Academic Expectations
Students are expected to familiarize themselves with the course syllabus and attend every class meeting. Many classes include “Class Participation” in the overall grade, and this often includes attendance. Students are expected to complete a high volume of reading and homework assignments while maintaining academic integrity.
In most courses, regular examinations are required, including a mid-term and final examination or project. Final exams are typically scheduled on the last day of a class. Instructors will provide a syllabus on the first day of class with information about exams and grading criteria.
Weekly Workload
Summer Sessions is on a compressed schedule. Each course is a semester's worth (16 weeks) of course material presented within a shorter period. As each session lasts a different number of weeks, the best way to determine your weekly workload is to focus on the total number of work hours (15 hours/unit) and divide that by the number of weeks in the session.
Example: For a 3-unit course in Session A (6 weeks), students should expect to spend a total of 45 hours over the 6-week period; this means that you can expect approximately 7.5 hours of work per week for that particular course (45 hours divided by 6 weeks = 7.5 hours per week).
Students should expect to spend more time per week per course in the summer than during the regular Fall or Spring semester.
Generally speaking, a day of class and schoolwork during the summer is about the equivalent of a week, and a week's worth of school in the summer is about the equivalent of a month.
Maximum Units in Summer
UC Berkeley Summer Sessions highly recommends a maximum of 10 units per session during the summer term and a there is a strict maximum of 21.5 units at any given time. UC Berkeley students are encouraged to consult with their college or major advisers before exceeding the unit recommendation. Exceptions are generally not granted.
Reminder! Visiting International Students are required to enroll in full-time units to maintain their visa status. Please consult with International Student Services if you have any questions.