Haas FTMBA Program Absence Policy

Class is mandatory and there are no excused absences.

Many classes include attendance and participation as part of your final grade. Students are advised to notify faculty in advance of any missed classes with the understanding that their participation grade may still be penalized. If you must miss a class due to an emergency beyond your control, please contact your faculty as soon as possible.

If you are experiencing circumstances that are impacting your ability to attend classes, please contact the MBA Program Office as soon as possible for assistance.

Illness, Short-Term Absences and Parental Leave

Faculty members may require documentation from University Health Services if you miss exams or fail to complete other course work.

If you or your partner are expecting a child while you are an enrolled student, please contact the MBA Program Office.  The MBA Program Office will discuss your individual parental leave options with you and help you work with your instructors if needed.

The Program Office will work with you and your instructors if you need a longer absence.

Transfers to Other Haas School Programs

Full-time MBA students may not transfer into the Haas School’s Evening & Weekend or Executive MBA programs. If you are encountering challenges with finishing your program due to competing priorities, please set up an advising appointment with a member of the Academics Team to explore challenges and potential options and resources available.

Withdrawal and Readmission

Withdrawal Policy

The full-time MBA program is designed to be completed in four consecutive semesters, excluding the Summer Session. A student who does not enroll in any courses/units for a semester is considered withdrawn from the program.

Students may request a withdrawal at any time by speaking with an advisor on the Academics Team. While re-enrollment is not guaranteed, the Academics Team will recommend to the Graduate Division to re-enroll students who were in good academic standing at the time of withdrawal and whose coursework and new completion date falls within 7 years from the time they matriculated.

A student who is withdrawn is ineligible for:

  • Financial Aid
  • Career Services, including On-Campus Recruitment (OCR)
  • Student Services
    • To learn more about your Grace Period access to Cal services through Haas, go here.

Any student considering withdrawal must follow the Withdrawal Checklist to ensure the appropriate steps have been taken.

Withdrawal Checklist

Below are some pieces of info that hopefully will help you move forward with your withdraw:

  1. First step is to speak with a member of the Academics Team to discuss your academic plan and intent to withdraw.
    1. If you are receiving any kind of financial aid (loans, scholarships, etc.) please connect with Haas Financial Aid Office to inform them of your intent to withdraw.
    2. If you are an international student, please meet with a Berkeley International Office Advisor and inform them of your intent to withdraw as they must approve the request as well.
  2. Second step is to put something formal in writing (email is fine) stating your wish to withdraw, the reason, and the semester & year you plan to return. Please send that email to FTAcademics@haas.berkeley.edu so we have a clear record.
  3. The final step will be submitting a withdrawal form on CalCentral. You will find the registar process outlined here. Please notify us once you have completed and submitted the withdrawal form.
    1. In particular, if your withdrawal is submitted after the UC Berkeley first day of instruction, you will be charged pro-rated fees by UC Berkeley.

Re-enrollment Policy

UC Berkeley campus policy places time limits on the use of courses for degrees; for the MBA program that limit is seven years. If you do not return and complete all degree requirements within seven years from the time you began the MBA program, your only option for returning to Haas is through its regular admissions process. If you are admitted for a second time through the regular admissions process, you must start the program over from the beginning. None of the courses completed prior to your withdrawal will count toward your degree.

As a reminder, you will be responsible for paying the tuition and fees as they are assessed for the semester that you return. In regards to adding classes, you will be eligible to participate in add/drop but not bidding. If degree requirements have changed while you are withdrawn, you may also be responsible for the new degree requirements.

Re-enrollment Process

  • If you request to re-enroll falls within the seven year window, email ftacademics@haas.berkeley.edu atleast 3 months before the start of the semester in which you plan to return so that you can begin the process of readmitting you to the program.
  • Due to capacity constraints, you may not be re-enrolled in the semester of your choice and referred to another semester to request re-enrollment.
  • If you have have completed the core, you can return during a fall or spring semester. If you have not completed the core, you must return in the semester that corresponds with the core courses that you have not yet completed.
  • The Academics Team will provide a breif re-enrollment form and statement of legal residence document. Please fill out both and return to the Academics Team for processing.
  • Please note that both Program Office and Graduate Division approval is required to re-enroll after any absence of one regular (fall or spring) semester or longer.
  • If your request is approved, you will receive an email notification detailing next steps to reactivate your student account