If you have withdrawn from the university and want to come back and finish your degree, you will need to file a Petition for Readmission and a Statement of Legal Residence (SLR). You can obtain this readmission form on the Registrar’s website. Once you have obtained the necessary signatures you should file the petition with your Graduate Advisor. Note: Readmission is not guaranteed.

In addition to the Petition for Readmission you will need to submit the following materials to an EECS Graduate Advisor:

  • A statement of purpose which includes
    1. What you believe has changed since you were last enrolled and
    2. What your plans for research and financial support are upon your return
  • If you plan to use courses more than 7 years old in fulfillment of degree requirements and do not already have an approved program of study (blue or white card) on file with the Department’s Graduate Office, you must submit a petition justifying the use of these courses in your program of study
  • Official transcripts if you have attended school since you left Berkeley
  • A letter of academic, research and financial support from an EECS faculty member who will serve as your advisor
  • A processing fee

If you were an EECS Ph.D. graduate student before you withdrew, your performance on the oral preliminary examination and your progress toward completion of the prelim requirements will be weighed heavily in the evaluation of your application for readmission, so it is strongly recommended that you take prelims before withdrawing.

It is also strongly recommended that you complete a Tentative Program of Study (blue card) after passing the prelim and before withdrawing. The University has established time limits for the use of units completed in the past. If you leave the graduate program without an approved Program of Study on file in the Department’s Graduate Office, it may be difficult to approve the use of courses for your degree that are more than 7 years old at the time of readmission.