Berkeley University Course Catalog (2024)

FAQs

Does retaking a class replace the grade at Berkeley? ›

You may repeat a course only if you received a grade of D+, D, D-, F, or no pass (NP) in your first attempt of the course. You can only repeat a course one time to replace a grade. Grades in third attempts of a course will not be calculated into your GPA, but will be shown on your transcript.

Grading Options

The University of California, Berkeley, uses a plus and minus letter grade system on a four-point scale. Any letter grade under C- is not considered passing.

No pass (NP) grades represent a level of performance at a D+ or lower. No units or grade points will be earned. Neither P nor NP grades will affect your GPA. While on academic probation, you must take all coursework for a letter grade unless you enroll in a course that is only offered P/NP.

C prefix designates a cross-listed course. H prefix designates honors courses. N prefix designates a Summer Session course that is not equivalent to a regular session course with the same number. R prefix designates courses that meet the Reading and Composition Requirement.

Retaking the classes online and earning a higher grade will look better than a C on your transcript. Taking extra classes, so long as you can handle the increased rigor, will also help your application by boosting your weighted and unweighted GPA.

Retaking a course can have a significant impact on a student's GPA. If a student received a poor grade in a course, retaking the class and receiving a higher grade can improve their overall GPA. However, if a school averages the grades, the impact on the GPA might not be as significant.

Because of the wide range of grading systems used by US colleges and universities, the CAS converts records into a standard format. Your CAS GPA may be different from your Cal GPA. For example, the CAS assigns an A+ a value of 4.3, while at Cal, an A+ is equivalent to 4.0.

The average unweighted GPA of admitted students at UC Berkeley tends to hover around 3.9, but I'd like to reassure you that a 3.8 is still a strong GPA and very much within striking distance. Berkeley, like many colleges, practices a holistic review process with no absolute cutoffs.

The work of all students on the UC Berkeley campus is reported in terms of the following grades: A (excellent); B (good); C (fair); D (barely passed); F (failure); P (passed at a minimum level of C- for undergraduate students); NP (not passed); S (satisfactory, passed at a minimum level of B- for graduate students); U ...

For clarification, UC-Berkeley is very hard to get into. UC-Berkeley is extremely competitive because it is THE top-ranked public university in the U.S and one of the most prestigious school's in the country. Berkeley appeals to students all over the world for many reasons.

Is getting into UC Berkeley a big deal? ›

Admissions Rate: 11.4%

This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are. The acceptance rate at UC Berkeley is 11.4%. For every 100 applicants, only 11 are admitted. This means the school is extremely selective.

You'll want a 3.9+ GPA to get into UCB. The good news is that only your sophom*ore and junior years count in California's method of calculating GPA. The bad news is that it only takes 2–3 Bs to bring that GPA below that 3.9 threshold. Take your shot, but apply to 3–5 match and likely schools as well.

The average admitted GPA for the College of Letters & Science at UC Berkeley is 4.2. For the College of Engineering, not including Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EE/CS), the average admitted GPA is over 4.3.

UC Berkeley has a very detailed, extensive list of required high school coursework for all applicants. They also have specific and well-outlined high school coursework requirements. High school students must have taken 15 high school courses that lasted a full academic year and received a minimum of a C grade.

Now, there is no longer a forced curve for Berkeley Haas courses. The grade distribution is flexible as long as the mean GPA does not exceed the cap. 2) Do other business schools use curves/mean GPA guidelines? Most business schools (and other professional schools) have such policies.

In most cases, if you repeat a course and earn a better grade, your GPA will automatically update to remove your first attempt from the calculation. Your transcript will still show all your attempts and the grades you received each time you took the course, but you'll receive credit for only one.

Retaking classes can be a strategic move, as it shows that you're committed to improving your academic record and mastering the material. However, some factors to consider include the level of classes (whether they're honors, AP, etc.) and the specific policies of the colleges you're aiming for.

UC Berkeley does not have grade deflation. We just do not have as much grade inflation as most other top-tier universities. As a graduate student, I have helped to teach various lower-division math classes such as calculus and linear algebra. The median letter grade in these classes is a B-.

“All grades except Incomplete are final when filed by an instructor in end-of-semester course reports. However, the correction of a clerical or procedural error may be authorized as the Division directs. No change of grade may be made on the basis of reassessment of the quality of a student's work.