Changing majors after transferring to UC?

<p>I am planning to transfer to UCSB, UCI, and UCD in Fall of 2015. I was originally a pharmacology major but I was sorrt of set back from some remedial classes I had to take my first semester of community college. My current GPA is a 3.2 with just the UC transferable classes and a 3.5 including the remedials. It is still possible to transfer with all my pre-reqs for pharmacology but it would mean taking ochem, bio, genphysics 1, and calc 2 all together next semester. I talked to my counselor and she said that that was just ridiculous to do. I honestly do not want to stay in community college for 3 years because I feel like the more I stay here, the more I feel like I'm not getting out. My counselor recommended that I do what some people were discussing on here saying to switch my major temporarily to like Psychology and when I transfer out to the UC switch my major back to pharmacology or say I'm a double major. I've heard people do this but it just sounds so sketchy to me for somereason. I just want to know if any of that is possible? Like the ease of switching your major once you transfer to a UC. </p>

<p>Yes and No. Majors like Bio and such have no way out for schools like UCI. ( I know more stuff on UCI than the others) but that is what I am planning to do. However, keep in mind that if you have not finished those prereqs for pharm, you’re giving yourself another year minimum at a UC. For a total of 3 years at a UC. Ask each school about their requirements for changing majors. Heres the one for UCI
<a href=“http://www.changeofmajor.uci.edu”>http://www.changeofmajor.uci.edu</a></p>

<p>@Mik194 What do you mean for no way out? As in you can’t switch back to a bio major? I heard its impossible to do that for UCLA/B/SD. And do you recommend staying in community for another year or considering the other option my counselor suggested?</p>

<p>If you didn’t get admitted as a bio major, you can’t apply for psychology and then try to switch to bio because (for UCI at least and im assuming for the others) its stated that if you didn’t get in as a bio major you can’t switch to that major. </p>

<p>---- personally, I am going to transfer. Just because I can’t get my 2nd general chem class and its been my second year. I just had a hard time getting science classes at community college. Another option is that, you can fulfill a major in something similarly related such as public health or something different such as Psychology and still complete the prereqs for pharm/med school or whatever it is that you want to do. You will be viewed the same in regards to your MCAT etc scores. Hope this helps :)</p>

<p>The only Bio pre-reqs that UCSB requires are the plant/animal/cell Bio and Chem 1 & 2 completed by the end of the spring w/ a 2.7 GPA. If you will have that done then you can come in as a Pre-Bio Pharmacology major. Perhaps you can take some summer courses to get more pre-reqs done before the fall. Just don’t change your major out of Bio, if you don’t come in as a Bio major you will not the opportunity to switch after transfer. You can always change out if it doesn’t work out, but not the other way around.</p>

<p>

You’re going to have to spend some time looking it up on the websites of each campus you are considering. There is no rule that applies globally. Some allow it, some don’t, it might be easier at some places than others. Seeing as how this is just your freshman year you should be keeing an eye out for when the UC reps from various campuses come to your CC. Go talk to them. UCSB even has online transfer chat sessions, the other campuses might too. </p>

<p>Here at UC Davis, changing your major is ridiculously easy (well, if you’re not switching into a major in the College of Engineering, that is. Switching into an engineering major requires more work). All you have to do is wait until winter quarter and then obtain a Major Change petition form. If you are changing to a major in the same college, then two advisors’ signatures (one from your current adviser and one from an adviser for the major you are switching to) is all you need. If you are switching to a major in a different college, then you would need both adviser’s signatures as well as signatures from the dean of the college you are currently in and the dean of the college your new intended major is in. </p>

<p>Also, UC Davis isn’t particularly strict about whether prerequisites are done. When I transferred in, I only had half the Bio series and none of the O-Chem series done. </p>

<p>Thank you all so much for this new information!! @Mik194 My main goal right now though is prepping myself for pharm/med school, so if I just fulfill the pre-reqs for pharm/med school I should still be able to get in right? And @sopranokitty are prereqs harder once you transfer out of community college? I’ve been told to finish as much prereqs before I transfer as much as possible because once I transfer to a UC the material will be so much harder</p>

<p>It depends on the course and who teaches it. I’ve heard a range of people saying that the material taught at a uC is harder to people saying they found the material to be easier than community college. For me, it was a mixture of difficulty. Some material were easier for me to grasp (for example, the last quarter of O-Chem was much more easy for me to understand and grasp than the first two quarters) and some were harder. </p>