Summer Minors at Berkeley | Berkeley Summer Sessions (2024)

A summer minor can enrich your area of study and give you the freedom to develop the skills in a subject you love. Upon graduation, you will demonstrate a breadth of knowledge that can help you stand out from the crowd. And if you're considering graduate school, a minor can bolster your application.

UC Berkeley students can earn a summer minor in the subjects below. $1,500 scholarships are available to matriculated UC Berkeley students. Learn More.

Visiting domestic and international students can earn a certificate in the subjects below. Visit the minor/certificate pages below to learn more about eligibility requirements and the courses available.

Summer Minors (certificate option available for visiting students)

Clinical & Counseling Psychology

This minor allows students to explore the diverse career paths of clinical and counseling psychology. The curriculum focuses on basic psycho-biological and sociocultural mechanisms (e.g., neurobiology, social relationships, culture/race/ethnicity) that underlie common mental health problems across the life span. It also provides an overview of major theories and issues/debates in applied mental health professions across different practice settings (e.g., schools, independent practice, hospitals, and industry).

The Developing Child(online)

The Developing Child minor is an interdisciplinary, developmental science program focused on children from birth to age 8. Integrating research, practice, and policy with problem-solving and implementation skills in the real world, the innovative coursework and practicum will enrich your approach to working with or on behalf of young children.

Digital Humanities (online)

The Digital Humanities minor program brings students to the cutting edge of scholarship in the humanities. In this study, powerful digital tools allow you to create, organize, analyze, and represent your research projects in digital forms. No prior experience is needed to enroll. Imparting both technical and humanistic knowledge, the digital humanities minor teaches you to ask timeless questions, and answer them using today’s tools.

Educating for the 21st Century (online)

Interested in a career in education or want to learn more about teaching and learning Educating for the 21st Century is a minor program featuring online courses that cover a range of issues concerning modern education, from digital environments to global schooling. You will gain experience not just learning about educational theories, but also real-world experience as teacher-mentors through our unique practicum experience.

Educating for the 21st Century: Teaching English to Multilingual Students (online)

This minor gives students theoretical knowledge and practical experience in the teaching of English as a second language. If you are planning to teach as a career, looking to enhance your English-teaching, or simply want to travel and teach short-term, this minor provides you with the skills you’ll need.

Global Public Health

The Public Health field seeks to improve human populations by developing and applying knowledge that can prevent disease and promote health throughout the state, nation, and world. Students who earn a Global Public Health minor will demonstrate a breadth of knowledge in many disciplines for the promotion and protection of human health with due consideration to human rights principles and varying cultural perspectives.

Journalism in the Digital Age

Success in the era of digital communications requires proficiency not just in consuming media but also in producing it. The Journalism in the Digital Age minor is for students who want to develop their communication skills across all current and emerging platforms. You will focus on core reporting and writing methods, social media, video, multimedia packages, and other forms of online and printed media.

Please note, Summer 2022 was the final term that students could earn a scholarship for completion of this program.

Race and the Law

Jointly offered by the departments of African American Studies and Ethnic Studies, the Race and the Law minor develops an understanding of the fundamental interconnections between race and the law within and beyond the U.S. You will examine how the law has been instrumental in codifying racial difference and racial hierarchies, as well as how racialized peoples have used the law as an instrument of protest and social change. Interdisciplinary courses will cover a wide range of fields, and possible topics include The Carceral State; The Civil Rights Movement; Race and Immigration; Social Movements and the Law; Citizenship; Indigenous Legal Systems; Law and Literature; and Race, Environmental Justice, and the Law.

Sustainability

The Energy and Resources Group’s Summer Sustainability Minor/Certificate equips students with practical and relevant tools for tackling the world's pressing environmental, economic, social, political, and cultural issues. The program’s interdisciplinary approach imparts a broad understanding of global and local environmental change; the science, engineering, economics, and policy of renewable energy; biodiversity; the economics of degradation and sustainability; and environmental justice.

Sustainable Business and Policy

This minor explores the complex relationship between global business, public policy and sustainability. Delivered jointly by the Haas School of Business and the Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics in the Rausser College of Natural Resources, the Summer Minor covers economic and business fundamentals that illustrate how businesses and entrepreneurs can help lead towards a more sustainable future, while emphasizing the critical role of government regulation in shaping market context.

This program does not currently offer a certificate option for visiting students.

Additional Summer Certificates/Charters

(available only as certificates/charters for both UC Berkeley and visiting students)

Berkeley Charter of Professional Accountancy

Gain knowledge of the discipline, prepare for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam and demonstrate your commitment to employers by attaining the Berkeley Charter of Professional Accountancy (BCPA). In just two summers the BCPA provides you with the accounting knowledge to pursue a CPA, as well as careers in economics, finance, and accounting more broadly.

Film & Media Industries and Professions

This three-course certificate is designed for students interested in pursuing careers in film and media. The curriculum exposes you to industry structures that govern a broad range of media professions, fields, and practices. Individual courses introduce you to the various processes entailed in developing, pitching, and producing media content; provide an understanding of the roles played by various artists and professionals in the production, distribution, and exhibition of content; provide a critical understanding of the key business and legal concepts relevant to intellectual property in our changing media landscape, and provide opportunities to learn about film and media practices from award-winning artists.

Performance & Culture in the U.S.

This three-course certificate allows students to develop or deepen their U.S. cultural literacy and intercultural communication skills. Students will study acting, theater, or public speaking and will participate in a theater appreciation class or field study opportunity to learn how performance intersects with media and society. This is an opportunity to learn about U.S. culture through the lens of performance and theater while at the same time building public speaking and/or theatrical skills.

Summer Minor Scholarship

You are eligible for a summer minor scholarship if you:

• are currently enrolled as a UC Berkeley student
• complete all academic requirements for an eligible minor program in one summer or during two consecutive summers
• complete all coursework prior to graduation and receive a minimum of a 2.0-grade point average (GPA) in courses used to satisfy the minor requirements
• complete at least four of the minor courses during the summer term. In some cases, it may possible to complete up to one course during the academic year (if available).

The scholarship will be posted to your CalCentral account following your completion of the minor and will be credited to the previous summer term. Please note, other awards may need to be reduced to ensure that your total awards do not exceed your Cost of Attendance. Be sure to follow the department's directions to declare the minor so your coursework can be reviewed for completion.

In order to continue to make this scholarship available to all UC Berkeley students, the scholarship amount was reduced to $1,500 starting in 2022.