Unless otherwise indicated, the figures in this chart refer to the number of courses rather than the number of units. Most UC San Diego courses carry four quarter-units of credit, and a student usually takes four courses each quarter. Academic disciplines are classified as humanities/fine arts, social sciences, and mathematics/natural sciences/engineering. The term “noncontiguous” refers to a discipline that is different from that of the major as determined by the faculty of each college. Students must meet the Entry Level Writing Requirement prior to enrolling in the writing courses of their respective college. For specific college course requirements for transfer students, please refer to “Undergraduate Education.”
Includes intensive instruction in university-level writing.
Proficiency exam or number of courses.
Art, music, theatre
Includes physics, chemistry, and biology. (Sequences are available for science and nonscience majors.)
(Sequences are available for science and nonscience majors.)
Two lower-division courses in the social sciences chosen from an approved list.
Optional Minor
A bachelor of arts/bachelor of science degree requires a minimum of 180 units; at least sixty units must be upper division.
Must be chosen from an approved three-course sequence. Sequences are listed at http://muir.ucsd.edu/academics/degree_reqs.html.
Must be chosen from an approved three-course sequence in either category. Specific sequences are available for nonscience majors. Sequences are listed at http://muir.ucsd.edu/academics/degree_reqs.html.
Must be chosen from approved three-course sequences in two of these categories. Sequences are listed at http://muir.ucsd.edu/academics/degree_reqs.html.
(In addition to the Entry-Level Writing Requirement.) Students demonstrating their college-level writing skills by the successful completion of a two-quarter sequence in writing. Sequences are listed at http://muir.ucsd.edu/academics/degree_reqs.html.
Optional Minor
A bachelor of arts/bachelor of science degree requires a minimum of 180 units; at least sixty units must be upper division.
Core courses include two six-unit courses with intensive instruction in university-level writing.
Two courses selected from a prescribed list of courses in domestic and global cultures.
One course each in biology, chemistry, and physics. (Courses are available for science and nonscience majors.)
Either two courses in mathematics or one course in mathematics and one course in computing (Courses are available for science and nonscience majors.)
Noncontiguous to the major. Two must be upper-division; one must include writing.
The four-unit public service option may be used to fulfill one course in disciplinary breadth.
Optional Minor
A bachelor of arts/bachelor of science degree requires a minimum of 180 units; at least sixty units must be upper division.
Calculus, symbolic logic, computer programming, and/or statistics.
(For bachelor of arts/bachelor of science in arts/sciences.) Two programs of concentration, each containing six courses, and each noncontiguous to the major and to each other.
(For BS in engineering.) Two area studies, one in humanities/fine arts and one in social sciences, each containing three courses.
Optional minor—May be used in lieu of a program of concentration or area study if noncontiguous to the major and to the other program of concentration or area study.
A bachelor of arts/bachelor of science degree requires a minimum of 180 units; at least sixty units must be upper division.
Includes two quarters of intensive instruction in university-level writing.
Proficiency exam or number of courses.
Includes study of both Western and non-Western arts.
(Courses are available for science and nonscience majors.)
(Courses are available for science and nonscience majors.)
To include at least two courses taken at the upper-division level.
Optional minor—Students may combine foreign language and regional specialization course work to create a minor focusing on a particular geographic area.
A bachelor of arts/bachelor of science degree requires a minimum of 180 units; at least sixty units must be upper division.
The CAT lower-division sequence includes two quarters of intensive instruction in university-level writing for academic audiences with coverage of research methods, collaboration, and media. CAT 125 is a four-unit course in upper-division writing for public audiences.
One computing course. This requirement may be satisfied with courses from a variety of departments.
Two courses in the social sciences, two courses in the humanities, two courses in the natural sciences, one course in math/logic (options available for science and nonscience majors).
One course in statistical methods (options available for science and nonscience majors).
Two courses in literature, music, theatre and dance, or visual arts.
Capstone project in which students apply theory to practice in local and global communities through departmental courses, internships, research opportunities, or study abroad programs.
Optional Minor
A bachelor of arts/bachelor of science degree requires a minimum of 180 units; at least sixty units must be upper division.
The synthesis lower-division sequence includes two quarters of intensive instruction in university-level writing. SYN 100 is a four-unit project-based course.
Two courses selected from an approved list.
Two courses selected from an approved list.
Two courses selected from an approved list.
Two courses selected from an approved list.
Two courses selected from an approved list.
One course selected from a variety of approved experiential learning options.
Optional Minor
A bachelor of arts/bachelor of science degree requires a minimum of 180 units; at least sixty units must be upper division.
Note: Students normally may pursue any major, except for college individualized majors, regardless of the college they choose. Majors are identical regardless of the student’s chosen college. Most majors require twelve to eighteen upper-division courses based upon adequate lower-division preparation; such preparation may be part of the general-education requirements. Majors in certain engineering programs may require as many as twenty-one upper-division courses.