Study abroad

• Students must be in good academic standing to study abroad.
  • You will need to monitor your grades for the semester prior to your departure very carefully.  If you do not have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 and/or a semester GPA of 2.0, you will not be in good academic standing and will not be able to study abroad.  Please see this section below for more information.
  • Please note that in College of Engineering, students with no GPAs due to all Passed grades are considered to be in good standing and can still participate in Study Abroad.
• Students can study abroad for up to two semesters.
• Students are encouraged to go during their sophomore or junior year.
• Transfer students should try to go during their third or fourth semester.
• The latest a student should go is the first semester of senior year (exceptions can be made, but this is something to discuss with your Engineering Student Services (ESS) Adviser).
• An additional semester can be granted for students who study abroad. The additional semester will be revoked, however, if the student decides not to participate in the study abroad program.
• You must obtain the approval of your ESS Adviser in order to participate in a study abroad program.
• Students who want to take technical courses for their major while on study abroad should get the syllabi and have Berkeley faculty review them beforehand. The official evaluation of the courses will be done when the student returns. Students must collect the syllabi and course descriptions, and then consult with their ESS adviser, who will give them the instructions on how to have the courses reviewed by their department.
• Students who have selected an independent program that requires a planned leave of absence should consult with their ESS Adviser.
• Students who are in a simultaneous degree program must get approval from both colleges to participate in study abroad. Simultaneous degree students who study abroad who have already received an additional semester as part of their simultaneous degree plan can be granted another additional semester by the College of Engineering, if necessary and both colleges agree.

Many College of Engineering undergraduates are interested in studying abroad, and we strongly encourage participation as a means of broadening your education and developing a global view of engineering. International study requires a good deal of planning, organization and self-motivation to be successful, but the benefits are well worth the effort. You may choose to study abroad by participating in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) or in a non-UC sponsored program. Study abroad programs are offered for one semester, a full academic year or a summer session. If you are interested, you should begin researching country and program options early in your academic career.

With careful planning, you can complete a study abroad program without delaying your graduation; however, you will be granted one additional semester to complete your degree requirements if needed. Your ESS Adviser will verify that you are making satisfactory progress toward your degree and that the time abroad will not prevent completion of your requirements in a timely manner.

What happens if I’m suddenly not in good academic standing?

Students who are not in good academic standing are not eligible to participate in Study Abroad Programs. 

In order to apply to study abroad, students must be in good academic standing at the time they submit their application.  If a student is admitted to a program while in good academic standing and then ends up on academic notice prior to departure, students are prohibited from participating in the study abroad program. The turnaround between when a student knows this and when their Study Abroad program starts can be very short.  

Berkeley Study Abroad (BSA) Advisers will check GPAs at the end of the last term prior to departure. At that time, BSA Advisers will also screen for completion of any conditions set at the time of selection to the program (e.g. completion of a language prerequisite prior to departure).  

If you believe that you will fail to be in good academic standing, will fall below the minimum GPA requirement (cumulative GPA or language GPA) for the program, or will fail to meet a condition outlined in the selection notification email, you must contact your BSA Adviser immediately. (Do not depart for your study abroad program without notifying your BSA Adviser.  You could be sent home for not meeting minimum requirements.)

If you are enrolled in a Berkeley Study Abroad program and earn a less than a 2.0 cumulative GPA, and/or if you have a semester GPA of less than a 2.0 in the term prior to departure, we strongly recommend that you take the following actions right away:

• Contact your BSA Adviser immediately to discuss your case.
• Contact your ESS Adviser immediately to discuss your case.

Please note the following fees may apply if students are deemed ineligible to participate in a study abroad program due to being on academic notice:

• Non-refundable housing fees (if applicable)
• Non-refundable flight fees (all students are encouraged to purchase refundable flights)
• Late Withdrawal Fees or Program Fees, depending on your program
• Visa Fees (if applicable)
• Any financial aid you may have to pay back (if you receive financial aid prior to learning that you are no longer eligible to participate in a study abroad program)
• Additional penalties, including unrecoverable program costs and fees assessed by a host university, institution, or third party service provider abroad, may apply according to deadlines established by those entities.

In addition to incurring possible fees listed above, students deemed ineligible to study abroad will be responsible for 

• Canceling flights, if possible
• Canceling housing accommodations abroad, if possible
• Making alternative housing arrangements
• Making alternative academic plans, or taking the semester away from Berkeley 
  • Students who  take a semester away from UC Berkeley will need to file for readmission for the following semester. Contact your ESS Adviser to start the readmission process as soon as possible. 
  • Please note that student visas will not be valid for any students who were withdrawn from their study abroad program. Students considering traveling abroad during a semester away from Berkeley must consult with a BSA Adviser to ensure they will maintain visa compliance.

We encourage students to take a balanced load of engineering and non-engineering courses, completing breadth requirements and fulfilling upper-division requirements. Transferability of coursework isn’t an issue for students at UCEAP campuses, but students in some affiliate and independent programs must look into this. Advisers in the Berkeley Study Abroad office can answer your questions about transferring credit.  Students may want to consider these common engineering-focused programs.

Students should also consider whether study-abroad coursework will satisfy major requirements. Any technical courses which have not yet been approved will need to be evaluated by the department before credit is given. If you can get a course syllabus prior to leaving, you can complete the course evaluation form and send this to the corresponding major adviser (your ESS Adviser can let you know who this would be).  Please note that EECS has their own evaluation process.  This will let you know whether you’ll receive full subject credit, partial subject credit (whereby you need to complete a bridge course to fulfill the subject requirement) or receive no subject credit. If you wait until your return to handle this, you risk not getting major requirement credit for the courses you took.

Note that all courses used to fulfill major requirements must be taken for a letter grade.

The typical time to study abroad is at the start of junior year, but UCEAP has created summer and semester programs geared toward sophomores who need to fulfill breadth requirements or for those who want to learn a language. Freshmen can apply as early as January to participate in UCEAP’s sophomore-oriented programs, which start in the summer or fall.

Students who choose to wait until senior year may still be able to successfully incorporate study abroad into their degree program, though it can affect graduation plans. Senior residency is an important campus and college requirement. Students who want to study abroad their senior year should discuss this requirement and ways to fulfill it with their ESS adviser.

You can go for a summer, a semester or an academic year. In a year-long program, students will likely need to take engineering courses for at least one semester.

You should choose the option that allows you complete your engineering degree in a timely manner. With careful planning, many students can complete a study abroad program without delaying graduation. If needed, students who participate in a study abroad program will be granted one additional semester to complete their degree requirements.

• International travel can be expensive. Check with the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office about scholarships and grants that are still available to you while you are off-campus, and to fill out any necessary forms. (Some aid sources require a planned leave of absence request, for example.) Follow budgeting guidelines carefully.
• Study abroad will enhance your post-graduation prospects, but important employer recruiting events may take place while you are away.
• To be eligible for honors, students must complete 43 UC Berkeley units for letter grades. Transfer students who wish to be considered for honors must choose UCEAP for study abroad, since all courses completed will then be considered as UC Berkeley units.
• Universities in other countries may not be in session at the same time as UC Berkeley. For example, the typical academic calendar in the southern hemisphere (e.g., Australia) is January through December.
• English is used at many of the UCEAP institutions. However, if you want to improve your foreign language skills, select a school where the official language of instruction is not English. If you choose the latter option, keep in mind that the language skills necessary for studying, writing papers and taking exams in a foreign language are greater than the skills needed for recreational travel.
• International study is full of potential rewards and opportunities for growth, but it’s not a good fit for everyone. Interested students should be honest with themselves about their openness and flexibility, desire to interact with others, and ability to learn about new points of view.
• Participating in Study abroad also entails being an ambassador for UC Berkeley. Your behavior will reflect on the university and will affect the options other students will have in the future.

It’s crucial to get an early start, and we recommend a year in advance. You’ll have many steps to complete, and deadlines come up quickly:

• Join the Berkeley Study Abroad mailing list: bit.ly/BSAnewsletter to hear about deadlines, new programs, info sessions, and scholarship opportunities.
• Search for programs on the Study Abroad Website.
• You may want to consider the engineering programs available; but know that you don’t necessarily have to do any technical courses abroad – this will depend on your remaining requirements and semesters.
• Meet with an adviser in the Study Abroad Office for general advising, peer advising, program advising, and financial aid advising.
• Meet with your Engineering Student Services (ESS) Adviser to determine what types of courses you would like/need to take.
• Talk with as many people as you can about your plans. Word-of-mouth is often the best guide to the true value of study abroad. Ask for referrals from other UC Berkeley students who have participated in the programs that interest you.
• Once you have selected a program, follow application and pre-departure instructions and deadlines carefully.

 1.  Start planning a year in advance

• It’s best to plan early. Most program’s application deadlines are six to ten months before departure.
• Join the Berkeley Study Abroad mailing list: bit.ly/BSAnewsletter  to hear about deadlines, new programs, info sessions, and scholarship opportunities.
• Meet with a Study Abroad peer adviser.
• Attend an EAP Workshop.

2.  Search for Programs

• Search for programs on the Explore tab on the Berkeley Study Abroad Website.
• You can sort by language, term, location, and program provider to find the best fit for you.
• You may want to consider the engineering programs available (but you don’t necessarily have to do any technical courses abroad – this will depend on your remaining requirements and semesters).
• If you’re in CIVENG or EECS, you may want to check out their pre-approved course lists (this is not available for other majors, but if you have a school in mind, ESS Advisers would be able to check on your behalf if courses have been approved before from that school):
  • CIVENG
  • EECS

3.  Meet with your Engineering Student Services (ESS) Adviser

• Your ESS Adviser will help you determine what types of courses to look for (breadth, major requirements).
• You must obtain the approval of your Adviser in order to participate in a study abroad program.

4. Meet with a program-specific adviser in the Study Abroad Office.

5.  Pick your preliminary courses 

• Look at the Pre-Approved Breadth Course List.
• For UCEAP use the UCEAP Course Catalog.

6.  Apply to your desired program

• Apply before the application deadline, typically 6-9 months before departure.
• Complete all necessary forms.

7.  Send your preliminary planning form to your ESS Adviser 

• Your preliminary planning form is an important step in determining your courses and your plan for studying abroad.
• Have your ESS Adviser sign off on your preliminary planning form and learn how to get pre-approval for your selected courses.

8.  Meet with Department Advisers for Technical Course Pre-approval

If the technical courses you wish to take have not been approved by your department and you need them to be counted for your major requirements, they will need to be reviewed by the major department.  For all majors except for EECS (which has its own approval process), please use this form, attach the detailed course syllabi which you can get from the Study Abroad office, and start the process with your major adviser.

9.  Get pre-approved for breadth courses

• Email uceap_breadth@berkeley.edu for any H/SS courses that are not already in the UCEAP Course Catalog.  Please include
  • Your name
  • SID
  • UCEAP program of interest
  • Term of participation
  • The CoE accepted breadth category that you would believe this course would fall under
  • If you already have a syllabus, please attach it to the email. It is not possible to obtain pre-approval until a complete syllabus is available from the host institution.

10.  Finalize your course list and forms

11.  Forward all course approvals to your ESS Adviser 

• Send your department and breadth course approvals and your final plan to your ESS Adviser.

12.  Prepare for your trip

• Take any additional steps necessary to go abroad.
• Have a life changing experience!

• College of Engineering Preliminary Planning Form
• CoE Course Evaluation Form for major-specific technical courses that have not yet been evaluated
  The EECS Evaluation process is different, so if you have an EECS course for evaluation, please follow the instructions here