GTU/UC Berkeley Cross-Registration Agreement

Over time the Graduate Theological Union and UC Berkeley have confirmed their relationship by developing two programs for cross-registration that reflect the mutual respect which they have for each other and that create extensive opportunities for the exchange of ideas, enriching both the UCB students and the students in the GTU community.

The Cooperative Program is limited to GTU PhD students who have been approved by the Graduate Division at UCB for course work only.

The Casual Program is open to all degree students in the GTU community and to all students at UCB in the Graduate Division. Admission to the program is subject to the restrictions stated below. Currently upper division undergraduate students in the College of Letters and Sciences at UCB are not able to cross register, although it has been possible in the past.

Library privileges for both faculty and students are mutually exchanged.

The Cooperative Program

After an applicant is approved for a PhD program at GTU, his/her credentials are sent to the Graduate Division at UCB. If the evaluation by the Graduate Division is favorable, the applicant is admitted into the GTU PhD program and into UCB for course work only--not for a UCB degree.

To cross-register, students should file the GTU/UCB cross-registration form by the registration deadline at their host institution. Forms are available from the Consortial UCB Registrar, the GTU Consortial Registrar and the Registrars of GTU member schools; they are not available on-line. Detailed instructions on how to cross-register.

Students in this program are expected to have a faculty member from UCB on both their comprehensive and dissertation committees. They may take more than one UCB course per term, subject to the prerequisites and limitations announced for the course which apply to UCB students as well. They register for courses under the general cross-registration procedures. No fee other than the original UCB application fee is required.

The Casual Program

This program is open to all students in the GTU community with the following prerequisites: 1) the student must have an accredited BA; 2) the student must be enrolled full-time in a degree program at the GTU; 3) the student must have the recommendation of the Dean of her/his school of affiliation. UCB Graduate Division courses are open to all degree-seeking students. MDiv students are allowed to enroll in any UCB course only after their first year of residency. Courses in the College of Letters and Sciences are open to GTU students but only as service courses, unless a course is specifically credited by the student’s school for their degree program.

GTU advanced courses are open to UCB MA and PhD students, and GTU doctoral courses are open to UCB doctoral students. In the past, a number of introductory and intermediate level GTU courses have been opened by the faculty to upper division UCB students, subject to the prerequisites and limitations announced for the course which apply to GTU students as well. UCB undergraduates may cross-register in GTU courses with the permission of their dean.

Instructions for participating in this program are outlined under the general cross-registration procedures announced by the two schools. No fees are exchanged.

Working Arrangements

The above information explains the relationship between the GTU and UCB. The following explains how it works for doctoral students.

ThD students please note: You are in the casual program classification and may take no more than one course per term at UCB. You need not have a UCB faculty member on your comprehensive or dissertation committee, but you may do so if you find a professor with whom you wish to work.

Instructions for cross-registration procedures. If these instructions are followed, cross-registration will go smoothly—most of the time! If problems are encountered, contact the GTU Consortial Registrar at once. Do not go to the UCB Registrar's Office, or to the Graduate Division, or to the Department secretaries to settle problems. Liaison lines have been established and contacting the appropriate person to clarify a particular situation is essential when dealing with an institution as large as UCB.

Any change in enrollment status for a cross-registered course can be problematic if you don't follow directions carefully. If you want to add a class, drop a class, change from a letter grade to pass-fail, or change from pass-fail to a letter grade, paperwork has to be filled out for both UCB and the GTU. The GTU Consortial Registrar's Office has all the forms and information you need for any change in cross-registration enrollment. Failure to follow these procedures could result in a failing grade on your record.

There are several idiosyncrasies in the cross-registration procedures which you should keep in mind:

  1. Many UCB faculty and staff do not know about the cross-registration agreement with the GTU. Some may have never heard of the GTU. Make your explanations clear and courteous. Be prepared to sell yourself as a student with academic integrity when you ask for signatures. A positive contact is worth the extra effort both for yourself and for students who come after you.
  2. Do be prepared to sell yourself! Even with the cross-registration agreement, UCB faculty are not obliged to act on GTU committees. The majority of them are most willing to do so, especially if the student has proven herself/himself in coursework. UCB faculty who have worked closely with the GTU doctoral program have made valuable contributions to the research of individual students and to the GTU program overall. Many close, personal, enriching friendships have resulted.
  3. Abide by the University's rules. Don't assume that because you are not a UCB student you do not have to follow their procedures and deadlines for registration or for withdrawing or submitting papers, or that you are entitled to special consideration. If a class has limited enrollment, do not feel "squeezed out" because the instructor will not allow you to take the course. UCB faculty are paid to teach UCB students, not GTU students.

Let us not pretend that all problems can be easily addressed. Securing appropriate classes and finding appropriate committee members can create considerable trauma for some students. But let us recognize that the GTU/UCB relationship is a bit of a miracle: a large state university, in a country protecting the separation of church and state, developing ties with a private theological institution—not ties like steel cables, but like elastic bands which can expand and contract and snap depending on you, the user. You have chosen a doctoral program which allows you maximal freedom to pursue your individual academic goals. Maximum effort is required to preserve such freedom.