Students need to complete prerequisite courses before they can request admission to a major.  Students should refer to the department website for information about requirements and declaring. Pamphlets and student handbooks that describe the major in detail can often be obtained from departmental offices.

Before students can declare a major, a major advisor in the department must approve admission to the major and sign a Major Declaration petition. Paper copies are available at the L&S advising office in 206 Evans Hall.  Students do not need to be currently enrolled in order to declare a major.

Students should declare a major by the end of the second year or the beginning of their third year (around 60 units).

If students reach 75* units without being declared, the Registrar will require the use of an Advisor Code (AC) to access Tele-BEARS. 

If students reach 90 units without being declared, the College will place an Undeclared Senior (US) block on their registration. 

More information about blocks and ACs can be found in the Enrollment section of the Advising Help Desk.

If a student could benefit from some extra help in deciding on a major, please refer them to the Choosing a Major section of the L&S Advising website.

* The 75 unit policy went into effect Spring 2010. The previous limit was 85 units.

Capped majors are programs within departments that restrict admission due to high student demand and insufficient resources. Capped majors restrict admission in different ways but in general, transfer students must apply during their first semester and non-transfer students must apply prior to exceeding 80 units of post-high school coursework.  Capped majors are designated with a special symbol on the list of L&S majors.

To declare a double major or simultaneous degree, students submit a Double Major application or a Simultaneous Degrees application (paper copies available in 206 Evans Hall).  The packet consists of multiple pages, each requiring signatures of major advisers in both departments.

Students may indicate "generic" course titles for required elective courses in the major on the Program Planning Form included in the application packet, e.g., “Upper Div. Poli Sci elective”.  Students must list courses to satisfy all degree requirements, including University, Campus, and College.  Students must also show at least 13 units of coursework each semester, or indicate that they qualify to enroll in fewer than 13 units. 

Students may NOT overlap more than two upper division courses between double majors, triple majors, or simultaneous degrees.

Students or advisers submit signed double major applications to 206 Evans Hall. Double major applications are processed within five working days.

Signed simultaneous degrees applications should be submitted to the student's "home" college/school (the college they are currently enrolled in).   Simultaneous degree applications take one or more months to process since they must be approved by two colleges.

Please note that double major and simultaneous degrees applications represent a contract between the student, the department, and the college(s).  The program plan is kept with the student’s L&S record and any changes to it must be approved by the college(s). 

The unit ceiling for double majors and simultaneous degrees is nine semesters or 136 units (not counting deductible units), whichever comes last.  In other words, students may not register for a regular fall or spring term at UC Berkeley after exceeding nine semesters and 136 units.  When counting semesters, all fall and spring terms from all institutions attended (including community college and study abroad) are included.  After exceeding the unit ceiling, students can still register for summer terms at Cal, through UC Extension, or through other approved institutions to complete their degrees. 

A block is placed on a student's registration for the semester that exceeds the unit ceiling.  Students wishing an exception to the unit ceiling policy must meet with a dean.

Students declaring triple majors go through the same steps as above, filling out a double major or simultaneous degree application for each pair of majors (three applications in all).  The 136 unit ceiling for double majors applies.

Unless the minor-granting program has received an exception, a minimum of five upper division courses, completed on a letter-graded basis, is required for a minor.  At least three of the five upper division courses must be completed at Berkeley and at least four of the upper division courses may not be used to satisfy a requirement for another L&S major or minor.

Minors offered by non-L&S schools and colleges must include at least four lower or upper division courses that are not used to satisfy a requirement for an L&S major or minor.

A minimum overall GPA of 2.0 in upper division courses is required for the minor.

Students must complete their minors within the usual timeframe - eight semesters for single majors and nine semesters for double majors or simultaneous degrees.  Students who complete 130 or fewer units after eight semesters or 136 or fewer units after nine semesters may continue for additional semesters until they have exceeded this unit limit.

For a complete list of minors in L&S, please see http://ls-advise.berkeley.edu/major/minorlist.html.

See the Academic Senate Handbook for the Committee on Courses of Instruction, Sec. 2.1.2 for detailed information on how to gain approval for course changes and get them published in the General Catalog.