Program Planning for New Students

If you are a new freshman or transfer student who will be starting at UCLA this fall, congratulations!

UCLA has prepared a brief guide outlining what you need to do between your acceptance and the beginning of Fall quarter.

Due to the large number of new students entering each year and our limited resources, we are unable to advise students individually until they have attended either an orientation session or a new student workshop , or after the Fall quarter has begun. Although we may not be able to meet with you now, we invite you to enroll in our Bruin Learn course entitled, “College of L&S Advising: Guide for Academic Planning and Intentional Engagement” to access modules that will navigate you through the Degree Audit Report System, support your major exploration, and help you in your future creation of a two or four year academic plan.

In addition to the above orientation session or new student workshop and our Bruin Learn course, the following points may help with your program planning for Fall. We recommend you make an appointment to speak with a College Academic Mentor once the quarter has begun to review your program plan.

First Year Students

Feel free to review our page on degree requirements to find out what you need to take to earn a UCLA degree from the College of Letters and Science.

You should avoid enrolling in classes for which you already have credit through Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) . For example, If you have a score of 4 or 5 on your Macroeconomics AP exam you should not take Economics 2.

If you have taken community college coursework or coursework from another four-year institution, avoid enrolling in classes that are similar or equivalent to what you’ve already taken. Once the transcripts from these institutions have been posted to your Degree Audit Report, available for review at Orientation, you will be able to see what classes you actually have credit for at UCLA. In the meantime, avoid classes that may simply repeat what you’ve already taken. For example, if you have taken an Introductory Sociology course at a community college or other four-year institution, you should not enroll in Sociology 1 at UCLA.

Some of you already know what your major is so you might want to take some of the major preparation courses. If you don’t yet know your major, you can still explore your options by taking major preparation work in a prospective major. Consult with departmental advisors or departmental web sites for information on preparation and major requirements for majors at UCLA.

Transfer Students

Transfer students should consult with their departmental advisor if considering taking major preparation courses or upper-division major courses prior to Fall quarter. You may also visit your departmental web site for more information. If you have completed CalGETC or IGETC, please be sure to request your CalGETC or IGETC certification from your community college, and ask them to send it directly to UCLA.

If you have not completed CalGETC or IGETC, you may have other degree requirements to satisfy. Once you have attended orientation or a new student workshop , or after the Fall quarter has begun, you should make an appointment with a College Academic Mentor to review your degree requirements and to do additional program planning.