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Professional Certificates, Specialized Programs of Study and Other Curricula

Curricula

UC Berkeley Extension offers professional certificates, specialized programs of study and other organized curricula in a variety of subject areas.

Getting Started

Consult the description for recommended beginning courses.

Registration Procedures

You should register for certificates and specialized programs of study before you begin your third course. Many certificates and specialized programs of study have earlier registration requirements. Please consult the individual professional certificate or specialized programs of study pages for specific instructions.

To register for a certificate or specialized program of study, submit the online registration form with your credit card information or complete the mail-in registration form.

Some certificates and programs require application for candidacy before beginning the program; please read the individual program descriptions and requirements carefully.

Program requirements are updated based on new developments in the field of study; we recommend completing the certificate or program in a timely manner.

Fees

The registration fee for professional certificates is $150; the registration fee for specialized programs of study is either $50 or $100 depending on the specific program.

All fees must accompany registration. All fees are subject to change without notice. Certificate and program registration fees are not refundable.

Requirements

See the individual certificate or program descriptions for required and elective courses. A grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 is the minimum required for completion of a certificate or program, and you must complete each course in any certificate or program with a grade of C or better. Higher grades are required in some programs.

Preparation

For many professional certificates, a college degree or comparable professional experience is recommended. Some programs have more specific prerequisites; please review the descriptions.

Substitutions, Waivers and Transfer Credit

You must contact the program director prior to beginning the professional certificate to request a course substitution, waiver or transfer credit. You must include detailed information about the professional certificate credit course requirement that you are requesting to substitute or waive, and detailed information about the credit course or transfer credit that you request to serve as a substitution. Requests for course substitutions, waivers and transfer credit must be approved in advance by the program director and department director. All course substitution coursework, including UC Berkeley Extension course substitutions, transfer credit and waivers, must not exceed one-fourth of the total number of semester units and hours of the professional certificate.

There may be a fee to waive or substitute courses.

As a general rule, substitutions, waivers and transfer credt are not permitted for courses in specialized programs of study. Contact the program director for further information.

Transfer Credit

For transfer credit, you must provide the program director with your official transcript from a regionally accredited university or college, and the description for the course you wish to transfer.

Transfer credit will only be accepted if:

  1. You completed all coursework prior to your beginning the certificate or program at UC Berkeley Extension.
  2. Your substitution coursework, including UC Berkeley Extension course substitutions, transfer credit and waivers, does not exceed one-fourth of the total number of semester units/hours required for the professional certificate.
  3. You have obtained a B or better grade in all transfer coursework.
  4. You completed all transfer coursework from a regionally accredited university or college.
  5. You completed all transfer coursework within five years of beginning the certificate or program at UC Berkeley Extension.

Accepted transfer credit within the UC system is calculated into your professional certificate or specialized program of study GPA.

Accepted transfer credit from institutions outside of the UC system is not calculated into your professional certificate or specialized program of study GPA.

After you have started your professional certificate, no transfer credit is allowed into the certificate, and you must complete the remainder of your requirements at UC Berkeley Extension.

Conversion of Semester and Quarter Units

Semester-unit equivalents in quarter units:

Online Professional Certificates and Specialized Programs of Study

Several professional certificates and specialized programs of study are offered online. For more information, visit Online Learning or call the department offering the program. Please note that veterans' benefits do not apply to all online courses and curricula.

Obtaining the Certificate or Award of Completion

When you have satisfied your program course requirements, you should notify your academic department to receive the certificate or Award of Completion.

Transcript Notation

Completion of the professional certificate or specialized program of study is notated on your permanent record (transcript).

Financial Assistance

If you are pursuing a professional certificate, you can apply for a private alternative loan. Such loans are not available to international or online students. Extension programs are not eligible for federally sponsored financial assistance (Title IV financial aid based on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, FAFSA). Extension is not approved to complete loan deferments for federally sponsored financial assistance (Title IV) loans.

Select a Lender to Apply for Alternative Loans

The University of California has compiled the Extension lender list for your guidance; note that you are free to borrow from any lender on the list. We encourage you to review the lender terms and conditions and carefully consider the benefits and repayment information before choosing a lender. Click on the link within the lender list chart to contact the lender and apply for a loan. Choose the institution name "UC Berkeley Extension," not "UC Berkeley," or the application may be misdirected and not processed.

Loans are certified for a maximum of the total amount of course fees and $150 per course for textbooks. In order for the loan to be certified, please provide a list of your proposed classes. You must maintain satisfactory academic progress in your program to remain eligible for financial assistance.

Your student loan must be certified by Extension and approved by the bank at least four weeks prior to your first class meeting. You must pick up your check in person from our main Extension office in Berkeley, Monday–Friday, 8:30 am–4 pm, except holidays. Payee's valid photo ID is required for check release. Before the current term's check can be released, you must demonstrate your intent to enroll by paying for at least one class during the term.

Email Extension at finasst-unex@berkeley.edu for more information.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

For financial assistance purposes, satisfactory academic progress is defined as a minimum half-time course load of successfully completed coursework as defined by the certificate or program for a minimum of two terms per calendar year. You are required to maintain satisfactory academic progress for loan eligibility.

Veterans' Educational Benefits

Currently, UC Berkeley Extension certifies Veterans Administration benefits only for students eligible for Vocational Rehabilitation (Chapter 31) under the Veterans Administration Benefits program. No other veterans’ benefits can be certified. Please call (510) 642-4111 (option 3) for course information.

If you are eligible to be reimbursed for online courses under the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), you should contact your military education officer.

Cal Vet Fee Waiver

Extension fees are no longer eligible for waiver under the benefits provided through Cal-Vet nor for veterans' dependents under the California Education Code.

Verification of Enrollment for Financial Aid Matters

UC Berkeley Extension is not approved to complete loan deferments for federally sponsored financial assistance (Title IV).

Submit loan-deferment forms, insurance forms and other such documents to the Registrar’s Office, Attn.: Records, UC Berkeley Extension, 1995 University Ave., Suite 110, Berkeley, CA 94704-7000. Verification of student record information for employment and background reviews will require a fee and a signed release form from you. Please include a transcript request form along with other necessary forms and allow 15 business days for processing. If you have questions, please call (510) 642-4111 and press option 3, or email records-unex@berkeley.edu.

Full- and Half-time Study

For financial assistance purposes, UC Berkeley Extension defines full- and half-time study as follows:

Course type Full-time Half-time
Courses numbered 1–199 (undergraduate-level courses) 12 semester units 6–11.9 semester units
Courses numbered 200–299 (graduate-level courses) 12 semester units 6–11.9 semester units
Courses numbered 300–399 (professional courses in education) 8 semester units 6–7.9 semester units
Courses numbered 400–499 (professional courses in subjects other than education) 8 semester units 6–7.9 semester units

These study definitions may differ for online courses; please call (510) 642-4172 or email online-unex@berkeley.edu for information regarding online courses of study.

Call (510) 643-2843 or email finasst-unex@berkely.edu for information regarding full- and half-time study.

Full-Time Study for International Students

The definition of full-time study differs for international students. International students with the Form I-20 that was issued by UC Berkeley Extension must be enrolled full-time and must file a study list every term. For international students in concurrent enrollment, the full-time load is dependent on the load requirements of the sponsoring department. Please see your academic program adviser for answers to questions.

International Students

If you are an international student who wants to gain an in-depth understanding of a specific discipline and are proficient in English, you may apply to designated Extension certificate programs or short-term business certificate programs. View a list of programs open to international students.

If you are already residing in the U.S. and want to transfer to UC Berkeley Extension, you can contact the UC Berkeley Extension International Student Administrative Services office at (510) 642-2564 or intl_students@unex.berkeley.edu.

If you are an F-1 student who wishes to enroll in an online course, you should know that there are special regulations regarding online study. See our F-1 Visa FAQ website and consult with your international student adviser before enrolling to ensure that you are in compliance.

Financial assistance is not available for international students.

Note: If you are an F-1 student who receives I-20s from UC Berkeley Extension, you must receive letter grades for all classes that are counted toward a full course of study.