University of California, Berkeley Mechanical Engineering

To be officially registered at UC Berkeley you must meet three criteria:

  1. You must be enrolled in at least one class.
  2. Your tuition and fees must be paid either in full or the first installment of the Fee Payment Plan.
  3. You must not have holds against your registration

You must be officially registered to access campus services such as library privileges, the Recreational Sports Facility, University Health Services, etc.

Incoming graduate students, including those who completed their undergraduate programs at UC Berkeley, begin their enrollment process in July.

Registered Students:

  • Must register for 15 units (with the exception of the M.Eng and 5th Year Program students who are required to enroll in 12 units.)
  • May take classes
  • May graduate
  • Have access to the Recreation and Sports Facilities (RSF) and Libraries
  • Are covered by GSHIP (Graduate Student Health Insurance Plan)
    The Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) is a comprehensive major medical insurance plan, providing medical, counseling, prescription, vision and dental services.  For more information, please see https://uhs.berkeley.edu/ship.
  • May hold GSR, GSI and Reader appointment(s)
  • Eligible for all student services and privileges

4.1.1 – To Enroll

  1. Review Graduate Division’s Registration and Enrollment site for deadlines and regulations: https://registrar.berkeley.edu/registration/enrollment.
  2. Review courses on the Online Schedule of Classes, located at http://classes.berkeley.edu/.
  3. Refer to the list of core and recommended courses in Chapter 7.  Though this list is intended for PhD students, it can be very helpful to Masters students as well.
  4. Complete the Confirmation of Class Schedule (this is a writable form-please do not complete by hand).  When you arrive on campus, take a printed copy of this form and meet with the appropriate Major Field adviser (MFA) to go over your course selections.
  5. Once you and the MFA are in agreement, and the Confirmation of Class Schedule is signed, bring the Confirmation to the Student Services Office in 6189 Etcheverry Hall.  We keep the form in your record.  Though you can enroll in courses before you meet with your MFA, after meeting with him/her, you may want to make changes.
  6. Please note that students usually take 3 courses and the rest of the units are usually ME 299 or ME 298 (these last two are independent study courses).  If you do not have a research adviser, please discuss independent study units with your Major Field Adviser.  5th Year MS students generally sign up for 4 courses and do not add research credit.  If you are unable to enroll in your desired courses because they are full, be sure to place your name on the waitlist and attend the first lectures.  Instructors have the ability to request that you be moved automatically from the waitlist into the course if there are available resources.
  7. The department requires students to take at least 15 units a semester unless you are in the 5th Year MS or M.Eng Programs, both of which require 12.  Failing to do so can result in the recision of any fellowships and/or fee remission as well as incur other penalties.
  8. If, after meeting with the MFA and turning in your Confirmation, there are changes to be made to your schedule, you will be able to login to CalCentral and make the changes yourself until the end of the 3rd week of courses.  If you are drastically changing your schedule, it is recommended you revisit your MFA to discuss the changes.
  9. You have until the end of the 5th week of classes to be enrolled in the final 15 units of coursework necessary to be considered a full-time registered student.  However, please keep in mind that most instructors will not take new students after the 2nd or 3rd weeks.  It is best to get instructor permission for late adds.
  10. To make changes after the first 5 weeks, fill out the Petition to Change Class Schedule Form (instructions can be found at https://registrar.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/pdf/ADPetGrad.pdf), obtain the MFA’s signature, and turn it in to 6189 Etcheverry Hall.  Please note each change occurring after the first 3 weeks will incur fees.  If you are not enrolled in a course, you will not receive credit for it.
  11. When you have finalized your schedule, make sure that you check your schedule on CalCentral to ensure that all changes have been made.  Ultimately, you are in charge of your own schedule, making sure you are making adequate progress towards your degree, and meeting all deadlines.
  12. If you are registered in a class that you did not request, YOU MUST DROP IT.  Otherwise, you will receive an F for non-attendance.

4.1.2 – To Pay Fees

For information on how to pay your bill, please see http://studentbilling.berkeley.edu/.

Students who have ME Department support, such as a GSI, Reader or GSR appointment, or who have been granted fellowships, may have partial or full fees paid by their Research Adviser’s grant or by the department.  Some students on external fellowships such as the NSF or NDSEG will also have their fees paid.  Appointment percentages dictate the level of payment.  Please see http://grad.berkeley.edu/financial/appointments/ under “Fee Remission” for details.

Details of your fee payment status can be found in CalCentral under “My Finances.”