Guide to Graduate Policy
This guide is intended for use by faculty and staff graduate advisors. It presents policies governing the sequence of steps involved in completing a graduate degree at Berkeley and procedures to implement them.
Browse by topic, search, or view/print/save the Guide as a single document.
Policies by Topic
A. Introduction
B. Admission
B1. General Admission Policies
B1.1 Admission and Enrollment Allocations
B1.2 Admission Cycle and Requirements
B1.4 Redirection of an Application
B1.6 Reporting Admission Recommendations to the Graduate Division
B1.7 Informing Applicants of Admission or Denial
B1.8 Special Categories of Students
C. Diversity
C1.1 University of California Statement on Diversity
C1.2 Resources for Increasing Graduate Diversity
C1.3 Admissions Procedures to Enhance Diversity
C1.4 Graduate Student Retention
C1.5 Graduate Diversity Program: Best Practices for Retention
D. Registration Policies and Exchange Programs
D1.1 Registration and Enrollment Requirements
D1.4 Establishing California Residency for Tuition Purposes
D1.5 Registration and Health Coverage
D1.6 Reinstatement as a Registered Student
E. Coursework, Grading, Probation and Dismissal
F. Degrees
F1.2 Academic Residence Requirement for a Master’s Degree
F1.3 Concurrent Master’s Degree Programs
F1.4 Unit Credit for the Master’s Degree
F1.5 Advancement to Candidacy for a Master’s Degree
F1.7 Comprehensive Final Examination (Plan II)
F1.8 Completion of Courses for the Degree
F1.9 Master’s Time in Candidacy
F2. Doctoral Degrees: Policies Prior to Advancement to Candidacy
F2.1 Doctoral Degrees with a Designated Emphasis
F2.2 Academic Residence Requirement for a Doctoral Degree
F2.3 Program Review Requirement for First-Year Students
F2.4 Foreign Language Requirement
F2.7 Qualifying Examination Results
F2.8 Advancement to Candidacy for a Doctoral Degree
F2.9 Normative Time and Calculation of Normative Time in Candidacy
F3. Doctoral Degrees: Policies Governing Doctoral Candidates
F3.1 Doctoral Completion Fellowship (DCF)
F3.2 Dissertation Plans A and B
F3.4 Candidate in Philosophy Degree
F3.5 Annual Review of Doctoral Candidates
F3.6 Reduction in Nonresident Tuition
F3.7 Lapsing, Reinstatement, and Termination of Candidacy
F3.8 Planning for the Dissertation
F3.9 Faculty and Student Interaction During the Dissertation Process
F4. Policies Affecting Both Master’s and Doctoral Students
F4.1 Time Limits on the Use of Courses for Degrees
F4.2 Change or Add a Major or Degree Goal
F4.3 Duplication of Graduate Degrees
F4.4 Submitting the Thesis or the Dissertation in a Foreign Language
F4.5 Faculty Committees for Higher Degrees
F4.7 Configuration Requirements for Higher Degree Committees
F4.8 Role of the Committee Members
G. Financial Assistance
G1. Financial Support and Recruitment
G1.1 Types of Financial Assistance
G1.2 Taxes on Financial Assistance
G1.7 Educational Allowance Top-Offs for External Fellowships
H. Appointments
H1.6 GSI Preparation for Teaching
H1.7 Summer and University Extension Teaching Appointments
I. Glossary of Terms
Policy Memos