Policy

The MSSE has two standard degree tracks: full-time (2 semesters) and part-time (4 semesters). Students must satisfactorily pass and complete all degree requirements within the relevant period. Part-time students wishing to complete the degree in more than 4 semesters should speak with their Advisor as soon as possible to develop an individual plan for completion. If there are extenuating circumstances beyond a student’s control (e.g. severe medical issues, death in the family, etc.) impacting a student’s ability to satisfy degree requirements during the normative time, they should immediately reach out to their department staff advisor for guidance. 

The Office of the Registrar uses time delineations to determine things like financial aid eligibility and access to campus resources. For graduate students, these time delineations are as follows: 

• Full Time: 12+ units

• Three-Quarter Time: 9 - 11.9 units

• Half Time: 6 - 8.9 units 

• Less than Half Time: 0.5 - 5.9 units

Probation is intended to provide a student whose performance is less than satisfactory (below 3.0 cumulative GPA) with a period in which to correct identified deficiencies and to raise his or her performance to a level consistent with the minimum standards set by the Graduate Division in consultation with the program. If you have any questions or concerns about your grades, come talk to the Student Services Advisor or to your department advisor.  Further information on Probation can be reviewed on the Academic Probation webpage.

If instruction has already begun and a student wishes to discontinue study, a withdrawal must be formally requested and processed by the student’s program. Withdrawing results in dropping enrollment in all classes and the student will no longer be able to attend for that semester or any future semester until readmitted. Please speak with your advisor if you are considering withdrawal. Further information on the formal process can be reviewed on the Graduate Division Withdrawal page.

Students who were previously registered at Berkeley in a graduate program, withdrew for a period of time, and wish to return within five years to the same degree program will re-enroll, rather than re-apply. Students wishing to request re-enrollment, sometimes referred to as readmission, file the petition with either your GSAO or the Graduate Division. Visit the Graduate Division Re-Enrollment and Readmission webpage for more information.

Per the Office of the Registrar website, degrees are posted on the official transcript approximately three months after the end of the graduation term and diplomas are mailed four months after the end of the graduation term. Please make sure your address is accurate in CalCentral. More information about diplomas can be found on this Transcripts and Diplomas webpage. 

Students are expected to take final examinations as scheduled. Scheduling conflicts must be discussed with the faculty member before the exam date. Work, interviews, vacations, weddings, etc. are NOT recognized as exam conflicts. In situations that warrant an exception, all conditions of the make-up exam will be at the discretion of the faculty.

Students are expected to attend each class session. If a student is unable to attend a class, it is the responsibility of the student to notify the faculty member prior to the class session (in the case of illness or religious holiday). The attendance policy stated above is Program Policy; however, it is at the discretion of each faculty member to set his/her own classroom attendance policy, including the effect of absences on the course grade. 

A Satisfactory grade implies work of B- quality or better. Courses graded S/U are not included in the grade-point average. Units from a course graded U may not be counted toward the fulfillment of students’ degree programs. For these reasons, the Graduate Division encourages enrollment in courses for letter grades. Graduate students in good standing may take courses on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) basis only with the consent of their faculty Graduate Adviser (before advancement to candidacy, the departmental faculty Graduate Adviser; after advancement to candidacy, the doctoral chair, and committee).

Academic Senate regulations limit credit for courses taken on an S/U basis to one-third of a student’s total units (excluding courses numbered 299 and those in the 300, 400, or 600 series). Units completed in an Education Abroad Program, a UC intercampus exchange program, or coursework undertaken at the institutional partner of a Berkeley joint doctoral program are included in this one-third calculation.

For master’s degrees, two-thirds of all coursework (unless otherwise excluded) must be letter-graded. Courses in the 100 and 200 series graded Satisfactory may be accepted for academic residence as long as two-thirds of all coursework is letter-graded. This includes all courses undertaken, not just the required core courses included on the master’s advancement to candidacy form.

MSSE Capstone Policy: As the Capstone (CHEM 283) is the culminating educational experience in the MSSE program, students may not select the S/U grading option except in extenuating circumstances. Students wishing to select the S/U grading option for the Capstone course must gain written permission from the Faculty Chair and their Advisor. 

All grades except I and IP above are considered final when assigned by an instructor at the end of a term. An instructor may request a change of grade when a computational, clerical, or procedural error occurred in the original assignment of a grade, but a grade may not be changed as a result of a reevaluation of your work. No final grade may be revised as a result of reexamination or the submission of additional work after the close of the term.

If you have a grievance about a grade, you should first try to speak with your instructor and/or the student ombuds. If that does not resolve your grievance, you may initiate a formal appeal through the academic department where you received the grade. The following are grounds for appeal: the application of non-academic criteria, such as the consideration of race, politics, religion, sex, or other criteria not directly reflective of performance related to course requirements; sexual harassment; or improper academic procedures that unfairly affect your grade. Formal procedures may not be activated unless you (the student) and the instructor in charge have failed to resolve the dispute informally. You (the student) may opt to include an ombuds (or any mutually accepted third party) and/or the department chair in assisting in resolving the dispute informally. The formal process must be initiated within one calendar year from the last day of the semester in which the final grade for the course was posted. The formal process, once initiated, is to be completed at the unit level (academic department) within 20 working days and at the Senate level within 40 working days if both parties are in residence and the University is in regular session (excluding summer session).

Most administrative announcements and communication from faculty and staff in the MSSE program will be made via email, on bCourses, and/or in the MSSE Slack channel. Students are responsible for checking their email, bCourses, and Slack on a regular basis. Directions for joining the Slack channel will be sent to you just before the start of your first semester - if you lose this information or require additional assistance, please email msse@berkeley.edu.

When you enroll in the University, you assume an obligation to conduct yourself in a manner compatible with the University's function as an educational institution. Rules concerning student conduct, student organizations, use of University facilities, and related matters are set forth in both University policies and campus regulations, copies of which are available online at studentconduct.berkeley.edu. 

All UC Berkeley students must carry a minimum level of health insurance coverage. The campus provides a health insurance plan for those who wish to purchase it. Health insurance fees are assessed each semester as one of the registration fees. However, if you demonstrate that you have comparable coverage, you may waive the University’s Student Health Insurance Program (SHIP). The waiver must be renewed each academic year. For more information about the Student Health Insurance Plan, please visit the University Health Services webpage.

All registered students may use the services of UHS, regardless of what type of insurance they have. UHS, located in the Tang Center on campus, is a comprehensive, state-of-the-art health care facility, with medical, mental health, and wellness departments. Their clinicians and staff are dedicated to students’ good health and well-being.

The Berkeley campus actively monitors and supports full compliance with the official University of California Policy on Sexual Harassment. The University of California is committed to providing an environment free from sexual harassment and sexual violence. Learn more about campus policies and applicable laws through these important web pages:

• survivorsupport.berkeley.edu/report

• ophd.berkeley.edu

The full text of the University Policy and further information is available on the Berkeley Sexual Assault and Harassment webpage.

The Berkeley campus's policy for the accommodation of students who miss exams because of their religious commitment is distributed annually at the beginning of each fall semester. The most recent statement can be reviewed in the Academic Guide.

“As a lifelong member of the Berkeley MSSE community, I adhere to the principles of truth, integrity, and respect. I will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do. The Berkeley MSSE Honor Code calls on all members of the school community to adhere to and uphold the notions of truth, integrity, and respect both during their time in school, and throughout their careers as productive, moral, and caring participants in their companies and communities around the world." 

The student community at UC Berkeley has adopted the following Honor Code: “As a member of the UC Berkeley community, I act with honesty, integrity, and respect for others.” The hope and expectation is that you will adhere to this code. 

Reviewing lectures and reading materials and studying for exams can be enjoyable and enriching things to do together with one’s fellow students. We recommend this. However, homework assignments should be completed independently and materials turned in as homework should be the result of one’s own independent work unless specifically noted by the instructor.

Anyone caught cheating on a quiz or exam will receive a failing grade and will also be reported to the University Office of Student Conduct. To copy text or ideas from another source (including your own previously, or concurrently, submitted coursework) without appropriate reference is plagiarism and will result in a failing grade for your assignment and usually further disciplinary action. 

At Berkeley, grades are awarded on the A to F scale (including plus and minus). Students’ grade-point averages are computed on letter-graded courses completed at UC Berkeley, not including courses taken through University Extension.  The basic scale is as follows:  A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=zero. (Plus and minus grade designations provide three-tenths more or less than the base grade, except for A+, which carries 4.0 grade points only.) Satisfactory, Unsatisfactory, Incomplete, and In Progress grades carry no grade points and are excluded from all grade-point computations. Graduate students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 in all upper division and graduate coursework undertaken in graduate standing in the University of California or its exchange programs to remain in good standing.