Summer Minors and Certificates

Ready to level up this summer? Whether you want to complement your major, discover a brand-new passion, or pick up high-impact skills for your resume, our minors and certificates are designed to help you get the most out of your summer break.

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.

UC Berkeley students are eligible for $1,500 scholarship for minors with the "scholarship" tag. Learn about eligibility and the award process in our Help Center.

Clinical & Counseling Psychology

Five courses over one or two summers
$ Scholarship

Explore the increasingly complex world of clinical and counseling psychology through a psycho-biological, social, and cultural lens.

Program highlights:

  • Analyze mental health problems across the life span.
  • Determine how mental health manifests itself in various professions.
  • Discover emerging career paths rooted in psychological practice.

Learn more about Clinical & Counseling Psychology

Cognitive Science and the Future of Tech

Five courses over one or two summers
$ Scholarship

Navigate the ever-evolving relationship between the mind and machines across business and industries.

Program highlights:

  • Make connections between technology and the brain in the context of education, critical thinking, sentience, and creativity.
  • Learn how matters of the mind affect our relationships with the areas of AI, medicine, human rights, and so much more.
  • Address philosophical questions about the future of human cognition in an ever-changing, tech-centric society.

Learn more about Cognitive Science and the Future of Tech

Data Science

Seven courses over two or more summers

Gain knowledge of data analysis that can be applied to the real world and can be put into practice across disciplines.

Program highlights:

  • Think critically about the role of data analysis and the implications of models.
  • Interconnect statistics, probability, and computation to carry out rigorous analysis in your field of interest.
  • Stay up to date on modern methods and techniques for computational and inferential analysis.

Learn more about Data Science

Digital Humanities (online)

Five courses over one or two summers
$ Scholarship Online

Ask timeless questions and answer them using modern-day tools and technologies. 

Program highlights:

  • Equip yourself with digital tools to create, analyze, and represent your research in digital form.
  • Analyze technical and humanistic knowledge through a digital framework.
  • Merge the traditions and philosophies of the humanities with the newness and innovations of the modern world.

Learn more about Digital Humanities (online)

Educating for the 21st Century (online)

Five courses over one or two summers
Online

Transform how you see the education field to align with modern practices that will future-proof your skills and set yourself up for success.

Program highlights:

  • Gain comfortability working within digital environments to connect with students.
  • Broaden your skill set to ensure your educational theories are applicable to global schooling.
  • Engage in practicum work that develops your teacher-mentor experience.

Learn more about Educating for the 21st Century (online)

Electrochemistry (in development)

The Minor in Electrochemistry gives you the fundamental and practical experience including laboratory and research-project based courses to jump start your career in electrochemistry. The Minor in Electrochemistry is being developed by the Center for Electrochemical Science, Engineering and Technology (CESET) through the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and is well-suited for students across chemistry / chemical engineering, physics, materials science, and mechanical engineering disciplines. By participating in this Summer Minor, students will be well-prepared to participate in CESET, including via research opportunities at UC Berkeley or LBNL and connections to internships via industrial affiliates.

Program highlights:

  • Research and development experience in electrochemical technology.
  • Training in electroplating and corrosion science. 
  • Learn the underlying thermodynamic, kinetic, electrostatic and transport science needed to understand and design complex electrochemical devices and processes.
  • Gain hand-on experience with electrochemical measurements and assembling and testing electrochemical devices. 

Global Public Health

Five courses over one or two summers
$ Scholarship

Develop critical knowledge that has the ability to improve human populations, prevent disease, and promote health.

Program highlights:

  • Learn about the many disciplines that promote and protect human health.
  • Create connections between knowledge of the public health space and human rights principles.
  • Discover ways in which varying cultural perspectives can enhance, challenge, and impact global health systems.

Learn more about Global Public Health

Journalism in the Digital Age

Five courses over one or two summers
$ Scholarship

Modernize your communications proficiency and develop the confidence to not only consume media, but also produce impactful writing and reporting.

Program highlights:

  • Development skills that are applicable across traditional and emerging platforms.
  • Examine real-world examples of communications, reporting, and production strategies.
  • Familiarize yourself with emerging methods for utilizing social media, video, print, and other mediums to reach audiences.

Learn more about Journalism in the Digital Age

Place, Community, and Culture (in development)

At a time when it appears simple to outsource critical thinking to AI and learn about the world through algorithmically tailored feeds, the Place, Community, and Culture summer minor through the Department of Geography invites students to log off and look closer. Students take courses that emphasize field-based, creative, and justice-oriented approaches that bridge the gap between theory and hands-on practice.

Program highlights:

  • Experiential learning opportunities that provide students with the conceptual foundations and methodological expertise needed to analyze the intersection of the social and the spatial. 
  • Gain a professional toolkit including: technical expertise in GIS and cartography; narrative storytelling and visual communication; critical landscape analysis; and justice-centered research.  
  • Grounded perspective and technical skills required to lead in a complex, digital age.

Race and the Law

Five courses over one or two summers
$ Scholarship

Expand your understanding how race and the law interconnect in the United States and beyond.

Program highlights:

  • Confront truths that explore how the law works to solidify racial differences and hierarchies.
  • Discover historical examples of radicalized peoples using the law as a tool of protest and social change.
  • Engage in meaningful discourse about the past, present, and future of the social movements, the carceral state, and civil rights.

Learn more about Race and the Law

Sustainability: Foundations for Sustainability and Justice

Five courses over one or two summers
$ Scholarship

Five courses over one or two summers

Tackle planet-sized issues related to the environment, culture, and economics and gain skills that build confidence while working in these spaces.

Program highlights:

  • Establish interdisciplinary competency across subjects and industries related to climate, policy, biology, environmental justice, and more.
  • Look at environmental changes and challenges through both a local and global lens.
  • Discover emerging technologies and policies related to sustainability that have the ability to impact everyday life.

Learn more about Sustainability: Foundations for Sustainability and Justice

Sustainable Business and Policy

Five courses over one or two summers
$ Scholarship

Build impactful knowledge that connects the industries of business, policy, and sustainability.

Program highlights:

  • Enhance your fundamental understanding of how economics and business play a critical role in advancing sustainable pursuits.
  • Explore the ways in which entrepreneurs, startups, and investors are aligned with climate initiatives in the private and public sectors.
  • Verse yourself in the language of government regulation in the context of sustainable markets.

Learn more about Sustainable Business and Policy

The Developing Child

Five courses over one or two summers
$ Scholarship

Enrich your knowledge, experience, and approach to working with or on behalf of young children.

Program highlights:

  • Integrate research, practice, and policy into real-world skills.
  • Learn critical, interdisciplinary skills that focus on children from birth to age 8.
  • Develop knowledge through innovative coursework that will positively impact future generations.

Learn more about The Developing Child

Additional Certificates/Charters

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

Berkeley Charter of Professional Accountancy

Eight courses over two summers

Demonstrate your commitment to employers and gain fundamental knowledge of the accounting discipline, all while preparing for the CPA exam.

Program highlights:

  • Prepare for careers in economics, finance, and accounting. 
  • Prove to employers that you are capable of taking on challenging tasks and working through a multitude of financial scenarios.
  • Network and problem-solve with other students seeking CPA exam preparation.

Learn more about Berkeley Charter of Professional Accountancy

Film & Media Industries and Professions

Three courses over one or two summers

Learn the ins and outs of the industry and develop the ability to meaningfully impact the film process from development to distribution.

Program highlights:

  • Review processes related to pitching, producing, and exhibiting content in a variety of formats.
  • Enhance your knowledge of key business and legal concepts that are relevant to the current day media landscape.
  • Work and collaborate with award-winning artists to advance your skills in today’s content creation world.

Learn more about Film & Media Industries and Professions

Global Digital Infrastructure

Three courses over one or two summers

Discover a new appreciation and understanding of the complex network of digital infrastructure that allows worldwide communication and connection.

Program highlights:

  • Learn about the hidden installations of cables, exchanges, and data centers that support globalization and international commerce.
  • Tackle challenging issues that are related to the cloud, artificial intelligence, and telecommunications.
  • Bolster your knowledge of the technical, legal, environmental, and social aspects of the internet’s infrastructure.

 

Attend our virtual Open House on February 24 at 10 a.m. (PST)!

Learn more about Global Digital Infrastructure

Performance & Culture in the U.S.

Three courses over one or two summers

Deepen your ability to communicate across literacies and cultures while learning how performance plays a key role in connecting media and society.

Program highlights:

  • Engage in a theater appreciation class or field study workshop that will give you hands-on experience.
  • Solidify your skills in public speaking, acting, or theater all while learning about U.S. culture through a performance lens.
  • Collaborate with like-minded performers who are equally interested in the connections between culture and content.

Learn more about Performance & Culture in the U.S.

Teaching English to Multilingual Students (online)

Five courses over one or two summers
Online

Equip yourself with theoretical knowledge and practical experience that will help you succeed in teaching English as a second language.

Program highlights:

  • Gain actionable knowledge that will directly translate to success in the classroom.
  • Learn lessons that will apply throughout the duration of your career in teaching.
  • Discover tips and tricks that you can take with you while traveling and teaching abroad.

Learn more about Teaching English to Multilingual Students (online)