University of California, Berkeley Mechanical Engineering

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Independent Study Credit Enrollment

Please reach out to core faculty members to serve as the instructor of record. 

Student Procedures

  1. Email rickyv72@berkeley.edu and say you would like to enroll in ungraded research and indicate which on 199, 196, H194.  Include the following information:
    1. Include how many units you want.
    2. Which faculty member you are working with, make sure they are core faculty.
  2. Copy that core faculty member on the message.
  3. Ricky then checks with your faulty sponsor and if cleared, will enroll you in the course.

ME 199

  • UNGRADED (pass/not pass) research.
  • Cannot be used towards the Technical Elective requirement.
  • Okay if students outside of MechE use this.
  • Can be used for all levels including freshmen and sophomores.

ME 196

  • GRADED research.
  • Can be used towards the Technical Elective requirement (up to 3 units total of 15 required units).
  • Final paper is required for grade.  Abstract also due at the end of the semester.
  • Okay for students outside of MechE use this.
  • For ME students with less than a 3.3 GPA (no exceptions)
  • If students outside of MechE want graded research, they would use this number (never ME H194, regardless of GPA)

Class restrictions/eligibility

  • If requestor is a 4th year s/he can do this without exception.
  • If a requestor is a 3rd year, the sponsoring faculty needs to send an exception request which must be approved by the Ugrad VC before Ricky can enroll.
  • If student is a lowerclassman (sophomore with junior or senior standing or lower), s/he should take pass/not pass option.  ME 196 or ME H194 (graded research) is intended for 4th years (or actual seniors rather than folks with “senior-standing”).  Graded research is considered “senior research.”

Student Procedures If No Exception Is Needed

  1. Email rickyv72@berkeley.edu and say you would like to enroll in ME 196/graded research.  Include the following information:
    1. How many units desired (1 unit corresponds to roughly 3 hours of work per week during the semester)
    2. Which faculty member you are working with
  2. Copy that core faculty member on the email message.
  3. Ricky then checks with your faulty sponsor and if cleared, will enroll you in the course.

ME H194

  • GRADED research.
  • Can be used towards the Technical Elective requirement (up to 3 units total of 15 required units).
  • Final paper is required for a grade.  Abstract also due at the end of the semester.
  • Students outside of MechE cannot use this, including exchange students or visitors who are invited to study in the department.  These students must use ME 196.
  • For ME students with 3.3 or higher GPA (no exceptions on this)

Class restrictions/eligibility

  • If requestor is a 4th year s/he can do this without exception.
  • If a requestor is a 3rd year, the sponsoring faculty needs to send an exception request which must be approved by the Ugrad VC before Ricky can enroll.
  • If student is a lower classwoman (sophomore with junior or senior standing or lower), s/he should take pass/not pass option.  ME 196 or ME H194 (graded research) is intended for 4th years (or actual seniors rather than folks with “senior-standing”).  Graded research is considered “senior research.”

Student Procedures If No Exception Is Needed

  1. Email rickyv72@berkeley.edu and say you would like to enroll in ME 196/graded research.  Include the following information:
    1. How many units desired (1 unit corresponds to roughly 3 hours of work per week during the semester)
    2. Which faculty member you are working with
  2. Copy core faculty member on the email message.
  3. Ricky then checks with your faulty sponsor and if cleared, will enroll you in the course.