Welcome to Berkeley
What to Expect When You Come to Campus
We are excited to begin welcoming our Berkeley Executive Education participants back to campus!
In alignment with public health and campus policies, we have reinstated in-person programs on the world-renowned UC Berkeley campus, while also continuing to provide online learning opportunities with industry-leading digital assets including our virtual classrooms and enhanced Zoom environments.
To learn more, visit our full 2023 program calendar here, and our digital program offerings here.
At Berkeley Executive Education, all policies and protocols are designed to protect the health and safety of our participants, faculty, staff, and community. Please note that all individuals visiting campus must be fully vaccinated and boosted when eligible. Whatever your vaccination + booster status, testing within 72 hours of your first day on campus is highly recommended. Per University Policy, you are required to self-assess your symptoms before coming to campus daily. You should not come to campus if you have had any new and unusual symptoms of COVID-19 (not attributed to a previously known medical condition) in the last 24 hours.
UC Berkeley does not guarantee that ALL individuals on campus are vaccinated. Unvaccinated individuals may be present for reasons including exemptions, exceptions, and fraudulent verification.
As the COVID situation continues to evolve globally, all information included here is subject to change For the most up-to-date information, please visit the UC Berkeley Coronavirus site, including detailed information on Return to Campus guidelines.
Frequently Asked Questions
VACCINATION, FACE COVERINGS POLICIES & PROTOCOLS
- All students, staff, faculty, and Executive Education participants on the UC Berkeley campus are required to be fully vaccinated and to obtain a booster shot as soon as they are eligible.
- Executive Education participants are included under the Guidelines for UC Berkeley Students.
- For more details, here is the detailed University of California Vaccine Policy.
- A COVID-19 Vaccine satisfies the requirements of this policy if: (i) the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a License or an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the vaccine or; (ii) the World Health Organization has approved Emergency Use Listing (EUL).
- Legally required exemptions and exceptions for medical reasons and religious belief will be honored. Please be prepared to share documentation (such as a note from your medical provider or religious leader) in advance of the program start date with your Program Services Manager. Those requesting exemptions/exceptions must also attest to proof of a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours prior to program start and must test weekly while on campus. Additionally, unvaccinated participants will need to wear a face covering inside campus buildings. Here is a list of Testing Sites in California. Please contact executive@berkeley.edu to initiate the process of requesting an exemption/exception.
- The UC system's current UC COVID-19 vaccination policy requires faculty, staff and students to be fully vaccinated and obtain a booster shot as soon as they are eligible after the original vaccine series. Legally required exemptions and exceptions for medical reasons and religious belief will be honored. Current protocols do not require proof of vaccination status.
- UC Berkeley does not promise or guarantee that all guests or employees on site are vaccinated. Unvaccinated individuals may be present for reasons including exemptions, exceptions and fraudulent verification. None of these precautions eliminate the risk of exposure to COVID-19.
UC Berkeley requires that all staff, faculty, and students including Executive Education participants obtain a booster shot as soon as they are eligible. For more information on booster eligibility, please reference the CDC overview of booster shot eligibility.
- Individuals who are fully vaccinated and boosted are not required to wear face coverings indoors in most campus settings; however, face coverings remain strongly recommended.
- UC Berkeley faculty reserve the right to request students to wear face coverings while they are teaching.
- Individuals who have received an approved vaccination exemption must wear face coverings at all times while indoors.
- Please reference the latest information on Face Coverings.
UC Berkeley expects everyone to get tested before arriving to study on campus. This includes all students, staff, faculty and other academic appointees. Whatever your vaccination + booster status, self-attestation of a negative test (PCR, rapid, or at-home) within 72 hours of your first day on campus is required.
For the purpose of the spring 2022 return to campus testing, you may get tested off-campus and at-home antigen tests are acceptable. PCR tests are more accurate and are preferred over antigen tests when available. Here is a list of Testing Sites in California.
- Those requesting exemptions/exceptions must attest to a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours prior to program start and must test weekly while on campus. Please be sure to review the full policy for un-vaccinated exemptions/exceptions outlined in question 1 above.
We strongly recommend that participants activate CA Notify. Once you activate CA Notify, all you do is keep your Bluetooth on. You will only receive alerts if you were in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19. Your privacy is protected as your identity is not known and your specific location is not tracked.
Should you become ill or test positive during the program, please isolate immediately in your hotel room (or other location of your choice) and follow updated CDC guidelines for isolation and quarantine. If you wish to let Berkeley Exec Ed know about such matters, and/or have questions about the possibility of continuing the program remotely, etc., please contact the Program Services Manager by the email provided on the program website.
While Berkeley Exec Ed will make every effort to provide the best possible learning experience for any remote participant(s) due to illness during the program, please understand that in-person programs are designed to optimize the in-person learning experience.
TRAVEL
For fully vaccinated individuals arriving in California from global locations, quarantine is not required.
You can find current CDC guidelines on requirements for international travelers visiting the US here.
Given constantly evolving conditions and guidelines globally, please check specific requirements for your place of origin and airline. You can find updated US travel restrictions here.
UC Berkeley Executive Education is not responsible for travel/hotel reservations made for the attendance of our in-person programs and associated expenses if programs are either canceled due to COVID-restrictions or cannot be attended due to non-compliance with our vaccination policy. For this reason, we highly recommend you plan your travel accordingly.
For international participants, the B1/B2 visa (for participation in scientific, educational, professional, or business conventions, conferences, or seminars) is the appropriate visa for entry into the United States from required countries. When applying for a visa, you can ask your Program Services Manager to prepare an invitation letter to help with your visa application. It is important to emphasize that the visit is for business purposes. You can also apply for the Visa Waiver Program if you are a citizen or national from an eligible country.
ON-CAMPUS EXPERIENCE
Our catering partners and campus food services providers must comply with CDC, WHO, and local public health guidelines and are fully trained in protocols for food safety and serving.
UC Berkeley is working to make sure that campus ventilation and filtration systems provide appropriate COVID-19 risk mitigation. You can learn more about Berkeley Building Ventilation and Filtration protocols here.
In order to provide the safest possible environment, buildings will likely be ventilated with the maximum possible amount of outside air. This means it could be cold inside from time to time. We, therefore, ask that you plan to dress accordingly and bring layers.
Please visit Berkeley Executive Education Frequently Asked Questions for answers to additional questions regarding Accommodations, Billing, Cancellation policies and a broad range of other questions.
For general questions, please contact us at executive@berkeley.edu.
If you are part of the Certificate of Business Excellence community, please contact Jennifer Arvai directly at jarvai@berkeley.edu to discuss how we can help with your personal learning journey.
If you are a Custom client, please reach out to your Client Solutions partner with any questions not answered here.