Berkeley Connect, Independent Study, Internships, DeCals

Berkeley Connect in English (English 98BC/198BC)

  • Berkeley Connect in English is a one unit mentorship and discussion course which aims to foster community in the English Department by offering a space for “serious play”: small group discussions about ideas and texts, explorations of the many riches of the Berkeley campus, visits by department faculty and distinguished alumni, and one-on-one advice on courses and graduate programs from graduate students and professors. For more information, please see the Berkeley Connect in English website.

DeCals in English (English 98/198)

  • Students wishing to take a DeCal sponsored by the English Department can use the DeCal website to find courses that interest them. 
  • Students wishing to teach a DeCal sponsored by the English Department should refer to the DeCals page
  • A Decal can count for up to 2 units of credit if used for the major. See more details below. 

Independent Study in English (English 99/199)

Students may receive up to 2 units of credit for working on projects individually with professors via independent study.

  • Once a student has found an English Department faculty member to sponsor them for independent study, they should complete and submit the Application for Independent Study
  • Students will be notified via email once they have been manually enrolled.

Internships

Students wishing to receive academic credit for an internship must coordinate with an English Department faculty member who agrees to sponsor an Independent Study course.

  • Students should provide the faculty member with official documentation from their internship employer.
  • Credit is based on completion of critical or creative work on a topic related to the internship.
  • No more than 2 units will be awarded per internship.
  • For summer internships, students must register for a Summer Session (A, C or D).
  • Students should submit the Application for Independent Study and will be notified via email once they have been manually enrolled by our enrollment manager.

English Major Credit

A student may use a total of four (4) units of English Independent Study/Berkeley Connect/DeCal to fulfull one of the 3 remaining electives required for the major. The four units do not be taken in a single course. These courses are taken on a P/NP basis only.  For it to count as an upper division elective, 3/4 of the units must be upper division (English 198, 198BC or 199). Only one unit may be lower division (English 98, 98BC or 99).

  • Once you have the four units completed, please reach out to the advising email in order to have an elective requirement fulfilled on your APR. This will NOT automatically pull in.
  • If you are a senior in their last semester and you have not completed the 4th unit, but you have enrolled in it, an advisor can adjust your APR for you. Please reach out to us at the advising email.

Courses that are eligible for major credit are as follows:

  • English 98/198: Student-Led DeCal courses sponsored through the English Department. Students receive course control numbers directly from the instructor of these courses. 
  • English 98BC/198BC: Berkeley Connect in English. Students may enroll directly in this course via course control numbers found on the Berkeley Connect in English website. Berkeley Connect courses may be taken up to a maximum of four times (in four different semesters), combining these four credits to count for one elective (P/NP) in the English major. If students take fewer than four Berkeley Connect courses, they may combine their Berkeley Connect units with Decals or Independent Study units up to a maximum of four units (one elective). Students may not take two Berkeley Connect sections concurrently; a maximum of one per semester.
  • English 99/199: Individual Independent Study courses. After submitting the application, students will be notified via email once they have been manually enrolled.

*Students cannot use the combined 4 units (DeCal, BC or Independent Study) towards the English Minor.

*Reminder: After Wednesday of Week 4, students will have to process a Late Change of Class Schedule in order to add any class, including an Independent Studies and Decals.