Forms & Procedures

Data Science enforces course requisites as listed in the Berkeley academic Guide. The registration system automatically recognizes courses completed or in-progress at UC Berkeley, as well as transfer credit from California community colleges that is posted as equivalent on the Transfer Credit Report.

If you have completed a prerequisite in a way that is not recognized by the registration system, you can submit a request to have your record reviewed and clear the prerequisite on our Course Enrollment page. This form is available each term approximately one week before Phase 1 enrollment begins.

If you are already declared in the Data Science major and wish to change your Domain Emphasis, submit a new online major declaration request and select the Change Domain Emphasis option. You will need to attach documents showing the courses you plan to use toward your new Domain Emphasis.

While there is no campus deadline to change your Domain Emphasis, you should be sure to submit any request several weeks before the end of your final term in order to ensure that it is reviewed and processed in time.

If you are taking a course that is not approved to count toward the Data Science major, and you would like our faculty to consider approving it by petition, please make an appointment or visit our drop-in advising hours to discuss your situation with a Data Science advisor.

• Review the list of approved courses for the requirement and be prepared to explain why the course you are requesting is similar. In some cases, you may also be asked why you are unable to take any of the already approved courses.
• Review the Criteria for Courses Meeting Data Science requirements to understand what the faculty will be looking for in reviewing your courses.
• Be prepared to provide a current syllabus for the course.

The petition review process takes 2-4 weeks. Please plan your submission accordingly, considering campus enrollment deadlines. We will generally not review a petition more than one semester in advance of when you plan to take it.

Effective beginning Jan 1, 2025: Students must be officially declared in the Data Science major before submitting a petition. Exceptions will be allowed for students specifically petitioning a requirement in order to declare (for example, a course completed outside of UC Berkeley that might be equivalent to Data C8).

We currently do not consider petitions for the Data Science minor except for the elective category, and only if you have already completed the course you wish to petition. We will not consider petitions for courses planned to be taken in the future; if you are seeking a course to take in a future term, please select from the list of already approved options. 

To be considered as an elective for the Data Science minor, a course must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Course has a significant computational component, such as problem sets or labs in a programming or statistical language (except for CompSci courses not already approved)
• Course applies data science within a specific subject domain (may overlap with Data 8 or Data 100 concepts in domain-specific applications)
• Course has significant technical content or other substantive value that DIRECTLY RELATES to the practice of Data Science

The petition review process takes 2-4 weeks. Please plan your submission accordingly, considering campus enrollment deadlines. To start the petition process, please make an appointment or visit our drop-in advising hours to discuss your situation with a Data Science advisor.

Effective beginning Jan 1, 2025: Students must be officially declared in the Data Science minor before submitting a petition. Exceptions will be allowed for students specifically petitioning a requirement in order to declare (for example, a course completed outside of UC Berkeley that might be equivalent to Data C8).

Data Science advisors can only approve an increase in the unit maximum for declared Data Science majors in CDSS. All other students should contact your home College advising office.

If you are declared in Data Science and wish to enroll in more than 20.5 units, please submit a request for a maximum unit increase. The form will be available from the 1st day of classes until the day before the add/drop deadline, and all requests will be reviewed beginning the 2nd week of instruction.

If you are an intended or declared Data Science major and will be conducting an internship related to the study of data science, you may be eligible to receive internship credit by enrolling in Data 197. To request permission to enroll, email ds-advising@berkeley.edu with the following information:

1. Your name and student ID number,
2. A brief description of your internship duties and how they relate to your major,
3. Proof of your employment (such as an offer letter),
4. If you are an international student who needs CPT approval for your internship, also include the CPT Application Form with your student information filled out.

Once your request is approved, you will receive information about enrolling in Data 197.

• Data 197 is offered on a P/NP Only basis.
• Students must make any enrollment changes for Data 197 by the regular campus add/drop deadlines. 
• Enrollment in Data 197 during Summer Session is subject to regular summer enrollment fees.
• Enrollment in Data 197 is generally for 1 unit, although students may arrange directly with the professor for a different number of units if appropriate.

If you notice an error in your Academic Progress Report (APR) on CalCentral, email us at ds-advising@berkeley.edu with your name, student ID number and a description of the error.