Requirements for a Bachelor's Degree in the College of Letters and Science

To be eligible for candidacy for a Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree, students in the College of Letters and Science must satisfy all of the following requirements.

• University Degree Requirements
• College Degree Requirements

• Major Requirements

   

University Requirements

University and campus requirements apply to all undergraduate students regardless of college and major.

• Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR)
• American History &​ Institutions Requirement
• Unit Requirements &​ Limitations
• Senior Residence Requirements
• General Education (GE) Requirements (see additional information below)
• Scholarship Requirement

Additional information about General Education for students in the College of Letters and Science
 

• Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Exams: Students may not present Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate credit in satisfaction of GE requirements, except insofar as it may be applied to the English Composition component of the Literacy with Words and Images requirement.
• Advanced Level (A-Level) Exams: Students may not present A-Level credit in satisfaction of GE requirements.
• Approved GE Credit: GE credit cannot be applied for a course completed before it was an approved GE course.
• English Composition: Courses used in satisfaction of the English Composition component may not be applied toward any other Topical Breadth or Core Literacy area of GE.
• Grading: Students may take courses P/NP to fulfill their General Education requirements, up to the limits set by college and campus regulations (see College Unit Requirements).
• Transfer Students who have successfully completed the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) lower division course work are exempt from all General Education requirements that may be met with lower division courses. Transfer students who have not completed the IGETC or Cal-GETC are required to satisfy all General Education components under the revised requirement but may offer previously completed coursework toward their satisfaction.

College of Letters and Science Requirements

Letters and Science requirements apply to all students pursuing a major in the College of Letters and Science.

• English Composition
• Foreign Language (A.B. Only)
• Area Breadth: Natural Science and Mathematics (B.S. Only)
• College Unit Requirements
• College Residency Requirement
• College Scholarship Requirement

English Composition

All undergraduates in the College of Letters and Science must fulfill a two-course writing requirement, by completing each course with a grade of C- (or P) or higher or by testing out of one or both courses. All courses require a minimum of 6,000 words of writing, designed to introduce students to academic and professional writing, advance their analytic skills, and improve their writing process. Students may satisfy the writing requirement by completing one of following options.

English Composition Courses

Students must complete one lower division (or equivalent) and one upper division composition courses from the lists below. Both courses must be completed with a C- or higher. May also be taken on a P/NP basis.

Upper Division Composition Examination

Students may opt to take the Upper Division Composition Exam to satisfy the requirement.

The no-fee examination is typically offered on a Saturday morning in October, January and April. No examinations are given during the summer. For specific examination dates, instructions, and to sign up, visit the Upper Division Composition Exam website. It is recommended that students with disabilities contact the Student Disability Center and the Entry Level Writing Program Office at least two weeks prior to the exam date to arrange accommodations.

Students are advised to complete this requirement in their junior year.

Foreign Language (A.B. Only)

All students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) in Letters and Science must demonstrate proficiency in a language up to the 15 unit level (one year) or equivalent. The requirement may be satisfied in any language offered at UC Davis, including ancient languages, or which is normally taught at—and for which transfer credit is allowed— from another institution, including American Sign Language. Students may also satisfy this requirement by examination in a language not offered on the UC Davis campus (see below).

Satisfying Foreign Language

• At UC Davis or Another Accredited Institution
• You may satisfy the requirement by taking 15 quarter units of one foreign or classical language offered at UC Davis. You may also fulfill this requirement by taking the equivalent number of transferable quarter units in one foreign language at an accredited institution. Transfer students should consult the Transfer Credit Evaluation, which is issued by Undergraduate Education and Advising in the Office of the Dean, within a quarter after their first enrollment at UC Davis. Students planning to continue to study the same language at UC Davis must consult the relevant language coordinator. If you have successfully completed the second or third year of a language in the tenth or higher grade in high school, you may receive unit credit for course 1 of that language when taken at UC Davis, but the grading mode will be P/NP only. Although a Passed or Not Passed grade will be charged to your P/NP option, no petition is required
• Through Study Abroad
• Certain study abroad programs offered by UC Davis through the Global Learning Hub, UC Education Abroad Program and other accredited institutions may be used to satisfy the requirement. Some of these programs do not have a language prerequisite, but others do. If you intend to apply for a study abroad program with a language prerequisite, you should plan on completing the relevant foreign language requirement by the end of your second or third year, depending on the program.
• With the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)
• IGETC is a series of courses which prospective transfer students attending California community colleges prior to Fall 2025 may complete to satisfy the lower division breadth/general education requirements at the University of California. Students may satisfy the Foreign Language requirement by attaining certification of IGETC completion.
• With the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)
• Cal-GETC is a series of courses which prospective transfer students attending California community colleges beginning Fall 2025 may complete to satisfy the lower division breadth/general education requirements at the University of California. Students may satisfy the Foreign Language requirement by attaining certification of Cal-GETC completion that includes certification of the Optional UC Area Language Other Than English (LOTE).
• Proficiency Exam
• The UC Davis Language Center (DLC) offers proficiency tests in numerous languages. A proficiency test does not yield unit credit; it only determines whether the Foreign Language requirement has been met or at which point in the language sequence you should enroll. Students must follow the language program's placement policy if they decide to study the language at UC Davis.
• Standardized Tests
• College Board Subject Test: Earning a qualifying score of at least 550 on a College Board Foreign Language Subject Test satisfies the requirement. This test may be taken at any time during your high school career. Once your score is on file at Undergraduate Admissions, notify Undergraduate Education and Advising in the Office of the Dean so that satisfaction of the College requirement can be noted on your record.
• Advanced Placement (AP) Examination
• A score of 5, 4 or 3 on any foreign language College Board Advanced Placement Examination, with the exception of Latin, taken in high school will satisfy the Foreign Language requirement.
• International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examination
• A score of 7, 6, or 5 on the French A1, A2, or B Examination, the German A1, A2 or B Examination, the Italian A1 Examination, the Latin Examination, the Portuguese A1, A2 or B Examination, or the Spanish A1 Examination taken in high school will satisfy the Foreign Language requirement.
• Examination by Other Means
• If you have not completed the required level language course, but assume you have attained equivalent language fluency and cultural knowledge, you may satisfy the language requirement by passing a proficiency examination. For more information, consult the appropriate foreign language department. You may validate your knowledge of a language acquired by any means before matriculating at UC Davis by taking a proficiency test or another form of evaluation (if available in the relevant language department). A test may not be taken, however, in a language for which you have already received degree credit.

Additional Information
 

• Grading: Students may take courses P/NP to fulfill their Foreign Language requirement, up to the limits set by the University and College regulations.
• Overlap: Courses used toward satisfaction of the Foreign Language requirement may also be used toward satisfaction of  General Education, Major, and/or Minor requirements where applicable.

Area Breadth: Natural Science and Mathematics (B.S. Only)

All students pursuing a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Letters and Science must complete the College's Area Breadth in Natural Sciences and Mathematics requirement.

Satisfying Natural Science and Mathematics

To satisfy the Natural Science and Mathematics requirement, students must complete at least 90 units of coursework from the following list of approved courses:

• Anatomy, Physiology & Cell Biology (APC) 100
• Anthropology (ANT) 001, 001Y, 013, 015, 054, 151, 152, 153, 154A, 154BN, 154C, 154CL, 155, 156A, 156B, 157, 158, 159, 160, 180, 182
• Astronomy (AST)
• Avian Sciences (AVS) 013
• Biological Sciences (BIS)
• Biology (BIO) 1, 1L, 2, 2L, 3
• Cell Biology & Human Anatomy (CHA) 101, 101L
• Chemistry (CHE)
• Cognitive Science (CGS) 107*
• Economics 107*
• Communication (CMN) 150V
• Data Science (DSC)
• Engineering (ENG) 006, 010, 035, 102
• Engineering: Biomedical (BIM) 126
• Engineering: Computer Science (ECS) 012, 017, 020, 032A, 032B, 032C, 034, 036A, 036B, 036C, 050, 089A-L, 111, 113, 115, 116, 117, 119, 120, 122A, 122B, 124, 127, 129, 130, 132, 140A, 140B, 142, 145, 150, 152A, 152B, 152C, 153, 154A, 154B, 158, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165A, 165B, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 177, 178, 189A-N, 191, 193A, 193B
• Engineering: Electrical & Computer (EEC) 170, 173A
• Entomology (ENT) 010, 100, 153
• Environmental & Resource Sciences (ERS) 131
• Environmental Science & Policy (ESP) 100, 121
• Environmental Toxicology (ETX) 101
• Evolution & Ecology (EVE)
• Exercise Biology (EXB) 101, 103, 106, 106L, 110, 111, 112, 113, 115, 116, 117, 126
• Fiber & Polymer Science (FPS) 110
• Food Science & Technology (FST) 100A, 100B, 101A, 101B
• Geology (GEL)
• Integrated Studies (IST) 008A
• Linguistics (LIN) 127, 175, 177
• Mathematics (MAT)
• Microbiology (MIC)
• Molecular & Cellular Biology (MCB)
• Neurobiology, Physiology, & Behavior (NPB)
• Nutrition 010, 010V, 010Y, 111AV, 111B
• Pathology, Microbiology, & Immunology (PMI) 126
• Physical Education (PHE) 133, 135
• Physics (PHY)
• Plant Biology (PLB)
• Psychology (PSC) 041, 100, 100Y, 101, 103A, 103B, 104, 113, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133*, 135, 137, 146, 180B
• Statistics (STA)
• Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology (WFC) 010
  *Denotes cross-listed course

Additional Information about Natural Science and Mathematics courses
 

• Course Limitations: Courses numbered 092, 097T, 097TC, 098, 192, 197T, 197TC, 198 and 200-499 cannot be counted toward satisfaction of the requirement
• Special Study Units: A maximum of 10 units in special study courses (099, 194H, 199) may be counted toward satisfaction of the requirement
• Transfer Courses: Previously completed transfer coursework equivalent to a course or area on the approved list may be used toward Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
• Overlap: Courses used toward satisfaction of Natural Science and Mathematics may also be used toward satisfaction of  General Education, Major, and/or Minor requirements where applicable.

Examinations and Natural Science and Mathematics

Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Exams listed below may be used toward Natural Science and Mathematics. Note: Credit granted for AP/IB exams is based on the year the exam was completed. Check the general catalog's AP/IB chart archive for more detail.

Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) and Natural Science and Mathematics

Transfer Students may satisfy the Natural Sciences and Mathematics requirement by attaining certification of IGETC completion. Transfer students who have not completed the IGETC must satisfy the requirement as listed above. Previously completed transfer coursework equivalent to a course or area on the approved list may also be used toward Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

College Unit Requirements and Limitations

In addition to meeting the University Unit Requirements &​ Limitations, all students in the College of Letters and Science must meet the college unit requirements and are subject to the college unit limitations listed below.

Upper Division Units

A minimum of 64 upper division units (courses numbered 100-199) are required for all students in Letters and Science. Must include a minimum of 27 upper division units completed at UC Davis.

Registration Beyond 225 Units

Students are expected to fulfill all degree requirements within 180 to 225 units. Once 225 units have been completed (excluding units for Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations, International Baccalaureate (IB) Examinations, and other pre-matriculation units), students may register only with the permission of the Letters & Science Office of Undergraduate Education and Advising. Such permission is rarely granted and then typically only to allow completion of minimum degree requirements.

A hold will be placed on a student's record when they reach 200 total units, requiring submission of an academic plan to verify the degree can be completed within the 225 unit cap. Students will be expected to adhere to a program of courses agreed upon and to meet other conditions that may have been set. Approval must be obtained from Undergraduate Education & Advising in the Office of the Dean before students will be permitted to register for courses for the quarter following completion of 225 or more units.

Students in good standing are able to complete 12 quarters or the equivalent (e.g., four years) of college work even if they have earned more than 225 units before the end of their fourth year. They must petition for continuation, however, and file a quarter-by-quarter academic plan.

Unit Credit Limitations

For certain courses, limits have been established on the number of units that can be counted towards the 180 unit minimum required for the degree. To avoid discovering just before graduation that you are short units, meet with an advisor regularly and keep track of the number of units you have taken in each of the following categories.

College Residency Requirement

While registered in the College of Letters and Science, a minimum of 27 upper division units, including 18 upper division units in the major, must be completed on the Davis campus.

Work completed while registered in the UC Education Abroad Program or the UC Davis Extension Open Campus Program does not satisfy the College Residence requirements.

College Scholarship Requirement

The minimum grade point average to satisfy the scholarship requirement is 2.000 for all courses counted toward the major and for all upper division courses used to satisfy major requirements.

Only grades earned in courses taken at UC Davis will be included in the grade point computations.

To obtain these minimum averages in the major, you may repeat courses that are graded D or F. If you have to repeat a course more than once, you need approval from Undergraduate Education and Advising in the Office of the Dean.

Major Degree Certification

These requirements are fulfilled by completing a major program offered by a teaching department or program committee in the College of Letters and Science (see the list of majors).

No more than six units in internship courses (numbered 92, 192, or similar internship courses) may be accepted in satisfaction of the requirements of major programs. Courses numbered 97T, 97TC, 197T and 197TC do not satisfy unit or course requirements in the major. Please check with your major advisor to determine if there are any additional restrictions for your specific major.

You can also learn more about the requirements for a major by talking with a Major Advisor and visiting the departmental website.