Graduation

What formal steps must I take in order to graduate?

• In order to graduate, you need to place yourself on the degree list (also referred to as "declaring candidacy"). You should do this at the beginning of the term in which you will complete all degree requirements. You add yourself to the degree list in one of two ways:
  
  
  • If you are taking courses at Berkeley to complete your degree requirements, you should place yourself on the degree list through Tele-BEARS when you register for your final term. After you do this, it is your responsibility to confirm that the system did indeed add you to the degree list; use Bear Facts or Info-BEARS to check.
    
    
  • If you are otherwise taking courses elsewhere to complete your degree requirements (including UC Extension), completing outstanding Incompletes from a previous term, or did not successfully add yourself using Tele-BEARS, you should place yourself on the degree list via petition. The deadline for submitting this petition is the Friday of the fifth week of the semester. You may download the petition and mail it in, or deliver it in person to either the Office of the Registrar, 120 Sproul Hall, or the L&S Office of Undergraduate Advising, 113 Campbell Hall. We recommend that you bring it into the advising office so we can be sure to check it for completeness and inform you of important deadlines.
    
    
• Graduation is not to be confused with commencement ceremonies. You may complete all degree requirements and graduate at the end of any term; however, L&S departments only hold commencement ceremonies at the end of the spring semester. Only place yourself on the spring degree list if you are actually able to complete all requirements by the end of that term. If you intend to graduate after the summer or fall term, but want to take part in the spring commencement ceremony, you must contact your major department. If they allow you to "walk" in the spring commencement, that does not mean you have graduated, nor does it guarantee that you will graduate in summer or fall; your degree requirements must still be fulfilled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q - How do I know for sure that I have completed all the requirements I think I have, and that I am eligible to graduate?

A - By requesting a DAR (Degree Audit Report) through Bear Facts. We hope that you will have requested a DAR after each of your terms at Cal, especially after you declared your major. Obviously, you need to make sure you will be completing all requirements before you register for your last semester.

Q - Once I have placed myself on the Degree List, will I receive notification of whether or not I am OK to graduate?

A - The College will contact you only if it determines that you are not completing all requirements. Again, after the beginning of your last term is too late to be checking!

Q - If I decide I would like to delay my graduation and take more courses before I do, is it possible to drop myself from the Degree List?

A - Yes. If you decide during the Tele-BEARS Adjustment Period, you may use TeleBears to drop yourself. Otherwise, submit the appropriate petition at the Office of Undergraduate Advising before the end of finals in the term in which you have placed yourself on the Degree List. You will be eligible to enroll in more classes at Cal if you have not exceeded the unit limit.

Q - What happens if I'm on the degree list, but I don't complete all my requirements by the end of the term?

A - You will be dropped from the Degree List for that term; that may not happen until after that term's grades become official and the College and the Registrar's Office have completed their final check. (The Registrar's Office will send a notice to your permanent address after you've been dropped.) Since the Degree List is specific to a particular term, you will not be automatically added to the next term's list. It will be up to you to add yourself, again, at the beginning of whatever future term in which you will complete all requirements.

DARS	Unit Requirements