Choosing a Major  

A major is a concentration of studies in one of three disciplines, Natural Science, Social Science or Humanities, or it may be interdisciplinary and combine courses from two or all three disciplines. The interdisciplinary major is one you create to meet your specific goals of a liberal arts education. Take some time to read the descriptions of major and their required courses in the General Catalog to get a sense of what you will study. The eventual choice of a major should be based on your interests and abilities; choose something that you will enjoy and will succeed in.

All majors have prerequisite, or preparatory, courses that give student background knowledge of the Entry Level Writing and a working vocabulary related to the field. These courses are usually lower division (numbered 1-99), but some majors include upper division (numbered 100-199) courses. The number of prerequisites and how many must be completed before one can officially declare varies from major to major. In addition, some majors require a certain GPA and have other application materials and time frames. Please check with the major department for specific information on how to declare.

To explore majors, you might want to sit in on a few lectures of key courses for the major and check the book lists at the bookstore. Most majors have a student group where you can gain more information about the major and interact with students who have declared that major, including peer advisers.

Capped Majors

Some majors are harder to get into than others. "Capped majors" are departments that restrict admission due to very high student interest and demand. Each of these majors restricts admission in a somewhat different way. Some use heightened grade requirements in prerequisite courses. Some use special application deadlines and essays. Some use a combination of these. The following majors in the College of Letters and Science are currently capped:

• Economics
• Mass Communication
• Psychology
• Public Health
• Social Welfare
• Operations Research & Management Science (ORMS)

You must apply for these majors when, including work in progress, you have reached less than or equal to 80 total units. This total excludes high school enrichment units (e.g., Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or other college units earned prior to high school graduation).

Example: if you have completed 65 units (not including high school enrichment units) and are currently enrolled in 16 units, you have exceeded the unit cap and cannot apply for the major. If, on the other hand, you have completed 65 units and are enrolled in 15 units instead of 16, you ARE eligible to apply for the major.

With the exception of junior transfers, this unit cap applies to all students (including double majors, simultaneous degrees, and students appealing for change of college into L&S).

If you are a junior transfer, (i.e., you had 60 or more units completed at the time of your transfer to Berkeley), you will be given one semester--your first on the Berkeley campus--to apply for a capped major.?

Note: The unit cap on these majors applies to freshmen admitted to UC Berkeley FL 04 or later and to transfer students admitted FL 06 or later. Students admitted to UC Berkeley prior to these dates are not subject to the unit cap.

If you are planning to declare a capped major, be sure also to prepare for an alternative major that is not capped.

Double Major or Simultaneous Degrees

If you love two majors, you may consider a double major, where you complete the lower and upper division courses for both majors and can still graduate within four years. You can always declare a single major first, then the double major when the second can be declared. The petition is available at the College office at 113 Campbell Hall.

Another option is a simultaneous degree, where you complete majors in two schools or colleges. For instance, you might major in Business Administration in the Haas School of Business, and major in Psychology in the College of Letters & Science. The requirements for both schools or colleges, plus both majors, need to be completed. Petitions are available at 113 Campbell Hall.

For more information refer to Double Major & Simultaneous Degrees.