Please note that this article will primarily address the Berkeley Global Access Program (BGA), since the Berkeley International Study Program (BISP) is operated by another division at UC Berkeley.
The Berkeley Global Access Program (BGA) is a 1- or 2-semester program that allows visiting students to take campus courses across multiple disciplines of social sciences, humanities, arts, languages, engineering, math, and biological sciences. At the end of your stay, a student can request a transcript of their grades.
The Berkeley Global Access Program does not require an interview as part of the admission process. It includes social and cultural events like graduate school admission workshops, local touristic trips around the Bay Area, orientation events, as well as Visa and housing support. In addition, the BGA Program cost includes health insurance for the duration of your study period.
In addition, BGA students will have access to some UC Berkeley Extension courses in addition to the on-campus courses taught by faculty. Extension courses are taught by industry professionals and focus on continued learning for adults, practical skills and workforce preparedness, and can be offered remotely or off-campus in areas of study not offered on the main campus. Please contact bga@berkeley.edu to learn more about taking Extension courses as a BGA student.
BGA students will also have access to some DeCal courses in unique, non-traditional topics, in addition to main campus courses taught by faculty.
The BGA Program's tuition also includes the unique option to enroll in a 1-unit course called Career Development and U.S. Graduate School Preparation. In this course, a career coach will work with you to help you prepare for application to graduate school as well as workplace culture in the United States. This includes cover letter or résumé review and guidance on writing a statement of purpose. You'll also learn how to network, practice interview skills and learn how to choose suitable programs.
Students in both programs have equal enrollment priority to take classes of their choice, so there is no difference in enrollment outcome in that regard.
There may be some programmatic differences in terms of specific events or services offered, but both BGA and BISP are committed to offering students a rich experience academically, culturally and socially.
Our inbox does not speak to BISP so we graciously invite you to visit their website here and contact their department at bisp@berkeley.edu to learn more about their program.