Degree requirements

Once you have been accepted for admission to Berkeley Engineering, you should learn the requirements you will need to fulfill to earn your bachelor’s degree. These requirements are prescribed by four sources:

In this section

• Major programs
• Degree worksheets
• Humanities & Social Sciences
• Academic Progress Report

• The University of California
• The Berkeley campus
• The College of Engineering
• Your major program

You’ll want to be familiar with all of these requirements to help you plan your course of study.

The College of Engineering Undergraduate Guide explains college requirements in detail and offers a planned course of study for each engineering major. The Berkeley Academic Guide is your campuswide guide to information on requirements; courses and curricula; academic policies and more. You can use your degree worksheet to track your progress toward graduation. The Humanities and Social Sciences requirement is explained in detail in the Undergraduate Guide.

The university sets two general requirements for the baccalaureate degree: Entry-Level Writing and American History and Institutions.

Entry-level writing

The university assumes you are proficient in English and in writing about academic topics. More information on the Entry-Level Writing requirement is available on the College Writing Programs website.

American history and institutions

The American History and Institutions requirements are based on the principle that a U.S. resident graduating from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States. These requirements may be satisfied before or after you enroll at Berkeley.

Other graduation requirements

In addition, these criteria must be met:

• Maintain a minimum overall grade point average of 2.00 (C average).
• Completion of at least 120 semester units. No more than 4 units of Physical Education and no more than 16 units of special studies courses (numbered 97, 98, 99, 197, 198, 199) may be counted toward the 120 units.
• Passed grades may account for no more than one third of the total units completed at UC Berkeley, Fall Program for First Semester (FPF), UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP), or UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC) toward the 120 overall minimum unit requirement.
• Senior Residence requirement: 24 units completed over at least two semesters in residence once you reach 90 units (the semester in which the 90 units are exceeded, plus at least one additional semester). If you are enrolled in the Education Abroad Program, you may be permitted to satisfy a modified Senior Residence requirement. The modified Senior Residence requirement states that of your final 60 units at least 24 must be in residence. In addition, at least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have already completed 90 units.

American cultures

To graduate from Berkeley, all students must satisfy the American Cultures (AC) requirement, which introduces students to the diverse cultures of the United States through a comparative framework. Courses meeting this requirement can be found in more than 50 departments and programs across the Berkeley campus. Visit the American Cultures website for more information.

The AC requirement must be completed by earning either a letter grade of C- or better, or Pass if taken on a Pass/Not Pass basis.

Humanities and social sciences requirement

To round out your technical education, you’ll complete at least six courses that satisfy the College of Engineering’s Humanities and Social Sciences (H/SS) breadth requirement. See the humanities and social sciences section of our website for details.

Other graduation requirements

In addition, these criteria must be met:

• Maintain a minimum overall grade point average of 2.00 (C average) in upper division technical coursework required of your major.
• Satisfy the College of Engineering Senior Residence requirement by completing your final 30 units on the Berkeley campus in your final two semesters.
• All technical courses (math, science, and engineering) required of the major must be taken for a letter grade unless only offered on a Pass/Not Pass basis.