General Catalog 2021-22

Admission to the Human Biology and Society BS major is by application and competitive, using courses, grades, grade-point averages, and personal statements as minimum standards for consideration. Only a limited number of students are admitted each year. Applicants are not automatically accepted into the major.

Students must apply for major standing at the beginning of spring quarter of their sophomore year. Applications submitted after the spring quarter deadline are considered during fall quarter of the junior year only as space in the program permits. No applications are considered after fall quarter of the junior year.

Premajor standing is not required to apply for the major. A copy of the major application is available on the department major web page.

Incoming first years may be admitted as premajors on acceptance to UCLA. All other students must first complete Society and Genetics 5, M71A, or M72A, and then contact the undergraduate counselor in 3360 Life Sciences to request premajor standing.

Required Core: One course from Society and Genetics 5, M71A, or M72A.

Also required are Anthropology 1; Chemistry and Biochemistry 14A, 14B, 14BL, 14C, 14D (or 20A, 20B, 20L, 30A, 30AL, 30B); Life Sciences 7A, 7B, 7C, 23L; Life Sciences 30A, 30B, and 40 or Statistics 13, or Mathematics 3A, 3B, 3C, and Statistics 10 or 13, or Mathematics 31A, 31B, 32A, and Statistics 10 or 13; Physics 1A, 1B, 1C, 4AL, 4BL (or 5A, 5B, 5C); and two social theory courses from American Indian Studies M10, Anthropology 3, Asian American Studies 20, Chicana/o and Central American Studies 10A, 10B, Clusters M1A through 80CW, Gender Studies 10, Geography 3, History 3C, Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology 40, 50, 60, Philosophy 4, 6, 8, 22 or 22W, Public Policy 10A, Society and Genetics 85, Sociology 1, M5.

Each course must be taken for a letter grade, and students must complete all premajor courses with a cumulative minimum grade-point average of 2.5.

Transfer applicants to the Human Biology and Society BS major with 90 or more units must complete the following introductory courses prior to admission to UCLA: one year of general biology with laboratory for majors, preferably equivalent to Life Sciences 7A, 7B, and 7C, one year of calculus, one year of general chemistry with laboratory for majors, and one semester of organic chemistry with laboratory.

Transfer applicants must also complete at least two of the following introductory courses prior to admission to UCLA: one statistics course, one anthropology human evolution course, and two introductory social sciences or history courses. A second semester of organic chemistry or one year of calculus-based physics is strongly recommended but not required for admission. Society and Genetics 5 must be taken at UCLA once a transfer student is admitted to the University.

Refer to the UCLA transfer admission guide for up-to-date information regarding transfer selection for admission.

Required: Life Sciences 107 (if Life Sciences 7A, 7B, 7C, and 23L are taken); Society and Genetics 102, 105A, 105B, 108; 4 units from course 195CE, 196, or 199; and five courses (at least one of which must be a society and genetics course) from one of the following concentration areas:

Bioethics and Public Science Policy: Anthropology 100, 131, 143, 145S, M148, Asian American Studies 113, Bioengineering 165EW, Communication 101, Disability Studies 101 or 101W, M121, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 176, Epidemiology 100, Gender Studies M114, 125, 134, M162, M164, 171A, Geography M125, M131, Global Studies 102, 104, History 180A, 180C, Honors Collegium 177, Philosophy 124, 125, 137, 150, 153A, 154, C154B, 155A, C156, 157A, 157B, 170, Physiological Science 140, Social Welfare 162, Society and Genetics 120, 121, 130, 131, M133, M144, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 175, 180, 188, 195CE, 197, 199, Sociology 143, 154, 156, 170. See below for additional course options in the subfocus areas of cell development, microbiology and immunology, molecular biology and genomics, physiology, and psychology and mental health.

Evolutionary Biology, Culture, and Behavior: Anthropology 124P, 124Q, 124S, 126Q, 128P, M128Q, M145P, M148, Communication 112, 116, 126, 148, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 120, 121, C126, 129, C135, 175, 176, Gender Studies M114, M162, M165, M167, Linguistics C135, Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology CM156, Philosophy 137, M187, Physiological Science 140, Psychology 110, 112A, 112B, 115, Society and Genetics 120, 121, 130, 131, M133, M144, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 175, 180, 188, 195CE, 197, 199, Sociology 156. See below for additional course options in the subfocus areas of ecology and evolutionary biology, and psychology and mental health.

Historical and Social Studies of Science: Anthropology 100, 131, 143, Asian American Studies 105, Bioengineering 165EW, Disability Studies 101 or 101W, M121, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 100, 120, C126, 130, 175, Environmental Health Sciences 100, C185A, C185B, Epidemiology 100, Gender Studies 134, M162, M164, M180B, Geography M125, M131, Global Studies 102, 104, History M151C, 179A, 179B, 180A, 180C, Honors Collegium 177, Human Genetics C144, Neurobiology M169, Philosophy 124, 125, 129, 130, 137, 155A, Physiological Science 140, Society and Genetics 120, 121, 130, 131, M133, M144, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 175, 180, 188, 195CE, 197, 199, Sociology M138, 143, M148, 154, 156, 170. See below for additional course options in the subfocus areas of cell development, microbiology and immunology, molecular biology and genomics, physiology, and psychology and mental health.

Medicine and Public Health: Anthropology 145S, Chicana/o and Central American Studies CM106, Communication 116, Computer Science CM121, Disability Studies 101 or 101W, M121, Epidemiology 100, Gender Studies M114, 125, M162, M164, M167, History M151C, Human Genetics C144, Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology 138, CM156, 172, Neurobiology M169, Neuroscience 180, Philosophy 150, 154, C154B, 155A, C156, 157A, 157B, Physiological Science 140, Psychology M107, 112B, 115, 127A, 129C, M140, Public Health C150, M160A, M160B, Social Welfare 162, Society and Genetics 120, 121, 130, 131, M133, M144, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 175, 180, 188, 195CE, 197, 199, Sociology 130, 132, 134, 143, 145, 154, 156, 170. See below for additional course options in the subfocus areas of cell development, microbiology and immunology, molecular biology and genomics, physiology, and psychology and mental health.

Population Genetics and History: Two courses from Ecology and Evolutionary Biology C135, Human Genetics CM124, and Society and Genetics 120, and three courses from Ancient Near East 162, CM163, Anthropology 100, 110, 111, 131, M148, M150, Asian American Studies 113, Computer Science CM121, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 120, 121, C135, Gender Studies M162, M180B, History M108C, M151C, 164D, 180A, 180C, 191B through C191O, Honors Collegium M143, Human Genetics CM124, C144, Linguistics 110, 114, 127, 130, 132, M150, Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology 172, Physiological Science 140, Society and Genetics 120, 121, 130, 131, M133, M144, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 175, 180, 188, 195CE, 197, 199, Sociology 154, 156. See below for additional course options in the subfocus area of population genetics.

Optional Subfocus Areas

The subfocus options are designed and recommended for students who intend a career in medicine or allied health services or are planning to go on to graduate school in the life or health sciences. Students may select any subfocus option listed in their concentration area and complete three subfocus courses that may then be used to satisfy as many as three of the five courses required in their concentration area.

Cell Development: Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology 138, 165A, 168

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology: Three courses from Anthropology 124P, 124S, 126Q, 128P, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 100, 116, 120, 121, C126, 129, 130, C135, 175, 176

Microbiology and Immunology: Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics 101, C185A, and one course from 103AL, 106, 107, 158, or 168

Molecular Biology and Genomics: Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology 144, 172, and one course from CM156, Human Genetics CM124, C144, Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics C122, or 158

Physiology: Physiological Science 111A, 111B, and one course from 147, 149, or 177

Population Genetics: Two courses from Ecology and Evolutionary Biology C135, Human Genetics CM124, Society and Genetics 120, and one course from Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 120, 121, or Human Genetics C144

Psychology and Mental Health: Three courses from Psychology M107, 112A, 112B, 115, 127A, 129C

Each course must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a grade of C- or better, and all courses must be completed with a cumulative minimum grade-point average of 2.0.

To receive departmental honors, students must take each course in the major for a letter grade and complete all upper-division courses in the major with an overall grade-point average of 3.5 or better. For highest departmental honors, students must also take Society and Genetics 197 or 199 in which they write a research paper in their major concentration area and receive a grade of A or better.