will count in the way you are planning. However, you may have found this information after taking the course, or may not be able to get a syllabus for review before taking the course. The procedure for review is the same whether it is before you have taken the course or after the course has been posted to your record.

Step 1

You can consult the database of pre-approved domestic courses(link is external) (or the Admissions’ list of pre-approved Reading and Composition(link is external) courses) to see if the coursework you have taken (or plan to take) has already been pre-approved for transfer. If your course is not on one of these lists, it will need to be reviewed in order to apply to general education or major requirements.

Step 2A

Bring your syllabus to your major department for review. If the course is in a different department from your major (i.e. a math course that will apply toward your Psychology major), your major department may have you go to the matching department on campus for review (in this example, the Math Department) and then submit the results of that review to your major department. Ultimately it is up to your major department whether they will accept a transfer course toward a particular requirement.

Step 2B

If your course is not a Berkeley Study Abroad course, or a California Community College course, and is not on one of the pre-approved lists above, complete the Breadth and Essential Skills Transfer Review Google Form(link is external) and attach a PDF of the course syllabus.
All syllabi must be dated within one year of the term in which you took the course. For example, if you took the course in summer 2019, the syllabus must be dated for that term or no earlier than summer 2018.
A course description is not an acceptable substitution for a course syllabus and will not be reviewed.
It is recommended to review the Degree Requirements page for the requirement you are petitioning for to make sure your syllabus aligns with the goals of that requirement.
Please allow six to eight weeks to receive a response from the Transfer Credit Review Committee. Failure to provide all required information will delay the review of your request.
The College of Letters and Science cannot review syllabi for Entry Level Writing, Reading and Composition, American History and Institutions(link is external), or American Cultures(link is external).

Completion

If you took coursework through another UC's Summer Session, request for your official transcript to be sent to UC Berkeley. See the Central Evaluation Unit’s website for Submitting Transcripts(link is external).
Cross-Campus Enrollment (UC Online) sends transcripts automatically and questions about Intercampus Visitor (ICV) credit can be directed to the coordinator once you are approved.
If you did not have your coursework pre-reviewed, wait for the credit to post to your Academic Progress Report, then follow the instructions in the (Pre-)Review for Requirements section above to have your credit assessed for degree requirements.

Other Higher Education Institution

Overview

Transferring courses from other higher education institutions (CSUs, private, out-of-state schools, non-UC study abroad programs) is possible, but involves additional steps (and time) to assess the credit. Because very few courses from these institutions have been pre-reviewed, it can take additional time to get assurance that you have chosen a course that will transfer. Additionally, some institutions may not have courses that meet UC standards, so while a course may sound similar to one found at Berkeley, it may not be transferable. If you do not get your course pre-reviewed before taking it, bear in mind that there are no guarantees that the credit will transfer.

Taking Coursework at Other Higher Education Institutions
Assessing coursework from other higher education institutions is a multi-step process.

First, the credit must be determined to be transferable to your undergraduate degree at Berkeley. If a course is determined as transferable, this means that you can receive units for the course and that the course meets standards of the UC system, allowing it to potentially apply to degree requirements.
Second, the course must be assessed for any specific degree requirements beyond units, such as general education or major requirements.

Basics

Some basics about transfer credit from other higher education institutions (CSUs, private, out of state schools, non-UC study abroad programs):
Will not count in UC GPA.
Will not show on transcript outside of "transfer credit" unit summaries.
Will not count for residence requirements, including upper division in residence, senior residence, or major residence.
Not guaranteed to transfer. See (Pre-)Review for Requirements below to understand how to get this type of transfer coursework evaluated. If you do not have the information needed to have a Pre-Review of your coursework, you will need to decide whether taking this coursework is worth it even without assurances that it will transfer.
It is also important to review the yellow alert box at the top of the page for any additional information you may need.

Step 1

You can consult the database of pre-approved domestic courses, the database of pre-approved international courses, or the Admissions’ list of pre-approved Reading and Composition courses to see if the coursework you plan to take has already been pre-approved to satisfy the College of Letters and Science's General Education requirements.

Step 2

This guidance is for continuing (not incoming/new) students planning to take a course(s) at another higher education institution.
If you are planning to take a course: Review Central Evaluation Unit's Transfer Credit: Course Evaluation page to review criteria for transferability. If you believe your coursework may be transferable, open a case with Cal Student Central to have the coursework assessed before enrolling. Review the BSE Advising Transfer Credit page as well to better understand limitations on transfer credit. Please note that quarter units will be converted to semester units upon transfer.
If you have already taken the coursework: Contact the institution at which you took the course to request your transcript be submitted to Berkeley. See the Central Evaluation Unit’s website for Submitting Transcripts
See additional instructions below to have coursework assessed for major requirements and the College of Letters and Science's requirements such as Essential Skills and Seven-Course breadth.

Step 3a

(You can skip this step if you do not need to assess a course for major requirements.)
Bring your syllabus to your major department for review. If the course is in a different department from your major (i.e. a math course that will apply toward your Psychology major), your major department may have you go to the matching department on campus for review (in this example, the Math Department) and then submit the results of that review to your major department. Ultimately it is up to your major department whether they will accept a transfer course toward a particular requirement.

Step 3b

A course must be a minimum of 3 semester units (4 quarter units) in order to be eligible to satisfy a Seven-Course Breadth requirement.
If your course is not a Berkeley Study Abroad course, or a California Community College course, and is not on one of the pre-approved lists, complete the Breadth and Essential Skills Transfer Review Google Form(link is external) and attach a PDF of the course syllabus.
All syllabi must be dated within one year of the term in which you took the course. For example, if you took the course in summer 2019, the syllabus must be dated for that term or no earlier than summer 2018.
A course description is not an acceptable substitution for a course syllabus and will not be reviewed.
It is recommended to review the Degree Requirements page for the requirement you are petitioning for to make sure your syllabus aligns with the goals of that requirement.
Please allow six to eight weeks to receive a response from the Transfer Credit Review Committee. Failure to provide all required information will delay the review of your request.
The College of Letters and Science cannot review syllabi for Entry Level Writing, Reading and Composition, American History and Institutions, or American Cultures

After completing the course(s)

Request that your official transcript be sent to Berkeley. See the Central Evaluation Unit’s website for Submitting Transcripts
If you did not have your coursework pre-reviewed, wait for the credit to post to your Academic Progress Report, then follow Step 2 above to have your credit assessed for degree requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the review process take?

The review process can take six to eight weeks. Because of this, it can be a good strategy to submit more than one course for review if you have any doubts the course you have selected will be approved.

Entry Level Writing and Reading and Composition Requirements

If you have already started at Berkeley, Entry Level Writing must be completed before Reading and Composition can be taken at another institution.

Financial Aid

If you use Financial Aid, discuss your plan with the Financial Aid and Scholarships office.