What's on offer at the University of California, Berkeley?
LSE is committed to producing global citizens and providing students with opportunities to enhance their degrees. We believe that a year abroad exchange enhances students’ LSE experiences by instilling increased confidence, and providing a different academic perspective and better understanding of another culture. In short, it will make students more productive and engaged citizens at home and abroad.
We are now pleased to offer students the opportunity to spend a full academic year at Berkeley, which is one of the best public universities in the world. It is highly rated for the quality and breadth of its research and the distinction of its faculty. It also has well-established arrangements for undergraduate exchange programmes and currently offers them with some 290 universities worldwide.
Berkeley’s campus, known as "Cal", is home to top scholars, accomplished writers and musicians, star athletes, and ground-breaking scientists. The lush campus is bordered by wooded, rolling hills and the City of Berkeley. Cal students are just minutes away from the many business, cultural and recreational resources of Oakland, San Francisco, and the Bay Area communities.
The key features of a year at Berkeley include:
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The option to choose courses covering a range of subjects, some of which are unique to Berkeley’s location, e.g. American studies, ethnic studies, Native American studies. All classes are conducted in English, except for specific foreign language courses.
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Students will be eligible to apply for a range of housing, both on- and off- campus, at Berkeley.
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The Berkeley academic year comprises two semesters, i.e. mid-August to mid-December and early January to mid-May.
Please click on the next tab at the top of this page to read the Academic Information.
What is the academic commitment?
You will need to:
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Take a full course load at Berkeley (at least 13 semester units each term, which equates to around four classes);
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Select a major subject that reflects your interests whilst on the exchange, and provide a “Study Plan” (a list of courses you intend to take);
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When considering courses, you will need to review the UC catalogue for course descriptions and information on prerequisites;
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You may enrol in the majority of classes offered, except those in the Haas School of Business;
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Discuss your course choice with your LSE Academic Adviser in advance; and
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Ensure you don't take courses that directly overlap with courses you have taken or are going to take at LSE.
How does this fit with my LSE degree studies?
The scheme is open to all LSE students who are currently in the second year of their undergraduate programme. We would normally require you to have passed all your first year exams without needing to retake any of them, and Berkeley also expects a B average to be selected for their programme (equivalent to at least a high 2:2). Please note that if you are offered a place on the scheme but fail one or more of your second year exams, you may be withdrawn from the scheme.
The Berkeley exchange is additional to the requirements of your LSE degree. Having completed the year at Berkeley, you will then return to LSE to study the final year of your undergraduate degree. Your year at Berkeley will not count towards your final classification, although we still consider the year abroad to be a very useful learning experience for students. Berkeley will also issue you with a transcript providing details of your results.
Please click on the next tab at the top of this page to read about Fees and Finance.
How does the scheme work financially?
Students are not required to pay any tuition fees to Berkeley to participate in the exchange, although you will still need to continue paying tuition fees to LSE. The tuition fee for the exchange year is, however, significantly discounted. While the amounts have yet to be confirmed for 2016-17, tuition fees for other exchanges in 2015 -16 were the following:
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UK/EU students: £1,350
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International students: £4,500 (awaiting confirmation)
If you are eligible, you will be able to apply for a loan to cover these tuition fees through the Student Loan Company.
The cost of living, whilst at Berkeley, will be approximately US$18,000 (or £12,600 based on exchange rates as at 29th January 2016). As part of Berkeley’s own application process, you will need to confirm that you have access to sufficient funds to cover your cost of living whilst in the USA.
Financial support available
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If you are a UK/EU student and receive support from Student Finance, you will continue to be eligible for support for the year in the USA but will need to notify Student Finance of your exchange year.
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If you are a UK/EU student in receipt of an LSE Bursary, your award will be renewed at its current rate for the year in the USA (subject to assessment by the Financial Support Office). This does not include LSE scholarships.
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To make this opportunity as accessible to as many students as possible, the School will:
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provide all students offered a place to study at Berkeley with an LSE Annual Fund Exchange Bursary of £2,500 to assist with travel and living expenses; and
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provide additional support of up to £2,500 to a limited number of students who can demonstrate financial need.
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International students who have loans or scholarships from their home countries will need to check with their lenders/sponsors whether funding can be extended to the year in the USA – please note that LSE can help with providing official documentation to confirm that students will be participating in a recognised exchange.
Please click on the next tab at the top of this page to read about Housing, Health, Insurance and Visas.
Where would I live?
Students are eligible to apply for Berkeley housing on- or off-campus (many of which
include meal plans), although accommodation is not guaranteed. Student
accommodation is in shared rooms and further information about housing options can
be found on the University of California’s reciprocity webpages (note: the term ‘Reciprocity’ is used by the University of California to refer to their incoming exchange students).
Many campus housing facilities are closed during term breaks, so students may have to travel or make alternate living arrangements during these periods.
Students who are not successful in applying for Berkeley accommodation can arrive up to 30 days before the start of term to look for housing in the local community. Additionally, Berkeley’s Community Housing Office provides information about external rental resources and advice about your rights and obligations as a private renter.
What about healthcare?
Students must ensure that they have suitable insurance for the year abroad. Medical treatment in the USA can be very expensive and exchange students will be enrolled in Berkeley’s mandatory campus insurance plan. The cost of this insurance in 2015/16 was $2,580 for the academic year (approximately £1,800) and is included in the estimated cost of living calculated by Berkeley. Actual costs for 2016/17 will be confirmed in the next few months.
Insurance
LSE students are eligible to apply for cover under LSE's Travel Insurance policy, however, this is not a substitute for Berkeley’s insurance plan and cannot be used for general medical expenses in the USA. Rather, students may use this policy for travel insurance to and from the USA (for example, in case of lost luggage, for example) and/or for emergency medical care. To qualify for coverage, students who are selected for the LSE - Berkeley exchange will be required to complete a Risk Assessment form before they are issued with the policy cover note. Further information will be provided to relevant students as appropriate.
Visas
Most students will need to apply for a J1 exchange visitor visa to study at Berkeley (exceptions for U.S. and Canadian citizens can be found in the ‘Visa Information’ section here). J1 visa holders can arrive up to 30 days in advance of the start of term and stay up to 30 days after the programme dates (NB: the latter 30 days is called the “grace period” - students must stay in the US during the grace period, ie, no trips to Mexico or Canada unless you are counting on departing from there).
You should apply for your visa as soon as you receive your Certificate of Eligibility (the DS-2019) from Berkeley. To apply for your visa, contact the U.S. Embassy to confirm application procedures and application fee information, and to arrange your interview.
If you are not a UK citizen, you may need to plan for a longer visa application processing time. You should also contact the U.S. Embassy to explain your situation and to check whether they will require you to apply for a visa from your home country.
To comply with U.S. immigration policy, you will be required to study full-time and take at least 13 semester units each term, which equates to roughly four (4) classes. You can also participate in ‘academic training’, i.e. internships, during the year abroad.
Further information can be found on Berkeley’s Reciprocity and Visa Resources web pages. We advise that you read these carefully to check if you will be able to meet the requirements to be sponsored by Berkeley for your visa application.
How will the exchange affect my Tier 4 visa?
International students who are studying at LSE on a Tier 4 visa should note that any additional time spent on an exchange will count towards the five-year cap on degree level studies in the UK. You have two options:
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Keep your Tier 4 visa in place whilst at Berkeley - this will mean that your LSE undergraduate degree will likely amount to a total of 50 months (4.2 years) studying in the UK; or
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Ask LSE to withdraw sponsorship of your Tier 4 visa during your time on exchange. However, the time it takes for your Tier 4 to be curtailed will need to be included in the calculation of the cap on studies.
The extra year abroad will not make your programme a four-year degree to be able to extend the cap to six years at degree level. Further information can be found in the Tier 4 Policy Guidance.
Please click on the next tab at the top of this page to read How to Apply.
How do I apply?
As only ten places are available for the LSE - Berkeley undergraduate exchange each year, selection for participation will be on a competitive basis. As a first step, LSE will scrutinise applications before deciding which candidates to nominate to Berkeley.
For the internal (LSE) process, the panel are looking for candidates who will represent the LSE to the best of their ability during the exchange and who want to take part for the opportunities it will bring academically and personally. In assessing your application, the panel will be looking for:
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evidence that you have given this opportunity careful thought and have strong reasons for wanting to take advantage of it;
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you have undertaken suitable research, for instance by reviewing the Berkeley website; and
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a detailed explanation of why you would like to study at Berkeley and how the year would contribute to your future work and/or study plans.
To be considered for the internal application process, you will need to submit the following:
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Application Cover Sheet
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Personal Statement of up to 1,250 words (longer statements will not be considered), covering:
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your educational journey so far, including reflections on your experience of LSE to date;
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why you want to take part in the year at Berkeley, including which courses you want to take and how they relate to your degree programme at LSE;
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your ambitions beyond your LSE degree and how the exchange will contribute towards your future plans
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Academic Reference from a full-time member of LSE staff from your department (preferably your Academic Adviser or Departmental Tutor, not a GTA). This should cover:
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your suitability to participate in the exchange;
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why your referee thinks you would particularly benefit from taking part; and
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your academic performance and wider contribution to the department so far.
We are unable to consider applications without a reference, so we strongly recommend you request this well in advance of the deadline. It is your responsibility to ensure all of the required documents are submitted by the deadline. You can submit the reference with your personal statement and application coversheet, or your referee can submit it separately.
Completed applications should have been submitted via email to Erasmus@lse.ac.uk by noon on Monday 29 February 2016, quoting ‘Berkeley application' in the subject line of the e-mail. We will notify students of the outcome of the selection process as soon as possible.
Successful students will then be required to complete the University of California Education Abroad Program application process, including completion of an intended 'Study Plan’, outlining which courses you would like to take in each semester at Berkeley. Further information will be provided to students in due course.
If you're unsure whether Bekeley is the right choice for you, please click on the next tab at the top of this page to read about Other Exchanges at LSE.
Is Berkeley the only undergraduate exchange available?
The exchange at Berkeley is the only exchange available for LSE students in the USA. However, we also offer an undergraduate exchange with Sciences Po, France.
The application procedure for the Sciences Po exchange will be considered at the same time as the Berkeley selection competition. However, students are only able to apply for either Sciences Po or Berkeley, not both exchanges.