Residence Requirements

There are three types of residence requirements for students in L&S: Senior Residence, Upper Division Residence in the College, and Residence in the Major. In order for units to be considered "in residence," it is necessary to be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters and Science. Most students fulfill the residence requirements in the normal course of earning a degree at Berkeley, but those who plan to study abroad for a semester or more or who take courses at another institution during their senior year should make an appointment to see an adviser to check residence requirements.

Senior Residence Requirement

After completion of 90 units, 24 units must be completed in residence on the Berkeley campus over the course of at least two semesters. (A Summer Session may be counted as one of the semesters). For the purposes of this requirement, a semester is defined as a regular term in which at least four units have been successfully completed.

Modified Senior Residence Requirement

Students enrolled in the Education Abroad Program (EAP) or the UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC) may satisfy the residence requirement by completing 24 units in residence in the College after completing 60 units. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after 90 units.

Upper Division Residence in the College

At least 18 units of upper division course work must be completed on the Berkeley campus as an undergraduate in L&S (does not include units earned in EAP or University Extension).

Residence in the Major

Of the 18 upper division units required for College Residence, 12 must be earned in courses that satisfy requirements for the major.