Fall 2026 ISF Transfer Admits
This page is only applicable for UC Berkeley transfer students who were admitted directly into the ISF major in Fall 2026. These students have “Interdisciplinary Studies” as their major in CalCentral already. If you were/are admitted to UC Berkeley as a different major, please follow the standard declaration process to declare/switch to the ISF major.
Transfer students admitted directly to the ISF major should have their lower division declaration courses completed prior to their first semester at Berkeley. Please cross-reference the list of Disciplines and Comparative Horizons courses and your previous coursework for similar or identical course titles, if the courses are not articulated as direct equivalent to UC Berkeley courses. Any questions about this can be sent to isf@berkeley.edu.
Before the first semester: Golden Bear Advising
Golden Bear Advising (GBA) is a mandatory academic advising module for incoming Berkeley students. Newly-admitted ISF transfer students will be able to access important advising information through the ISF section in bCourses. Enrollment tips and registration for transfer-specific information sessions will be posted in bCourses. In Summer 2026, these sessions will take place the week before enrollment. ISF information sessions will cover the structure of the major, advising services, course suggestions for the Fall, and the Course of Study Proposal (also described below). Given the amount of information that will be covered through GBA and the information sessions, please refrain from scheduling 1-1 appointments with the academic advisor or faculty advisors until after you have completed GBA and have attended an information session. Please also note it is not required to meet with a faculty advisor before Fall semester begins. A recording of one information session and the presentation itself will be shared to bCourses for those who are not able to attend and/or for future reference.
A discussion forum is also available for new ISF transfer students to introduce themselves and to get their ISF-specific questions answered by the academic advisor. Students may also use this as an opportunity to connect with others who may be interested in similar courses or to form study groups for ISF classes.
Please note that the information sessions, materials, and discussion forum serve as the primary ISF major advising leading up to Fall enrollment for new students, which takes place July 14th. New students are encouraged to review these resources and attend at least one information session or group advising session to adequately prepare for Fall course selection.
During the first semester
Leading up to and within their first semester, Direct-to-Admission transfer students (Fall 2026) should identify their own Research Field and Course of Study with the help of an ISF Faculty Advisor. A viable Research Field is more than a topic or theme: it consists of an interdisciplinary inquiry that requires engagement with both theoretical scholarship and empirical studies. To understand the qualities of breadth, interdisciplinarity, and social significance that a Research Field should have, students are advised to first consult the ISF-defined Research Fields to review the additional qualities of a viable Research Field. The ISF-defined Research Fields are not students’ only options; they are meant to serve as examples of a well-formulated research field. Students are generally encouraged to create their own Research Field where possible.
ISF students need to meet with an ISF faculty advisor before submitting their Course of Study Proposal in the Fall to refine their research interests and to discuss appropriate coursework. Students are not assigned an ISF faculty advisor; they are welcome to choose or consult with a faculty advisor whose research interests align with their own. Please refer to the FAQ section of the ISF website for clarification on when to meet with a faculty advisor vs. the Student Academic Advisor, Michelle. Faculty advisors’ office hours for the Fall will be updated closer to the start of the semester. Students may fill out the proposal form with their chosen faculty advisor if they are unsure where to start with their Research Field, and they can visit their open office hours or schedule an appointment with a faculty advisor to discuss their research interests and potential questions they want to address within ISF. Students are encouraged to meet with their faculty advisor as often as they need to gain a better understanding of their research and curriculum goals.
A student’s Research Field also consists of a proposed Course of Study which make up a majority of the upper division major requirements: at least six courses across three disciplines/departments totaling 20 units, with no more than three courses from any one discipline. All classes taken for the Course of Study must be faculty-approved. Classes for the Course of Study need to be: upper division (numbered 100-199), taken for a letter grade, and be related to the student’s research field. The FAQ section of the ISF website has suggestions for how to build the Course of Study (see: “How do I choose courses for my Course of Study?”).
Course of Study Proposal- Due October 23, 2026
An enrollment hold will be placed on CalCentral for all incoming ISF transfer students Monday of Week 5 (September 21st). This hold will be lifted upon submission of an approved Course of Study Proposal. The purpose of this proposal is to outline the classes you plan to take to satisfy the Course of Study requirements, to make sure the faculty are supportive of the larger Research Field context, and to ensure you are making appropriate progress in the major requirements. Students are able to use courses they are currently enrolled in for the Fall semester on this proposal. Attending the information sessions in the Summer is important for this reason, so that students can make informed decisions for their first semester schedule.
Students will have the first half of the semester to meet with an ISF faculty advisor to discuss their research interests, possible coursework, and potential thesis questions. Once ISF transfer students have chosen a Research Field and have discussed their coursework with a faculty advisor, they need to submit the Course of Study Proposal before their Phase 1 enrollment appointment for the following Spring (2027). The deadline for new Fall 2026 ISF transfer students to submit the Course of Study Proposal is Friday, October 23rd. For most students, if this deadline is met, the hold will not impede Spring enrollment. If a student has priority enrollment, they may need to submit their proposal earlier than the 23rd to avoid enrollment restriction.
Students’ APRs (Academic Progress Reports) will be updated by the end of each semester with any classes they have enrolled in from their proposal as well. The courses listed in the proposal are not permanent; ISF advisors understand that research interests may change slightly over time, that classes may not be offered in the semester they are planned for, and that new classes may be of interest to students. In the event that students need to make changes to their proposed plan, they can submit the Course of Study Update Form to have their new selections reviewed by their faculty advisor.
