Registration Requirements

Incoming graduate students are strongly encouraged to be present on campus for their first two years. All graduate students are required to enroll in 12 units by the end of the third week of classes in both the Fall and Spring semesters. First-year students must complete 8 graded units of regular course work (100-290 Level) by the end of their first year. The remaining units may be special topics or independent research units (ESPM 299). 

In addition, students must register for at least 12 units by the end of the third week of classes to be eligible for employment as a GSI or GSR (see sections 9.3 & 9.4) or to receive fellowship support. Any GSI or GSR who fails to register for at least 12 units by the deadline is at risk of losing the University fee remissions associated with these positions and becomes responsible for paying full in-state fees and, if applicable, non-resident supplemental tuition (NRST). Similarly, all fellowship recipients not fully registered by the deadline will have their fellowship support withdrawn by the Graduate Division. All of these consequences can be easily avoided by registering on time. 

Advice for planning your course schedule

• You want to plan your course schedule ahead of time as much as possible. For PhD students - try to get your breadth course and your methods course out of the way in your first year - you have to register for 8 course-based (as opposed to research-based) units anyway, so you're going to be taking classes no matter what.  For masters students - try to get some foundational classes out of the way like statistics or whatever you might need to help guide you as you think about your project. Consult your PI (also known as faculty advisor).

• Professors will sometimes announce classes, especially 290s (see below) very late, even at the start of the semester, so if there's a professor you really want to work with take the time to contact them and ask them what their plans for next semester are. Keep your head up and keep checking the list of available classes.

• Be aware that classes can get canceled with limited notice - again, being in touch with the professor will put you ahead of the game. 

• Shopping around is a good strategy (that is, register for more courses than you will take, go to the first meetings of all of them, and decide which you want to take, dropping the others - as long as you have 12 units!).

• Many courses are not offered every semester, or even every year. It's wise to have multiple courses as options for each of your requirements (e.g. breadth, depth, methods, etc) just in case one isn't offered when you need it. Ask around for which classes are known for their changing schedules.

• Finally, check that you're satisfying your Methods and Area of Specialization requirements with your Guiding Committee (the committee you establish in your first semester/year, including your Guiding Professor/PI and 1-2 other people who can advise you on orals preparation/coursework).  In addition, it's crucial to check your breadth requirement with the ESPM HGA - not all classes will count! A list of pre-approved breadth classes can be found here. If your breadth course is not on the list, email espm_hga@berkeley.edu and espm_gradsupport@berkeley.edu to check, and provide a syllabus if possible and a detailed course description if a syllabus is not available.

Required Courses

Methods Class

Area of Specialization

Breadth Class

201 Series - ESPM Required Courses

As a PhD, in your first year you will be required to take two ESPM core classes, otherwise known as the 201 series. These provide a good introduction to the department and to your cohort. You must complete all courses before you advance to candidacy. These might be recommended to you as a Masters of Forestry or Rangeland student, but are not required. 

First semester:

• 201S (Colloquium) -  No longer a requirement as of Fall 2020. 

• 201A (Research Methods) - This class largely focuses on discussions surrounding interdisciplinarity and issues in science. Currently, it also includes presentations by cohort members about their past and current research interests, which is a great way to get to know your cohort!

Second semester:

• 201C (Environmental Forum) - A grant writing class that prepares students for the NSF GRFP and other major grants due in the fall. It is a great way to get extensive feedback from the professor and your peers on your proposal ideas. In the last few years, everyone has been able to apply for the in-class Starter Grant, which can give students money for their projects.

*Note: Historically, 201C was offered in the Fall and 201A was offered in the Spring. For the 2022 - 2023* academic years.

299 codes

299 courses are research units; as stated above, you *must* be enrolled for 12 units to be considered full-time, and if you are done with classes you'll need 299 units to fill out your 12 units.  Usually, 299 units would be done with your faculty advisor, and they will sign off on them at the end of the semester. 299 units are graded as pass/no pass (satisfactory/unsatisfactory). Each professor has their own code for their 299.

290s - "Special Topics" Classes

290 courses are special topic seminars led by faculty.  These classes are usually offered on a time-time basis and change each semester. 290 Special topic classes might be announced last minute via the espm-gradstudents list or just posted as posters in the halls of Mulford, or on the ESPM digital bulletin board, so you should actively check to see what's being offered.