Transferring from within the College of Engineering

College of Engineering students, who wish to change into Bioengineering, will need to file a Change of Major petition with the Student Affairs Office (308 McLaughlin) by February 15 of the preceding academic year. Usually, you submit this petition at the end of your sophomore or freshmen year. For more information contact Assistant Dean Bob Giomi, 308 McLaughlin or phone (510) 642-7594. He will advise you on the procedure and will give you the change of college petition package. You will be notified of the decision in mid to late Spring semster, if possible before TeleBears enrollment begins. All students must have completed at least two semesters at UC Berkeley before changing majors.

Change of College within UCB

To transfer into Bioengineering from another college (such as Letters and Science), you will need to file a Change of College petition with the College of Engineering Student Affairs Office (308 McLaughlin) by February 15. Before you begin the process, you should attend one of the Change of College workshops offered at the Undergraduate Advising Office in 308 McLaughlin. The workshops are only offered in the fall semester. They will walk you through the process and give you some forms to fill out. You will also have to submit the Change of College petition. On your Change of College petition you should designate Bioengineering as your intended major. Completed Change of College applications are due in 308 McLaughlin by February 15. Admissions decisions are sent out in mid to late Spring semster, if possible before TeleBears enrollment begins. Please note, if you were originally admitted to another UCB department as a junior transfer, it is unlikely that you will be able to transfer into Bioengineering.

Transferring from another University or Community College

Applicants must complete the University of California admissions application by November 30 for admission for the following Fall Semester. UC Berkeley does not accept new transfer applications for the spring semester. For more information on the admissions process, contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at 510-642-3175 . How well you will compete will depend on the strength of the applicant pool in any given year. However, successful junior college transfer students generally have overall GPA's of 3.5 or better.

Applicants are evaluated primarily on the following:

• The completeness of the applicant's preparation at the level considered
• The grades earned through the last semester completed
• Grades in particular courses
• The total units accumulated including work currently in progress
• Total number of semesters it will take the student to graduate
• Personal Statement

What courses should I complete in order to be a good candidate?

You should follow the lower-division program for the major. Eighty percent completion of the lower division requirements betters your chances of being accepted. No one expects you to have taken the Engineering courses already, but having a good start on the remaining course work is essential to your success in getting admitted.

Here are the lower division courses:

• Math 1A, 1B, 53, 54
• Chemistry 1A, 3A, 3B
• Physics 7A, 7B
• Biology 1A, 1A Lab
• BioE 10 or Engineering 10
• Engineering 7 or CS61A
• English 1A
• Two of these courses: E45, BioE C105b, EE20N, EE40/100, CS61B, CS61BL, MCB C100A/Chem C130, Chem 120B may be taken instead of BioE C105b
  

• How did you get interested in engineering?
• Why are you interested in this particular major?
• What excites you about this major?
• What experiences influenced your decision? (Job experiences, discussions with faculty, professional engineers or engineering students, related projects, courses, etc.)
• What other experiences, such as co-curricular activities, have you had that you can relate to engineering? You should also include activities that may not relate to engineering. What skills did you learn from these activities that will help you in engineering?
• What are your goals or aspirations? What do you want to do after you graduate?

How are courses in progress treated?

Courses in progress, as listed on the submitted "APPLICATION FOR TRANSFER TO THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING" are considered completed in the calculation of the lower-division completion rate. However any change to your study list needs to be reported to 308 McLaughlin immediately, as it may affect your transfer status. Final acceptance will require satisfactory completion of the term in progress.

Courses in progress thru spring are considered completed in the completion rate. Summer work prior to fall enrollment is not considered in the admissions process.

May I apply again if I am denied?

Students who apply in their freshmen year may be denied simply because they lack sufficient course work to be competitive. Such students may certainly apply again in their sophomore year with an improved chance for admission to the College of Engineering.