Following are policies on graduating from Berkeley as an undergraduate or graduate student, as well as information on commencement and diplomas:

Undergraduate Students

Declaration of Candidacy—If you know at the beginning of a semester that you will have fulfilled graduation requirements by the end of the semester, enter the appropriate code when you access the Tele-BEARS registration system. You may also declare your candidacy in person in the Office of the Registrar, 120 Sproul Hall. You have through the fifth week of classes in which to declare.

Nonregistered Students—If you are not registered at the time you are ready to declare your candidacy, you may go online or come in person to 120 Sproul Hall to fill out the Bachelor Degree Candidate Form. It can be mailed to Office of the Registrar, 124 Sproul Hall, University of California, Berkeley; Berkeley, CA 94720-5404.  

Degree check—The Office of the Registrar will check your records to ensure that you have completed the University requirements (American History and Institutions and Entry-Level Writing, 120 units, and are in good academic standing) and the Berkeley campus American Cultures requirement. Your college or school will check for the fulfillment of major, department, and college or school requirements.

Confirmation of Candidacy—To verify that your name is on the degree list for the current term, check Bear Facts. If you think there is an error, send e-mail to the Office of the Registrar at orreg@berkeley.edu.  

Certificate of Completion—A Certificate of Completion is official proof that you have been granted the degree for which you were working. All undergraduates, except engineering students, may request a certificate form from 120 Sproul Hall (or go online). It can be mailed to Office of the Registrar, 124 Sproul Hall, University of California, Berkeley; Berkeley, CA 94720-5404. Engineering students must contact their college. The certificate will be mailed to you eight to 10 weeks after the end of the semester. You must fill out a separate application for each request along with the required fee of $6 per request.

Graduate Students

To receive a graduate degree, students must successfully complete all coursework required, pass the requisite examinations, advance to candidacy, and fulfill other requirements specified for the degree. For detailed procedures and requirements, students should consult their department, school, or graduate group, and become familiar with the Graduate Division web site. A general overview is provided in the Graduate Education section.

Commencement

Commencement exercises to honor students who have earned baccalaureate and graduate degrees and to give recognition and awards to students who are graduating with distinction are held each year in May. Students who have earned their degrees in the previous fall semester or in summer session are welcome to participate. The ceremonies are held by individual schools or colleges or, in the College of Letters and Science, by individual departments. There are about 60 ceremonies each year. The ceremonies consist of speakers and the presentation of degrees and awards and are followed by a reception.

Students may rent caps and gowns through the Cal Student Store and may make arrangements for photographs to be taken or videotapes made. See your department office for additional information or visit seniors.berkeley.edu.

Diplomas

Diplomas are not given out at Commencement but are available approximately four months afterward. You may pick up your diploma from the Registrar's Office, 120 Sproul Hall. After declaring candidacy, graduating seniors may enter a mailing address of where to receive their diplomas using the Tele-BEARS. A fee of $12 domestic or $40 international will be billed to Campus Accounts Receivable System (CARS). (Note: These fees are subject to change.) The Office of the Registrar will retain diplomas for five years only.