FALL 2007 - Late Edition

Pre-Major Requirements: Choose Carefully and Remember, Grades Count!

If you are considering declaring one of the popular majors that require you to complete a series of "pre-major" courses with a certain GPA before you can be admitted to full major status, approach these courses carefully. Not only must you choose them wisely, keeping your potential major (or majors) in mind, but you must get the grades required by the department in order to move from pre-major to full major status.

Statistics is a course that should be approached with special caution. Many of the majors that have pre-major GPA requirements (business economics, psychology, and communication, for example) include statistics within the pre-major. UCSB offers several lower-division statistics courses: PSTAT 5A and 5E, Psychology 5, Communication 87, EEMB 30, and Geography 17. Given that you can only take one of these courses, you should select the one preferred by your desired major. Getting a good grade in this course is very important. If you earn less than a C and want to repeat the course to improve your statistics grade, you must repeat the same course. This can be a problem if you decide to pursue a new major, because the statistics course being repeated may not be the one preferred by your newly chosen major, but it is the only one that you will be permitted to take.

Remember, you are required to have a declared major by the time you have earned 90 units (excluding units earned prior to high school graduation). Declaring a pre-major will suffice temporarily, but several of the majors that have pre-majors require that you establish eligibility for the full major by the time you complete 144 units (the same exclusion for courses taken during high school applies). These regulations are intended to help you complete a degree in a reasonable time frame, but if you put off essential courses or have chronic difficulty in key pre-major courses, you may have to choose a very different major than the one you originally planned on.

So, if you're thinking of taking a GE course, or one a friend recommends, or one that just fits nicely into your schedule, ask yourself these questions:

Will this course play a clear role in my goal of fulfilling pre-major requirements?
Will taking this course add units that aren't directly related to my intended major, possibly putting me over the unit requirement before I complete required pre-major courses?
Given that grades are important, are the pre-major courses listed for my intended major the kind of courses I do well in?

One final tip: if you don't get the needed grades for one pre-major, it's probably best to begin looking for a major that does not have a pre-major GPA requirement.

Additional Resources...

Use the UCSB General Catalog to review requirements for majors that interest you. Look at course descriptions, too.
The General Catalog is updated every year and is also available to view online at http://www.catalog.ucsb.edu
Visit department offices for majors that interest you and talk to staff and faculty.

L&S Majors with Pre-Major Requirements

Aquatic Biology
Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
Biological Sciences
Biopsychology
Business Economics
Cell and Developmental Biology
Communication
Computer Science
Ecology and Evolution
Economics
Economics - Mathematics
Financial Mathematics and Statistics
Law and Society (entry to this major is now closed)
Mathematical Sciences
Mathematics
Microbiology
Pharmacology
Physiology
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
Zoology

Calendar of Events

November 14, 2007, 6:00 p.m.
1110 North Hall

The UCSB Washington Center (UCDC) Program Informational Meeting

This program offers a special opportunity for UCSB students to undertake an internship in our nation’s capital while receiving full academic credit for the quarter. Students live in a state-of-the-art residential facility in downtown DC. The UC Washington Center sponsors a variety of lectures, excursions, and other activities that are open to all members of the UC Washington community. Come hear what the UCDC program can offer you.
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November 28, 2007, 2:00 p.m.
2111 North Hall

National Security Education Program (NSEP) Scholarship Workshop

The NSEP Boren Scholarships are available to degree-seeking undergraduates planning to study abroad. NSEP provides a unique funding opportunity for U.S. students to study in world regions critical to U.S. interests (including Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America & the Caribbean, and the Middle East). Scholarships are now available for study abroad Summer 2008 through Spring 2009. Come hear what NSEP can offer you.
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November 28, 2007, 5:00 p.m.
1110 North Hall

The UCSB Washington Center (UCDC) Program Informational Meeting

Wednesday, January 14, 2008

Academic Advising and
Orientation for all New
Undergraduate Students

If you are interested in attending this orientation session, please look for a separate email from Orientation Programs detailing information about times and locations. Call (805) 893-2197 if you do not receive this information. The email will include instructions for reserving space in the session. Students who are unable to attend this session should plan to meet with an advisor from their college. (A special orientation for parents of new students will be offered in addition to student advising on November 14, 2007.)
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Monday, January 28 through Thursday, January 31, 2008

Need Help Choosing a Major?

Come to drop in hours at the College of Letters and Science. An academic advisor will meet with you to answer your questions including how to choose a major, how to declare your major, double majors, minors and sources of assistance.

Drop in hours for undeclared students:
Mon, January 28, 1-3pm
Tues, January 29, 10am-12noon
Wed, January 30, 1:30-3:30pm
Thurs, January 31, 9-11am

Drop-ins are on a first come, first served basis.
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