All of the following must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) and documented in the student’s record.
Courses taken outside the English department
With the approval of the DUS, students may count up to two upper-division courses in departments other than English for the major. To submit a petition, please use this online petition form: Petition for Courses Outside the UC Berkeley English Department. The student’s request for course approval will include a course syllabus and a compelling intellectual rationale, one that explains how the student’s work for the English major will be enriched through the inclusion of the particular outside course the student wishes to include. There is no pre-approved list of courses and students must complete the course before submitting a petition.
- Note: Only one such course may be taken during the summer and all petitioned courses must be taken for a letter grade.
Education Abroad Programs
The DUS determines credit toward the major for coursework completed through an Education Abroad Program on a case-by-case basis. Upon returning to campus, students must provide documentation (e.g., course descriptions, syllabi, completed exams, papers, and other written work) to demonstrate that the education abroad course is comparable in coverage, rigor, and substance to a UCB upper-division course. Although there is no official limit on the number of courses transferred from education abroad programs, generally two courses will be counted easily. We strongly advise you to talk as well with an advisor in the College of Letters and Science to review non-major and total unit requirements.
Additional Exceptions
For courses taken elsewhere that are not covered above, students must petition for approval by providing documentation, including a course syllabus and a transcript showing the completion of the course. A course taken elsewhere during the summer may only satisfy an elective for the major.
With the approval of the DUS, additional exceptions to the English major requirements may be approved. These exceptions must be noted on the student's APR. Exceptions are only granted based on documented student needs and goals.