FAQs

The Haas Undergraduate Program does not offer a concentration to non-majors.

Our office is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9am - 4pm and Tuesday from 10am - 4pm. There is no need to schedule an appointment as we will always have an advisor available to assist you during these times. Our office is located in room S450 at the Haas School of Business and our telephone number is 510-642-1421. In order to ensure maximum benefits from your time with an advisor, please familiarize yourself with our requirements and complete the Haas Self-Reported Academic Record prior to speaking with an advisor.

The admission committee is looking for leadership potential in extracurricular activities and does not give certain activities more weight in the review process. Students should participate in what they enjoy (on-campus clubs, volunteer experience, work experience, religious activities, etc.)

ALL upper-division business courses must be taken for letter grades (with the exception of UGBA 198/199 which are only offered P/NP). This includes the courses listed under "Core Course Substitutions," as well as all business courses taken while abroad on an approved international study program even if offered in other departments such as Marketing, Management, Finance, etc.

No, one course cannot be used to satisfy a breadth and a prerequisite.

No, one course cannot be used to satisfy two breadth requirements.

Certain exams may be used to satisfy Haas requirements. Please visit the exam credit page for details. Exams cannot be used to satisfy breadth requirements.

The Admission Committee does not advise students to repeat courses that they have passed.

Please go to www.assist.org and review the articulation agreement between your community college and UC Berkeley for the business major.

Once at UC Berkeley, students must take all prerequisites at UC Berkeley. If non-UC Berkeley college level course work was completed before admission into UC Berkeley, it can be used to satisfy prerequisite or breadth requirements with the exception of Principles of Business (UGBA 10), which must be taken at UC Berkeley. If off-campus work was completed at a California community college, visit the Assist website, www.assist.org for courses at each school that fulfill the prerequisite or breadth requirements.

The admission committee understands the difference between the two math series. Our advice to students is to take the math course required for your backup major. Some majors require the 16 series and others require the 1 series. Taking 1A and 1B over 16A and 16B will not increase your chances for admission.

Over 200 of our 700 students are pursuing a simultaneous degree. Students will not be penalized in the admission process for having academic interest outside of Haas.

Haas reviews applications from all eligible students regardless of GPA

No, you may have courses required for admission in progress when you apply in the Fall and planned for Spring. All courses required for admission must be completed by the end of the Spring term prior to starting at the Haas School of Business.

Admission to the Haas Undergraduate Program is highly competitive. View admission statistics in our class profile.

The application is broken down as follows: 50% Grades & Coursework, 35% Essays, and 15% Resume/extra-curricular activities. In addition to reviewing applications for completion of minimum eligibility requirements and academic achievement and promise, the Admission Committee will review many factors, including performance in key prerequisites (business, math, economics, statistics), grade trends, course load, consistency of academic performance, leadership skills, interest in being an active member of the Haas community, knowledge of contemporary business issues, accomplishments as demonstrated by extracurricular activities, as well as communication and analytical skills as demonstrated by responses to essay questions.

Upper-division business courses are not required for admission. Only required courses will have significant weight during the evaluation.

We understand that being denied admission can be a disappointment, and it is natural to seek to understand the reasons behind the Admission Committee’s decision. However, we do not accommodate requests for personalized feedback on your application.

Our original selection process involves careful individual reading of each application and it is very unlikely that we will choose to reverse our original decision. However, you may submit an appeal if you have new information that was not addressed in your original application. Information regarding internships or activities you participated in after the original application deadline is not relevant and should not be included in your appeal. See Appealing Admission Decisions for more information.

Prospective international students should follow the admission requirements and application procedures outlined on our website. Our admissions information is the same for international and U.S. students.

The Haas Undergraduate Program rarely admits students directly from international institutions. Transfer admissions priority is given to students who are US citizens, California residents, and are transferring from a California community college. This is according to California's Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California Office of the President and the UC Berkeley faculty. International students interested in the business major typically complete Haas admission requirements at a California Community College and apply for transfer from that institution.

TOEFL Exams are not required for admission. Haas requires all applicants to take English Reading and Composition courses rather than English proficiency exams for admission. Please visit our website to learn more about transfer admission requirements and application procedures.

Yes, all Haas applicants must complete the foreign language requirement. For many students who attended high school outside of the United States, English is the foreign language. For example, if you went to high school in China where the language of instruction was Mandarin and took the 3rd year level of English, then English is considered your foreign language.

The Haas Undergraduate Program rarely admits transfer students from 4-year institutions. Transfer admissions priority is given to students who are US citizens, California residents, and are transferring from a California community college. This is according to California's Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California Office of the President and the UC Berkeley faculty. Transfer applicants from 4-year colleges should follow the transfer admission requirements and application procedures outlined on our website.

Haas only has transfer agreements with California Community Colleges and unfortunately cannot pre-approve coursework for other schools. You can contact UC Berkeley's Office of Undergraduate Admission (OUA) to determine if your courses transfer to UC Berkeley. However, OUA will not advise you on whether the courses fulfill Haas admission requirements. Applicants from schools other than California community colleges should compare the descriptions (or syllabi) of prerequisites and breadth coursework required of Berkeley applicants, listed on our website and in the UC Berkeley General Catalog http://www.berkeley.edu/catalog/, with the course syllabi of courses offered at your school to get a general idea of which courses you should take to satisfy our requirements. For the English/Reading and Composition prerequisite, you should download a copy of the R&C Questionnaire (.pdf) to be filled out by your professors.

If your school does not offer Haas admission requirements you should find a school in your area that offers the course(s). If you do not complete the required courses by the end of the Spring term prior to your anticipated start at Haas, you will be ineligible for admission.