Transfer Students

Welcome to the Department of African American Studies (AAS), an intellectual community committed to producing, refining and advancing knowledge of Black people in the United States, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and Africa. Thank you for your interest in our department. As a transfer student, you may be considering declaring our major. In order to help you prepare to file your paperwork, we have put together the following information for you. We hope this helps you in finding your way around Berkeley!

Pre-requisite Requirements : 

  1.    AAS 4A: Africa: History and Culture
  2.    AAS 5A: African American Life and Culture in the United States
  3.    AAS 5B: African American Life and Culture in the United States
  • For information on community college equivalent courses, please see Assist.org

Getting Declared in the Major:
Though you indicated an interest in an L&S major in your application, once at Cal, you will need to declare your major. The first step for declaring the major in African American Studies is to complete the prerequisite classes above. Transfer students benefit most by meeting with the department’s Undergraduate Advisor (UA–see below) to learn more about the details of the major; including options for internships; study abroad; special research and the Clark Institute Scholars. Students can declare the major throughout the academic year. Please feel free to drop by anytime if you have questions regarding the major. Once you are sure that the major is right for you, please complete the application form and return it to the department Undergraduate Advisor. You can also get the declaration materials in 608 Barrows Hall.  Once the UA approves and updates your academic record in Cal Central, you will be officially declared as a major.

Fall: Transfer Students Golden Bear Advising

Let’s get started, please do the following:

  1. Read Golden Bear Orientation (GBO).
  2. Complete Golden Bear Advising (GBA) .
  3. Visit and get familiar with CalCentral and your student overview.
  4. Be sure to complete the College of Letters and Science modules in bCourse during Golden Bears Advising
  5. Make a list of the courses you need and courses you would like to take in the fall. You can review this list with your AAS adviser to make sure you’re on the right track.  Make sure you have alternate courses in case you cannot get into your first choice.  If your AAS class is marked full in Cal Central, contact the adviser for enrollment advice.

Helpful Information:

  1. Minimum of 120 Units are required to graduate (includes units transferred from community college and the units to be completed from UCB).
  2. If you did not complete your American Cultures requirement in community college, you can satisfy this requirement with the following AAS elective courses:  27AC, 28AC, 125AC, 142AC, 156AC. It can also be fulfilled by any course identified as AC in the Schedule of Classes.
  3. Students are required to take at least 6 units of upper division (courses numbered 100-199) units outside of their major.
  4. What is a lower division course:  courses that are numbered 1-99 (courses typically taken by frosh and sophomores).
  5. What is an upper division course:  courses numbered 100-199 (courses typically taken by juniors and seniors).
  6. Berkeley Time!!  All classes begin 10 minutes after the published hour.  If the class is scheduled to start at 11am, it will begin at 11:10am.  This will give students enough time to get to classes across campus.
  7. The following courses can help with students transition into Cal:
  • Education 198 – Transitioning to Cal: An Introduction to the Research University.
  • L&S 10: On the Same Page Course–for more information click here
  • BIG IDEAS or DISCOVERY course – special program courses sponsored by the L&S Deans
  • Berkeley Connect – a one unit mentoring class
  • DeCal Classes – courses develop and facilitated by students

 

Contact information for the AAS Undergraduate Adviser: Eric Cheatham 608 Barrows Hall (510) 642-8513 eric_cheatham@berkeley.edu