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Pierce College Guide toUCLA College of Letters & Science MajorsInformation contained in this guide was updated as of spring 2016 and obtained from:UCLA General Catalog 2015-16: -16/uclageneralcatalog15-16.pdfUCLA Profile of Admitted Transfer Students Fall 2015: https://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/adm tr/Tr Prof.htmUCLA Undergraduate Admission Website: major.htmUCLA New Student & Transition Programs: http://cis.ucla.edu/studyArea/index.htm
Tips from the UCLA Undergraduate Admissions Officefor choosing a major:1) Think about your educational / career goal – Ask yourself if a specific major is really requiredfor your educational or career goal. Look for majors that interest you and will also make you amore competitive applicant.2) Do your research – Do not assume that you need a specific major for your career or graduateschool goals, research the requirements on the professional school admissions websites andcheck with potential employers.3) Look for similar majors – Many majors have the same major prep requirements for transfer listedon assist.org indicating that the foundation of the major is similar. For example if you have aninterest in pre-Psychology, also consider Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, or Sociology.4) Look for majors you are most competitive for – Review the admit rate & GPA range for yourmajor on the UCLA Profile of Admitted Transfer Students and see where you stand. Thencompare the statistics for related majors to see which gives you a competitive edge.5) Consider other ways to study what you want – UCLA offers over 80 different minors which youcan apply for after you transfer. There are also over 1,000 clubs and organizations that you canjoin. Other opportunities to engage in your areas of interest include internships, volunteer work,travel study, study abroad, and research with faculty even outside of your department.6) Join the Honors Transfer Program – As a Transfer Alliance Program (TAP) participant (throughthe Pierce Honors Transfer Program) you are given priority consideration for admission to theCollege of Letters and Sciences and also if you are not selected for admission to your first choicemajor, UCLA review your application for an alternate major.Other tips for using this guide:After reading the brief description of the major listed on this guide, click on the website link to the departmentfor more information on the major and explore the following:1) What coursework is required for completion of the major? Use the UCLA General Catalog to read thecourse descriptions to see if the topics are of interest to you.2) What types of research opportunities are available for undergraduates? Most websites have a“research” tab that highlights opportunities for students to engage in research.3) What are the research interests of faculty in the department? If you are thinking of graduate school inthe future, developing a connection with faculty members in your major is critical for the applicationprocess. Professors usually have websites that you can find through the department.Last update Spring 2016Page 2 of 15
African American Studies B.A.http://www.afam.ucla.edu/A major or minor in this field provides a broadening of culturalexperiences and perspectives for those seeking moreinformation about African Americans and the African Diaspora.Career-wise, all students profit from African American studiescourses in an era when employers and academic institutionsare actively seeking those with multicultural andinterdisciplinary skills and backgrounds. The major offers astreamlined opportunity to study the origins, experiences, andconditions of people of African descent. Majors take corecourses in African-American Studies that address thechallenges that African-Americans face in the U.S and world.To graduate with a demonstrable skill set, majors also take sixcourses in their area of disciplinary concentration (such asEnglish, History, or Political Science, etc.).2016 Admit Rate 56% GPA range 3.0-3.50African and Middle Eastern Studies B.A. demics/intlareastudies/The African & Middle Eastern Studies Major, part of theInternational & Area Studies IDP, allows students to analyzethe area (or a sub region, e.g., the Middle East, North Africa,the Arab states, Sub-Saharan Africa) from an interdisciplinaryand modern perspective. The major seeks to ground studentsin broad international issues which they can then use to focuson particular concerns of that part of the world.2016 Admit Rate 33% GPA range 3.27-3.50American Indian Studies B.A.http://www.americanindianstudies.ucla.edu/The American Indian Studies undergraduate degree isdesigned for students who wish to explore American IndianStudies from a broad viewpoint. Our program of study ishoused in the College of Letters and Science with a group ofrelated courses from various disciplines germane to AmericanIndian studies. The major is considered a capstonemajor which not only requires students to engage in aninternship within the American Indian community at large, butprompts students to take initiative in writing a capstone thesis.The minor exposes students to Indian-related research andliterature in a number of different disciplines, such as AmericanIndian studies, anthropology, economics, history, politicalscience, sociology, and theater.2016 Admit Rate 45% GPA range 3.25-3.63American Literature and Culture duate/programs-a-courses-/54-litculThe American Literature and Culture major is great forstudents with an enthusiasm for imaginative literature, a desireto become a more proficient and intelligent reader and writer, aconviction that a deeper, broader understanding of culture isimportant. The major aspires to nurture the kinds ofthoughtfulness essential for an intelligent, diverse, andharmonious society, a society that appreciates traditionswithout following them blindly. The reading and the writing inthe major develops the ability to think critically and creatively,and to express ideas clearly and forcefully, provides a detailedknowledge of several cultural traditions, offers exposure tomany related areas of study (including history, psychology,philosophy, linguistics, sociology, art history, and religiousstudies), and prepares students for graduate and professionalwork in a wide variety of fields.2016 Admit Rate 64% GPA range 3.22-3.56Last update Spring 2016Ancient Near East and Egyptology B.A.http://www.nelc.ucla.edu/The study of the ancient Near East provides students withlanguage training in one ancient language and basicinformation about the ancient Near East as a whole. There arefour options for a major in Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations:Mesopotamia, Egypt, Near Eastern archaeology and cultures,and biblical studies.2016 Admit Rate 0% GPA range not availableAnthropology pology is a field that examines the human condition inthe broadest possible scope. Integrating approaches that spanthe social and natural sciences as well as the humanities,anthropology studies human beings in all of their diversity andsimilarity across space and time. Students are well positionedto pursue careers in research and teaching in both universityand museum settings. They also develop skills that can leadthem to further postgraduate training in other social scientificfields, the humanities, and biological sciences. Training inanthropology also often provides a valuable background forprofessional careers in government, business, advertising, law,medicine, and various social, clinical, and health relatedservices.2016 Admit 57% GPA range 3.40-3.81Anthropology B.S.http://www.anthro.ucla.edu/undergraduateThe B.S. degree resembles the B.A. degree in its courserequirements within the Department of Anthropology, but addscourses offered by other departments in the physical sciences,life sciences, mathematics, and statistics. Blending the richunderstanding of the human experience provided by a broadeducation in anthropology with a solid grounding in basicscience, this degree is ideal for students planning to pursuecareers in medicine, scientific anthropology, dentistry, publichealth, nursing, forensic science, and similar fields.2016 Admit Rate 23% GPA range 3.50-3.71Arabic B.A.http://www.nelc.ucla.edu/programs.htmlThe study of Arabic opens the door to the rich history andculture of the Middle East and North Africa. Classical Arabic isthe language of religion. Modern standard Arabic is thelanguage of formal culture and the communication media. TheArabic dialects are the language of daily life. The major inArabic introduces students to each of these varieties of Arabicand to their respective literatures.2016 Admit Rate 30% GPA range 3.36-3.57Art History ergraduateArt History provides a humanistic and intellectual foundation forthe historian through courses in history and theory. Thecurriculum attempts to help students understand the visual artsin their contexts. Emphasis is placed on the social, political,historical and religious contexts of art; visual analysis is alsostressed. Art History majors are required to take courses in avariety of areas, both Western and non-Western. Majorsfrequently work in art-related fields or in art itself in artgalleries, auction houses, art libraries and stores dealing withart works and/or supplies, art-oriented positions such as tourguides, administrative buyers and art consultants. The majorprovides an excellent background for students planning furthereducation in professional or graduate schools.2016 Admit Rate 51% GPA range 3.45-3.82Page 3 of 15
Asian American Studies B.A.http://www.asianam.ucla.edu/As a multi-disciplinary field, our undergraduate programexamines the histories, contemporary realities, and diverseexperiences of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans. Thetopical range of such examination includes immigration andDiaspora; community work and development; race, gender,and generational dynamics; social activism; cultural activityand production (including digital media and creativeexpression); political participation; and transnationalencounters. Students enrolled in an organized undergraduatemajor other than Asian American Studies may pursue a minorin the field.2016 Admit Rate 31% GPA range 3.30-3.74Asian Humanities inors/This major is designed to bring students to an advanceddegree of proficiency in an East, South, or Southeast Asianlanguage, while simultaneously providing a broad backgroundin aspects of the humanistic study of Asia. Such training caninclude coursework on Asian religions or cultures, but can alsoinclude work on ancient history, or more contemporary topics.Students who complete the degree will have a compellingcombination of language abilities with skills necessary toengage with various aspects of multiple Asian societies. Themajor is designed to ensure some degree of comparative studyacross Asia, which provides students a depth often not foundin single-area majors.2016 Admit Rate 65% GPA range 3.45-3.84Asian Religions inors/This major is designed to bring students to an advanceddegree of proficiency in an East, South, or Southeast Asianlanguage, while simultaneously providing a broad backgroundin the study of multiple religious traditions in Asia. Students arerequired to study religions in at least four countries or areasacross Asia. This provides them with a combination of stronglanguage skills and the ability to analyze and interpret multiplereligious traditions in a part of the world where religion stillmatters enormously in many facets of life.2016 Admit Rate 17% GPA range 3.42-3.61Asian Studies B.A. s/intlareastudies/The Asian Studies Major, part of the International & AreaStudies Interdepartmental Program IDP, allows students toanalyze the area (or a sub region, e.g., East Asia, SoutheastAsia, South Asia, Central Asia) from an interdisciplinary andmodern perspective. The major seeks to ground students inbroad international issues which they can then use to focus onparticular concerns of that part of the world.2016 Admit Rate 55% GPA range 3.51-3.79Astrophysics dmissionsAstrophysics is the application of physics to the cosmos andanswers questions concerning the nature, workings, origin, andevolution of the universe. Marketable skills acquired includeanalytical thinking, problem-solving, understanding of thephysical universe, a strong foundation in mathematics, andfamiliarity with technical scientific equipment and computing.Careers include academic, governmental, or corporateresearch, engineering, teaching, hardware and softwaredevelopment. Majors are often accepted to medical and lawschools.2016 Admit Rate 20% GPA range 3.62-3.79Last update Spring 2016Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Environmental Sciences ate/aoesmajorThe atmospheric and oceanic sciences present a wide varietyof problems of compelling scientific interest and increasingsocial concern. This is exemplified by efforts to improve airquality, depredations caused by severe storms and floods,attempts to control or modify weather phenomena, problems oflong range weather forecasts, climate change, and predictions,and expanding scientific frontiers into our outer atmosphereand atmospheres of other planets. The Department ofAtmospheric and Oceanic Sciences offers a broad curriculumin dynamic and synoptic meteorology, atmospheric physicsand chemistry, and upper atmosphere and space physics. Thedegree qualifies students for entry-level technical positions orrepresents valuable background for training in otherprofessions.2016 Admit Rate 25% GPA range 3.55-3.74Biochemistry entsBiochemistry is concerned with the composition, structure, andproperties of substances, the transformations of thesesubstances into others by reactions, and the kinds of energychanges that accompany these reactions. The department isorganized in four interrelated and overlapping sub disciplinesthat deal primarily with the chemistry of inorganic substances(inorganic chemistry), the chemistry of carbon compounds(organic chemistry), the chemistry of living systems(biochemistry), and the physical behavior of substances inrelation to their structures and chemical properties (physicalchemistry). The Biochemistry major is for students preparingfor careers in biochemistry or other fields requiring extensivepreparation in both chemistry and biology and satisfies many ofthe requirements of pre-medical and other pre-professionalschools.2016 Admit Rate 27% GPA range 3.69-3.94Biology B.S. [2]https://www.eeb.ucla.edu/undergraduate.phpThe Biology major is designed for students with a broadinterest in biology who desire to pursue careers in a widerange of biological and related fields. It provides excellentbackground preparation for postgraduate training in medicineand other health sciences, in tracks leading to academic andpublic service careers in biology, in biological industries, andeven in nonbiological careers such as business, agriculture,and law. Emphasis is on breadth of training to expose studentsto all levels of modern biology.2016 Admit Rate 20% GPA range 3.62-3.87Biophysics dmissionsThis major provides the scientific training in physics plusstudies in molecular biology, both necessary for intellectualintegration of those two fields. Molecular biophysics isemerging as an important area of scientific research and aimsat understanding the complicated behavior of microbiologicaland macromolecular systems. The goal of the Biophysicsmajor is to provide students with the undergraduatebackground to enable them to enter graduate programs inbiophysics, molecular biology, and physics.2016 Admit Rate 38% GPA range 3.62-4.0Page 4 of 15
Business Economic B.A. [1,2,3]http://www.econ.ucla.edu/undergraduate/The Business Economics B.A. program offers a major forstudents seeking a business orientation in their study ofeconomics. It does not replicate the traditional undergraduatebusiness school curriculum. Instead, it offers a more tightlyfocused curriculum that is guided by the rigorous logic andintegrative perspective of economics. It is designed to preparestudents for graduate education in business, economics, andlaw. The program requires students to include specific coursesoffered by the department and the John E. Anderson GraduateSchool of Management.2016 Admit Rate 11% GPA range 3.81-4.0Central and East European Languages and Cultures d-minors/The major in Central and East European Languages andCultures is designed to provide students with a mastery of twolanguages of central or eastern Europe and familiarity with theliterature, as well as general background in the cultural,political, and social history of the Slavic peoples.2016 Admit Rate 50% GPA range 3.23-3.23Chemistry entsChemistry is concerned with the composition, structure, andproperties of substances, the transformations of thesesubstances into others by reactions, and the kinds of energychanges that accompany these reactions. The department isorganized in four interrelated sub disciplines that deal primarilywith the chemistry of inorganic substances (inorganicchemistry), the chemistry of carbon compounds (organicchemistry), the chemistry of living systems (biochemistry), andthe physical behavior of substances in relation to theirstructures and chemical properties (physical chemistry). Thereare two concentrations: chemistry and physical chemistry.2016 Admit Rate 29% GPA range 3.63-3.93 (includesChemistry B.S. & General Chemistry B.S.)Chemistry, General entsThe General Chemistry major is for students who wish toacquire considerable background in chemistry in preparationfor careers outside chemistry. The major may be appropriatefor some students who plan to enter professional schools, suchas those of pharmacy, dentistry, or public health and who plancareers in environmental science, patent law, public health, orteaching with an emphasis on science, or other career paths.The major is usually not suitable for students interested inmedical or related professional schools.2016 Admit Rate 29% GPA range 3.63-3.93 (includesChemistry B.S. & General Chemistry B.S.)Chemistry / Material Science entsThe Chemistry/Materials Science major is designed forstudents who are interested in chemistry with an emphasis onmaterial properties and provides students the opportunity togain expertise in both chemistry and the science andengineering in materials such as semiconductors, photonicmaterials, polymers, biomaterials, ceramics, and nano-scalestructures. Students explore the reactivity of such materials indifferent environments and gain understanding of howchemical compositions affect properties. The major providesappropriate preparation for graduate studies in many fieldsemphasizing interdisciplinary research, including chemistry,engineering, and applied science.2016 Admit Rate 22% GPA range 3.50-3.92Last update Spring 2016Chicana and Chicano Studies rementsThe Chicana and Chicano studies field is the systematic andinterdisciplinary analysis and exploration of Mexican-origincommunities in the U.S. It also examines other Latina/Latinoand indigenous populations in the Americas and ways theyinfluence Chicanas and Chicanos and their communities. TheB.A. program is committed t
major on the UCLA Profile of Admitted Transfer Students and see where you stand. Then compare the statistics for related majors to see which gives you a competitive edge. Tips from the UCLA Undergraduate Admissions Office for choosing a major: 1) Think about your educational / career g
