Major options - Berkeley Engineering (2024)

The joint major programs are designed for students who wish to undertake study in two major areas of engineering in order to qualify for employment in either field, or for positions in which competence in two fields is required. These curricula include the core concepts in each of the major fields. Although they may require increased course loads, they can be completed in four years, and the joint major is shown on the student’s transcript. Joint majors lie at the intersection between two fields and cannot be cataloged in a specific bin; therefore, they are not ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) accredited programs (note that there are many highly ranked engineering programs, such as Bioengineering at Berkeley, that are not ABET accredited). However, joint majors (like all engineering majors at Berkeley) are, and will continue to be, accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

The joint major programs currently offered are:

• Mechanical Engineering/Nuclear Engineering

Two morejoint majors are administered by theCollege of Chemistry:

• Chemical Engineering/Materials Science & Engineering
• Chemical Engineering/Nuclear Engineering

You may apply for a joint major after meeting the following criteria:

• Minimum UC GPA of 3.0.
• You are held to the same criteria and guidelines as those listed in theChange of Majorsection. You must meet the criteria of both departments, which can include specific GPA and course completion requirements.
• Transfer admits are only eligible to change to a joint major that includes the major to which they were admitted (e.g., EECS→EECS/MSE or MSE→MSE/ME).
• Students admitted through change of college are not eligible to change to a joint major after they have been admitted to COE.
• You must submit achange of major applicationto your ESS Adviserbefore your 5th semester begins if you were admitted as a freshman, or before your 3rd semester begins if you were admitted as a transfer.
• Effective for frosh admits F23 or later:A change of major to EECS, or a joint major that includes EECS, must be the student’sfirst change. If students have already changed their majors once, they will not be eligible to change to EECS, or a joint major that includes EECS.

Note: If you wish to change from a joint major to a single major you must meet theChange of Majorrequirements for that major.

You can complete requirements for two distinct majors within the College of Engineering by pursuing a double major. To do so, you must meet the following requirements:

1. You must meet with your ESS Adviser no later than the end of your 3rd semester to review your requirements and course plan. Please note, not all requirements are published online and some are time-sensitive.
2. Effective for frosh admits F23 or later:A change of major to add EECS, or a joint major that includes EECS, must be the student’s first change. If students have already changed their majors once, they will not be eligible to change to EECS, or a joint major that includes EECS.
3. At least two semesters have been completed at UC Berkeley.
4. Your overall UC GPA is a minimum of 3.0 (some majors may have higher GPA requirements and/or additional GPA requirements).
5. You were admitted as a freshman to the College of Engineering. (Junior transfer students and change of college admits are not eligible to apply for a double major.)
6. You are making satisfactory academic progress in your current major. Satisfactory academic progress is defined as successfully completing at least 2 technical courses that satisfy your current major requirements each semester. This is in addition to any requirements for your prospective additional major. Students who are not making satisfactory academic progress in their current major will be denied double majors. Note that Incompletes could negatively impact your eligibility to add a second major.
7. Your Program Planning Form includes all course and unit requirements for both majors.
8. Your plan must be in compliance with our overlap policies:
   • Each major must include at least 5 upper division technical courses, of at least 3 units each, that do not overlap with the other major.
   • After you have accounted for the 5 upper division technical courses that cannot overlap, your planned program should include no more than 5 upper division courses that do overlap. If both of your majors include an ethics requirement, the ethics course is counted as a major requirement and therefore will count as one of your five upper division courses that can overlap.
9. If a 9th semester is required to complete the double major, your request for the extrasemester must be made at the time of application. Requests for an additional semester are generally approved. Consult with your ESS Adviser for more information on the 9th semester for double major students.
10. You must submit yourapplication for a double majorto your ESS Adviser before your 7th semester begins.

A simultaneous degree is the pursuit of two majors in two different colleges or schools at UC Berkeley. Students pursuing a simultaneous degree must complete all college/school and major requirements for both programs.

Please note: The College of Engineering will not accept simultaneous degree applications for any of the following majors from students whose home major is outside of the College of Engineering: EECS, the EECS/MSE joint program, or the EECS/NE joint program.

Yourapplication for a simultaneous degreewill be considered only when ALL of the following requirements have been met:

• At least two semesters have been completed at UC Berkeley.
• Your overall and technical UC GPAs are 3.0 or higher.
• If you are currently in another school or college other than Engineering:
  • You must have been admitted to UCB as a freshman.
  • Fill out thePetition to Declare Simultaneous Degrees.
  • Fill out theCollege of Engineering Simultaneous Degree Supplemental Application, including the Degree Worksheet for your intended College of Engineeringmajor.
  • You must meet allChange of Collegeapplication criteria, fill out additional forms required for the Change of College application,and adhere to the Change of College deadlines for submission of your application.
• If you are currently in the College of Engineering:
  • You should meet with your ESS Adviser to discuss your plans.
  • Fill out thePetition to Declare Simultaneous Degrees.
  • Fill out theCollege of Engineering Simultaneous Degree Supplemental Application, including theDegree Worksheetfor your College of Engineeringmajor.
  • You must meet all criteria for the second major you wish to add.
  • You must be making satisfactory academic progress in your COE major. Satisfactory academic progress is defined as taking at least 2 technical courses that satisfy your current major requirements each semester. Students who are not making satisfactory academic progress in their current major will be denied a simultaneous degree. Note that Incompletes could negatively impact your eligibility to declare a simultaneous degree.
  • If you started at UCB as a freshman, you must submit before your 7th semester begins.
  • If you were admitted to UCB as a transfer student in COE, you must submit before your third semester begins at UCB.
• Your program includes no more than two upper division courses used to satisfy both major requirements that overlap.
• Your program must include a minimum of five upper division technical courses, of at least 3 units each, that are distinct to your engineering major (5 classes beyond any that overlap).
• If a ninth semester (sixth semester for transfer students) is necessary to complete your simultaneous degree program, the request MUST be made at the time of application. You must indicate that by listing the courses you would enroll in during that additional semester on your planned program. The request for an additional semester will be reviewed as a part of your simultaneous degree application.
• Students pursuing a simultaneous degree with the College of Letters & Science can fulfill the College of Engineering (COE) Humanities and Social Sciences requirement by completing theof Essential Skills and Seven-Course Breadth in their entirety.
• Students pursuing a simultaneous degree with the Haas School of Business can fulfill the College of Engineering Humanities and Social Sciences requirement by completing both the Haas Reading and Compositionand theHaas Seven-Course Breadthrequirements in their entirety.

For a list of the other colleges and their office locations, please refer to the campusacademics website.

Are you inquisitive and self-motivated, with a passion for finding and solving big problems? In the ,you can study engineering and business in an integrated, ambitious curriculum. Not only will you graduate in four years with two Bachelor of Science degrees, but you will also develop a skillset that is in high demand across multiple sectors, industries and geographies. With internships, career coaching and other enrichment activities, you’ll have plenty of opportunities for hands-on practice with technology innovation and entrepreneurship.

The M.E.T. Program builds on Berkeley’s strong foundation of education in both engineering and business that trains students not to just be sought-after professionals, but to be leaders in their field, and to ultimately, to be change makers.

For more information about specific M.E.T. degree tracks, opportunities and the application process, visit met.berkeley.edu.