FAQ for Admitted & New Students

Yes! Students who took AP Chemistry in high school, and who scored a 4 or 5 on the exam, or who took IB HL Chemistry and scored a 5 or higher, will be well-prepared for Chem 4A.

Students who did not have the opportunity to take AP or IB HL Chemistry or community college courses in high school, or who scored a 3 or below on the AP Chem exam or 4 or below on the IB HL Chem exam, should take Chem 4A + the adjunct course, Chem 49, "Thriving in the College of Chemistry."

Community college general chemistry courses provide a strong foundation for Chem 4A, but cannot substitute for it. Chem 4A is rigorous, in-depth, and designed by College of Chemistry faculty to provide the specific knowledge, tools, and laboratory skills necessary for success in CoC’s upper-division chemistry courses. Moreover, it is taught by world-renowned chemists who bring their expertise into the classroom every day.

Check out Our Berkeley, a public dashboard created by Berkeley’s Office of Planning & Analysis that curates a wide range of UC Berkeley student data from the last ten years.

One of the best reasons to come to Berkeley’s College of Chemistry is the opportunity to do research in our faculty labs, or with faculty from other departments and Colleges. More than half of all CoC undergrads do research for at least a semester, and many do research for 2+ years, including full-time over the summer. Summer research stipends are available based on nominations from research supervisors.

Check out our video on “How to Get Involved in Research” with six CoC faculty members.

The fields of Chemistry, Chemical Biology, and Chemical Engineering prepare students for a wide range of both established and non-traditional career options and possibilities. The College of Chemistry’s professional Career Adviser, Najet Carrick, is here to help you explore those options and assist you in achieving your professional and educational goals.

The College has also established a number of formal internship opportunities with industry partners. More opportunities become available every day!

While the College of Chemistry is relatively small compared to most other colleges on campus, Berkeley itself is large and students have to be independent and ready to solve problems without a great deal of ‘hand-holding’. They need to take the initiative in making sure their needs are being met and will develop good networking skills and relationships accordingly. Courses are challenging and rewarding and require that students pay close attention to lecture/lab materials and do consistent work during the semester to keep up with problem sets, reports, and exams.

• Tenacity
• Curiosity
• Ambition to do great things
• Asks questions
• Seizes opportunities
• Ready for hard work
• Motivated by specific interest in the chemical sciences and/or chemical engineering
• Values education
• Time & task management skills
• Involved in intra- and extra-curricular activities and can connect learning to life
• Develops leadership skills
• Good citizen
• Has strong support systems and practices self-care
• Trustworthy

Some–but not all–exam credit can be used to satisfy requirements. See our Exam Credit Info page for more specific information.

It depends on the class and how many terms in attendance you have. It’s not unusual for first-year students to be waitlisted for required courses, which can be stressful. In our experience, however, most freshmen eventually get into most of their classes.

We recommend using the Enrollment function in Berkeleytime to help you figure out which classes fill up quickly. If you don’t get into a required class, your adviser can help you to plan and strategize.

CoC students are welcome to pursue a double major (called a simultaneous degree) or a minor, and many do. Once they get to Berkeley, many students find that there are other wonderful and professionally productive ways to spend their extra time (e.g., research, public service, clubs & student orgs, study abroad, etc.).

Although our curriculum is demanding, we strongly encourage CoC students to study abroad! Check out our Study Abroad info.

CoC students may petition to change their major within the College of Chemistry, or choose to change to a different major/college at Berkeley.

Please note that the Chemical Engineering major is impacted, i.e. there are more students in the major than we currently have resources to serve. If you were accepted into Chemistry or Chemical Biology, and want to change to Chemical Engineering, we recommend that you do NOT accept your admission to Berkeley. There is no guarantee that you would be accepted.

For majors outside of CoC: Not all majors at Berkeley are open to on-campus transfer petitions; check with the specific college and major you're interested in for criteria and requirements.

Berkeley is a big place, but there are lots of spaces where students find help and guidance. Here's a list of some of our favorites:

• College of Chemistry Peer Services – Peer Advising & Peer Tutoring for CoC classes
• Student Learning Center (SLC) – Tutoring & study groups for many Berkeley classes
  • SLC Science
  • SLC Math & Statistics
• University Health Services (aka Tang Center) – Support for physical and mental health concerns. They also sponsor support groups for students with a wide range of issues.
  • Counseling and Psychological Services (part of the Tang Center)
• Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) – Services for low income, first-generation, and underrepresented students of color
• Disabled Students Program (DSP)
• Path to Care – Confidential support for survivors of sexual assault
• Basic Needs – Provides access to essential services that impact health, belonging, and well-being

No. In common with most programs in the U.S., we believe students are best served by moving to a new environment for their graduate work.

Check out this substantial list of student organizations and clubs affiliated with the College of Chem!

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