Major Advisors
Major advisors work in the departments/programs and can assist you with questions regarding major specific questions.
We provide the following services:
- Assist you with academic plans (choose courses for future quarters).
- Are a resource for opportunities that are unique to your major department.
- Approve or deny your major requirements when you file to graduate.
- Advise on minors offered through their department.
Meet with a Major Advisor
To schedule an appointment: Login to the Advising Appointment System and select the major advising department from the drop down list.
or
Check for drop-in hours and contact information using the links below:
- African American and African Studies
- American Studies
- Anthropology
- Applied Chemistry
- Applied Mathematics
- Applied Physics
- Art History
- Art Studio
- Asian American Studies
- Chemical Physics
- Chemistry
- Chicana/Chicano Studies
- Chinese
- Cinema and Digital Media
- Classical Civilizations
- Cognitive Science
- Communication
- Comparative Literature
- Data Science
- Design
- East Asian Studies
- Economics
- English
- French
- Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies
- Geology
- German
- History
- International Relations
- Italian
- Japanese
- Linguistics
- Marine and Coastal Science
- Mathematical and Scientific Computation
- Mathematical Analytics and Operational Research
- Mathematics
- Medieval and Early Modern Studies
- Middle East/South Asia Studies
- Music
- Native American Studies
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Religious Studies
- Russian
- Science and Technology Studies
- Sociology
- Spanish
- Statistics
- Theatre and Dance
Declare a Major, Change a Major, or Add a Multiple Major
Declare a Major
Start by contacting your major advisor, who is your first contact for changing or adding a major. Students must declare a major by the time they have completed 90 units. If you have not declared a major by this point, a hold may be placed on your registration. Such a hold would be removed only when your Change of Major petition is approved by Undergraduate Education and Advising in the Office of the Dean. Petitions are only accepted electronically and are available on the "Forms and Petitions" tab on the OASIS portal. As a part of the declaration procedure, you must, in consultation with an advisor, prepare a projected plan of study. You are accepted into the major when your advisor and Undergraduate Education and Advising in the Office of the Dean have approved the petition.
To be accepted into a major, you must have a C average in all courses you have completed that are required for that major. With the approval of the College Faculty Executive Committee, additional requirements, such as completion of a particular set of required courses with a specified grade point average (usually well above a C average), may be introduced as conditions for acceptance into any major at any time.
If your performance is unsatisfactory after you have declared a major program, you may be required by Undergraduate Education and Advising in the Office of the Dean to withdraw from that major, upon written recommendation from the chair of the department or the curriculum committee that administers the major.
Change a Major
To change from one major to another within a college, you need the consent of the department or committee in charge of your proposed new major and the approval of Undergraduate Education and Advising in the Office of the Dean. Admission into a major program may be denied by the program or by Undergraduate Education and Advising in the Office of the Dean if your grade point average (GPA) in courses required for the selected major is less than 2.000.
Procedures for change of major within a college are the same as for declaration of major and the same conditions apply. If you wish to change to a major that has admission restrictions, you must comply with the special procedures and requirements for that major.
To change from one major to another in a different college you need the consent of the department or committee in charge of your proposed new major and the approval of the dean of the new college. To obtain that approval, you must be in good academic standing, meet all minimum GPA criteria, including those for the major, and satisfy any other admission requirements established by the new college.
Once a student has reached senior standing (135 units) they should consult with an advisor in the relevant college advising office to discuss additional restrictions and requirements.
Except under unusual circumstances, no change of major will be permitted in the quarter in which you file to graduate.
Review the requirements for changing to a College of Letters and Science major.
Multiple Majors
Students choosing to major in multiple subjects must notify Undergraduate Education and Advising in the Office of the Dean of their decision by submitting for approval a petition endorsed by advisors in the majors. The dean's approval of the declaration of more than one major is subject to the following conditions:
At least 80 percent of the upper division units used to satisfy course and unit requirements in each major selected must be unique and may not be counted toward the upper division unit requirements of any other major undertaken. Courses with substantial overlap in content will not count as part of the 80 percent.
If the major programs differ in the number of upper division units required, the major program requiring the smaller number of units will be used to compute the minimum number of units that must be unique.
At the time of request, a substantial part of the preparatory subject matter in each major must have been successfully completed.
All degree requirements must be completed within the 225-unit limit.
Combination proposals that cannot be approved are two or more majors offered by the same discipline, except art history and art studio.
A student who completes all requirements for approved multiple majors in which one major normally leads to an A.B. degree and another normally leads to a B.S. degree, will receive a B.A.S. degree. A single degree is granted to students who graduate with multiple majors.
The same conditions apply for cross-college majors as for multiple majors. Cross-college programs will not be approved if the majors involved are available within a single college as well.
- Step 1. Meet with the major advisor of the program that you want to declare, switch to, or add. They will advise you on any requirements that must be satisfied before a change of major can be approved.
- Step 2. Submit your change of major request online using OASIS: Change of Major / Multiple Major.
Declare a Minor
With the exception of interdisciplinary minors approved by the College Faculty Executive Committee, students in the College of Letters and Science may not complete a minor offered by the department or program in charge of the student's major. You can elect only one minor in a subject area.
No more than one course applied to the satisfaction of requirements in the major program shall be accepted in satisfaction of the requirements of a minor. No course used to satisfy the requirements of one minor shall be applied toward any other minor.
Students with a 2.00 or greater GPA in upper division Letters and Science courses offered in satisfaction of a minor may declare that minor by petitioning Undergraduate Education and Advising in the Office of the Dean.
- Step 1. Meet with the advisor of the program that you want to declare for specific requirements for your minor.
- Step 2. Submit your minor declaration online using OASIS: Minor Declaration.