<p>I'm primarily interested in hearing about LA and Cal. What are their policies regarding how long we can stay and take classes? </p>
<p>Do we have a maximum time limit? Do we need to take the minimum number of units to be considered a full time student every semester? If so, what is this minimum you need? I hear it's 13 semester units at Cal, but I have no idea about UCLA.</p>
<p>“The double major: Berkeley likes to, um, “encourage” people to graduate as soon as possible. Under normal circumstances, they will give you 4 semesters, or 2 years (not including summers) to finish your degree. If you double major, you get an extra semester. You can petition for a fifth semester with one major, but I’m not sure what the chances of getting it is.”</p>
<p>mapletree just posted this in the 1st semester experiences thread.</p>
<p>erikuh are you sure that they give you 4 semesters? Because the average CCC student gets a degree in 2.4 years after transferring to a UC so i think you have more than 4 semesters</p>
<p>I’m with Eshug1… we are gonna need more than 4 semesters…</p>
<p>^ I personally am not sure about the entire process. I just posted up some relevant info that a Cal student wrote in another thread. </p>
<p>Sorry if it’s misinformation. Maybe everyone’s petitions go through? lol</p>
<p>Sounds like two busy summers for us transfers.</p>
<p>why does everyone think it will be so much?</p>
<p>standard major requires 8-10 ud classes</p>
<p>that’s plausible in one year. ud units only need to be 36 which is barely more than one year. and total overall units only need to be 120, so 60 more (or less). which is definitely do able in 2 years.</p>
<p>what am i missing?</p>
<p>That’s a good point cr_book. I’m still operating in the mindset of trying to meet pre-reqs for two different schools and catching up on ten years of being out of school, so I’ve been looking at my time at Berkeley through the same lens. You’re right, the remaining 60 credits works out to 15/semester which is only 2 above full-time status, so definitely doable.</p>
<p>Hey guys,</p>
<p>Here’s to clarify: </p>
<p>For Cal, from [url=<a href=“http://ls-advise.berkeley.edu/collegepolicies/unit.html]Here[/url”>http://ls-advise.berkeley.edu/collegepolicies/unit.html]Here[/url</a>] </p>
<p>(This is for Letters and Science)</p>
<p>"130-Unit Maximum after Eight Semesters</p>
<p>If you stay in college more than eight semesters, you may not continue beyond the semester in which you complete more than 130 units."</p>
<p>For Double Majors, from [url=<a href=“http://ls-advise.berkeley.edu/faq/double.html]Here[/url”>http://ls-advise.berkeley.edu/faq/double.html]Here[/url</a>]</p>
<p>“A proposed planned program for a double major will not be approved if, according to the proposed program, the student will have completed more than 136 semester units prior to the last semester and enrollment in the last semester will extend his or her enrollment beyond nine semesters, or the equivalent, in all institutions attended. A proposed planned program may contain an unlimited number of units beyond the 120 semester units required for graduation on condition that all requirements for the double major will be completed within a maximum of nine semesters (or the equivalent) in all institutions attended.”</p>
<p>Keep in mind that you must take a minimum of 13 units every semester. </p>
<p>For UCLA, from [url=<a href=“http://www.ugeducation.ucla.edu/counseling/regulations/max-units.htm]Here[/url”>http://www.ugeducation.ucla.edu/counseling/regulations/max-units.htm]Here[/url</a>]</p>
<p>“A maximum of 216 units is permitted for all students, regardless of the number of majors or minors completed… Students wishing to exceed their unit maximum must petition to do so. Approval is not guaranteed.”</p>
<p>Oh wow so it looks like we can stay for up to 4 years if we wanted to.</p>
<p>No, no. These numbers INCLUDE your time at the college you are transferring from. “In all institutions attended” means that the 69 units I completed at my old school will count towards the maximum.</p>
<p>So at Cal, how long you stay relies more on how many units you’ve completed than how long you’ve been a full-time student? </p>
<p>Because after this semester I’ll only have 61 units and will be missing two prereqs for my major (English). I’m already planning to take classes next summer, but then again I have no idea how well I can handle a full courseload at Cal.</p>
<p>EDIT:
Wait! I’m slow. Okay, so I’ve only been going to community college for 2 semesters–does that mean Berkeley will allow me to stay for six semesters if I need to (not that I can afford it . . .)? And does summer count as a full semester, even if you’re taking half the amount of units?</p>
<p>Yes, units matter more than years for Cal. I was at my CSU for 5 semesters, or 2.5 years, and all they look at is how many units transferred over. That will show on your transcript.</p>
<p>Fee, if you have 61 units now, and you are a single major, you have 69 units to go. Given that you must have a minimum of 13 a semester, that’s about 5 semesters worth of work. </p>
<p>How to solve this? Well, take more than the minimum per semester. If you take 15 units per semester (which is what I’m taking this semester: three 4 unit classes and one 3 unit class), you’re still a little over 4 semesters, but it brings it down. Add summer classes into that… let’s say 2 summer classes in total, which run at about 4 units each… that knocks off 8 units. </p>
<p>So in a nutshell, if you take 15 units a semester for 4 semesters, plus 2 summer classes, then you’ll have 68 units. </p>
<p>The Berkeley minimum units to graduate is 120. The maximum is 130. If you complete 68 units at Berkeley, and have 61 units from your old college, that makes a total of 129.</p>
<p>Summers DO NOT count as a semester. Take advantage of this!</p>
<p>Disclaimer: I suck at math, any kind of math, so check these numbers for yourself.
Disclaimer 2: I am not an adviser, so I would suggest speaking to one at L&S to make sure you have a good plan to graduate on time.</p>
<p>awwww bummer, i wanted to be like van wilder and stay in college for 7 years.</p>
<p>^ lol, you can, but you’re almost going to need a PhD if you want to stick around UCs that long after transferring.</p>
<p>So let’s say I enter Cal with 60 units. I’m only allowed to spend 4 semesters there not including summer? So if I take the minimum 13x4 that’s 52 and don’t take summer can I take a fifth semester to make it 60?</p>
<p>Are the upper division 60 units all suppose to be upper division? I know Cal requires you to take 36 units of your major classes, but can the remaining 24 units be any lower division ones?</p>
<p>I<3… you can spend more than 4 semesters there as long as you don’t go over the unit maximum & even then if you time it right you can exceed the 130 max as long as it’s in the last semester</p>
<p>For an example: I am entering my 5th semester next fall not including summer classes. I have two more classes to graduate. I am now at 122.5 units, I’m taking 6 units during the summer not related to my major which brings my total to 128.5… but like I said I need two more classes related to my major to graduate so I have signed up for those classes for the fall bringing my total to 136.5 so technically I will be going over the max, which is fine as long as I do it in the last semester. That’s a way a lot of us here have gotten around getting exactly 130 units.</p>
<p>Luvtoolearn is totally right. I didn’t factor in the extra semester/still under unit cap rule in Fee’s example. </p>
<p>I <3 Cougars - If you really only take 13 units a semester, I think you would, in fact, be eligible for 6 Berkeley semesters in total. </p>
<p>That sounds crazy, and I don’t know anyone in L&S who has actually stayed 6 semesters with one major, but it might work, because:</p>
<p>4 semesters @ 13 units = 52
Your 60 from another school + 52 = 112
In your fifth semester, you take another 13, so now your total is 125.</p>
<p>At this point you STILL haven’t exceeded 130, so you can take another semester if you still haven’t finished all the classes you need. </p>
<p>So let’s say you take another 13 units. 125 + 13 = 138. In your 6th semester, you’ve now exceeded 130 units, so you MUST graduate in this semester. </p>
<p>This is getting more complicated the more I think about it lol. </p>
<p>Here’s another hypothetical. Let’s say you take 15 units every semester, which is what Cal considers the “normal course load” (13 is minimum, 20.5 is maximum)</p>
<p>4 semesters @ 15 units = 60
Your 60 from another school + 60 = 120
At this point, you have done 4 semesters, but not exceeded 130 units. You are eligible for a fifth semester if you haven’t finished taking all your requirements.</p>
<p>In your fifth semester, let’s say you take the minimum, 13 units. Now you have a total of 133 units (120+13). Since you have now exceeded 130 units, you MUST graduate this semester.</p>
<p>Thanks guys, I think I’m starting to understand how it works now. I sort of want to take it slow and make sure I do well each and every semester, so I’m aiming for over 4-6 semesters from the get go with the minimum 13 units every semester.</p>
<p>My community college has 3 and 4 unit academic classes, does Cal have this as well? Or are they all 4 units? I heard the trick to make the minimum at Cal is to take three four unit classes which equals twelve, and then take a P.E. or something that is worth one unit?</p>
<p>Here’s something else to add to the mix. I found these on an old thread. <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/uc-transfers/497698-ucla-double-majoring-216-unit-cap-2.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/uc-transfers/497698-ucla-double-majoring-216-unit-cap-2.html</a></p>
<p>For the College of Engineering: “I have personally gone to talk to an EECS adviser/counselor at Berkeley, and she told me that transfers are required to graduate within 2 academic years (4 semesters). You can petition for more time (1 more semester) but that’s a tough one.” -GrassPuppet</p>
<p>“Cal doesn’t have unit cap but rather have a “time cap”. They want you out in two years or they’ll give you very hard time.” -dhl3</p>
<p>It is true that they are pretty adamant about getting you out of there asap. After I sent in my petition for a double major, I got this email:</p>
<p>Dear XXXXXX,</p>
<p>Your petition to declare a double major in Media Studies & Sociology has been approved and posted to your record. Per the instructions in the Double Major packet (“You will not be permitted to register after the last semester indicated on your planned program”), your registration has been blocked for Spring 2011.</p>
<p>Although we have made every effort to check for the completion of your College and University requirements, i.e., essential skills, breadth, American Cultures, and units, the responsibility is entirely yours to make sure you will have completed these requirements at the time you graduate.</p>