Berkeley Global Welcomes New Cohort of International Students
BERKELEY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#careeradvancement–Undergraduate students from all across the globe descended on the UC Berkeley campus on August 17 to begin their exciting and educational Berkeley Global visiting-student program. Long-awaiting this return to a new normal of in-person classes, more than 1,000 eager visiting students from more than 40 different countries have joined the UC Berkeley community. This new cohort is nearly double the number of students welcomed in Fall 2021.
They are studying alongside nearly 32,500 undergraduate and 12,600 graduate matriculated students. These visiting students enjoy many of the same benefits as a UC Berkeley accepted student, including joining student clubs and organizations; living on campus; and learning from renowned faculty. As part of a visiting-student cohort, these students can also take advantage of site visits to leading Silicon Valley and San Francisco companies, special access to career and graduate school counseling, and lab tours.
“I think what makes studying at Berkeley such an amazing experience is the entire ecosystem that you can immerse yourself in,” says Henry Tsang, Ph.D, assistant dean at UC Berkeley Extension, the continuing education department of UC Berkeley. “There is certainly so much to learn from the faculty in the courses and in the labs. But the campus itself is full of so many activities conducted by student organizations and academic departments. It’s hard to walk across the Berkeley campus without finding several events that you would want to experience.”
This international cohort of students kicked off the fall semester by attending a welcoming orientation to eat, mingle and dream of all that’s to come during this semester. They listened to the Cal Spirit a cappella group, played some games, took pictures in a festive photo booth and with campus mascot Oski, and started new friendships.
The majority of these visiting students are partaking in the Berkeley Global Access Program, where learners can choose to take courses from the vast Berkeley course catalog and transfer academic units earned to their home universities. Studying alongside other high-achieving students, these scholars are supporting their academic success by attending individualized coaching sessions and career development workshops.
Berkeley Global also welcomes cohorts of students who are focusing their studies on specific subjects, such as entrepreneurship, physics and chemistry. They, too, are taking advantage of studying at the Number One public university in the country.
To help visiting students better finance a Berkeley semester-long education, Berkeley Global has awarded seven scholarships (totaling $35,000 USD) to help offset the cost of their program.
About UC Berkeley Extension
Founded in 1891, UC Berkeley Extension has served as the Professional and Continuing Education Division of the University of California, Berkeley, for more than 130 years. More than 17,000 students enroll each year in our 2,000-plus courses and 70-plus programs. UC Berkeley Extension is dedicated to meeting students where they are, offering courses fully online, in person and in virtual classrooms. Courses that have live lectures mostly meet in the evenings and on weekends to accommodate working adults’ busy schedules. Free public events are also frequently held as part of our service to the local community.
UC Berkeley Extension—like all other UC Berkeley schools, colleges and departments of the University of California, Berkeley—is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
Contacts
UC Berkeley Extension
Sarah Benzuly, Director of Creative Services
sbenzuly@berkeley.edu