Below is a summary of the requirements that MBA students will need to fulfill in order to earn the degree. For dual-degree students, please refer to the requirements for your specific program. You can use the Academic Progress Report found in CalCentral to view a personalized snapshot of your progress in each of these areas:

Core Course Requirement

You must pass all core courses to graduate. If you fail a core course, you will need to re-take it in your second year.

Units Requirements

The Full-Time MBA Program considers 8 units to be “full time” status. The exception applies to students who are receiving financial awards, such as Veterans Benefits, working as a GSI or GSR, or fellowships with specific unit requirements. Students who fall into these categories need to enroll in at least 12 units to be considered full-time.

Overall, students must complete 51 valid units of coursework to graduate. On average, students take 12-14 units per semester. The maximum number of MBA units a student is allowed to take per semester is 16. Units received for coursework taken before the first semester will not be counted. Only units received during the fall and spring semesters can be applied toward the degree.

MBA core & MBA elective courses must be taken for a letter grade to count toward your degree requirement. The exception is the MBA 294 Speaker Series courses and non-Haas courses which can be taken as S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory). You can review the grading options outlined (opens in a new tab) for more details.

To track your academic progress towards graduation, and refresh on degree requirements, please refer to your Academic Progress Report (APR) in CalCentral (opens in a new tab).

If you are in your last semester and will have a GSI/Reader role, you can request an exception to the 12-unit requirement (but must still maintain a minimum of 8 units to be full-time). Please submit a request to verify this exception via the Academics Department Signature/Verification Request Form (opens in a new tab).

Applied Innovation Courses

You must pass one Applied Innovation course to graduate. These include the following courses (please note course #’s may shift).

Specific course offerings vary each semester. Please refer to the current semester elective schedule for a list of active AI courses.

  • MBA 212A – Cleantech To Market
  • MBA 236J – Hedge Fund Strategies
  • MBA 247 – Product Design
  • MBA 267 – Corporate Launchpad
  • MBA 280 – Real Estate Investment Analysis and Sustainability
  • MBA 290H – Haas@Work
  • MBA 290N – Managing The New Product Development Process
  • MBA 290T – Designing “Tech for Good” Initiatives
  • MBA 290T – Product Management
  • MBA 290T – Design Sprint for Corporate Innovation
  • MBA 292C – Strategic and Sustainable Business Solutions (Formerly titled Strategic CSR and Projects)
  • MBA 292T – Impact Investing Practicum
  • MBA 292T – Haas Impact Fund
  • MBA 292T – Plant Futures – Challenge Lab (NOTE: MBA292T: Plant Futures Symposium is not an approved Applied Innovation course)
  • MBA 292T- Climate Solutions Fund
  • MBA 292S – Social Sector Solutions
  • MBA 292J – Haas Sustainable Investment Fund (formerly titled Haas Socially Responsible Investment Fund)
  • MBA 295A – Entrepreneurship
  • MBA 295F – Lean Launchpad
  • MBA 295T – Lean Transfer
  • MBA295T –  Deep Tech Innovation & Entrepreneurship
  • MBA 295T – Social Lean Launchpad
  • MBA 295T – Startup Lab
  • MBA 295T – Online Marketplace and Platform Design
  • MBA 298 – International Business Development

Minimum GPA (Grade Point Average)

Graduate Division requires all UC Berkeley graduate students to maintain an overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.

If a student’s GPA falls below 3.0 in any semester, they will be placed on academic probation by the Graduate Division. Because academic probation puts students at risk of not graduating and may affect a student’s ability to engage in exchange, receive financial aid, and be a GSI/Reader, the Academics Team will partner with students to create a customized plan to restore them to good academic standing.

Undergraduate courses numbered 99 and lower are not calculated in your Haas GPA, however, these are factored in your UC Berkeley cumulative GPA.

Internship Requirement

Beginning in Fall 2020, entering FTMBA students will be required to complete an internship in order to graduate. The MBA Internship Requirement provides a great opportunity for students to gain professional experience relevant to the MBA degree and to practice concepts introduced in the classroom in an organizational setting. Details about this degree requirement can be found on our list of Frequently Asked Questions (opens in a new tab).

Academic Residency Requirement

FTMBA students need to be registered and pay fees in full for a total of four semesters to satisfy university residency requirements. Registration in Summer Session cannot be used to satisfy the four-semester academic residency requirement.

Payment of Fees

Students need to pay all tuition and fees before the start of each semester in order to maintain access to various campus resources, such as bus pass and library access. See the Registrar’s website (opens in a new tab) for more detailed information on fee payment.

If you are receiving federal loans or Haas scholarships and have questions about paying your fees, see the Financial Aid website or visit the Haas Financial Aid office.