DeCal Through IB

Integrative Biology De-Cals

"The DeCal program (or just DeCal) is an aggregate of student-run courses at the University of California, Berkeley -- here, students create and facilitate their own classes on a variety of subjects, may of which are not addressed in the traditional curriculum." -- DeCal Board

Department Deadlines

Spring 2025: by 11:59 PM on Monday, October 14, 2024
Fall 2025: by 11:59 PM on Monday, May 5, 2025

Each semester, the IB departments sponsor several DeCal courses facilitated by UC Berkeley students. If you have an idea for a course that is relevant to the majors (in terms of subject matter taught), please follow the steps below to get started.

IB DeCal Rules

  • In order to facilitate an IB-sponsored DeCal, you must be in good academic standing and have attended Berkeley for at least four semesters, or one semester if a junior transfer. Good academic standing: overall GPA of 2.0 for non-majors and overall major GPA of 2.0 for IB majors.

  • At least one of the facilitators must be a declared IB student. Each IB DeCal can have a maximum of three facilitators.

  • All facilitators must complete a UCFTR training by the department deadline. Facilitators are required to complete a training once.

  • Course content must align with the academic program and be open to all students.

  • The course cannot require advocacy, fundraising, or publicity for student organizations, nor can it discriminate against those students who choose not to participate in the student organization's activities.

Application Process

  1. Download and fill out the required documents below.

  2. Find a faculty sponsor from the IB department and take the materials to him/her for approval.

  3. Sign up for UCFTR facilitator training or workshop. This is a one time requirement that must be completed by the department deadline. Please be aware that the workshops fill up quickly so make an appointment with the SLC as soon as possible. 

  4. Submit the required documents (see below) through the DeCal Application Form for departmental review. The administrative staff will follow up with you if there are any issues.

  5. The department will

  • Obtain the Department Chair's signature,

  • Reserve a room for the DeCal, 

  • Submit a completed proposal packet to the Committee on Courses of Instruction (COCI), and

  • Send a copy of the proposal packet to the facilitator(s).

Required Documents

  1. Course Proposal Form for Student-Facilitated Courses: Review the documents to be sure that you are aware of the university regulations and policies and prepare your course materials.

  2. Course Syllabus

  3. Faculty Sponsor Letter of Support. The letter must address the questions proposed in Faculty Sponsor Letter of Support Instructions.

  4. Affiliate Form: You will receive a DocuSign after the DeCal application is submitted. In addition to mandatory onboarding, Human Resources requires all facilitators to complete this form.