Independent Study Courses

Berkeley Social Welfare offers two course options for doctoral students to earn credit for independent study:

SOC WEL 298: Group Study For Graduate Students

Many elective graduate seminars for doctoral students in the School of Social Welfare are offered under the broad course designation SOC WEL 298: Group Study for Graduate Students. Topics will vary from term to term. Please consult the online class schedule for information on SOC WEL 298 classes offered in a specific term. You are also encouraged to check with your faculty advisor ahead of the enrollment period for any given semester regarding any 298 courses they may be conducting.

SOC WEL 299: Individual Research for Graduate Students

SOC WEL 299 units are designed to permit qualified graduate students to pursue research in a subject area of their choosing under the direction of a faculty member. SOC WEL 299 units are typically taken by doctoral students when working on the Qualifying Paper, studying for the Qualifying Exam, working on dissertation research and writing, or any other project undertaken to advance academic progress, and by mutual agreement between a student and their faculty advisor.

How to Enroll in SOC WEL 299 Units

  1. Each doctoral student enrolled in a section of SOC WEL 299: Individual Research must submit a brief written proposal via an online form. Be sure to check with your advisor BEFORE enrolling in units to ensure that you are selecting an accurate unit count based on the number of hours per week you will be working. Additionally, be sure to check with your advisor before entering the "number of hours in consultation with faculty" on the online form.
  2. Once you have submitted the online proposal form, you can enroll via Cal Central in the section of SOC WEL 299 that is assigned to your faculty mentor. It is your responsibility to initiate all enrollment actions, and to ensure you are enrolled in the correct section, appropriate number of units, and grading option.
  3. Use the 5-digit Class Number for your desired section of SOC WEL 299 to access it directly in your Enrollment Card for the term you will be enrolling. Go to CalCentral > My Academics > Class Enrollment > Class Enrollment and use the 5-digit Class Number to add it to your cart.
  4. Individual Research Proposal forms are due by the Friday of the 3rd week of instruction for the fall and spring semester. They are due one week prior to the Summer Session Add Deadline. Late additions are not allowed.

SOC WEL 299 Individual Research for Graduate Students Proposal Form (Google Form)

SOC WEL 299 Sections and Class Numbers