Term
| By when should a student declare a major and why? |
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Definition
| - 90 units (not including AP units)
- If the student is interested in pursuing a major that requires a lot of courses they may hit the unit cap (216.0) if they declare a major too late.
- Some departments require students to complete courses within certain unit restrictions or only accept applications at specific times of the year. Always refer students to the department of interest. |
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Term
| What are the two basic components of a major? |
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Definition
| - Prep for the major, which helps build the skills necessary for upper division coursework
- "Major courses," upper division coursework that is the heart of the major |
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Term
| What is the difference between prep for a major and a prerequisite course? |
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Definition
| - Major prep helps students prepare for Upper Division "Major" courses
- Prerequisites are courses which must be taken before a student can take a more advanced course |
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Term
| Can a student take Upper Division "Major" courses before completing all of the major prep? |
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Definition
| - Yes, a student does not have to complete all of the major prep before taking Upper Division courses, but they must complete the prerequisite courses for the Upper Division course they will be taken if there are any. |
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Term
| Unless otherwise stated in the General Catalog, what is the minimum required GPA for prep and Major coursework and what is the minimum grade required for prep coursework? |
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Definition
| - The College requires a minimum 2.0 GPA for prep and major coursework.
- Students are required to receive a grade of D- or higher in prep coursework. Typically students must take prep and major coursework for a letter grade. |
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Term
| What are some of the reasons that departments have a "pre-major" status? |
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Definition
| - In order to screen students for minimum GPAs
- To insure that all the prep courses have been completed
- To track the number of students in the department
- To make allocations for courses to accommodate the students in the major
- For better correspondence with students in the pre-major when there are changes
- To accommodate students by keeping full records in the department for counseling/planning/degree checks
- To enable departments to code classes by major to give their students first chance at the courses required for the completion of the major |
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Term
| What are the 4 types of majors in the College of Letters and Science? |
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Definition
| - Departmental
- Interdepartmental
- Individual
- "Undeclareds" |
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Term
| What is a Departmental major? |
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Definition
| - "Traditional" major in which most course the student must take is within the department itself (most majors at UCLA) |
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Term
| What is an Interdepartmental major? |
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Definition
| - An interdisciplinary major which combines courses from several different majors. Some of these majors have special application procedures or minimum grade requirements that exceed those of "regular" departmental majors. Always consult the General Catalog when counseling a student who is interested in this path. |
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Term
| What is an Individual major? |
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Definition
| - A major drafted by a student with academic interests outside of the departmental or interdepartmental fields. In order to be eligible to design an individual major a student must have completed 3 quarters at UCLA with a minimum of 45.0 units and a 3.4 GPA and have at least 2 faculty mentors.
- Petitions for individual majors are handled through the Honors Program Office. If a student's Individual Major is accepted they will be monitored by an Honors counselor (Honors will become their primary counseling unit) |
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Term
| When a student has a double major within The College of Letters and Science which major is the "Primary" major? Which is the "Primary" major when one major is in The College and one is in Engineering/Arts & Architecture? |
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Definition
| - The major with the more complex structure is the "Primary" major.
- The non-College major is the "Primary" major |
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Term
| What are some of the advantages of having a double major? |
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Definition
- Students feel they are more marketable when they graduate
- Students feel that they have more career options
- The double major allows them to pursue two equally strong interests |
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Term
| What are some disadvantages of having a double major? |
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Definition
| - Almost all elective options are used for the double major.
- There is a possibility that the student will have to stay at the University for additional quarters. |
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Term
| Do students with a double major have a greater unit maximum? |
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Definition
| - If their majors are within the College of Letters and Science: no, they must still complete both majors within the normal 216.0+AP/IB unit limit
- If their majors are across colleges/schools: yes, these students must complete their coursework within 228.0+AP/IB units |
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Term
| If a student has a double major how many prep courses can double for both majors? |
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Definition
| - There are no limitations on the number of prep courses that can double |
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Term
| If a student has a double major how many Upper Division courses can double for both majors? |
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Definition
| - Only 5 Upper Division courses can double for the second major (this does not include UD allied field requirements in some majors).
- Normally this is not a problem because majors do not overlap much at the Upper Division level anyway |
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Term
| When can a student declare a double major? |
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Definition
| - The student must complete the prep on both majors and complete 2 Upper Division courses in each major to ensure they are serious about pursuing both areas of study.
- The student must then have their petition signed by a counselor from each department and then sent to the L&S Counseling unit for evaluation. |
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Term
| Does a student with a double major receive two degress? |
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Definition
| - No, they receive one degree with both majors listed |
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Term
| If a double major student has one major in the College of Letters and Science and one major in Engineering or Arts and Architecture which GE structure do they adhere to? |
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Definition
| - Since their "Primary" major is always the non-College major they should adhere to the GE structure for the non-College school. This also includes any general guidelines, unit limits, and procedural policies and restrictions. |
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Term
| What does a student do if they wish to drop their Double Major? |
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Definition
| - Visit the counselor of the department for the major they want to keep and have their major declared as a single major. |
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Term
| PRIOR TO ADMISSION, what are some of the reasons a student should be referred to a full-time counselor? |
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Definition
| - If the student has 150+ units
- If the student wishes to change their major but will exceed the 216.0 +AP/IB unit maximum |
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Term
| What major petitions require a college signature? |
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Definition
| - Change of College petition
- All double/triple major petitions |
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