There are four groups of requirements that must be met to earn a baccalaureate degree from UCI. They are general University of California requirements, UCI requirements, school or program requirements, and degree-specific requirements. General University and UCI requirements are described in detail below. School or program and major-specific requirements are described in full in the academic unit sections.
Students with identified learning and/or physical disabilities, including language-acquisition problems, are eligible to receive support through the Office for Disability Services; telephone (714) 824-7494 (voice), 824-6272 (TDD). Staff can assist students from the time they are admitted to UCI until they graduate.
Students enrolled at UCI from their freshman year may elect to meet as graduation requirements (UC, UCI, school, and major): (a) those in effect at the time of entrance; or (b) those subsequently established after entrance.
A readmitted student who has not been enrolled at UCI for three or more consecutive quarters (excluding summer sessions) must adhere to the graduation requirements: (a) in effect for the quarter in which the student is readmitted; or (b) those subsequently established.
Students transferring from other collegiate institutions may elect to meet as graduation requirements either: (a) those in effect at the time of enrollment at UCI; (b) those subsequently established; or (c) those in effect at UCI when the student first entered a previous, accredited collegiate institution, provided that the student has been continuously enrolled in a collegiate institution and that entry was not more than four years prior to the time of enrollment at UCI.
A transfer student who has had a break of enrollment of two consecutive semesters or three consecutive quarters (excluding summer sessions) may follow the requirements in effect at UCI: (a) at the time of enrollment at UCI; (b) those subsequently established; or (c) those in effect at the time of reentry into a previous, accredited collegiate institution, provided that reentry was not more than four years prior to enrollment at UCI.
A transfer student who has been continuously enrolled in college for more than four years prior to transfer may use: (a) the requirements in effect at the time of enrollment at UCI; (b) those subsequently established; or (c) those in effect at UCI four years prior to enrollment at UCI.
Transfer students who complete one of the following options will be considered to have met the total UCI breadth requirement except the upper-division writing requirement: (a) students who transfer from a four-year institution and who have completed the general education requirements of that college, upon approval of petition; (b) students who transfer from another UC campus and have met the general education requirements of that campus (may be completed at UCI if in progress at the time of transfer); or (c) transfer students who have completed the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum prior to transfer.
Every undergraduate must demonstrate upon entrance to the University an acceptable level of ability in English composition.
This requirement may be met before entrance by:
1. Achieving a grade 3, 4, or 5 in either of the two College Board Advanced Placement Examinations in English; or
2. Achieving a score of 660 or better on the SAT II Writing Test (600 if taken prior to May 1995); or
3. Achieving a score of 5 or above on the International Baccalaureate's Higher Level English A Examination; or
4. Entering the University with credentials from another college which show the completion of an acceptable one-quarter (four units) or one-semester (three units) course in English composition with a letter grade of C or better; or
5. Achieving a score of 8 or higher on the University of California writing proficiency examination (Subject A Examination); or
6. Completing the California State University English Equivalency Test with "Pass for two full courses of College English Credit" (this test was discontinued in 1993).
Those students who have not met the Subject A requirement before entrance must satisfy the requirement before the beginning of their fourth quarter at UCI. Students who have not satisfied the requirement by that time will be ineligible to enroll for a fourth quarter.
Students enrolled in Humanities 20A-B-C-D (Writing for Students for Whom English is a Second Language) must enroll in a Subject A course (English and Comparative Literature WR 37, WR 39A, or Humanities 1A S/A) immediately after they are authorized to do so.
The Subject A requirement may be met after admission by one of the following three options:
1. Passing the Universitywide Subject A Examination given in mid-May (and on subsequent dates) to all entering freshmen admitted for fall quarter, 1996 (see Placement Testing). Transfer students who have not satisfied the Subject A requirement should contact the UCI Composition Program Office (220 Humanities Office Building) for evaluation; telephone (714) 824-6717.
2. Enrolling in sections of the Humanities Core Course designated "S/A." (NOTE: Students held for Subject A and enrolled in the Humanities Core must enroll in a S/A section of the Core Course during their first quarter. Successful completion of the writing component of these sections of this course with a letter grade of C or better will satisfy the Subject A requirement. Students who do not receive a letter grade of C or better in Humanities 1A S/A in fall quarter and who continue to be held for Subject A must enroll in Humanities 1B S/A during the winter quarter and satisfy the requirement by earning a letter grade of C or better.)
3. Taking English and Comparative Literature WR 37 or WR 39A and receiving a letter grade of at least a C in that course.
The Pass/Not Pass grade option may not be used to satisfy the Subject A requirement.
Students enrolled at UCI may take only UCI courses in satisfaction of the Subject A requirement. Continuing UCI students may not take summer courses at another institution to satisfy the Subject A requirement.
This requirement may be met by one of the following options:
1. Completion in high school of one year of United States history with grades of C or better, or one semester of United States history and one semester of United States government with grades of C or better.
2. Achieving a score of 3, 4, or 5 on the College Board Advanced Placement Examination in United States History.
3. Achieving a score of 550 or better on the SAT II: American History and Social Studies test (500 or better on tests taken prior to May 1995).
4. Presentation of a certificate of completion of the requirement at another California institution.
5. Completion at another institution of one year of college-level United States history with grades of C or better, or one course in United States history and one in United States government with grades of C or better.
6. Completion at UCI, with a grade of C or better, of one course selected from History 10, 40A, 40B, or 40C and either Political Science 21A or 53A.
Credit for a minimum of 180 quarter units, earned by examination, by other evaluation, or course work is required. A course normally offers four quarter units of credit.
A minimum grade average of at least C (2.0) is required (1) overall, (2) in all of the courses required for the major program, and (3) in the upper-division courses required for the major program. Higher averages than this may be required only in honors programs. Students who fail to attain a C (2.0) average in courses required in the major program may, at the option of the major unit, be denied the privilege of pursuing a major program in that unit. (In this context, "the courses required in the major program" are defined as the courses required for the major and offered by the program of the student's major.)
Credit for the last 36 units of work immediately preceding graduation must be earned in residence at the UCI campus. Exceptions to this rule may be allowed, with prior departmental approval, to students enrolled in the Education Abroad Program.
Among the many possible purposes for breadth requirements, the one that stands out at UCI is that of introducing students to the basic modes of thought that characterize academic disciplines. In order to know ourselves and the world, we need to know first the ways these can and have been known. Thus the breadth requirement at UCI requires students to devote a substantial amount of their course work, especially in their first years, to connected series of courses which provide a coherent experience within such areas as the natural and social sciences, humanistic inquiry and the arts, and the nature of symbolic systems.
Several other aims that UCI regards as especially desirable are consistent with this chief purpose and are embodied to varying degrees in the UCI breadth requirement: to cultivate a historical consciousness of society and culture; to acquaint students with fundamental ways of thinking different from their own or that of their gender, class, and culture with a view to expanding their sense of human possibilities and awakening an awareness of the conditioned nature of their own assumptions about the world; to equip students with a broad understanding of the contemporary world and its cultural, political, scientific, and technological problems; to equip students with the skills essential to understanding and grappling with these problems; to establish bridges and to understand relationships between academic disciplines; and to provide students with some intellectual experiences which virtually all can be assumed to have had in common and thus to introduce them to what, after all, a university has traditionally been supposed first and foremost to be, an intellectual community.
The breadth requirement is a graduation requirement and, with the exception of the lower-division writing requirement, need not be satisfied during only the lower-division years. To satisfy the breadth requirement, courses are required in each of the following categories:
I. Writing
II. Natural Sciences
III. Social and Behavioral Sciences
IV. Humanistic Inquiry
V. Mathematics and Symbolic Systems
VI. Language Other Than English
VII. Multicultural Studies and International/Global Issues
The specific course combinations and sequences in each area which may be used by students to satisfy the requirement are listed below. A number of the courses listed are available in more than one academic unit. When a breadth course is cross-listed with another course, that course also is available for fulfillment of the breadth requirement. Students should refer to the actual descriptions of the courses to determine which are cross-listed.
These course combinations were selected to ensure that students, in meeting the requirement, be exposed to subject matter, problems, and techniques which would serve as a first introduction to an academic area, as well as to a connected set of courses which provide a coherent experience in that academic area.
With the exception of categories I and VII, a student may count toward breadth no more than a year of work taken within the discipline of the major. For example, a student majoring in Philosophy may count no more than three quarter courses in philosophy toward breadth categories II, III, IV, V, or VI.
Students fulfill the UCI breadth requirement by completing courses from the list which follows. Students can select from among a variety of courses, depending upon their area of interest. Some of the course combinations available consist of multiple-quarter courses (such as Chemistry 1A-B-C under the Chemistry subsection of "category II. Natural Sciences"). Multiple-quarter courses are referred to as being "sequential," meaning that the course work in the earlier courses is prerequisite to the later course work. Students must take each part of a sequential course in alphabetical order (e.g., students must take Chemistry 1A before either 1B or 1C). Sequential courses are separated by hyphens. Other course combinations consist of single-quarter courses (e.g., Anthropology 2A, 2B, 2C under the Anthropology subsection of "category III. Social and Behavioral Sciences") which are related to one another but for which no course in the combination is preparatory to any other course in the combination. Single-quarter course combinations may be taken in any order. Single-quarter courses are separated by commas. Semicolons separate complete course combinations.
I. Writing Requirement. Because of the importance of writing in every academic discipline, the University is committed to developing the writing skills of its students at all levels and in all areas. The Writing Requirement expresses this commitment, but the concern for and attention to clear, accurate writing is expected in all courses.
The Writing Requirement consists of three courses beyond the Subject A Requirement. Except where otherwise noted below, students must satisfy the Subject A Requirement prior to fulfilling the Writing Requirement.
Two of the three courses required must be lower-division courses and normally must be completed prior to the junior year (or in the case of transfer students within the first year of residency). The third course must be an upper-division course, and it must be taken only after the successful completion of 90 quarter units (achievement of junior status) and completion of the lower-division requirement.
Students enrolled at UCI may take only UCI courses in satisfaction of the of the lower-division and upper-division writing requirements. Continuing UCI students may not take summer courses at another institution to satisfy lower-division or upper-division writing requirements.
Lower-Division Requirement: The two courses taken to fulfill the lower-division requirement must be completed with a minimum grade of C (or a Pass or Credit grade equivalent to C). Students may select from the courses specified below:
1. English and Comparative Literature WR 39B (Expository Writing) and WR 39C (Argument and Research).
2. English and Comparative Literature WR 37 (Intensive Writing) and WR 39C (Argument and Research). Recommended students only.
3. Two quarters of the writing component of the Humanities Core Course (Humanities 1A-B-C) beyond satisfaction of the Subject A requirement. NOTE: Students held for Subject A and enrolled in the Humanities Core must enroll in a section of the Core Course designated S/A during their first quarter. Successful completion of the writing component of these sections of this course with a letter grade of C or better will satisfy the Subject A requirement. (The Pass/Not Pass grade option may not be used to satisfy Subject A.) For these students, the lower-division writing requirement may be satisfied only in the second and third quarters of the Humanities Core Course. Students who do not receive a C or better in Humanities 1A S/A in fall quarter and continue to be held for Subject A must enroll in Humanities 1B S/A during the winter quarter and satisfy the requirement by earning a letter grade of C or better. The lower-division writing requirement will be satisfied in the second and third quarters of the Humanities Core Course for these students.
4. Students who complete English and Comparative Literature WR 37 or WR 39B with a grade of B (3.0) or better may substitute as the second course of the lower-division Writing Requirement one of the following courses in creative writing or nonfiction and journalism: English and Comparative Literature WR 30, WR 31, WR 32, or WR 38.
Upper-Division Requirement: The course taken to fulfill the upper-division requirement must be completed with a minimum grade of C (or a Pass or Credit grade equivalent to C). The requirement may be satisfied by completing any one of the following:
1. English and Comparative Literature WR139W.
2. An approved upper-division course in nonfiction and journalism or creative writing. Such courses frequently have special prerequisites. Students may not use such a course to satisfy the requirement unless they have attained a B or better in both courses taken to satisfy the lower-division Writing Requirement.
3. An upper-division course designated on a list of approved courses in the quarterly Schedule of Classes as approved for satisfaction of the requirement. NOTE: All courses approved to fulfill the upper-division writing requirement should have a "W" suffix. Students are encouraged to consult the Schedule of Classes or their advisor to determine the current upper-division writing requirement course offerings. If a course on the approved list is offered without the "W" suffix, it does not satisfy the upper-division writing requirement.
4. By examination (refer to the quarterly Schedule of Classes). Juniors and seniors will be exempted from the upper-division course requirement if they successfully complete the Upper-Division Exemption Examination in English Composition. This examination may be taken only once.
Students who fail to attain the required grades in the courses taken in fulfillment of the Writing Requirement should refer to the Academic Regulations and Procedures section for further information.
II. Natural Sciences. Students must select a three-course combination from one of the following areas:
Biological Sciences: Biological Sciences 1A-B and either 1C or 1D
Chemistry: Chemistry 1A-B-C and 1LB-LC or 1LA-LB; H2A-B-C and 1LB-LC
Earth System Science: Any three courses from Earth System Science 10, 20E, 20F, Physics 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D
Interdisciplinary: Biological Sciences H90A-B-C or Chemistry H90A-B-C or Mathematics H90A-B-C or Physics H90A-B-C
Physics: Physics 3A-B-C and 3LB-LC; 5A-B-C and 5LB-LC; H6A-B-C and 5LB-LC; three courses from Physics 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, Earth System Science 10, 20E, 20F; Physics 17A-B plus one course from Physics 16, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D
Social Ecology: Environmental Analysis and Design E1, E3, E5
III. Social and Behavioral Sciences. Students must complete a three-course combination, as follows: (1) an introductory course followed by two additional courses in the same area, or (2) an introductory course followed by a second course in the same area plus an introductory course in another area.
Introductory courses are indicated by an asterisk (*).
EXCEPTION: Although Psychology 11E is not introductory, it may be taken without completion of an approved introductory course.
Anthropology: Anthropology 2A*, 2B*, 2C*, 2D*
Comparative Culture: Social Sciences 70A*, 70B*, 70C*
Economics: Economics 1*, 20A*-B*-C*
Geography: Social Sciences 5A*, 5B*, 5C*, 18A, 18D
Linguistics: Linguistics 3*, 10, 20, 51, 68, 80 (NOTE: Linguistics 3, 10, 20 may be counted toward either category III or V but not both.)
Political Science: Political Science 6A*, 6B*, 6C*, 21A, 31A, 41A, 51A
Psychology:
Psychology 7A*, 9A*-B-C, 11E, 21A, 46A, 55A, 56L, 78A
Psychology and Social Behavior P9*
Sociology 31
Social Ecology:
Criminology, Law and Society J4*, J7*, J40
Environmental Analysis and Design E8*
Social Ecology 10*, H20A*-B*-C*
Social Sciences: Social Sciences 1A*, H1E*-F*-G*, 2A*
Sociology: Sociology 1*, 2*, 3*, 23, 24, 31, 62
IV. Humanistic Inquiry. Students must select a three-course series from one of the following areas:
Arts:
Arts 1A, 1B, 1C
Dance 90A-B-C; 91A-B-C
Drama 40A, 40B, 40C
Music 4A-B-C; 14A-B-C; 40B-C-D
Studio Art 1A-B-C; 10A-B-C
Humanities:
Art History 10A-B-C; 40A, 40B, 40C; 42A, 42B, 42C
Classics 35A, 35B, 35C
East Asian Languages and Literatures 55 (three different topics)
German 50 (three different topics)
History 21A, 21B, 21C; 35A, 35B, 35C; 40A, 40B, 40C; 41A, 41B, 41C; 42A, 42B, 42C; 43A, 43B, 43C; 50 (three different topics)
Humanities 1A-B-C; 5A, 5B, 5C; 51A, 51B, 51C
Philosophy 1, 4, and either 5 or 9; 1, 6, 7; 10, 12, and either 11 or 13
History 60, Philosophy 40, and any one of the following: Philosophy 140, History 135A, 135B, 135C, 135D, 135E, 135F
Russian 50 (three different topics)
Literature:
Classics 50A, 50B, 50C
English and Comparative Literature CL 50A, 50B, 50C; three courses from E 6, E 7, E 8, CL 8;
E 28A or E 28D, E 28B, E 28C or E 28E
Women's Studies:
Women's Studies 50A, 50B, 50C
V. Mathematics and Symbolic Systems. Students must select one of the following three-course combinations:
Anthropology 10A-B-C
Economics 10A-B-C
Information and Computer Science 1A or 21, plus two courses from 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 22, 23; three courses from 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F
Linguistics 3, 10, 20 (NOTE: Linguistics 3, 10, 20 may be counted toward either category V or III but not both.)
Mathematics 2A-B and either 2C, 7, or 13; 6A, 6B, 6C
Philosophy 29, 30A, and either 30B or 31
Psychology 10A-B-C
Social Ecology 166A-B-C
Social Sciences 10A-B-C; 100A-B-C
Sociology 10A-B-C
VI. Language Other Than English. Students must demonstrate competency in a language other than English by completing one of the following options:
A. College-level course work equivalent to UCI's fourth quarter of study in a language other than English. UCI courses approved to satisfy this requirement are:
Chinese 2A
East Asian Languages and Literatures 2A
French 2A, S2AB
German 2A
Greek 25
Italian 2A
Japanese 2A, S2AB
Latin 25
Russian 2A
Spanish 2A, S2AB, 5
For information on UCI's prerequisites and course placement policies, consult the School of Humanities, Foreign Language Placement section in this Catalogue.
B. Credit for four years of high school study or its equivalent in a single language other than English with a C average or better in the fourth year.
C. A score of 4 or 5 on a College Board Advanced Placement Examination in a language other than English.
D. A score of 620 or better on a College Board SAT II examination in a language other than English, with the exception of SAT II: Modern Hebrew for which a score of 540 or better is required. (A score of 600 or better is required for all tests taken prior to May 1995.)
E. Completion of an approved course of study in one of the following Education Abroad Programs (EAP): Austria, Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand. (Consult the Center for International Education for other EAP courses of study which also may fulfill this requirement).
F. The equivalent as determined by an appropriate and available means of evaluation. For information on availability of such examinations and testing schedules, consult the Testing, Research, and Evaluation Office, Student Services II, (714) 824-6207. If an appropriate means of evaluating competence in a non-English language of instruction does not exist, satisfactory completion, with a C average or better, of two years of formal schooling at the sixth grade level or higher in an institution where the language of instruction is not English will meet the requirement. Appropriate documentation must be presented to substantiate that the course work was completed.
VII. Multicultural Studies and International/Global Issues. Students must select one course in multicultural studies and one course on international/global issues from the following lists. In fulfilling category VII, students may use courses which are also being used in fulfillment of other breadth categories. For example, Anthropology 2A simultaneously satisfies category VII-B and a portion of category III. In addition, VII-B may be fulfilled by one quarter's participation in the Education Abroad Program (EAP).
Multicultural Studies (VII-A):
Anthropology 85A, 125X, 136K, 138R, 161T
Classics 175
Education 124, 171
English and Comparative Literature CL 9, CL 105, E 105
Environmental Analysis and Design E15, E102
History 15A, 15B, 15C, 146A, 146B, 146C, 148A, 148B, 150, 151A, 151B, 152
Humanities 1C, 51A, 51B, 51C, 60A, 60B, 60C
Music 78A, 78B
Philosophy 131E
Psychology 174A, 174B, 174E
Spanish 100E, 110C, 140A, 140B, 142, 143
Social Sciences 70A, 70B, 70C, 70T, 78A, 78B, 78C, 170B, 170C, 170E, 170F, 171F, 172B, 172C, 172D, 172E, 173F, 173G, 173H, 173I, 173K-L, 175A, 175B, 178B, 178C, 178D, 178E
Sociology 63, 65, 161
Women's Studies 50A, 50B, 50C, 51, 150, 160, 161, 162, 163, 170CE, 170CF, 170SA, 170SB, 170SG, 171A, 171B, 171C, 173B, 180D, 180L, 181A, 183C, 197
International/Global Issues (VII-B):
Anthropology 2A, 60A, 121A, 121D, 121H, 125A, 125B, 125P-Q, 126N, 135A, 135H, 138O, 138P, 138Q, 160M, 162A, 163A, 163G, 163H, 163K, 164K, 164L, 174A
Art History 40A, 40B, 40C, 42A, 42B, 42C
Chinese 3A-B-C, 100A-B-C, 101A-B-C, 115, 180
Classics 176
Dance 90A-B-C, 91A-B-C
Drama 40A, 40B, 40C
East Asian Languages and Literatures 3A-B-C, 55, 110, 117, 120, 130, 150, 155, 160, 180, 190
Economics 148D, 152A, 152P-Q
English and Comparative Literature CL 40A, CL 40B, CL 40C
Environmental Analysis and Design E116, E143U
Film Studies 160
French 101A-B-C, 110, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 125, 127, 139, 150, 160
German 50, 100A-B-C, 101, 102A, 102B, 117, 118, 119, 120, 150, 160
History 11, 21A, 21B, 21C, 41A, 41B, 41C, 42A, 42B, 42C, 43A, 43B, 43C, 50, 101, 110A, 110B, 110C, 112C, 112D, 114, 116A, 116B, 117A, 117B, 118A, 118B, 118C, 120A, 120B, 120C, 120D, 122A, 122B, 122C, 124A, 124B, 126A, 126B, 126C, 127A, 127B, 127C, 128, 130A, 130B, 158A, 158B, 158C, 161A, 161B, 161C, 169, 170A, 170B, 170C, 171A, 171B, 171C, 172, 173, 174, 175, 177, 178
Humanities 5A, 5B, 30
Italian 100A-B, 101A, 101B, 101C, 160
Japanese 3A-B-C, 100A-B, 101A-B-C, 115, 180
Linguistics 1
Philosophy 117A
Political Science 6A, 41A, 42A, 146A, 147A, 151A, 151B, 151C, 151D, 151F, 152B, 152C, 152D, 152F, 154B, 154C
Portuguese 140A
Russian 50, 100A-B-C, 101A-B-C, 150, 151, 152
Spanish 10A-B, 44, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D, 110A, 110B, 116, 121, 130A, 130B, 130C, 131A, 131B, 131C, 150, 160, 185
Social Sciences 172F, 176A
Sociology 44, 77, 165A, 175A, 175B, 177A
Women's Studies 170EC, 170EJ, 170FA, 170FB, 170FC, 170GA, 170GB, 170GC, 170GD, 170GH, 170GJ, 170SD, 170SE, 170SF, 171F, 180A, 180B, 180E, 180F
In addition to the University and UCI requirements listed above, each undergraduate student must satisfy the degree requirements for the major and, if applicable, the minor or concentration selected. UCI, school, and departmental or major and minor requirements may overlap; courses taken to fulfill a school or departmental requirement (e.g., the physics course requirement in the School of Biological Sciences) may also help fulfill the UCI breadth requirement. Students are urged to make sure that they understand how many courses are permitted to satisfy more than one requirement. Information on specific degree requirements and courses is available in the academic unit sections of this Catalogue.
Students should have declared a major no later than the beginning of their junior year, having made certain that the background and the preparation prerequisite to junior and senior work in the major have been accomplished. Transfer students should read the section on Information for Transfer Students: Fulfilling Requirements for a Bachelor's Degree.
Students should note that with the exception of courses designated Pass/Not Pass Only, courses taken Pass/Not Pass may not be used to satisfy specific course requirements of the student's school and major, unless authorized by the appropriate dean. Additional information on grading is located in the Academic Regulations and Procedures section.
For certification in a minor, a student must obtain a minimum overall grade point average of at least C (2.0) in all courses required for the minor program. No more than two courses applied to a minor may be taken Pass/Not Pass. Completion of the minor is noted on a student's transcript.
Students are not required to minor in a program in order to graduate from UCI.
In order to receive a degree, an undergraduate student should file an Application for Graduation at the appropriate dean's office, preferably during the first quarter of the senior year, but no less than six months before the expected day of graduation. Specific deadline dates for filing an Application for Graduation are established quarterly by each academic unit so that candidates' academic records can be reviewed to verify that all graduation requirements have been met. These dates vary among academic units. Students should contact their academic counselors for deadline dates.
