Introduction to the College

The College of Letters & 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 unparalleled teachers and acclaimed researchers. Students discover courses of study they never knew existed. They 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 & Science.

For more information, meet with a College advisor

Visit the College of Letters & Science Website

UC and Campus Requirements

University of California Requirements

Entry Level Writing

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. Satisfaction 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

The American Cultures requirement is a Berkeley campus requirement, one that all undergraduate students at Berkeley need to pass in order to graduate. You satisfy the requirement by passing, with a grade not lower than C- or P, an American Cultures course. You may take an American Cultures course any time during your undergraduate career at Berkeley. The requirement was instituted in 1991 to introduce students to the diverse cultures of the United States through a comparative framework. Courses are offered in more than fifty departments in many different disciplines at both the lower and upper division level.

The American Cultures requirement and courses constitute an approach that responds directly to the problem encountered in numerous disciplines of how better to present the diversity of American experience to the diversity of American students whom we now educate.

Faculty members from many departments teach American Cultures courses, but all courses have a common framework. The courses focus on themes or issues in United States history, society, or culture; address theoretical or analytical issues relevant to understanding race, culture, and ethnicity in American society; take substantial account of groups drawn from at least three of the following: African Americans, indigenous peoples of the United States, Asian Americans, Chicano/Latino Americans, and European Americans; and are integrative and comparative in that students study each group in the larger context of American society, history, or culture.

This is not an ethnic studies requirement, nor a Third World cultures requirement, nor an adjusted Western civilization requirement. These courses focus upon how the diversity of America's constituent cultural traditions have shaped and continue to shape American identity and experience.

Visit the Class Schedule or the American Cultures website for the specific American Cultures courses offered each semester. For a complete list of approved American Cultures courses at UC Berkeley and California Community Colleges, please see the American Cultures Subcommittee’s website. See your academic adviser if you have questions about your responsibility to satisfy the American Cultures breadth requirement.

College Requirements

Undergraduate students must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.

For detailed lists of courses that fulfill college requirements, please review the College of Letters & Sciences page in this Guide. For College advising appointments, please visit the L&S Advising Pages. 

University of California Requirements

Entry Level Writing

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 US resident graduated from an American university, should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

Berkeley Campus Requirement

American Cultures

All undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass this course in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of 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 of Letters & Science Essential Skills 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 in sequence. Students must complete parts A & B reading and composition courses by the end of their second semester and a second-level course by the end of their fourth semester.

College of Letters & Science 7 Course Breadth Requirements

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.

Unit Requirements

• 120 total 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 your major department

Residence Requirements

For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters & 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 you go abroad for a semester or year or want to take courses at another institution or through UC Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to meet an adviser to determine how you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.

Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.

Senior Residence Requirement

After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your BA degree), you 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.

You may use a Berkeley Summer Session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence requirement, provided that you successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that you have been enrolled previously in the college.

Modified Senior Residence Requirement

Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP), Berkeley Summer Abroad, 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 you have completed 90 units.

Upper Division Residence Requirement

You must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding UCEAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for your 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 provides context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.

The requirement consists of seven distribution areas: Arts and Literature, Biological Science, Historical Studies, International Studies, Philosophy and Values, Physical Science, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. 

For descriptions of these distribution areas, as well as a more information on options to complete breadth, visit the L&S Seven-Course Breadth website.

Guidelines for Seven-Course Breadth

• Complete one approved course for each of the seven areas with a minimum grade of C- or P. To find course options for breadth, go to the Class Schedule, select the term of interest, and use the "Breadth Requirements" filter to select the breadth area(s) of interest.  When selecting a course, keep the following in mind:

• While some courses may satisfy more than one breadth area, a course may only be used for one of the approved areas. To satisfy the requirement, complete seven distinct courses, one for each breadth area.
• Students may use up to two courses from any one academic department to satisfy the Seven-Course Breadth. This includes all subject areas offered by the department and—if a course is cross-listed (indicated by a 'C' prefix)—all other departments offering the course as well. However,  Letters and Science ("LS") courses are an exception to this restriction. Students may complete as many LS courses as they wish for the Seven-Course Breadth. This includes LS courses offered through the Discovery and Big Ideas programs. 
• Courses fulfilling American History & Institutions, American Cultures or requirements in the major program may also be applied to the Seven-Course Breadth requirement.
• Exams, such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams, cannot be used to fulfill breadth requirements.

Satisfying the Seven Course Breadth Requirement with Transfer Work

• All transfer courses must be completed with a grade of C- or better, or the equivalent of a Passed grade on the host campus, in order to be considered for Seven-Course Breadth. 
• To be eligible for consideration, the minimum unit requirement for a course offered from a campus on the semester system is 3.0 units, and for courses offered from campuses on the quarter system, 4.0 units.
• For courses from California Community Colleges, use ASSIST to identify course options for Seven-Course Breadth. (Note: IGETC certification  from a California community college or a letter of reciprocity from a UC campus satisfies the Seven-Course Breadth requirement.) 
• Successful completion of transferable courses from an accredited college university outside of UC and CCC may also be considered.   Course descriptions and syllabi will be required to make a breadth determination. For more information on pursuing transfer courses for Seven-Course Breadth at another Higher Education institution, review the 'Transfer Credit for Continuing Students' section of Transfer Credit. 
• After the institution where you took the course posts grades, submit an official transcript. If the school where you completed your requirement offers electronic transcripts, request that an e-transcripts be sent to UC Berkeley Business Operations office: busops@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail)(link sends e-mail). For paper transcripts, send to:

Add Credit: UCB SID # (insert your ID) 

16 Sproul Hall, MC 0608

Berkeley, CA 94720-0608

Admissions

The College of Letters and Science (L&S) is looking for students who are excited to engage in a wide range of intellectual inquiry. Success in the College is achieved by adventurous, self-motivated, and self-aware students who thrive in an environment of broad-ranging exploration. To find out more about undergraduate admissions, please review 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 petition process.

Visit the Change of College page for workshop dates.

The application period for the spring semester is the first day of fall instruction through November 1. The application period for the fall semester is the first day of spring instruction through June 1.

Advising

Welcome to L&S Office of Undergraduate Advising!

The Office of Undergraduate Advising, with a staff of highly skilled and experienced College Advisers, is here to help students make the best choices for their academic career and get the most out of their time at Berkeley. 

Declaring a Major

Ideally students should declare a major by the conclusion of their fourth term, excluding summers. Transfer students should declare a major by the end of their first term.

Students who do not declare a major by 75 units (including in-progress units but excluding high school enrichment (HSE) units), will receive a registration hold. 

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.

Students receive approval for admission to the major from the adviser in the department. Each department has its own procedures for reviewing requests for admission to the major. Some require an application, an essay, a certain grade point average, or a personal interview with an Undergraduate Major Adviser (UMA). There are competitive majors that demand special attention because they have declaration procedures that are tied to unit completion. Students must start preparing for these majors early in their academic careers. For details about declaration procedures as well as an overview of units and requirements in each major, refer to the Requirements tab of each program page of the Academic Guide.

Checking Individual Progress Toward Degree

For any questions or help in planning your remaining time at Berkeley, visit The Office of Undergraduate Advising.

Contact Information

Hours: Weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Wednesdays 1 to 4 p.m.; Closed 12-1 pm daily)
Front Desk Hours: Weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Wednesdays 1 to 4 p.m.) Same-day 15-minute appointments may be scheduled beginning at 9 a.m. on the same day.
Main Phone Hours: Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Main Office: 206 Evans Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-2924
Satellite Office: 156 Dwinelle Hall
Phone: 510-642-1483 
Email: asklns@berkeley.edu

Academic Opportunities

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 website.

Cal Teach is a program for undergraduate science, math, and engineering majors interested in exploring a career in education. Through our 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.

Entrepreneurship Courses are 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, we offer L&S 105: Arts Entrepreneurship, for students in arts-related majors and others interested in careers in this arena.

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. As you browse through this Guide, you 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 on the program's website, which 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.

Letters and 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 is a campuswide book-in-common program, designed to welcome new freshmen and transfer students into the intellectual dialogue that characterizes the Berkeley campus. Each year all of 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 website. For the most up-to-date information, follow On the Same Page on facebook or twitter. 

Scholarship Connection administers the application process for over a dozen prestigious external scholarships (such as the Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, and Goldwater scholarships) and offers a clearinghouse for information on 500+ other external scholarships. For more information, visit us online at Scholarship Connection or contact Scholarship Connection at 2410 Dwinelle Hall, ourscholarships@berkeley.edu, or 510-643-6929.

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarships (OURS) helps students get engaged in research while at Cal: connecting with faculty and mentors, obtaining funding opportunities to support your research pursuits, and integrating research with your other academic goals. Research programs run directly by OURS include the following:

• Apprentice with Faculty: The Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP) provides opportunities for you to receive course credit to work with faculty on cutting-edge research projects during the academic year. Approximately 1,500 students and 300+ faculty members participate each semester.
• Independent research: The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships  (SURF L&S and SURF Rose Hills) fund over 100 students each summer with stipends from $4,500–$6,000 to carry out research projects. In addition, the Haas Scholars Program funds twenty students a year, with stipends up to $13,800 for independent research. These programs are primarily designed for juniors intending to do research over the summer to support their thesis work. 
• Public service: The Stronach Baccalaureate Prize funds four to six recent Cal grads for up to $25,000 to carry out a public service project of their own designs.

In addition, the Office of Undergraduate Research provides services to promote undergraduate research campus-wide:

• Campus-wide research database: OURS maintains a database of research programs at UC Berkeley and beyond with updates on application deadlines and eligibility. 
• Workshops and Peer Advising: We regularly offer workshops to help you get started and succeed in research. Workshop topics include the following: "Getting Started," "Professional Communication," "Finding a Faculty Mentor," and "Writing a Research Proposal." Check our events calendar for times and dates. Also check our main website to find out about OURS Peer-Adviser drop-in office hours. Speaking with a Peer Adviser is a great way to explore your options.
• OURS Listserv and Social Media: Sign up for OURS' popular announcement listserv on our homepage and be sure to follow OURS on Facebook and Twitter. 

For information on the great variety of undergraduate research opportunities at Berkeley, visit Research@Berkeley or visit research.berkeley.edu.