College of Letters and Science departments generally set two types of requirements that must be satisfied for award of a degree: preparation for the major (lower-division courses) and the major (upper-division courses). Departments also set requirements for minors and specializations.
Admission to a major may require completion of a set of courses known as preparation for the major. Some majors admit applicants to pre-major status until requisite courses are satisfactorily completed. Students in life sciences majors must complete a set of preparatory courses known as the Life Sciences core curriculum. Each department sets its own preparation for the major and eligibility requirements; see majors.
A major in the College consists of a group of coordinated upper-division courses and is designated as departmental, interdepartmental, or individual. Each course applied toward the major and preparation for the major must be taken for a letter grade unless otherwise stipulated by the department. Students who have been away from UCLA for several terms should consult with their major department or curriculum adviser concerning the requirements under which they are to graduate.
A major consists of a minimum of 36 upper-division units and a maximum of 75 upper-division units. The majors are established and supervised by campus departments. Each department sets its own major requirements; see majors.
If students have some unusual but definite academic interest for which no suitable major is offered at UCLA, and have completed at least three terms of work (45 units minimum) at UCLA with a grade-point average of 3.4 or better, they may petition for an individual capstone major. The consent of College Honors Programs and the sponsorship of two faculty advisers are required. Individual majors must be approved by the dean for undergraduate education.
The individual major must consist of at least 48 and no more than 60 upper-division units, a majority of which must be in departments offering a major in the College. A capstone senior thesis of at least 8 but no more than 12 units is required. For details about individual majors, contact Honors Programs, A311 Murphy Hall.
Students in good academic standing and on track to graduate on time may be permitted to have a double major, consisting of majors from two departments within the College. Both majors must be completed within the maximum limit of 216 units and time to degree, and students must obtain the approval of both departments and the College.
With few exceptions, double majors in the same department are unacceptable. No more than 20 upper-division units may be shared by both majors.
Students may choose to pursue a minor to complement their major program of study. Minors consist of no fewer than seven courses (28 units) and no more than nine courses (36 units). Some minors also have admission requirements.
The Computing specializations are sequences of supplemental courses that enhance work in a major.
See the list of minors; descriptions appear in individual departments.
