Courses and Units
Most University courses are assigned a unit value. One unit represents three hours of work per week by the student, including class attendance, preparation, and outside work.
Course Number Guide
For an explanation of the prefixes, suffixes, and course numbering system used in UC Berkeley's course listings, please see the guide provided below.
Prefixes to Course Numbers
C = Course is cross-listed with another department
H = Honors course
N = Summer-only course not equivalent to a regular session course with the same number
R = Satisfies Reading and Composition (R & C) requirement
W = Offered fully or predominantly online (prefix no longer required for online courses)
Suffixes to Course Numbers
AC = Satisfies American Cultures requirement
Students should check with their major or minor advising unit to verify which courses will satisfy curriculum requirements.
Key to Course Numbers
1-99 = Lower division (undergraduate) courses
100-199 = Upper division (undergraduate) courses
200-299 = Graduate courses
300-399 = Professional courses for teachers and prospective teachers
400-499 = Other professional courses (acceptable toward academic degrees only within limitations prescribed by a college, school, or the Graduate Division)
601 = Individual study for Master’s Degree students
602 = Individual study for Doctoral students
Courses Numbered 24, 39, & 84
Freshman and Sophomore Seminars
For further information, please see the Freshman and Sophomore Seminars at Berkeley website.
Courses Numbered 97
Field Studies (lower division)
You may use no more than 16 semester units of courses numbered 97, 98, 99, 197, 198, and 199 to meet requirements for the bachelor's degree. You may aggregate no more than 4 units of credit for courses numbered 97, 98, 99, 197, 198, and 199 for a single semester. Courses with this number are restricted to passed/not passed grading. To take them you must be in good academic standing (2.00 GPA or better). A written proposal for each Field Studies Course, signed by the faculty sponsor, must receive approval by the Chair of the Department. In certain cases, exceptions to these rules may be granted by the dean of your college or school.
Courses Numbered 98
Organized Group Study (lower division)
You may use no more than 16 semester units of courses numbered 97, 98, 99, 197, 198, and 199 to meet requirements for the bachelor's degree. You may aggregate no more than 4 units of credit for courses numbered 97, 98, 99, 197, 198, and 199 for a single semester. Each section of a 98 course must receive approval by the chair of the department, based upon a written proposal submitted by the instructor who is to supervise the course that describes the matter to be studied, the methods of instruction, the number of units to be credited, and methods of evaluation of student performance. A copy of the approved proposal must be submitted for information to the Committee on Courses of Instruction. Only a grade of passed/not passed is to be assigned. In certain cases, the dean of your college or school may authorize exceptions to these limitations.
Courses Numbered 99
Supervised Independent Study by academically superior students (lower division)
You may use no more than 16 semester units of courses numbered 97, 98, 99, 197, 198, and 199 to meet requirements for the bachelor's degree. You may aggregate no more than 4 units of credit for courses numbered 97, 98, 99, 197, 198, and 199 for a single semester. You must have a 3.3 GPA and prior consent of the instructor who is to supervise the study, and you must submit a written proposal to the chair of the department (or equivalent) for approval. The proposal must specify the nature of the study, number of units to be credited, and the basis for grading. Only a grade of passed/not passed is to be assigned. In certain cases, the dean of your college or school may authorize exceptions to these limitations.
Courses Numbered 197
Field Studies (upper division)
You may use no more than 16 semester units of courses numbered 97, 98, 99, 197, 198, and 199 to meet requirements for the bachelor's degree. Courses with this number are restricted to passed/not passed grading. A written proposal for each Field Studies Course, signed by the faculty sponsor, must receive approval by the Chair of the Department. In certain cases, exceptions to these rules may be granted by the dean of your college or school.
Courses numbered 198
Organized Group Study (upper division)
You may use no more than 16 semester units of courses numbered 97, 98, 99, 197, 198, and 199 to meet requirements for the bachelor's degree. You may aggregate no more than 4 units of credit for courses numbered 97, 98, 99, 197, 198, and 199 for a single semester. Each section of a 198 course must receive approval by the chair of the department, based upon a written proposal submitted by the instructor who is to supervise the course that describes the matter to be studied, the methods of instruction, the number of units to be credited, and methods of evaluation of student performance. A copy of the approved proposal must be submitted for information to the Committee on Courses of Instruction. To enroll in 198 courses, you must be in good academic standing (2.00 GPA or better). Only a grade of passed/not passed is to be assigned. In certain cases, exceptions to these rules may be granted by the dean of your college or school.
Courses numbered 199
Supervised Independent Study (upper division)
You may use no more than 16 semester units of courses numbered 97, 98, 99, 197, 198, and 199 to meet requirements for the bachelor's degree. You may aggregate no more than 4 units of credit for courses numbered 97, 98, 99, 197, 198, and 199 for a single semester. You must have prior approval of your major adviser, the instructor who is to supervise the study, and the chair of the department. Approval must be based on a written proposal that you submit to the chair that specifies the nature of the study, the number of units to be credited, and the basis for grading. To enroll in 199 courses, you must be in good academic standing (2.00 GPA or better). Only a grade of passed/not passed will be assigned. In certain cases, the dean of your college or school may authorize exceptions to these limitations.
Courses Numbered 601 & 602
Individual Study (601 – master level, 602 – doctoral level)
You may enroll in no more than 8 semester units of courses numbered 601 or 602 to meet the requirements for a master’s or doctoral degree, up to 4 units per summer session. Only a grade of satisfactory/unsatisfactory will be assigned. Enrollment in these courses must be approved by the student’s graduate advisor. Units earned in these courses may not be used to meet academic residence of unit requirements towards a degree.
Repetition of Courses
You may repeat only courses in which you received a grade of D+, D, D-, F, NP, or U. You may repeat an I grade subject to certain limitations (see Grade I). Courses in which you received a grade of D+, D, D-, or F, and courses that you undertook for a letter grade but for which you received a grade of I, may not be repeated on a passed/not passed or satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Repetition of a course more than once requires approval by the dean of the college, school, or division in which you are enrolled at the time you repeat the course. Without this approval, a course repeated more than once will not be included in the grade point average (GPA), but a passing grade in the repeated course will be accepted in satisfaction of unit requirements for the degree. Degree credit for a repeated course will be given only once, but the grade assigned at each enrollment is permanently recorded. If you repeat courses in which you received a grade of D+, D, D-, or F, the units are counted only once and only the most recently earned grades and grade points are used for the first 12 units repeated. Second repetitions that are approved by the dean of a student's college or school are to be included in the 12-unit limitation. In case of repetitions beyond the 12 units, the GPA is based on all grades assigned and total units attempted. If, however, you receive a grade of I upon repetition of a course, the grade of D+, D, D-, or F will continue to be computed in the GPA until the I grade is replaced. If you repeat an I in a letter-graded course, the I will lapse to an F unless you have permission from the dean of your college or school to retain the I grade for a longer period.