University of California - Berkeley
- Academics

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University of California - Berkeley - Academics - College ProwlerCollege Prowler4.62

Academics

Quick Stats

Student-Faculty Ratio 16:1
Full-Time Student Population 34,047
Part-Time Student Population 1,764
Full-Time Instructional Faculty 1,608
Part-Time Instructional Faculty 559
Total FT Faculty 2,304
Faculty with Terminal Degree 99%
Average Faculty Salary $117,867
Full-Time Retention Rate 96%
Part-Time Retention Rate 82%
Graduation Rate 90%
Programs/Majors Offered 129
Average Course Load 15 credits
Academic/Career Counseling? Yes
Remedial Services? No
Class Sizes
  • Fewer than 20 Students: 60%
  • 20 to 49 Students: 25%
  • 50 or More Students: 15%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

While Berkeley is nationally recognized for many reasons, its top-notch academics are probably its most notable feature. Students at Cal are proud to be getting an Ivy League education at a quarter of the cost, and they say the larger class size is worth the price difference. While every Berkeley department is ranked in the Top 10 nationally, Berkeley’s research gives it an international reputation. Class competition varies by department. Pre-med courses and prerequisites for the Haas Undergraduate Business Administration major are notoriously cutthroat, since students know how much their grades will influence their futures. The colleges of Chemistry, Environmental Design (architecture), and Engineering are generally considered more difficult that the College of Letters and Science and often involve more class time because of labs and studio sessions. The homework loads in these schools are also fairly daunting, though most students figure out how to handle their schoolwork by sophomore year. While students can definitely get competitive, most are more likely to help their classmates than sabotage them.

Nobody will notice if you miss a lecture, and many classes are podcast, so students often cash in on this option. In reading-based courses, some students do all of the reading but never attend lecture, some attend class but never read, and some find a happy medium. As long as you turn in whatever papers are assigned, you should get a decent GPA. Still, it’s clear when a student does all of the reading and goes to every class, and these students normally end up with the best grades.

 

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UC Berkeley Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Academics at University of California - Berkeley

stardude610

'15

Music Teacher Education

3.8
B+

Intense and Rigorous Course Load

At UC Berkeley, the professors are interesting, the GSI's are very helpful in discussing things or to help you understand topics. There are always ways to find help if you need it in any particular subject. The discussions are nice, where everyone mostly participates. The course load is pretty rigorous depending on what courses you are taking concurrently. The atmosphere is a little sketch outside of campus. Campus is nice, but outside of campus is not a great place to hang out.

Feb 05, 2012

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Academics at University of California - Berkeley

PM22

'12

Psychology Studies

4.6
A

Psychology Major

Being a Psychology major at Berkeley is really exciting. We have so many wonderful professors from all walks of life that are passionate about what they study and present to students. These professors (and their graduate students are very welcoming and eager to share their knowledge and experiences. We have an amazing history of research done here. The department makes it quite easy to get involved in research, and in being one myself I must say that it is an amazing experience. The workload is fair as long as you stay on top of it;and the exams/quizzes are pretty fair as well.

Feb 04, 2012

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Academics at University of California - Berkeley

hkeren092

'04

Architecture

5.0
A+

Study Areas

Our school counts with many excellent study areas such as libraries, help centers and even a open-24/7 building with available rooms to study whenever you need to.

Jan 25, 2012

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Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate your school’s professors on the following topics

Rate your school’s academic environment on the following topics

Facts

Instructional Programs Occupational: No
Academic: Yes
Continuing Professional: No
Recreational/Avocational: No
Adult Basic Remedial: No
Secondary (High School): No
Special Credit Opportunities Advanced Placement (AP) Credits: Yes
Dual Credit: No
Life Experience Credits: No
AP Test Score Requirements Possible credit for scores of 3 or higher
IB Test Score Requirements Possible credit for scores of 5, 6 or 7
Undergraduate Schools/Divisions
  • College of Chemistry
  • College of Engineering
  • College of Environmental Design
  • College of Letters & Sciences
  • College of Natural Resources
  • Haas School of Business
  • The Richard & Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy
  • Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
  • School of Information Management and Systems
  • School of Public Health
  • School of Social Welfare
  • University Professors Program
Degrees Awarded
  • Bachelor's degree
  • Doctorate - Professional practice
  • Doctorate - Research/scholarship
  • Master's degree
  • Post-bachelor's certificate
  • Post-master's certificate
Most Popular Majors
  • Business Administration and Management: 4%
  • Cellular and Molecular Biology: 3%
  • Economics and Econometrics: 2%
  • Political Science and Government, General: 2%
Special Study Options Study abroad
Best Places to Study
  • Café Strada
  • VLSB Bioscience Library
Did You Know?

Despite Berkeley’s reputation for having huge, over-impacted classes, only 15 percent of the courses offered have 50 or more students.

UC Berkeley’s Democratic Education at Cal (“DeCal”) program allows students to design and teach their own classes. Past offerings included Italian Cooking, Philosophy of The Simpsons, and Advanced Rubik’s Cube.

Every Cal student must take an American Cultures (AC) course, which highlights diverse cultures within the United States. This requirement is unique to Cal, and AC courses are specifically designed with the school’s requirement in mind.

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Most Recent Student Author

College Prowler guides are in the hands of students throughout the entire process. Because you can't make student-written guides without the students, we have students at each campus who write, edit, and survey their peers for every guide that we publish. Thanks to our most recent student author at Cal

Name: Meegan Brooks

Hometown: Granite Bay, CA

Major: Political science

see all student author bios > Become a student author to help update the guide for this school