Study Abroad

The Psychology department encourages its students to add an international dimension to their education by participating in Berkeley Study Abroad (BSA). Study abroad will challenge your views on the world and change your life! Exposure to various cultures and diverse human experience prepare students for the complex challenges faced by professionals in the field of Psychology. With proper academic planning, students can have the experience of a lifetime with little impact on programmatic time to degree.

• Why should I study abroad

  Psychology aims to describe, understand, and predict the behavior of living organisms. In doing so, psychology embraces the many factors that influence behavior. This approach is highly conducive to the study abroad experience, as it helps students develop an understanding of how environmental and cultural factors shape human behavior. Further benefits include:

  • Unique Academic and experiential opportunities in Psychology
  • Participation in a different education system and a new cultural perspective
  • The study of fascinating topics not readily available on the Berkeley campus
  • An expanded world view enhanced by first-hand experience of another culture
  • Enhanced resume and/or application for graduate school
  • Development of self-confidence and independence
  • Preparation for a career in an internationally competitive world

   

• Where and when should I study abroad

  Since Psychology is a field that is studied all over the world, you have dozens of choices of where to go and take classes in Psychology. While it is possible for psychology students to go abroad at almost any point in their academic careers, the particular term and length of time that you choose to study abroad depends on the requirements you have left to complete the major and whether you plan to work towards your major while you are abroad. As a rule of thumb, we recommend that you complete all of the major prerequisites before going abroad.

  Keep in mind that applications for study abroad are typically due 6 months to a year prior to the program start date and some programs have academic or language prerequisites that must be satisfied in advance. So you'll want to check the BSA website for guidance on how to apply: http://studyabroad.berkeley.edu/how-to-apply and stop by the Study Abroad Office at 160 Stephens Hall to talk with a Study Abroad Advisor.

   

• Will I be able to make progress toward my major requirements while studying abroad?

  Psychology students planning to complete a portion of their major abroad have a wide variety of options. You may take as many psychology courses as you would like while studying abroad. However, per our course policies, we allow a maximum of two upper division courses from outside the Psychology Department towards your major requirements. This includes courses transferred to UC Berkeley from another 4-year institution, courses taken through EAP, courses from UC Extension, and the pre-approved courses offered at UC Berkeley through other departments (Business, Economics, Legal Studies, etc.).

  We maintain a course substitute database where you may find courses pre-approved to satisfy major requirements.. Of course, this is not a comprehensive list. If you would like to request review for a course which is not already in the database, keep in mind that any candidate must meet all of the follow baseline criteria in order to qualify for review; qualification for review does not guarantee approval.

  • Must primarily cover topics in Psychology or the intersection of Psychology and another discipline (a good rule of thumb is to look for courses offered by the host university's psychology department or another closely related department)
  • Must be, or convert to, at least 2.7 semester units (rounding up from 2.6666666 is acceptable)
  • Must be offered at the upper division level, if being evaluated for equivalency to an upper division Psychology requirement or course.

  Study abroad courses will generally be evaluated for the Tier III elective requirement. In order for a course to be approved for a Tier II survey requirement, it must be a close match to the equivalent offering here in the department. Psych 101 must be completed at Berkeley.

  You may fulfill your breadth requirements while abroad. Consult an L&S advisor.

• Can you walk me through finding pre-approved courses or requesting review?

  Checking Pre-Approvals

  1. Identify your program and a list of courses you are interested in taking; consult your study abroad advisor as needed

  2. If you haven't already, look up the courses in the UCEAP course catalog to verify that they are upper division and at least 2.7 semester units. The catalog contains courses which other students have previously taken. It may not necessarily have information on each and every course on your list; see the "Submitting Syllabus Review Requests" section on what to do when if that is the case.

  3. Check our department course substitute database below to confirm whether they are already pre-approved. Don't forget to check the Denied Courses tab and the Expired Approved Courses tab.

  4. If the course in question is pre-approved and the approval is unexpired at the time you will be enrolled, you are good to go!

  5. If the course in question is not in the approved database or its approval is expired, you will need to submit a syllabus review request.

   

  Submitting Syllabus Review Requests

  1. Obtain a copy of a detailed syllabus for the course. Some study abroad programs may already have them available online, or you may need to request it from the host institution. Consult your study abroad program advisor for assistance.

  • A detailed syllabus needs to contain at least a reading list and a weekly agenda topics (examples). A screenshot of the course summary or catalog page will not be accepted. 
  • If you are unable to obtain a syllabus prior to departure, submit the request after you receive the syllabus while taking the class.
  • Some universities do not use syllabi. In cases where you do not receive a syllabus, you may submit a collection of all of the class materials (e.g. slides, readings, exams, etc.), or you may compile your own "syllabus" and list all of the topics covered and include all of the lectures, readings, exams, assignments, projects, etc.

  2. Submit the syllabus review request form. Keep in mind that review typically takes 1-2 months to complete.

  We do not guarantee pre-approval of courses before you go abroad. Here are some situations where you will not receive pre-approval:

  • A detailed syllabus is not available; i.e. you receive it when classes begin or you have to make your own after completing the term
  • A course is not already in in the UCEAP course catalog; your request will be on hold until the course is posted and we are able to verify that it's upper division and at least 2.7 semester units
  • You are enrolled in an independent study abroad program; your request will be on hold until the transfer credits are posted in your CalCentral and we are able to verify that it's upper division and at least 2.7 semester units

  Requests which are on hold for these reasons will also go beyond the typical review timeline.

  Submissions without a detailed syllabus will be automatically denied.

  Decisions to deny are final. Students may only resubmit a previously denied course due to missing or insufficient information (e.g. missing a detailed syllabus).

• What happens when I return?

  If your courses are pre-approved, notify us by email when the final grade for this course is posted on CalCentral, and we can update your APR to count them toward the major.

  If you didn't get approval, submit the Syllabus Review Request form.

  Final approval for courses taken abroad will be granted only when grades and units are posted to the official UC Berkeley record and completed paperwork has been submitted.

• Approved abroad courses

  The Course Substitute Database contains courses that have been approved or denied by the Curriculum Committee to count toward a psychology major requirement.