Introduction to the College
The College of Letters and Science sets undergraduate students on the intellectual adventure of their lives with a vibrant, broad-based liberal arts education at the highest level of excellence. Here, students can engage in dialogue with the world's best teachers and its most famous researchers. Students discover courses of study they never knew existed. They can participate in projects at the forefront of science, solve pressing social problems, create art, explore diverse cultures, and seek answers to the biggest questions of our times — all on one of the most vibrant and beautiful campuses in the world.
Explore majors and minors available through the College of Letters and Science.
UC and Campus Requirements
University of California Requirements
All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing Requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley.
American History and American Institutions
The American History and Institutions requirements are based on the principle that a U.S. resident graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.
Campus Requirement
American Cultures (AC) is the one requirement that all undergraduate students at UC Berkeley need to take and pass in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture in the United States. AC courses offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.
College Requirements
Quantitative Reasoning
The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is designed to ensure that students graduate with basic understanding and competency in math, statistics, or computer science. The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course.
Foreign Language
The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and conversation in a foreign language equivalent to the second semester college level, either by passing an exam or by completing approved course work.
Reading and Composition
In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing, and critical thinking, the College requires two semesters of lower division work in composition. Students must complete a first-level reading and composition course by the end of their second semester and a second-level course by the end of their fourth semester.
Unit Requirements
- 120 total units, including at least 60 L&S units
- Of the 120 units, 36 must be upper division units
- Of the 36 upper division units, 6 must be taken in courses offered outside the student's major department
Residence Requirements
For units to be considered in "residence," students must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters and Science. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement by attending classes here for four years. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless students go abroad for a semester or year or want to take courses at another institution or through University Extension during their senior year. In these cases, students should make an appointment to see an adviser to determine how they can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.
Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.
Senior Residence Requirement
After becoming a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward the B.A. degree), students must complete at least 24 of the remaining 30 units in residence in at least two semesters. To count as residence, a semester must consist of at least 6 passed units. Intercampus Visitor, EAP, and UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) units are excluded.
Students may use a Berkeley summer session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence Requirement, provided that they successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that they have been enrolled previously in the College.
Modified Senior Residence Requirement
Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) or the UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) may meet a Modified Senior Residence Requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after the completion of 90 units.
Upper Division Residence Requirement
Students must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding EAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for their major.
Breadth Requirements
The undergraduate breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship. Engaging students in new disciplines and with peers from other majors, the breadth experience strengthens interdisciplinary connections and context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.
Search Breadth Courses Offered in the Current Term
Guidelines for Seven Course Breadth
- No course may be used to fulfill more than one breadth category.
- Breadth courses may be taken for a letter grade (C- or better required) or on a Pass/No Pass basis.
- Beginning fall 2015, 2 unit courses will not be accepted for breadth.
- No more than two courses from any one academic department may be used to satisfy breadth requirements (L&S Discovery Courses exempt). Cross-listed courses are counted under every sponsoring department.
- Courses fulfilling American History & Institutions, American Cultures or requirements in the major program may also be applied to the Seven Course Breadth requirement.
- The following cannot be applied to the Seven Course breadth:
- Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate. An exception is the GCE (General Certificate of Education) exams. Additionally, a score of A, B or C on the Advanced level Chemistry or Physics exams will satisfy the Physical Science breadth requirement.
- Courses numbered 84*, 97, 98, 99, and those above 190
- Courses fulfilling the Reading and Composition, Quantitative Reasoning, or Foreign Language requirements
- Courses numbered 84 offered prior to spring 2012 may be eligible for breadth credit. Visit http://fss.berkeley.edu/breadth84note.html for a list of these courses.
Satisfying the Seven Course Breadth Requirement with Transfer Work
- For courses from California community colleges, see ASSIST . *Note: IGETC certification from a California community college or a letter of reciprocity from a UC campus satisfies the Seven Course Breadth requirement (and all other L&S breadth requirements).*
- Successful completion (with a letter grade of C- or better or a Passed grade) of equivalent transferable courses at an accredited college will satisfy the requirement.
- For courses from other institutions, check with the L&S Evaluation Unit at (510) 642-7391. (Course descriptions and syllabi may be required to make a breadth determination.)
Courses Approved to Meet the Seven-Course Breadth Requirement
Admissions
The College of Letters and Science (L&S) is looking for students who are likely to succeed within the College and at UC Berkeley. Grades matter but that is not all. Students should be entrepreneurial, adventurous, and engaged in life as well as self-motivated, self-aware, and self-possessed—without being self-centered. And, yes, they are smart. To find out more about undergraduate admissions, please see the Admissions website.
Already a student and want to change colleges to L&S?
Students in other UC Berkeley colleges who feel their educational goals are best met with a degree in L&S are welcome to petition for a Change of College. Please attend a Change of College Workshop for information about the application process and to discuss individual situations in detail.
Visit here for program information.
The application period for the fall semester is the first day of fall instruction through November 1. The application period for the spring semester is the first day of spring instruction through June 1.
Advising
Welcome to L&S Advising!
The Office of Undergraduate Advising, with a staff of highly skilled and experienced advisers, is here to help students get the most out of their time at Berkeley by helping them make the best choices for their academic career. The College strongly suggest that students seek advising in their first two years at Berkeley; however, they are welcome to ask for advice throughout their college career. Students in L&S will find almost limitless possibilities, but they will also be expected to meet high standards of student responsibility which is essential for success at Berkeley.
Declaring a Major
Students in L&S are expected to declare a major before the first semester of their junior year (for transfer students, before the beginning of the second semester at Berkeley). Those who do not declare by that time will be subject to a registration block, so it is imperative to declare on time. There are other good reasons to declare as soon as students are ready. As a declared student, students will be given higher priority to enroll in courses in their major department, and they will have greater access to departmental advising and other departmental resources.
To declare, print a copy of the Petition to Declare a Major and have it signed by the adviser for the chosen major. At the meeting with the departmental adviser, it is helpful (and for some majors, required) to bring an updated copy of the student's Berkeley transcript and copies of transcripts for courses taken at other institutions.
Checking Individual Progress Toward Degree
Students who wish to check their progress should run a "Degree Audit Report" or "DARS" by signing into Bear Facts . For any questions (or inaccuracies) or for help planning the remaining time at Berkeley, visit The Office of Undergraduate Advising.
Contact Information
Hours: Weekdays 9am-4pm (On Wednesday: 1-4 pm)
Front Desk Hours: Weekdays 9am-2:30pm. (On Wednesdays: 1-3pm.) Same-day 15-minute appointments may be scheduled beginning at 9am for the same day.
Phone Hours: Weekdays, 10am-Noon; 1pm-3pm.
Address: 206 Evans Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-2924
Phone: 510-642-1483
Email: contact information
Academic Opportunities
Bid Ideas Courses
Big Ideas Courses, launched in 2012, bring together two or more faculty members from different disciplines to co-teach innovative breadth courses. Big Ideas Courses take up key intellectual and societal challenges that cannot be adequately addressed by the perspective or methodology of one discipline alone. For more information, call 510-642-8378 or visit the Big Ideas website .
Freshman and Sophomore Seminars
Freshman and Sophomore Seminars arose from the conviction that early intellectual contact with faculty members would greatly enhance the undergraduate experience at Berkeley. Professors from nearly every campus department join together each semester to offer an impressive array of seminars. The courses numbered 24 bear one unit of credit; they are limited to 15 students, and freshmen are given priority for enrollment. The courses numbered 84 bear one or two units of credit; they are limited to 15 sophomores. The courses numbered 39A-39Z are limited to 25 freshmen and sophomores. Seminars, which emphasize interaction and discussion, provide a counterpoint to the learning experience in Berkeley's large lecture halls. These seminars also offer lower-division students an unprecedented opportunity to explore a wide range of majors and even fields of study usually reserved for graduate students. Browsing through this Bulletin, students will find lower division seminars sponsored by Letters and Science departments as well as by the professional schools and colleges. Descriptions of all the seminars scheduled for the upcoming semester can be found in time for Tele-BEARS registration on the Freshman and Sophomore program's website that also contains other useful information and features for undergraduates. For additional information regarding the Freshman and Sophomore Seminars, contact the program office at 231 Evans Hall, 510-642-8378.
Entrepreneurship Courses
Organized in conjunction with the Lester Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, L&S 5 is designed for freshmen and sophomores who wish to learn about entrepreneurship and its role in bringing new ideas to market. At the upper division, the College offers L&S 105: Arts Entrepreneurship, for students in arts-related majors and others interested in careers in this arena.
Letters and Science Discovery Courses
Letters & Science Discovery Courses are exemplary breadth courses, designed to engage and broaden the minds of non-experts. Taught by some of the most distinguished faculty members on campus, the L&S Discovery Courses are guaranteed to deliver a high-quality educational experience.
On the Same Page
On the Same Page is a campus-wide book-in-common program, designed to welcome new freshmen and transfer students into the intellectual dialogue that characterizes the Berkeley campus. Each year, all the faculty and all new students receive a book (or film or other study object) that provides the focus for discussions, courses, events, and activities in the fall term. For more information, call 510-642-8378 or visit the On the Same Page website.
Cal Teach
Cal Teach is a program for undergraduate science, math, and engineering majors interested in exploring a career in education. Through these courses students learn conceptual teaching skills and practice these methods in local K-12 classrooms. Cal Teach offers the minor in Science and Math Education as well as a unique opportunity for students to complete both a degree and a California teaching credential as an undergraduate.
The Office of Undergraduate Research
The Office of Undergraduate Research helps students map out their strategy, connect with faculty and mentors, and obtain funding opportunities to support their research pursuits. Opportunities administered directly by the Office of Undergraduate Research include the following:
- Faculty-initiated research: coordinated through the Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP). The program provides opportunities for students to receive course credit to work with faculty on cutting-edge research projects during the academic year. Nearly 1400 students and 300 faculty members participate each semester.
- Independent research: The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF L&S and SURF Rose Hills) fund 80-90 students/year, with stipends from $4,250-$6,000, to carry out research projects. In addition, the Haas Scholars Program funds 20 students a year, with stipends up to $12,600 for independent research.
- Public Service: The Stronach Baccalaureate Prize funds 4-6 recent UC Berkeley grads for up to $25,000 to carry out a public service project of their own design.
In addition, the Office of Undergraduate Research provides services to promote undergraduate research campus-wide:
- Campus-wide research programs listing: The number of undergraduate research programs on campus has grown to about 50; find the ones that are right by searching on the undergraduate research opportunities page.
- Workshops: Attend a workshop -- "Getting Started", "Professional Communication", "Finding a faculty mentor" or "Writing a Research Proposal" -- to hit the ground running. Check the calendar for times and dates.
- Other resources: Check out the resources page to join the listserv and find helpful links and documents.
For information on the great variety of undergraduate research opportunities at Berkeley, visit Research@Berkeley or email undergrad_research@berkeley.edu .
The Prestigious Scholarships and Scholarship Connection Office
The Prestigious Scholarships and Scholarship Connection Office administers the application process for several prestigious external scholarships (such as the Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, and Gates scholarships) and offers a clearinghouse for information on 500+ other external scholarships. For more information, visit the Prestigious Scholarships and Scholarship Connection Office website or contact Scholarship Connection at 5 Durant Hall, OURscholarships@berkeley.edu , or 510-643-6929.
UC Washington Program
The University of California extends its mission of service, teaching and research to the nation's capital. The UC Washington Center is a multi-campus residential, instructional and research center that provides students and faculty from the University of California with opportunities to study, research, work, and live within Washington's rich cultural, political and international heritage. Berkeley's UCDC Program provides a unique opportunity for undergraduates from all majors to spend a semester (Fall or Spring) in Washington, D.C. pursuing full-time course work and an internship in their selected field. Participants are full-time registered Berkeley students and remain eligible for financial aid. Students reside in the UC Washington Center.
Contact Information
College of Letters and Science
231 Evans Hall
Phone: 510-642-0108