10/2010 MEMO: Limit on Maximum Semester Unit Enrollment for Graduate Students
Updated: May 31st, 2011
Office of the Dean
Graduate Division
University of California, Berkeley
October 22, 2010
To: Deans and Chairs, Head Graduate Advisers, Graduate Advisers
From: Andrew J. Szeri, Dean of the Graduate Division
Campus has seen a trend in recent years, that shows graduate students enroll in unreasonable numbers of units (50 units or more in some cases) in order to secure themselves spaces in a variety of classes. During the first two weeks of classes, some students “shop around” before dropping most of the units. This practice has a negative impact on both students and departments. Other graduate students face long wait-lists and often cannot finalize their classes until well into the semester. Undergraduate courses are impacted when graduate students occupy class space that they drop when it is too late for undergraduates to add. Departments are unable to predict enrollment in order to make staffing and scheduling decisions.
Having consulted with the Deans of all schools and colleges and the Office of the Registrar, the Dean of the Graduate Division has the requested that the Office of the Registrar place a limit on enrollment for graduate students (as is already in place for undergraduate students). The limit will be set at 20.5 semester units with the option for schools and colleges to override the restriction on an individual basis, if warranted. This limit is a “soft” limit, meaning that a student, who is already enrolled in 19 or 20 units and wishes to add, for example, one 3-unit course, may do so. The unit limit will become effective starting with enrollment for Fall 2011. As a pilot project, the School of Journalism will implement the limit for Spring 2011 enrollment.
Cc: Graduate Student Affairs Officers
Graduate Student Assistants
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