University of California Exchange Program
The University of California Exchange allows Stanford graduate students to attend the University of California, Berkeley or University of California, San Francisco to earn credits towards their degree and/or conduct research. Enrollment happens concurrently at Stanford (the home institution) and the University of California campus (the exchange institution). Your tuition is assessed at the home institution based on total enrollment across both campuses.
Eligibility and Enrollment Requirements
To be eligible to participate, you must be an active graduate student at Stanford and complete the following:
- Submit an application to participate. To download the PDF application, you’ll need to navigate to Student eForms, located inside of your My Academics drop-down menu within Axess.
- Obtain approval from your Stanford graduate program advisor(s) and the UC institution's department and course instructor(s)
- If you are on an F-1 or J-1 visa, you must also get approval from the Bechtel International Center
- Enroll in at least four units at Stanford, and no more than 18 quarter units total across both institutions (unless you have TGR status, in which case you should not enroll in more than three quarter units total between both institutions)
Deadline
Applications should be submitted using the help ticket at least four weeks before the requested exchange quarter. Please check the academic calendar at your chosen UC institution for specific enrollment deadlines.
Note: UC Berkeley is on a semester system, so their dates do not align with Stanford's calendar. Therefore, if you wish to participate in a UC Berkeley exchange, you must obtain approval from UC Berkeley's Registrar's Office before the first day of the UC Berkeley semester.
What's the process for participating in the UC Exchange program?
The Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures website is a helpful resource for graduate students looking to participate in the UC Exchange program. Students can reference the GAP for the full UC Exchange Program policy as well as the procedures that relate to the implementation of this exchange program. For detailed steps, please visit the UC Exchange Implementation Page using the button below.
Exchange Programs Support Ticket
Looking to submit your UC Exchange application? Have questions about Stanford Exchange Programs?
Stanford students, staff, and faculty can use this support request to submit UC Exchange applications and/or inquire about the Exchange programs available for Stanford students.
Enrollment and Tuition Assessment
Your Stanford tuition is assessed based on your total enrollment across both institutions. If you are attending a semester calendar exchange institution (such as UC Berkeley), you should be cognizant that your units are converted to quarter units for tuition assessment. For example, if you are enrolled in four quarter units at Stanford, and enroll in a six-unit course at UC Berkeley, you would be assessed at the 11-18 unit tuition rate, as six UC Berkeley semester units are equivalent to nine quarter units.
If you are on an approved TGR status, you can participate in an exchange-out program, but you will only receive the TGR tuition rate if enrolled in no more than three quarter units (TGR enrollment in more than three units will be assessed per unit, based on the Stanford tuition table).
Completing courses during UC Berkeley's Spring Semester
Because UC Berkeley's semester overlaps with Stanford's Winter and Spring Quarters, the UC Berkeley units (and tuition charges) will be applied towards Stanford's Winter Quarter tuition, unless you request otherwise. If you want the units to be applied to Stanford's Spring Quarter, you must submit a help request.
Note: UC Berkeley exchange units cannot be 'split' between multiple Stanford quarters because tuition is assessed by quarter at the home institution (Stanford). Please plan your enrollment accordingly.
Your Stanford Record
While the course is in progress:
Participation in the UC exchange program is documented on your Stanford transcript (listed under the corresponding Stanford term) while the course is in progress. The UC course information (i.e., the course code/title and units) however, does not appear while the course is in progress. This is because your coursework is treated as “'completed”' so as to not count as external transfer credit. Units from the exchange program will not appear on your transcript until your coursework is completed.
If an enrollment certification is required, the email notification that our Registrar's Office sends you with your number of units, tuition, and enrollment status, can be used for that purpose.
After the course is complete:
Typically, the participating UC Registrar's Office will automatically send Stanford an official copy of the transcript. You may need to submit a transcript request once your course is complete if the host institution does not automatically send the official transcript.
Once received, our Registrar's Office will post the UC course, grade, and credit information to your Stanford transcript, which will be listed on the upper left-hand corner of the first page. You should contact the UC Registrar's Office if interested in having a proof of enrollment at the UC campus.
Exchange Program Resources for Staff
Department staff and/or faculty advisors can find helpful resources regarding exchange programs for Stanford students on the Inside Student Services webpage using the button below.