BERKELEY, USA

Brief information

Is it your dream to study at the prestigious University of California Berkeley and take courses from world-leading departments? From the classic semester abroad to the Berkeley Haas Global Access Program to summer sessions, everything is possible!

Since 1868, the most brilliant minds in the world have studied and researched at UC Berkeley. It is not without reason that the first campus of today ‘s University of California System is one of the most important universities in the world. It has been one of the best US universities for years, which has repeatedly earned it first place among all state universities (Top Public Schools) in the US News & World Report Best Colleges Rankings 2018.

According to AbbreviationFinder, the Californian elite university owes its excellent reputation to the groundbreaking research that is still revolutionizing science and driving our society forward to a large extent: a considerable number of its current researchers and professors are Nobel Prize winners ; many have received Pulitzer Prizes.

The beautiful UC Berkeley campus is located in the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area and is considered to be particularly safe and welcoming. Built on 43 hills, the mega metropolis of San Francisco can be reached in just 30 minutes by S-Bahn and offers you a fascinating range of leisure activities.

• University of California Berkeley website
• University of California Berkeley Extension website

University facts

Year of foundation: 1868

Type of university: State university

Number of Students: Total 35900, 25800 Undergraduate, 10100 Postgraduate, International 5600

Accreditations:

• WSCUC (WASC Senior Association of Schools and Colleges)
• AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business)

Academic year:

The academic year at UC Berkeley is divided into two semesters. A total of five summer sessions will take place.

Study programs

• semester abroad
• Summer Sessions

The University of California Berkeley Extension offers international students five different options for a semester abroad with or without an orientation to a specific field of study: the Berkeley Global Access Program (BGA), the Berkeley-Haas Global Access Program (BHGAP), the Berkeley Physics International Education Program (BPIE) and the Berkeley Global Chemistry Visiting Student Program.

The BHGAP is located directly at the Haas School of Business, which is known far beyond US borders. Bachelor’s and master’s students with and without a business administration background can take courses from the curriculum of the Haas School of Business in various “tracks”. The focus is on topics such as entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership and digital business and the courses are taught by professors and lecturers from the Haas School of Business. In addition, all program participants select an additional course from UC Berkeley’s comprehensive course catalog as an “elective”. As a supplement within the four-month program, further options such as workshops, excursions, company visits, career training and others are available.

In addition to the BHGAP, there is also the Berkeley Global Access Program (BGA), a classic semester program with a cross-departmental choice of courses. Students can study for a semester or two on the UC Berkeley campus, choosing between courses from the UC Berkeley Extension and those from the regular UC Berkeley course catalogue.

The Berkeley Physics International Education Program gives international physics students the opportunity to spend a semester abroad at the Berkeley Physics Department. Students choose four exciting courses from the areas of Quantum Mechanics, Atomic Physics, Solid State Physics, Biophysics, String Theory, Cosmology, Thermal and Statistical Physics or Data Science. Exclusive lunches with prestigious lecturers, participation in poster sessions, panels on career topics and research lab tours as well as excursions into the surrounding area make the program unique.

In the field of chemistry, too, international students with the Berkeley Global Chemistry Visiting Student Program have the opportunity to boost their technical skills and career opportunities with a semester abroad at the elite Californian university. Participants study for a semester or two alongside local students at UC Berkeley College of Chemistry, recognized as the world’s #1 in this field. You can choose a track with courses in computational chemistry or a track in chemical biology. The participants can also use their semester abroad to get to know the research projects of the world-famous laboratories of the university and possibly to make contacts.

• University of California Berkeley Extension (BHGAP) Semester Program
• University of California Berkeley Extension Semester Program (Berkeley Global Access)
• University of California Berkeley Extension semester program (Berkeley Physics International Education Program)
• University of California Berkeley Extension semester program (Berkeley Global Chemistry Visiting Student Program)

Fees

• Fall semester 2022

Program Cost (BPIE)

$22000.00

Program Cost (BGA Discover)

$14400.00

Program Cost (BHGAP)

$19900.00

application fee

$100.00

The above Berkeley Global Access Program (BGA) fees are a guide – actual fees will depend on the number and type of courses taken. There is a program fee of US$ 4900 that all participants must pay. In addition, there are US$ 750 per occupied unit for courses from the regular course offer of UC Berkeley or US$ 500-1300 per course from the offer of the UC Berkeley Extension. A total of at least 12 and a maximum of 18 units must be taken, which corresponds to 4-6 courses.

The fees for the subject-related semester programs, on the other hand, are a fixed price.

Fees for the Berkeley-Haas Global Access Program include taking 9-10 units of Haas-Berkeley business courses and 2-3 units of other UC Berkeley courses. Also included is a comprehensive supporting program such as career counseling and professional development workshops, field trips to companies in Silicon Valley and the Bay Area, access to student clubs and associations at UC Berkeley and the Haas School of Business, and other cultural and social activities.

Fees for the Berkeley Physics International Education Program include attending 12 UC Berkeley semester units at the UC Berkeley Physics Department. This corresponds to four courses. The accompanying program such as an orientation week, exclusive faculty lunches, poster sessions, workshops, research lab tours, field trips to San Francisco, Napa, Half-Moon Bay and Monterey and access to more than 100 student clubs are also included in the fees.

The fees for the Berkeley Global Chemistry Visiting Student Program include the attendance of 12-15 units, which corresponds to approximately 4-5 courses in total. For the selected technical track (Computational Chemistry or Chemical Biology), 2-3 courses from a given list can be taken. There is also a general “Chemistry Visiting Scholars Experiential course” (1 unit).

• University of California Berkeley Extension (BHGAP) Tuition Fees
• Tuition Fees at the University of California Berkeley Extension (Berkeley Global Access)
• Tuition Fees at the University of California Berkeley Extension (Berkeley Physics International Education Program)
• Tuition Fees at the University of California Berkeley Extension (Berkeley Global Chemistry Visiting Student Program)

Financing options

Anyone who goes to the University of California Berkeley Extension for a semester abroad can apply for foreign BAföG, among other things. Eligible students receive a subsidy towards tuition fees of up to EUR 4600, a flat-rate travel allowance and a subsidy towards health insurance and living expenses.

In addition, the UC Berkeley Extension awards four $5,000 scholarships per semester for the BHGAP and two $5,000 scholarships for the Chemistry Program.

University-specific scholarships:

• UC Berkeley Extension BHGAP Scholarships

Requirements

For the Berkeley Global Access Discover Program, students must meet the respective admission requirements for the chosen courses, e.g. have a bachelor’s degree for a graduate course. Detailed information can be found in the course descriptions.

The Berkeley Haas Global Access Program is aimed at high-performing bachelor’s and master’s students in all disciplines. Depending on the level of study and subject, different “tracks” can be taken within the framework of the program. Bachelor students without a business administration background take the so-called “Preparatory Track”. Bachelor’s students with a business administration background can combine courses from the “Preparatory Track” and the “Advanced Track” and Master’s students with a business administration background usually only take courses from the “Advanced Track”.

The Berkeley Global Chemistry Visiting Student Program is open to international undergraduate and graduate students. Applicants must have successfully completed at least two years of their studies and have a GPA of 3.0.

The Berkeley Physics International Education Program is open to international physics students at Bachelor’s and Master’s level.

A minimum score in a standardized language test such as the TOEFL or IELTS is also required for the programs. Alternatively, a telephone or Skype interview with UC Berkeley or proof of English-language studies lasting at least one year will also be accepted.

The language skills can be proven by one of the following test results or documents:

	Undergraduate	postgraduate
CAE	C1 Advanced	C1 Advanced
Cambridge	C1 Advanced	C1 Advanced
DAAD language test	C1	C1
IELTS	7.0	7.0
TOEFL (internet based)	90	90

The language certificate cannot be submitted later.

• University of California Berkeley Extension (BHGAP) Application Requirements
• University of California Berkeley Extension (Berkeley Global Access) Application Requirements

Degrees/Courses

Degrees/Courses in English – Undergraduate

• Bachelors in History of Art
• Bachelor of Arts in African American Studies
• Bachelor of Arts in American Studies
• Bachelor of Arts in Ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern Art and Archaeology
• Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology
• Bachelor of Arts in Architecture – Design Research
• Bachelor of Arts in Architecture – Studio
• Bachelor of Arts in Art Practice
• Bachelor of Arts in Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies
• Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies – China
• Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies – Japan
• Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies – Multi Area
• Bachelor of Arts in Astrophysics
• Bachelor of Arts in Atmospheric Science
• Bachelor of Arts in Celtic Studies
• Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry
• Bachelor of Arts in Chicano Studies
• Bachelor of Arts in Chinese Language
• Bachelor of Arts in Classical Civilizations
• Bachelor of Arts in Classical Languages
• Bachelor of Arts in Cognitive Science
• Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature
• Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science
• Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Performance Studies
• Bachelor of Arts in Dutch Studies
• Bachelor of Arts in East Asian Languages ​​and Cultures
• Bachelor of Arts in Economics
• Bachelor of Arts in English
• Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Earth Science
• Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Economics and Policy
• Bachelor of Arts in Ethnic Studies
• Bachelor of Arts in Film
• Bachelor of Arts in French
• Bachelor of Arts in Gender and Women’s Studies
• Bachelor of Arts in Geography
• Bachelor of Arts in Geology
• Bachelor of Arts in Geophysics
• Bachelor of Arts in German
• Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies
• Bachelor of Arts in Greek
• Bachelor of Arts in Hispanic Languages ​​and Bilingual Issues
• Bachelor of Arts in History
• Bachelor of Arts in Iberian Language and Literature
• Bachelor of Arts in Integrative Biology
• Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies
• Bachelor of Arts in Italian Studies
• Bachelor of Arts in Japanese Language
• Bachelor of Arts in Landscape Architecture
• Bachelor of Arts in Latin
• Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Literatures
• Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies
• Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics
• Bachelor of Arts in Luso-Brazilian Language and Literature
• Bachelor of Arts in Marine Science
• Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics
• Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics
• Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies
• Bachelor of Arts in Molecular and Cell Biology – Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Bachelor of Arts in Molecular and Cell Biology – Cell & Developmental Biology
• Bachelor of Arts in Molecular and Cell Biology – Genetics, Genomics, & Development
• Bachelor of Arts in Molecular and Cell Biology – Immunology & Pathogenesis
• Bachelor of Arts in Molecular and Cell Biology – Neurobiology
• Bachelor of Arts in Music
• Bachelor of Arts in Native American Studies
• Bachelor of Arts in Near Eastern Civilizations – Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations
• Bachelor of Arts in Near Eastern Civilizations – Islamic Civilizations
• Bachelor of Arts in Near Eastern Languages ​​and Literatures – Arabic
• Bachelor of Arts in Near Eastern Languages ​​and Literatures – Egyptology
• Bachelor of Arts in Near Eastern Languages ​​and Literatures – Hebrew
• Bachelor of Arts in Near Eastern Languages ​​and Literatures – Persian
• Bachelor of Arts in Operations Research and Management Science
• Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy
• Bachelor of Arts in Physics
• Bachelor of Arts in Planetary Science
• Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy
• Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
• Bachelor of Arts in Public Health
• Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies
• Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric
• Bachelor of Arts in Scandinavian
• Bachelor of Arts in Slavic Languages ​​and Literatures – Other Slavic Languages ​​and Literatures
• Bachelor of Arts in Slavic Languages ​​and Literatures – Russian / East European / Eurasian Cultures
• Bachelor of Arts in Slavic Languages ​​and Literatures – Russian Language and Literature
• Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare
• Bachelor of Arts in Sociology
• Bachelor of Arts in South and Southeast Asian Studies
• Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Language and Literature
• Bachelor of Arts in Statistics
• Bachelor of Arts in Sustainable Environmental Design
• Bachelor of Arts in Theater and Performance Studies
• Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies
• Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering – Biomaterials, Biomechanics and Cell Tissue Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering – Biomedical Devices
• Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering – Biomedical Imaging
• Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering – Computational Bioengineering
• Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering – Premed
• Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering – Synthetic Biology
• Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
• Bachelor of Science in Chemical Biology
• Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Chemistry
• Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
• Bachelor of Science in Conservation and Resource Studies
• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences
• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences
• Bachelor of Science in Energy Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Engineering Mathematics and Statistics
• Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics
• Bachelor of Science in Environmental Economics and Policy
• Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering Science
• Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences
• Bachelor of Science in Forestry and Natural Resources
• Bachelor of Science in Genetics and Plant Biology
• Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research
• Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Microbial Biology
• Bachelor of Science in Molecular Environmental Biology
• Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology
• Bachelor of Science in Physics – Advanced Experimentation Laboratory
• Bachelor of Science in Physics – Analytical Mechanics
• Bachelor of Science in Physics – Descriptive Introduction to Physics
• Bachelor of Science in Physics – Electromagnetism and Optics
• Bachelor of Science in Physics – Instrumentation Laboratory
• Bachelor of Science in Physics – Introduction to Computational Techniques in Physics
• Bachelor of Science in Physics – Introduction to Mathematical Physics
• Bachelor of Science in Physics – Introduction to Statistical and Thermal Physics
• Bachelor of Science in Physics – Particle Physics
• Bachelor of Science in Physics – Physics and Music
• Bachelor of Science in Physics – Quantum and Nonlinear Optics
• Bachelor of Science in Society and Environment
• Core Course in American Law and Legal Institutions
• Core Course in Law, Technology and Entrepreneurship
• Elective Course in American Legal and Constitutional History
• Elective Course in Basic Legal Values
• Elective Course in Comparative Constitutional Law
• Elective Course in Comparative Constitutional Law: The Case of Israel
• Elective Course in Data Prediction and Law
• Elective Course in Democracy and Diversity
• Elective Course in Foundations of Legal Studies
• Elective Course in Gandhi, Law and Civil Rights
• Elective Course in Immigration and Citizenship
• Elective Course in International Human Rights
• Elective Course in International Law and International Relations
• Elective Course in Law and Economics II: Government and Regulation
• Elective Course in Law, Technology and Regulations
• Elective Course in Psychology of Diversity and Discrimination in American Law
• Elective Course in Punishment, Culture and Society
• Elective Course in Theoretical Foundations of Criminal Law
• Elective Course in Theories of Law and Society
• Elective Course in US Supreme Court and Public Policy
• Elective Course at Wall Street/Main Street
• Minor in African American Studies
• Minor in Ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern Civilizations
• Minor in Anthropology
• Minor in Applied Language Studies
• Minors in Arabic
• Minors in Arabic
• Minor in Architecture
• Minor in Art History
• Minor in Art Practice
• Minor in Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies
• Minor in Astrophysics
• Minor in Atmospheric Science
• Minor in Bioengineering
• Minor in Buddhist Studies
• Minor in Celtic Studies
• Minor in Chemical Engineering
• Minor in Chemistry
• Minor in Chicano Studies
• Minor in Chinese Language
• Minor in City Planning
• Minor in Classical Civilizations
• Minor in Comparative Literature
• Minor in Computer Science
• Minor in Conservation and Resource Studies
• Minor in Creative Writing
• Minor in Dance and Performance Studies
• Minor in demographics
• Minor in Disability Studies
• Minor in Dutch Studies
• Minors in Education
• Minor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences
• Minor in Energy and Resources
• Minor in Energy Engineering
• Minor in English
• Minor in Environmental Design and Urbanism in Developing Countries
• Minor in Environmental Earth Science
• Minor in Environmental Economics and Policy
• Minor in Environmental Engineering
• Minor in Ethnic Studies
• Minor in Food Systems
• Minor in Forestry
• Minor in French
• Minor in Gender and Women’s Studies
• Minor in Geography
• Minor in Geology
• Minor in Geophysics
• Minor in Geospatial Information Science and Technology
• Minor in GeoSystems
• Minors in German
• Minor in Global Poverty & Practice
• Minor in Greek Studies
• minor in Hebrew
• Minor in History
• Minor in History and Theory of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design
• Minor in History of the Built Environment
• Minor in Human Rights Interdisciplinary
• Minor in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research
• Minor in Italian Studies
• Minor in Japanese Language
• Minor in Japanese Studies
• Minor in Jewish Studies
• Minor in Journalism
• Minor in Korean Language
• Minor in Korean Studies
• Minor in Latin Studies
• Minor in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Studies
• Minor in Linguistics
• Minor in Logic
• Minor in Luso-Brazilian Language and Literature
• Minor in Marine Science
• Minor in Materials Science and Engineering
• Mathematics minor
• Minor in Mechanical Engineering
• Minor in Medieval Studies
• Minor in Middle Eastern Studies
• Minor in Music
• Minor in Native American Studies
• Minor in Nuclear Engineering
• Minor in Nutritional Sciences
• Minor in Peace and Conflict Studies
• Minors in Persian
• Minor in Philosophy
• Minor in Physics
• Minor in Planetary Science
• Major in Political Economy
• Minor in Public Health
• Minor in Public Policy
• Minor in Religious Studies
• Minor in rhetoric
• Minor in Russian Language
• Minor in Russian Language, Literature, and Culture
• Minor in Russian Literature
• Minor in Scandinavian
• Minor in Science and Math Education
• Minor in Slavic Languages ​​and Literatures – Bosnian / Croatian / Serbian Language and Literature
• Minor in Slavic Languages ​​and Literatures – Czech Language and Literature
• Minor in Slavic Languages ​​and Literatures – Polish Language and Literature
• Minor in Social and Cultural Factors in Environmental Design
• Minor in South and Southeast Asian Studies
• Minor in Spanish Language and Literature
• Minor in Spanish Linguistics
• Minor in Statistics
• Minor in Structural Engineering
• Minor in Sustainable Design
• Minor in Theater and Performance Studies
• Minor in Tibetan
• Minor in Toxicology
• Minor in Turkish

Studies/Courses in English – Postgraduate

• Master of Architecture
• Master of Arts in Asian Studies
• Master of Arts in Demography
• Master of Arts in Education
• Master of Arts in Endocrinology
• Master of Arts in Energy and Resources
• Master of Arts in Latin American Studies
• Master of Arts in Mathematics
• Master of Arts in Near Eastern Studies
• Master of Arts in Statistics
• Master of Business Administration
• Master of City Planning
• Master of Development Practice
• Masters of Engineering in Bioengineering
• Master of Engineering in Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences
• Master of Engineering in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research
• Master of Engineering in Materials Science and Engineering
• Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering
• Master of Engineering in Nuclear Engineering
• Master of Financial Engineering
• Master of Fine Art in Art Practice
• Master of Forestry
• Master of Information and Data Science
• Master of Information Management and Systems
• Masters of Journalism
• Master of Landscape Architecture
• Master of Public Affairs
• Masters of Public Health
• Master of Public Policy
• Master of Public Policy in Energy and Resources
• Masters of Science in Architecture
• Master of Science in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering – Product Development
• Master of Science in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering – Bioprocess Engineering
• Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Masters of Science in Computer Science
• Master of Science in Energy and Resources
• Master of Science in Environmental Health Sciences
• Masters of Science in Epidemiology
• Masters of Science in Health and Medical Sciences
• Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research
• Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering
• Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering
• Master of Science in Metabolic Biology
• Masters of Science in Nuclear Engineering
• Masters of Science in Physics
• Master of Science in Range Management
• Master of Social Welfare
• Master of Translational Medicine
• Master of Translational Medicine in Bioengineering
• Master of Urban Design
• Masters of Arts in Biostatistics

Campus

The campus of the University of California Berkeley is one of the most beautiful university campuses in the USA. It is located on the Berkeley Hills, from which the beautiful San Francisco Bay can be seen. The impressive architecture of the venerable buildings symbolizes the excellence of the university: everything is represented here, from neoclassical buildings to ultra-modern buildings.

The landmark of the campus is the “Campanile”, a bell tower over 90 meters high that can be seen from afar. The sprawling grounds are also home to countless museums, such as the Berkeley Art Museum, which regularly hosts free painting classes or movie nights. In addition, UC Berkeley has one of the largest libraries in the USA with over twelve million books and publications.

The city center of the student city of Berkeley is within walking distance from the campus. Picturesque parks, famous theatres, well-known restaurants and cozy cafes are just around the corner. If you want to explore the relaxed cosmopolitan city of San Francisco, you can take the S-Bahn there in just 30 minutes.

• University of California Berkeley campus map

Housing

International students at the University of California Berkeley Extension have a variety of housing options.

International students completing a summer session at UC Berkeley live on campus during this time.

The following accommodation options are available:

• student residence
• Apartments on campus
• Private apartments / hotels
• guest families

The college town of Berkeley

Berkeley, with a population of around 100,000, is located in the Alameda district in the San Francisco Bay Area in northern California, and the metropolis of San Francisco is just 13 miles to the south-west. Directly adjacent are the city of Oakland to the south, the Berkeley Hills to the east and the city of Albany to the north.

The rose garden, the botanical garden and the art museum of the university are particularly worth seeing. With its marina, Berkeley is a popular water sports center, and Berkeley is also a world-renowned center for arts and entertainment. The population is very creative, highly educated and lives in a natural environment. The climate is pleasant, the lowest and highest monthly mean values ​​range between 10 °C and 17 °C.