Registration confirms your status as a student at UC Berkeley. Registering at Berkeley consists of two steps:
- Enrolling in classes.
- Paying your bill.*
*Important note for students: You must pay at least 20% of your bill by the Friday before instruction begins.
Official Registration
To be officially registered at UC Berkeley, you must meet these three criteria by the deadline each semester (the Friday before instruction begins).
- You must be enrolled in at least one class. By the third week of instruction, you are also expected to be enrolled in at least the minimum number of units approved by your college or school. Minimum requirements vary but are typically 12 or more units.
- 20% of tuition and fees must be paid (even if not yet due). This percentage is the first installment amount of the Fee Payment Plan.
- View your bill within the My Finances section of CalCentral.
- Students who cannot pay will be dropped from their courses and are subject to the Cancel for Non-Payment Policy. This policy is on hold until further notice; please visit the web page for details.
- If you need assistance, access our Support for Staying Enrolled, which includes financial support options and other resources.
- You must not have holds against your registration. Log in to CalCentral to find out if you have any holds, and if so, follow the instructions on clearing them. View the hold details and instructions in CalCentral > My Academics > Status and Holds section. The type of registration hold (financial, academic, or administrative) will determine what action needs to be taken to resolve it. (For details, navigate to “Registration Holds” at Cal Student Central Registration & Enrollment.)
To be eligible to enroll in the next term, you must be officially registered on CalCentral for the current term. Once you are officially registered, you can access campus services for students, such as library privileges, the Recreational Sports Facility, University Health Services, etc.
Registration Deadline
If you are not officially registered by the end of the third week of instruction (subject to change), you will be charged a $150 late-registration fee (this fee will not be assessed during the 2024–25 academic year and is suspended until further notice). Be sure to officially register by the deadline.
Minimum Unit Requirements
You must be enrolled in at least one class to be considered a registered student at Berkeley. However, you are expected to be enrolled in at least the minimum number of units approved by your college or school by the end of the third week of instruction. Minimum unit requirements are as follows.
Undergraduate Minimum Unit Requirements
- Haas School of Business: 13 Units
- College of Chemistry: 13 Units
- College of Engineering: 12 Units
- College of Environmental Design: 12 Units
- College of Letters & Science: 13 Units
- Rausser College of Natural Resources: 12 Units
Graduate Minimum Unit Requirements
- All graduate students: 12 Units
- Graduate students under special programs, such as fellowships or certain financial aid, have different minimum unit requirements. Consult your department.
Maximum Unit Enrollment
While you are expected to be enrolled in at least the minimum unit requirements, there are limits on maximum units as well.
Undergraduate Maximum Unit Limits
- Haas School of Business: 20.5 Units
- College of Chemistry: 20.5 Units
- College of Engineering: 20.5 Units
- College of Environmental Design: 20.5 Units
- College of Letters & Science: 20.5 Units
- College of Natural Resources: 20.5 Units
Graduate Maximum Unit Limits
- Law School students: 16.0 Units
- All other graduate students: 20.5 Units
If you wish to enroll in more units than the maximum, you must seek approval from your college or school dean’s office (declared majors in Letters and Science should go to their department for approval). Requests are reviewed by the college after the adjustment period.
Additional Registration Resources