Degrees

Students must satisfy UC requirements, College or school requirements, and department requirements as described in this catalog.

Undergraduate Degrees

Undergraduate degree requirements are subject to the following degree policies.

Student Responsibility

It is students’ responsibility to keep informed of and to comply with the rules, regulations, and policies affecting their academic standing. Meeting academic deadlines, monitoring the study list for accuracy, completing requisites, and fulfilling degree requirements are all part of their academic duties as students.

Minimum Scholarship

The grades A through C and Passed (P) denote satisfactory progress toward the bachelor’s degree. The grades C− through D– yield unit credit but may not satisfy certain scholarship requirements. Even when they do, they must be offset by grades of C+ or better in other courses. Students must earn at least a 2.0 (C) grade-point average (GPA) in all courses taken at any UC campus. Students who fail to maintain this level may be placed on academic probation or may become subject to dismissal. The College and each school may set additional scholarship requirements.

Academic Probation

Students are placed on probation if their overall or term GPA falls between 1.5 and 1.99. While they are on probation, they may not take any course on a Passed/Not Passed (P/NP) basis. Probation ends at the close of a regular term if students have attained a 2.0 (C) GPA for the term and a cumulative 2.0 (C) GPA in all UC coursework. Students who do not end probation within two terms are subject to dismissal.

Academic Dismissal

Students are subject to dismissal from UCLA under any of the following conditions:

Their GPA in any one term is lower than 1.5
They do not earn at least a 2.0 (C) GPA in any term when they are on probation
They do not end probation within two terms

If students are subject to dismissal, their transcripts carry that notation. Students should make an appointment with their College or school counselor. Depending on the situation, they are given conditions for continuation or are dismissed from UCLA.

Progress toward the Degree

UCLA is a full-time institution, and it is expected that students complete their undergraduate degree requirements promptly. Normal progress toward graduation in four years is defined as the completion of 45 units per year, or 15 units per term.

Minimum Progress and Expected Cumulative Progress

The College and each school enforce minimum progress regulations. The College also enforces expected cumulative progress regulations. Students may be subject to disqualification for failing to meet minimum progress and expected cumulative progress requirements. See each school for specific minimum progress, expected cumulative progress, and study list regulations.

Petitions

A petition is a form submitted to explain an exception from any UCLA or UC standard rule or regulation. It is the only way to obtain formal approval from the department, College or school, Registrar, or office with authority over a particular request. Some petitions require a fee.

Some uses of petitions are to change the College, school, or major; take more or fewer units than regulations permit; make changes to the study list after MyUCLA processing ends; or obtain credit by examination. Students may petition for concurrent enrollment, double major, or waiver of scholarship requirements.

Transfer Credit

Every California community college has transfer course agreements that specify which courses will receive transfer credit. These courses are displayed on ASSIST, the statewide transfer information website. Students can get some knowledge of transfer credit from accredited institutions other than the University of California, or California community colleges, by comparing the descriptions of courses taken with those in this catalog.

Once students complete the courses, they must have the other institution send official transcripts to UCLA Undergraduate Admission electronically through an approved vendor or by mail to Box 951436, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1436. Transfer students should discuss transfer credit with their College or school and/or department adviser.

Community College/Lower Division Transfer Limitation

After completing 105 lower-division quarter units toward the degree at all institutions attended, students are allowed no further unit credit for courses completed at a community college or for lower-division courses completed at any institution outside of the University of California. The University of California does not grant transfer credit for community college or lower-division courses beyond 105 quarter units, but students may still receive subject credit for this coursework to satisfy lower-division requirements. Units earned through Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and/or A-Level examinations are not included in the limitation. Units earned at any UC campus (through extension, summer, cross-campus, UCEAP, Intercampus Visitor Program, and regular academic year enrollment) are not included in the limitation. To convert semester units into quarter units, multiply the semester units by 1.5; for example, 12 semester units × 1.5 = 18 quarter units. To convert quarter units into semester units, multiply the quarter units by .666; for example, 12 quarter units × .666 = 7.99 or 8 semester units.

Summer Session Courses

Summer session grades at any UC campus are computed in the UCLA grade-point average.

UCLA Extension

Students who wish to receive degree credit for work taken through UCLA Extension should take courses that correspond in number to the undergraduate courses offered in regular session. The designation XL or XLC before the number of the Extension course signifies that the course is equivalent to the regular-session course bearing the same number. Grades earned by undergraduate students in the School of the Arts and Architecture, Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, College of Letters and Science, and Herb Alpert School of Music in courses prefixed by XLC are computed in the UCLA grade-point average. No degree credit is given for courses numbered X300 through X499. Concurrent enrollment in Extension and regular session is not permitted.

Degree Checks

Any time before graduation, a student may request an official degree check. This review of degree progress details requirements that remain to complete the bachelor’s degree. The degree-check process may be different for the College and each school.

The Degree Audit—a computer-generated assessment of all degree requirements and the courses taken to fulfill them—is an essential review tool. It can be viewed and printed through MyUCLA, or ordered at a counseling office. The student should review their Degree Audit with their College, school, or department counselor to ensure that all requirements will be satisfied. Engineering students are encouraged to also consult the school undergraduate degree audit web page.

School of the Arts and Architecture: Office of Student Services, 2200 Broad Art Center
School of Education and Information Studies: Office of Student Services, 1002 Moore Hall
Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science: Office of Academic and Student Affairs, 6246 Boelter Hall
College of Letters and Science: Academic Advancement Program, 1209 Campbell Hall; College Academic Counseling, A316 Murphy Hall; College Honors Programs, A311 Murphy Hall; Student Athletics, Morgan Center
Herb Alpert School of Music: Office of Student Affairs, 1642 Schoenberg Music Building
School of Nursing: Student Affairs Office, 2-147 Factor Building
Meyer and Renee Luskin School of Public Affairs: Student Services Office, 3343 Public Affairs Building
Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health: Office of Student Services, 16-059 Center for Health Sciences
School of Theater, Film, and Television: Student Services Office, 103 East Melnitz Building

Graduate Degrees

For graduate degree requirements and procedures, see program requirements for UCLA graduate degrees and Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA (PDF).

Certificate of Resident Study

International students who must leave UCLA and the U.S. before completing a degree or certificate program may request a Certificate of Resident Study in addition to a formal transcript. The certificate cannot be awarded if the studies involved are covered by a diploma or other certificate. The chair of the major department recommends award of the certificate through a petition to the College, school, or Division of Graduate Education.

To be eligible to receive the certificate, students must have completed a program of at least nine courses with a minimum GPA of 2.0 (2.5 for Division of Graduate Education students) and have satisfactorily completed a research project over a period of nine or more months.