This page includes information about course enrollment specifically for courses offered by the Media Studies program. For enrollment information of courses offered by other departments and programs, please visit that department or program’s website as each may handle enrollment differently. Class enrollment information may also be found in the course’s notes section in the Schedule of Classes.
For general information about course enrollment including information about Enrollment Phases, Unit Limits, and how to search for classes, please visit the UC Berkeley Office of the Registrar’s website.
Overview
- Phase 1: All seats in upper-division Media Studies courses are reserved for declared Media Studies majors. Intended majors and interested students in other majors can add themselves to the waitlist.
- Phase 2: All remaining seats are released and waitlists begin to be processed. Students are added to remaining seats in numerical waitlist order.
- Demand for Media Studies courses has historically been high; it is recommended that declared and intended majors prioritize enrollment in required courses.
- Freshmen are not eligible to enroll in any Media Studies courses and may enroll only after their first two semesters at UC Berkeley.
- Beginning Spring 2026, “emergency” seats will no longer be held via Enrollment Permission. Declared and intended majors are recommended to prioritize required courses during Phase I of enrollment to increase their chances of enrolling since most courses, especially core, fill quickly. A very small number of seats may be held by the department, but these are not released until the start of the semester. These seats are intended for graduating students in their Expected Graduation Term (EGT) that do not have the ability to extend further.
- Enrollment is not guaranteed for any student, but students should add themselves to the waitlists to be considered for enrollment. For inquiries, please contact mediastudies_advising@berkeley.edu.
- The information below pertains to Fall and Spring semesters. Summer-specific information can be found at the bottom of this page.
Media Studies 10 – Fall & Spring
- Phase 1: Seats are reserved for sophomores and juniors, as well as new transfer students during the Fall semester.
- Phase 2: Remaining seats are opened up for general enrollment, excluding freshmen, and the waitlist is processed.
- Freshmen will not be admitted to the course and may enroll only after their first two semesters at Cal.
- When enrolled in Media Studies 10, students are strongly advised not to enroll in upper-division courses offered by Media Studies during the same semester.
Core Courses (Media Studies 111B/111C/112/113/114) – Fall & Spring
- Phase 1: Declared Media Studies majors have enrollment priority for Media Studies core courses during Phase 1. Non-majors cannot enroll during Phase 1, but can add themselves to the waitlist.
- Phase 2: The waitlist begins to be processed and remaining seats are opened up for general enrollment, excluding freshmen. Remaining seats in the class not filled during Phase I will automatically be filled with waitlisted students when Phase II begins.
- Media Studies 111B, 112, 113, and 114 are offered during the Fall semesters.
- Media Studies 111C, 112, 113, and 114 are offered during the Spring semesters.
Other Upper Division Courses – Fall & Spring
- Phase 1: Declared Media Studies majors have enrollment priority. Non-majors cannot enroll during Phase 1, but can add themselves to the waitlist.
- Phase 2: The waitlist begins to be processed and remaining seats are opened up for general enrollment, excluding freshmen. Remaining seats in the class not filled during Phase I will automatically be filled with waitlisted students when Phase II begins.
H194/H195: Honors Program
- Media Studies H194 (Fall): Students interested in participating in the Media Studies Honors Program should review the Honors page regarding eligibility and application instructions for Media Studies H194. Information about applying for the program and enrolling in Media Studies H194 will be emailed to students declared in the major during Phase 2. Students admitted to the program will be emailed a permission code by the instructor.
- Media Studies H195 (Spring): Students continuing in the Honors Program will be emailed a permission code by the instructor after eligibility to continue is determined.
General Tips and Information
- If you are on a waitlist, we encourage you to enroll in an alternate course while you wait and then drop either the waitlisted or alternate course as needed.
- Declared Media Studies majors should prioritize core courses during Phase 1. Seats in core courses and electives will be open to non-majors during Phase 2 and the waitlist will be processed in numerical wait list order.
- Core courses are only offered in the fall and spring; see Core Courses section above. Elective course options are available fall, spring, and/or summer.
- Since declared Media Studies majors have enrollment priority for all Media Studies upper-division courses, interested intended majors can waitlist themselves during Phase 1. Intended majors can also enroll in concentration courses or electives in outside departments (e.g. sociology, film, etc.) that count towards fulfilling Media Studies major requirements. Please consult the Courses by Term page on the Media Studies website for a complete list of courses that satisfy major course requirements each semester.
- Declared and intended majors should refer to the Media Studies Requirements page for additional course requirement information.
- Class enrollment and seat availability play an important factor in determining potential enrollment from the waitlist. Being on a waitlist does not guarantee enrollment into a class.
Summer Enrollment
- Media Studies 10 and select Media Studies upper-division courses are offered during Summer Sessions. Core courses are not offered during Summer Sessions.
- Pre-collegiate students and freshmen are restricted from enrolling in Media Studies courses.
- Students in their second semester of their first year who are interested in taking Media Studies 10 should waitlist for the course if they are not able to enroll in the class directly. These students will be automatically added into the class late March/early April when the system recognizes they will be a second-year student.
Updated 10/9/2025
