UC Berkeley Journalism - Program

Information for Undergraduate Students at UC Berkeley

UC Berkeley does not offer an undergraduate degree program in Journalism; for a list of majors offered, visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

The Graduate School of Journalism awards a Master of Journalism (M.J.) degree only. We are a two-year, full time professional program. Visit our Program and Admissions section for more information.

Currently-enrolled Undergraduate Students

J-School Schedule of Courses
The schedule of courses for the School of Journalism does not follow the usual Tele-BEARS calendar; courses are added, changed and canceled up until the early weeks of each semester. The university's online schedule of classes does not contain accurate information for the school. Use the J-School schedule of courses for correct scheduling information.

Since the J-School does not follow the Tele-BEARS timeline for courses, students who register in J-School courses, especially during Phase I, may be "instructor dropped" (see below for information about enrolling in a Journalism course).

Enrolling in Regularly Scheduled Courses

Freshman/Sophomore Seminar Program (Journalism 24 &/or 39)
UC Berkeley's Freshman and Sophomore Seminars provide an unparalleled opportunity for faculty members and small groups of lower-division students to explore a scholarly topic of mutual interest together, in the spirit of learning for its own sake. By taking a seminar, a student becomes an active member of Berkeley's intellectual community. Each semester, faculty from the Graduate School of Journalism participate in this program, offering between 2-5 seminars. Check their Web site for the most up-to-date details and descriptions about the sections offered.

Graduate-level courses (200 series) Most graduate-level Journalism courses are reserved for journalism students only. However, each semester some courses may offer spaces to undergraduates (and other graduate students) on a space-available basis only.

The following courses are restricted to Journalism students only, no exceptions: 200, 211, 282, 283, 284, 285, 288 and 294.

Interested students should read individual course descriptions very carefully, especially the Prerequisites and Restrictions section in the ‘Course Details' box (link on course title on the Schedule of Courses). You may register for a course, but may be "instructor-dropped" if a waitlist develops. Attend the first class session and/or contact the instructor directly to see if space might allow enrollment. Instructor e-mails are linked through the ‘Course Details' box, at the end of the instructor bio(s).

NOTE: If you do register via Tele-BEARS, do not assume that you will be dropped if you're not admitted into a course. It is the student's responsibility to ensure their enrollment is correct. If a student's name appears on the roster at time of grade submission, and has not attended or participated in the course, student will receive a "F" or "NP".

Independent Study / Internship Credit

For students interested in earning Independent Study and/or Internship Credit, the following criteria must be met:

Student must have completed at least 60 units of units, and have upper-division standing
Student must have a minimum of a 2.0 GPA
Student must locate an instructor willing to sponsor the independent study/internship
Student must complete all required paperwork with the Student Affairs Office

Journalism 199: Independent Study Journalism 199 is only open to upper-division students, and the maximum units is 2.

Journalism 197: Field Study (Internship Credit) Journalism 197 is only open to upper-division students, and is available for 1 or 2 units, dependent upon the number of hours worked during the semester/internship. We do not approve more than 2 units.

DeCal Courses

The Journalism department offers DeCal courses as a Journalism 98 (lower-division only), P/NP only, 1 unit.

Per university regulations, DeCal courses must be approved by a department and by the Academic Senate during the semester PRIOR to the semester when it will be taught. Therefore, the deadline for Fall 2005 DeCal approval has already passed.

For Spring 2006, the deadline is Thursday, November 10th; and for Fall 2006, Monday, April 3rd. No exceptions.

Visit the DeCal Web site for the paperwork required, and submit to the Student Affairs Office at the J-School by the deadline listed above. Like the independent study/internship, the facilitator is responsible for locating and contacting a faculty member to sponsor the course. In addition, due to space limitations at North Gate Hall, the Journalism department cannot assist with room assignments and locations.