Getting started as a Berkeley student requires a few steps:

1. Please log in to your application status page to accept or decline our offer of admission through the “Reply to Offer of Admission” form.
2. Log in to CalCentral to review the onboarding messages and checklist items under “Tasks” on My Dashboard that you need to complete in order to enroll.
3. The Statement of Legal Residence (SLR) is one task required of all new students except those admitted to the following programs:
   • • Executive MBA
     • Evening and Weekend MBA
     • Flexible Master of Social Welfare (Flex-MSW)
     • Master in Financial Engineering (MFE)
     • Master of Bioprocess Engineering (MBE)
     • Development Engineering (MDevEng)
     • Master of Design (M.Des.)
     • Master of Information and Cyber Security (MICS)
     • Masters of Information and Data Science (MIDS)
     • Online Master of Public Health (OOMPH)
     • Master in Public Affairs (MPA)
     • Molecular Science and Software Engineering (MSSE)
     • Real Estate Development & Design Program (MREDD)
     • Master of Law

All incoming students are required to submit an official final transcript, degree diploma, and/or certificate showing degree conferral.

• The deadline to submit documents to the Graduate Admissions Office is October 1. 
• An official transcript is one that has been issued by your undergraduate (or graduate) school and can be sent directly to Graduate Admissions:
  • 318 Sproul Hall #5900, Berkeley, CA 94720-5900
  • If you are a UC Berkeley undergraduate, we do not require official transcripts from you.

If you do not expect to graduate by the date listed on your application, or if you have problems concerning the award of your undergraduate degree, please notify Graduate Admissions by emailing gradadm@berkeley.edu as soon as possible.

If you are completing a graduate degree program, please submit an official transcript showing course work completed and grades earned, as well as the conferral of the degree as soon as it is available. Official documents with evidence of degree conferral must be received by Graduate Admissions before the this degree can be added to your Berkeley records.

The Graduate Division’s New Graduate Student Orientation (NGSO) for incoming students will be hosted virtually in August 2023. We will have a series of weeklong virtual workshops concluding with in-person community and social events. Registration is required.

New graduate students will receive a series of emails throughout the summer that will include a schedule of workshops and events. NGSO is optional, however a good complement to any orientations that your program may be offering and/or requiring. Be sure to check with your academic program for information about additional orientations and requirements.

Connect with your Graduate Student Affairs Officer (GSAO) about program-specific next steps including funding opportunities and other details. Your GSAO is a important staff resource to help guide you through your education at Berkeley.

CalNet ID

After you accept your offer of admission, you can create your CalNet ID, which will become the basis of your UC Berkeley online identity. You will use your CalNet ID to create your campus email, access campus web-based applications, and other services.

bConnected

A bConnected account is your official campus email, calendar, and document-sharing account, and comes with unlimited data storage. All registered students are required to have their own. You are responsible for communications sent to and from your “@berkeley.edu” address and for data stored in your bConnected account.

CalCentral

Cal Central combines multiple campus systems into one easy-to-use, mobile-friendly place. Check email, calendar, academic progress, financial aid, bCourses, and more, anywhere. You will also see notifications and checklist items for any required tasks that you will need to complete, including mandatory sexual violence and sexual harassment prevention trainings and immunization requirements.

Cal Student Central

Cal Student Central (not to be confused with CalCentral student portal) is your destination for key university business related to financial aid, fees and billing, payments, disbursements, registration, and enrollment. Located in 120 Sproul Hall they offer services online, over the phone, and in person. Start by using their chat feature or searching their website for information.

Becoming a fully registered student involves three steps: enrolling in classes, paying fees, and ensuring that all active blocks (medical, conduct, financial) are cleared. Note: you will NOT have any fees assessed to your account until you have enrolled in at least one class.

While most graduate and professional students will follow the standard process of enrollment in CalCentral, some may have different enrollment dates and processes.

If you are a student attending one of the following graduate and professional programs — School of Law; Haas School of Business MBA, EMBA, EWMBA; School of Optometry OD; School of Information MIDS and MICS; School of Public Health OOMPH; Goldman School of Public Policy MPA; College of Natural Resources; MRED+D — please contact your advisor for more information about class enrollment.

For all others: Enrollment appointments in CalCentral will be available for incoming students starting July 2023. You MUST enroll early to be eligible for academic appointments, stipends from University fellowships and grants, and access to services and programs.

For more information, see the Enrollment FAQ Page, or email sishelp@berkeley.edu for technical issues, or your Graduate Student Affairs Officer (GSAO) for advising help.

Billing

Your first billing statement will be available in early August and must be viewed online through CalCentral. 

• Paper billing statements are not generated; your only notification will be by email. 
• Billing statements are generated at the beginning of each month; once the billing statement is created, it does not update. 
• Before making a payment, it is important to first view your updated balance by logging into CalCentral. 
• If you are eligible for financial aid, please note that the August billing statement will not show your financial aid payments, including loan disbursements, for the Fall semester.

All students are encouraged to set up direct deposit with the University to avoid the issuance of paper checks.

Payment options 

Use CalCentral “My Finances” for billing activities, including viewing new charges, account balances, transaction history, and paying charges.

Students can pay their student account online by eCheck at no cost, with a credit card for a 2.75% convenience fee, via 529 savings plans with electronic payment options, or with foreign currency through either Flywire or Convera International Funds Transfer (IFT).

You must pay your registration fees in full or enroll in the Fee Payment Plan (which has a $60 non-refundable participation fee). The deadline for new graduate students to select this payment option is late September 2023.

Students are classified as residents or nonresidents after completing the Statement of Legal Residence shortly after being admitted to the University. Graduate students (U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and some eligible non-immigrants) who enter UC Berkeley as nonresidents and who establish residency for the required year may be classified as residents for tuition purposes within one year after their arrival. These students then receive the benefit of paying at the lower resident rate.

The classification process is not automatic. Continuing nonresident students who have made California their permanent home and believe that they are eligible for resident status must submit an online residency classification petition.

Supporting documentation can be uploaded to CalCentral prior to established deadlines. Even though few nonresident students submit a petition to change their residency status until the end of their first academic year at Berkeley, you must start the process of fulfilling the residency requirements as soon as you arrive.

You will be required to document that you were physically present in California for all of the three months during the summer previous to the term for which you are petitioning for residency. For the full text of the campus residency policy, what students should do once they arrive, and applicable deadlines, see Residency (for tuition purposes).

Please review Residency Requirements: Graduate Students. Residency generally requires continuous physical presence in California. If you remain in the state during non-academic periods this will count towards your physical presence requirement. For residency questions, contact the Residence Affairs unit.

This summary is not a complete explanation of the policies regarding residency. Changes may be made in the residence requirements between the publication date of this guide and the relevant residence determination date. International students with F-1 or J-1 visas / non- immigrant status are not eligible to establish residency. See the “International Students” section for more details.

Cal 1 Card

The Cal 1 Card is the official campus photo ID card. It is used for identity verification purposes as well as to access various campus services, facilities, and events. It is also linked to a debit account in which you may deposit funds and then use them to pay for goods and services at multiple campus library locations and dining facilities as well as other merchant locations which now include placing Grubhub+ orders.

AC Transit Card

The AC Transit EasyPass Clipper Card is a separate card allowing you access to Class Pass unlimited ridership privileges on AC Transit bus lines. Eligible students will receive the EasyPass Clipper Card concurrently with the Cal 1 Card.