Before Enrolling

  • Before you get started, explore courses and degree options via the Berkeley Guide.
  • Search for classes using keywords and filters in the Berkeley Guide Class Schedule.
  • Build your class schedule in CalCentral using the Schedule of Classes and the Schedule Planner. Learn about the CalCentral class search and enrollment tool.
  • To get the most out of your enrollment appointments and better understand enrollment rules, please review the Student Information Systems Enrollment FAQ and the Class Search FAQ.

Enrollment

Use CalCentral to review your academic record and enroll in classes. Please see deadlines available in the Student Enrollment Calendar

  • Continuing undergraduates are limited to no more than 13.5 units during Phase 1 and 17.5 units during Phase 2. Continuing graduates are limited to no more than 12 units during Phase 1 and 20.5 units for Phase 2. These limits include waitlisted units. This is a hard cap enforcement.
  • New students are limited to 17.5 units during Phase 1 and are not assigned a Phase 2 appointment.
  • Students have from the start of their appointment time until the end of the given phase to add, drop, or swap classes, change grading options, change discussion sections, and make variable unit updates.
  • The Office of the Registrar does not modify enrollment appointments unless one was incorrectly assigned. If a student does not enroll during Phase 1 for any reason, they will need to wait for their Phase 2 appointment time.
  • During the Adjustment Period in August (fall)/January (spring), students may enroll up to their college’s maximum unit limit. The adjustment period comes to an end on the add/drop deadline.
  • Please see Summer Enrollment Changes for information regarding summer enrollment.

Follow the instructions in the “Enroll in Classes Late” section (below) if:

  • You are an undergraduate student and you have not enrolled in classes by the end of the fourth Wednesday of instruction (11:59 p.m. PST)
  • You are a graduate student and you have not enrolled in classes by the end of the fifth Friday of instruction (11:59 p.m. PST)

Academic Preparation

Refer to the Berkeley Academic Guide Course Catalog to learn if a course has prerequisites. If prerequisites are cited, they are considered to be required for academic success. For some classes, prerequisites will be automatically enforced by the enrollment system. If the system does not find the requisites in your academic record, you cannot enroll without first receiving permission from the department or instructor. Sometimes receiving permission to enroll may require that you provide proof of having completed acceptable transfer courses or exams. The enrollment system currently checks for satisfaction of prerequisites for all classes that satisfy the University’s Reading and Composition requirement.

The enrollment system checks for satisfaction of prerequisites for all classes that satisfy the College’s Reading and Composition requirement. Prerequisites for Reading and Composition courses must be in progress at Berkeley or posted as an acceptable exam or transfer course to a student’s Transfer Credit Report. Departments will not accept other proof of completion and will not provide permission to enroll.

The enrollment system also will check for satisfaction of prerequisites for the courses listed on this Google sheet. The sheet is accessible to anyone logged into Google with a berkeley.edu address.

Resources and Support for Staying Enrolled

If you are facing enrollment challenges, please see our Resources and Support for Staying Enrolled.

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