Berkeley Chemistry Visiting Student Program UC Berkeley Global: Study-Abroad Opportunities

Join an elite cohort of students learning in a dynamic, experiential environment at UC Berkeley's College of Chemistry.

This semester- or academic year-long, study-abroad opportunity gives you unique access to the #1 chemistry program in the world. Take courses in computational chemistry or chemical biology to enhance your graduate school application or start your chemistry or STEM-related career. You also have the opportunity to seek out research opportunities in our world-renowned laboratories, as well as gain an advantage in the application process to the Master of Molecular Science and Software Engineering program.

Study alongside UC Berkeley undergraduate students who are also passionate about studying chemistry. Experience student life in Berkeley, the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley.

World-Renowned Chemistry Education

Did you know?

• Berkeley faculty and alumni have won a combined 31 Nobel Prizes in Chemistry including in 2020 and 2018.
• Sixteen elements of the Chemistry Periodic Table were discovered at Berkeley.
• Dozens of college faculty are members of the National Academy of Science and National Academy of Engineering.

Read more about our academic excellence.

Each academic year, you'll take a total of 24 semester units:

• 12 semester units in either the computational chemistry or chemical biology track
• 1-semester-unit Chemistry Visiting Scholars Experiential seminar
• 11 semester units of electives in upper-division or graduate-level courses

Additional units may be taken with the pre-approval of the College of Chemistry.

To earn the certificate*, you must:

• Complete two semesters and earn the required academic units; students interested in completing one semester will only earn a transcript.
• Successfully complete all course requirements with a grade of C– or better.
• Achieve a final program Grade Point Average of 2.0 or higher based on all courses taken at the University of California.

Transfer Courses!

Earn units that can transfer to your home university.

Units earned in this program can be transferred back to your home university, or help prepare you for graduate and professional schools.

Prepare for Graduate School

When you take these courses, you are well-prepared to apply for a graduate program of your choice—including gaining an advantage in the application process to UC Berkeley's Master of Molecular Science and Software Engineering program.

Classes

Prerequisite: We recommend that you complete the Physical Chemistry course prior to enrolling in this program in order to obtain in-depth knowledge in Chemical Biology or Computational Chemistry. If you have not already completed this course, you will take this class during your first semester in Berkeley.

Note: Courses are subject to change; individual classes may not be available during both semesters.