Berkeley MEng Student Handbook

Have questions about academics? Need to know where to find more information about UC Berkeley in general? Below are all the ways that you can connect with the Fung Institute Student Affairs team:

We can help answer questions about MEng degree requirements, leadership courses, and capstone but for specific questions about technical coursework or requirements, please contact your relevant dept advisor.

• Email us: funginstitute@berkeley.edu
  • The Student Affairs team closely monitor the Fung Institute shared inbox and do our best to respond to your questions within 48-72 hours during busy periods. We are generally online Monday-Friday from 9am–5pm (PT).
• Advising for current MEng students is available by appointment. Email funginstitute@berkeley.edu if you would like to make an appointment.

Master of Engineering Honor Code

As a lifelong member of the Berkeley Master of Engineering community, I adhere to the principles of truth, integrity, and respect. I will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do. The Berkeley Master of Engineering Honor Code calls on all members of the school community to adhere to and uphold the notions of truth, integrity, and respect both during their time in school, and throughout their careers as productive, moral, and caring participants in their companies and communities around the world.

The student community at UC Berkeley has adopted the following Honor Code: “As a member of the UC Berkeley community, I act with honesty, integrity, and respect for others.” The hope and expectation is that you will adhere to this code.

Academic Integrity

The high academic standard at the University of California, Berkeley, is reflected in each degree that is awarded. As a result, it is up to every student to maintain this high standard by ensuring that all academic work reflects his/her own ideas or properly attributes the ideas to the original sources. Individual departments often have their own ways of citing and attributing work, so it is the responsibility of each student to seek that information out if it is not otherwise provided through a syllabus, course website, or other means.

Collaboration and Independence

Reviewing lecture and reading materials and studying for exams can be enjoyable and enriching things to do together with one’s fellow students. We recommend this. However, homework assignments should be completed independently and materials turned in as homework should be the result of one’s own independent work. Some assignments, namely the preparation for the debate arguments, are meant to be done together in a group.

Cheating

Anyone caught cheating on a quiz or exam will receive a failing grade and will also be reported to the University Office of Student Conduct. In order to guarantee that you are not suspected of cheating, please keep your eyes on your own materials and do not converse with others during the quizzes and exams.

Plagiarism/Self-plagiarism

You must be original in composing the writing assignments in this class. To copy text or ideas from another source (including your own previously, or concurrently, submitted coursework) without appropriate reference is plagiarism and will result in a failing grade for your assignment and usually further disciplinary action. For additional information on proper citation resources, visit Berkeley Library.

Turnitin

UC Berkeley’s honor code states “As a member of the UC Berkeley community, I act with honesty, integrity, and respect for others.” As a tool to promote academic integrity in this course, written work submitted via bCourses may be checked for originality using Turnitin. Turnitin compares student work to a database of books, journal articles, websites, and other student papers. This creates an opportunity for students to improve their academic writing skills, by ensuring that other sources have been properly cited and attributed. For more information about Turnitin at UC Berkeley, visit https://ets.berkeley.edu/academic-integrity.

MEng Normative Time to Degree

The full-time Berkeley MEng degree is a two-semester (fall/spring) degree program and students must satisfactorily pass and complete all degree requirements within this period. If there are extenuating circumstances beyond a student’s control (e.g. severe medical issues, death in the family, etc.) impacting a student’s ability to satisfy degree requirements during the normative time, they should immediately reach out to their department staff advisor for guidance. Modifications to the normative time to degree are rarely approved and are considered only under truly exceptional circumstances.

Part-time MEng students typically graduate in 2-4 years, as predetermined with their advisor, in this separate and distinct degree program.

Coursework and Program Degree Requirements

Note: The MEng program uses a project/class management site called Master of Engineering bCourses to share important announcements and files. This will be our main channel of communication to students about leadership course registration, new student orientation, capstone, social programming and other important information tailored for MEng students.

The Master of Engineering degree from the University of California, Berkeley is awarded after the successful completion of 25 approved units that must be taken for a letter grade (with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0) in residence at the University of California, Berkeley. The MEng program consists of three major components, comprising a technical specialization (4 pre-approved courses), a curriculum of engineering leadership courses (8 units), and an integrative two semester capstone project (5 units). A minimum of 25 units is required. Extra courses that do not count towards your degree (taken in addition to the 25 units required for the MEng degree) can be taken on a pass/no pass basis; they do not need to be taken for a letter grade. For a program overview please visit the MEng Program Design webpage.

Some programs may have higher performance standards than the minimum requirements stated by the Graduate Division. For example, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) has higher passing grade (B-) and GPA (3.5) requirements required for graduation. Please check with your degree-granting department for further information.

Program Requirements (minimum 25 units)

The MEng Degree requires at least 25 total units of credit that must be taken for a letter grade and comprehensive exam. Those credits are allocated across three essential areas:

4 courses in Technical Department area of concentration

• 12-16 units depending on department

4 units of Fung Institute Business & Leadership classes (total, fall and spring)

• 2 units of boot camp short courses in mid-August
  • ENGIN 270A Organizational Behavior & Negotiations
  • ENGIN 270B R&D Tech Management and Ethics

2 units of boot camp short courses in early January

• Choose 2 x 1-unit electives from ENGIN 270 series.

4 units of Communications (total, fall and spring)

• 2 unit of ENGIN 295 Communication for Engineering Leaders (fall, spring).
• 1 unit of ENGIN 270C Teaming & Project Management (fall)
• 1 unit of ENGIN 270K Coaching for High Performing Teams (spring)

5 units of ENGIN296MA and ENGIN296MB Capstone Project (total, fall and spring)

• Includes a final team report.
• Students receive a final capstone grade at the end of Spring semester. Several weeks after receiving the final grade for E296, the spring and the fall records are reconciled and “IP” is removed. More information about In Progress (IP) grades is listed in the A203 Berkeley Academic Senate webpage.

Plan II Masters Comprehensive Exam: pass both leadership and technical parts

UC Berkeley Policy on Grades

Special Provisions: Graduate Students

Only courses graded A, B, C (with or without plus or minus signs) are accepted in satisfaction of [MEng] degree requirements. [S grades are not accepted for the MEng degree requirements.] Courses graded below C- do not yield unit credit toward a higher degree, regardless of your overall GPA. Graduate students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 in all upper division and graduate coursework undertaken in graduate standing in the University of California or its exchange programs.

Note: Departments may have a higher performance standard than the minimum B average (3.0 GPA) required by the Graduate Division.

Changes of Grade

All grades except I and IP above are considered final when assigned by an instructor at the end of a term. An instructor may request a change of grade when a computational, clerical, or procedural error occurred in the original assignment of a grade, but a grade may not be changed as a result of reevaluation of your work. No final grade may be revised as a result of reexamination or the submission of additional work after the close of the term.

Grade Appeal Process

If you have a grievance about a grade, you should first try to speak with your instructor and/or the student ombuds. If that does not resolve your grievance, you may initiate a formal appeal through the academic department where you received the grade. The following are grounds for appeal: the application of non-academic criteria, such as the consideration of race, politics, religion, sex, or other criteria not directly reflective of performance related to course requirements; sexual harassment; or improper academic procedures that unfairly affect your grade. Formal procedures may not be activated unless you (the student) and the instructor in charge have failed to resolve the dispute informally. You (the student) may opt to include an ombuds (or any mutually accepted third party) and/or the department chair in assisting in resolving the dispute informally. The formal process must be initiated within one calendar year from the last day of the semester in which the final grade for the course was posted. The formal process, once initiated, is to be completed at the unit level (academic department) within 20 working days and at the Senate level within 40 working days if both parties are in residence and the University is in regular session (excluding summer session).

View more information about Academic Policies on the Berkeley Academic Guide.

My Phase I enrollment opened but I can’t add more than 12 units. When/how can I do that?

During Phase I enrollment, all UC Berkeley students may only add up to 12 units, including waitlisted courses. Once Phase II enrollment opens, students will be able to enroll in up to 20.5 units per semester. More information can be found on the Registrar’s website.

Can I make changes to one of my Fung Institute leadership classes after the deadline?

In short, no. Due to the fast-paced and experiential nature of our courses, it’s paramount for all students enrolled in the courses, as well as the faculty to have a finalized roster. We do our best to provide students with all the information needed to make thoughtful and intentional academic commitments – please be sure to review the syllabi and connect with the faculty about questions before committing to the class.

If you are experiencing a crises or emergency, please reach out to an Academic Advisor to discuss what options might be available to you.

Please keep in mind this policy affects all boot camp and semester leadership courses as outlined below.

• All courses in the ENGIN270 series
• ENGIN295 – Communications for Engineering Leaders

If you have questions about your technical coursework, technical comprehensive exam or requesting a signature on your OPT I-20 form, please contact your relevant department staff at the link below.

Bioengineering (BioE) Department Staff 
Department Graduate Advisor: Joy Ahn

Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department Staff
Department Graduate Advisor: Jessica Zhang

Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (EECS) Department 
Department Graduate Advisor: Michael Sun

Industrial Engineering & Operations Research (IEOR) Department Staff Contacts
Department Graduate Advisors: Heather Iwata and Erica Diffenderfer

Material Science & Engineering (MSE) Department Staff Contacts
Department Graduate Advisor: Amanda Okamoto

Mechanical Engineering (ME) Department Staff Contacts
Department Graduate Advisor: Isabel Blanco

Nuclear Engineering (NE) Department Staff Contacts
Department Graduate Advisors: Joann Pyon

Plan II Master’s Comprehensive Exam

Passing the comprehensive exam is a mandatory requirement to graduate with the Master of Engineering degree. The exam is not part of a grade for any course, and is administered in two parts: leadership and technical. The leadership exam is a oral exam administered by the Fung Institute towards the end of the fall or beginning of the spring semesters.

The technical exam may be oral or written, based on the format the engineering department technical faculty deem most effective. The technical exam may be administered at the end of the fall semester or in the spring semester, as determined by the department.

A student will generally be given two opportunities to pass each part of the comprehensive exam. A student who fails one or both components of the exam may, with the concurrence of the examining committee and Graduate Advisors, re-take the component(s) of the exam that he or she failed. Students who fail one component of the exam and then fail the re-take of that component of the exam will either be recommended to the Dean of Graduate Division for dismissal from the program (in consultation with Graduate Advisors) or opt to voluntarily leave the program. In rare circumstances, the examining committee (again, in consultation with Graduate Advisors) may recommend to the Dean of the Graduate Division that a student be dismissed without the opportunity to re-take the failed portion(s) of the comprehensive examination.

A student who has been dismissed from graduate standing will no longer be permitted to register. Once dismissed, a student is granted access to campus resources, including faculty time, only to the degree that such access is accorded the general public.

Leadership comprehensive exam-administered by the Fung Institute:

1. The Fung Institute will administer the MEng leadership comprehensive exam that will be held early in the spring semester. The format will be an individual, oral exam related to your capstone leadership experience (e.g., teaming, stakeholder management, conflict resolution, and project scoping). The exam details and pass/fail assessment criteria will be shared on bCourses.
2. Technical comprehensive exam-administered by the engineering department in which the student is enrolled:

Your individual engineering departments will communicate their technical exam format and timing to students directly. The exam timing and format will vary by department. Some departments hold their exams in the fall; others — in the spring. In some cases, it’s based on capstone projects; in others — on coursework. Please inquire with your graduate advisor for details about your department’s technical exam.

Student Conduct

When you enroll in the University, you assume an obligation to conduct yourself in a manner compatible with the University’s function as an educational institution. Rules concerning student conduct, student organizations, use of University facilities, and related matters are set forth in both University policies and campus regulations. View Berkeley Center for Student Conduct for more information.

Sexual Harassment Policy

The Berkeley campus actively monitors and supports full compliance with the official University of California Policy on Sexual Harassment. The University of California is committed to providing an environment free from sexual harassment and sexual violence. For more important information and resources, visit Addressing Sexual Violence and Sexual Harrassment.

Accommodation of Religious Creed

The Berkeley campus’s policy for accommodation of students who miss exams because of their religious commitment is distributed annually at the beginning of each fall semester. View most recent statement by visiting  Accommodation of Religious Creed webpage.

Academic Probation Graduate Division Requirements

Probation is intended to provide a student whose performance is less than satisfactory with a period in which to correct identified deficiencies and to raise his or her performance to a level consistent with the minimum standards set by the Graduate Division in consultation with the program. If you have any questions or concerns about your grades, come talk to the Student Services Advisor or to your department advisor. Further information on probation can be reviewed on the Academic Probation webpage.

Grades

Grades can be accessed via CalCentral. Berkeley policy prohibits staff from disclosing grades over the phone or by email. If students would like to review their exam results, then they may set up a meeting with the faculty member to discuss their exam performance.

According to the Guide to Graduate Policy, In order for students to be in good standing and graduate, students must maintain an overall grade-point average of at least 3.0 on the basis of all upper division and graduate courses (100- and 200-level) taken in graduate standing. A grade of C- or better is considered a passing grade by the Graduate Division, and can be used towards degree requirements, only if allowed by your degree-granting department. Some programs may have higher performance standards than the minimum requirements stated by the Graduate Division. For example, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) has higher passing grade (B-) and GPA (3.5) requirements required for graduation. Please check with your degree-granting department for further information.

References:
E1.3 Grades
F1.5 Advancement to Candidacy for a Master’s Degree

Grade Appeals

If students have a grievance about grades, they may appeal. Students have grounds for appeal if they feel that considerations of race, politics, religion, sex, or sexual harassment affected the grade, or that work was evaluated by other criteria that do not directly reflect performance of the course requirements. Initial grade reviews should be requested of the course Professor. For additional information, visit the Graduate Student Appeal Procedure webpage.

Withdrawal

If instruction has already begun and a student wishes to discontinue study, a withdrawal must be formally requested and processed by the student’s program. Withdrawing results in dropping enrollment in all classes and the student will no longer be able to attend for that semester or any future semester until readmitted. Please speak with your Fung Institute and/or your departmental advisors if you are considering withdrawal. Further information on the formal process can be reviewed on the Graduate Division Withdrawal webpage.

Readmission

Students who were previously registered at Berkeley in a graduate program, withdrew for a period of time, and wish to return within five years to the same degree program will re-enroll, rather than re-apply. Students wishing to request re-enrollment, sometimes referred to as readmission, file the petition with either your GSAO or the Graduate Division. Visit the Graduate Division Re-Enrollment and Readmission webpage for more information.

Student Affairs Policies

For additional campus-wide policies and regulations, including student conduct, academic integrity, and sexual harassment, visit the Graduate Student Academic Integrity webpage.

Graduate Division Guide to Graduate Policy

For additional Graduate Division specific policies, including coursework, grading, probation and dismissal, visit the Graduate Division Guide to Graduate Policy webpage.

Course Load

The standard course load is 12-14 credits per term. Students requesting an increased or decreased course load are required to seek approval through their department as there are potential limitations and concerns when taking fewer than the minimum amount of units.

Berkeley Grading Systems

At Berkeley, grades are awarded on the A to F scale (including plus and minus). When attached to the grades A, B, C, or D, plus (+) grades carry three-tenths of a grade point more per unit, and minus (-) grades three-tenths of a grade point less per unit, except for A+, which carries 4.0 grade points.

Final Examinations

Students are expected to take final examinations as scheduled. Scheduling conflicts must be discussed with the faculty member before the exam date. Work, interviews, vacations, weddings, etc. are NOT recognized as exam conflicts. In situations that warrant an exception, all conditions of the make-up exam will be at the discretion of the faculty.

Core Course Attendance

Students are expected to attend each class session. If a student is unable to attend a class, it is the responsibility of the student to notify the faculty member prior to the class session (in the case of illness or religious holiday). The attendance policy stated above is Program Policy; however, it is at the discretion of each faculty member to set his/her own classroom attendance policy, including the effect of absences on the course grade.

Employment Policy

Master of Engineering students are strongly discouraged from working during the 9-month program, due to the brevity and intensity of the academic experience. We do not facilitate on-campus employment opportunities. On-campus employment in graduate student instructional (GSI) and research (GSR) positions are limited, and hiring decisions are at the discretion of the department to which you are applying for employment. More information can be found on the Academic Employment webpage.

Graduation

University Commencement exercises will take place at the University of California, Berkeley in May. UC Berkeley confers degrees in May and December. Additionally, Fung Institute usually holds a separate reception for MEng graduates in May.

Diplomas

Per Registrar’s office website, degrees are posted on the official transcript approximately three months after the end of the graduation term and that diplomas are mailed four months after the end of graduation term. Please make sure your address is accurate in CalCentral. More information about diplomas can be found on the Transcripts and Diplomas webpage.

Berkeley Support Portal

Navigating UC Berkeley can be challenging. You may be concerned about yourself, or someone you care about, and want to speak with someone. Or you may be looking for information but not sure what search term to use or what website to start with.

Berkeley Support Portal is designed for everyone in our campus community — staff, faculty and other academic appointees, undergraduates, graduate and professional students, postdoctoral appointees, visiting scholars, visitors to campus, volunteers, and anyone else who has a connection to UC Berkeley.

Berkeley Software @Berkeley

Berkeley Software will help you quickly identify and access campus licensed software. Check out the software eligibility tool, and the Software Catalog to see what’s available for students, faculty, staff, and certain campus affiliates.

Berkeley D-Lab

D-Lab offers free workshops on Python, R Fundamentals, and a full range of other research development sessions. To stay informed of upcoming workshops, join their mailing list.

Berkeley Student Technology Services

The Student Helpdesk, part of Student Tech Services (STS), provides free tech support to all graduate, professional and undergraduate students at UC Berkeley.

Jacobs Self-Services Printing
Remote 3D printing service is now available to any campus affiliate, in support of academic work.

MEng Classroom Building Hours

(During Academic Year)

Please note that we reserve the right to track usage of Shires Hall and Mudd Hall. This access can be revoked at any time by Fung Institute Building administration.

Leadership courses are held in either Shires Hall or Mudd Hall. These two building locations are dedicated space for MEng students to study and lounge. 24/7 keycard access are given to students at the start of the semester after completing a required access form.

Additional Campus Study Places

For additional places to study on campus, please check out the UC Berkeley Library location and hours.

Shires and Mudd Hall: Reserving space

• Students/GSIs/Lecturers can book a future or recurring office hours space in advance by emailing: fungreservations@berkeley.edu 
• If within 48 hours /one time / or just in time: The policy is to reserve on a first-come, first-serve using paper signup on the room wall.

Shires & Mudd Hall: Printing

We are unable to provide a USB flash drive or print files for you. This printer is for MEng students and staff, please use it mindfully. If you are looking to print large jobs (such as journal articles or anything over 10 pages) or in color, please use a copy shop or print at a campus library (information about printing on campus can be found on the UC Berkeley Library webpage).

Capstone Project Policy for MEng Students

Capstone Project Policy for MEng Students on the placement process. 

Advisor Expectations

During the two-semester, one year program, there are several advising roles associated with the capstone program:  

1. Faculty Advisor is UC Berkeley College of Engineering faculty member who has responsibility for project definition, execution, and assuring that the educational objectives are achieved and measured. 

Often, Faculty advisors rely on Postdoctoral Researchers and PhD Candidates who work more closely with the MEng team. These mentors can be extremely valuable in helping the team succeed, since they have more time for direct involvement. 

Faculty advisors who rely on PhD students / postdocs for advising support typically have a face-to-face meeting with their teams once per month. 

2. Partner Advisor is an employee of the partner company identified to be the principal leader of the Partner-Led Capstone Project. This person can engage other people within the company for specific roles, but it is important for the students to have a primary point of contact to help them define objectives, navigate the corporate structure, and obtain resources. 

3. Faculty Advisor in addition to a Partner Advisor is a UC Berkeley College of Engineering faculty member who ensures that the Partner-Led Capstone project meets the agreed-upon educational objectives. To this extent, faculty liaisons meet with capstone teams once a month in the Fall and Spring.  Faculty Liaisons also assign grades (with separate grades for each individual on the project team), based on the Partner Advisor’s input.  

It is important to meet the University Guidelines for IP that the Faculty Liaison not bring significant technical contributions to the project unless a prior agreement has been reached on how to manage any IP generated in the project. 

Time Commitment

Although the time required varies significantly by project, and even by phase within a project, a general guideline is that advisors should spend 2 hrs per week supporting their teams. 

During MEng winter break, capstone teams *may* reach out to their advisors if they want to work during the winter break, especially if they are catching up/behind on their project deliverables. At the same time, we support the need for a break for students and advisors, so we leave the option of project work up to the discretion of the advisor and the student. 

Domain Expertise and Resource Support

Advisors are the crucial resource for technical knowledge and domain expertise. They also help students develop additional technical knowledge/find the resources they need to execute the project.

Feedback

Advisors monitor technical work and provide feedback to their capstone teams. A critical part of the program is to ensure that there is a clear set of project deliverables that everyone agrees to. While the deliverables may change over the year as your team learns new things, everyone must agree to changing the scope and deliverables of the project.

Grading

In the Fall term, students should receive an IP (=in progress) grade.

In the Spring term, Faculty  are responsible for assigning grades, with separate grades for each individual on the project team.

Students receive a final capstone grade at the end of Spring semester. Several weeks after receiving the final grade for E296, the spring and the fall records are reconciled and “IP” is removed.  More information about In Progress (IP) grades is listed in the A203 Berkeley Academic Senate webpage.

Grading criteria should be outlined in the Team Charter/Project plan (in a subsection titled “Definition of Success”) at the beginning of the project.

Advisors and their teams may consider the following when assigning grades in the spring:

1. Overall quality of the final technical deliverables
2. Final Report/Presentation
3. Consistency of effort throughout the two semesters
4. Extent of contribution of each team member to the overall project outcome

Although we do not have a grade distribution that we fit to, Capstone grading should be commensurate with other Masters level courses and UC. Less than an excellent performance should not receive an A.

Student Expectations

All students, regardless of the capstone format, are expected to make a significant time commitment and a tangible technical contribution to their capstone. Also, they are expected to demonstrate leadership and professionalism characteristic of UC Berkeley graduate students.

Time Commitment

University of California defines 1-unit as equaling to three hours of work per week; this translates into 45 hours in a 15-week long semester. MEng capstone is valued at 5 units over the course of the academic year, often split into a 2-unit course in the Fall (which translates into 6 hours of work per week) and a 3-unit course in the Spring (which translates into 9 hours of work per week).

During MEng winter break, capstone teams *may* reach out to their advisors if they want to work during the winter break, especially if they are catching up/behind on their project deliverables. At the same time, we support the need for a break for students and advisors, so we leave the option of project work up to the discretion of the advisor and the student.

Leadership and Professionalism

Students take the leading role in managing their projects and coordinating their teams. Students take initiative in executing the project (i.e., they do not wait for their advisor to instruct them on what to do). Students act professionally in the course of executing the project including being accountable to their team, showing up on time for meetings, treating team members and advisors with respect, and behaving in a manner that reflects the high standard of the University and the MEng program.

Technical Contributions

Each student contributes individually to the project in his or her area of concentration. Students commit to contributing in a meaningful and substantial manner to their team and to creating value for their project advisor.

Guidelines for Intellectual Property (IP) and Sharing of Information in the Master of Engineering Capstone Projects

The Capstone Project is a requirement of the Master of Engineering degree (MEng) offered by the University of California, Berkeley. The project is an essential component of a year-long, 5 semester unit (or equivalent) course conducted through UC Berkeley and/or a Capstone Project Partner. The results of these projects may lead to some useful applications, and in some cases a non-UC partner (such as one from industry or an external research organization) is involved in the work. All projects should address real-world problems, and are therefore externally relevant. The following guidelines are helpful for information sharing and intellectual property (IP) considerations when working with a capstone project team:

From an IP perspective, there are two types of projects:

1. University – “University” projects are those that originate from an advisor who is a current employee of the University of California (UC) system. 

Except as otherwise provided in UC Patent Policy  ownership of inventions and patents created in the performance of the Internal project is generally retained by the University when: (1) project employees or project persons not employed by the University, use University research facilities, or (2) project employees or project persons receive gift, grant, or contract funds through the University for the performance of the University project. For the purposes of inventions and patents, research facilities generally do not include University offices, libraries, and other resources generally available to students, like desktop or laptop computers.

MEng students are subject to the UC patent policies when working on University projects. Specifically, according to section VI-A-1 the UC Patent Program (https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/3420363/BFB-G-40), students are required to sign the UC Patent Acknowledgement if they are considered “University employees” or when “[participating] in an extramurally funded research project.” Note that this does not apply to external projects (see #2 below) where substantial UC resources are not being utilized. 

Except as otherwise provided in UC Copyright Policy, ownership of copyrights to works made in the performance of an Internal project is generally retained by the University when (1) made by University employees in the course and scope of their employment, or (2) made with the use of University-administered funds. A work prepared by a University employee within the scope of his or her employment is considered a “work made for hire.”  When a work qualifies as a work made for hire, the employer or commissioning party generally retains title. 

If, in any case, the application of the two policies above gives rise to a conflict, the ownership principles of the UC Patent Policy apply.

2. Partner – “Partner” projects are those that originate from a project advisor who is not a UC Berkeley employee, and will not utilize substantial UC resources, research facilities, or equipment to complete the project work. In general, partner projects are supported predominantly by information, resources, and guidance provided by the external collaborating organization, and will only use UC resources for ancillary support. Use of ancillary UC resources such as libraries, computer network access, and general work/study spaces would not considered “substantial” use. Core University resources that are used by capstone teams under contracts with the University (e.g, QB3 Garage) are governed by the terms of those contracts. Personal support such as prize money (business plan competitions, venture lab prizes, etc.), scholarships, and financial aid are also not University support. Partner projects are not subject to UC patent policies so long as they adhere to these guidelines. 

Partner projects may result in IP that is proprietary and owned by the outside company/organization. 

Regardless of project type, a company or University group may need to share proprietary or confidential information with students to make the project a better experience and learning case. Students may need to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) in order to receive this information. In this case, the students and sponsoring advisor agree not to make the disclosed information publicly available either in the form of a project report or as raw information. 

However, project advisors must note that MEng students need to have the ability to use information from their Capstone project to complete their academic requirements, including in reports submitted in classes, periodic project update presentations, Expo and Showcase and a final written report and a final oral presentation to a broad audience. NDAs must be flexible enough to allow the students to complete their degree requirements, and project advisors must be aware that some level of disclosure to MEng leadership, students, and guests is inherent within the academic structure of the capstone projects. All Participants requiring an NDA to participate should attempt to use the standard UC Berkeley or a form commonly used by the partner organization. 

For more information or assistance, please consult Berkeley IPIRA . If uncertain, please contact Laleh Shayesteh.