Major Declaration Forms

Declaration of the major is now an online process. The old planning forms are now obsolete. Use the checksheet to discuss with a peer advisor, or develop a plan before logging on to declare the major.

Research Forms

The paper research forms have been replaced with an online petition process starting in Fall 2020, outlined below. Students interested in earning IB units for research should follow these steps. The form must be submitted by 3pm on Friday of the third week of instruction. See the research page for more information about the courses and how to find a faculty mentor.

  1. Students discuss research projects and courses with their proposed principle investigator (PI, main faculty mentor). If the PI is outside the IB department, the student also identifies and contacts an IB faculty member for research sponsorship.
  2. Once the student has a project, they submit an online petition via Google Forms (must be logged in to Berkeley email). The staff advisors review each submission to verify the student is eligible for that course (e.g., IB 191 students must be declared in IB). The form requires the following:
    • student information from CalCentral,
    • lab information (PI/sponsor name and email, lab department, lab location),
    • project title,
    • and project proposal.
  3. If eligible, the PI is sent an email with a copy of the student’s petition and research proposal. If approved, the IB faculty sponsor, if applicable, is also asked for approval.
  4. Once approved, the advising office will send students their class numbers to enroll in research units. Students must enroll themselves by the campus add/drop deadline: Wednesday of the fourth week of instruction.
  5. Students are sent an email if they are rejected at any point: staff, PI, or sponsor.

Research course numbers

  • IB 99 (1-3 units):
    • Used for students with less than 60 units who have a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or above.
    • Does not always require original research.
    • Graded on a P/NP basis.
  • IB 191 (3 units):
    • This is a letter-graded option for declared majors in Integrative Biology, who are conducting advanced research.
    • May be repeated once, for a total of 6 units.
    • 3 units will automatically be counted toward elective units within the major. 
  • IB 199 (1-4 units):
    • Used for students who are facilitating a DeCal or for students with 60 units or more on their transcript, who have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above.
    • Does not always require original research.
  • IB H196A & H196B (3 units):
  • IB 197 (1 unit):
    • Used for students conducting biologically relevant internships off campus that require course enrollment (e.g., CPT).
    • Meet with an advisor to discuss your internship and get the pdf form.