<p>Hello. I am an admitted student planning to attend in the fall.
On my application, I listed my major as Nuclear Engineering, in the College of Engineering. I have decided the Physics major in the College of Letters & Science is a better fit for me.
While both majors will take me to the same career goal (nuclear fusion), the physics major will ultimately serve me better in applying to grad school.
I have found instructions on how to switch majors WITHIN the College of L&S or WITHIN the COE. But I can find nothing on how to switch between schools. Can anyone help?</p>
<p>You probably shouldn’t worry about it so much now. Switching to L&S from another college isn’t too hard from what I’ve heard, and you can get all that done later on once you’re here and taking classes.</p>
<p>[Office</a> of Undergraduate Advising: Change of College](<a href=“http://ls-advise.berkeley.edu/registration/changeofcollege.html]Office”>http://ls-advise.berkeley.edu/registration/changeofcollege.html)</p>
<p>You would go into L&S undeclared unless you have completed the courses to declare the physics major. The physics major is not capped, so you can then declare it as soon as you complete the prerequisite courses (Physics 7A-7B-7C or the honors versions, Math through 53 and 54 or the honors versions).</p>
<p>There is no hurry, since the first year or two of nuclear engineering includes substantially similar courses as physics (including the physics and math courses), so you won’t be “behind”. Some of the additional lower division courses specified for nuclear engineering majors, such as Nuclear Engineering 92 and Engineering 7, may be of interest or use to you anyway if you go into physics emphasizing nuclear reaction subjects. Additional upper division nuclear engineering courses such as Nuclear Engineering 180 may be of interest to you to supplement your physics major.</p>
<p>Ok, thanks a ton for all your help!
So what I understand is, I would need to complete my first semester before applying for a change of college, and then it would be a bit more time to declare a major?</p>
<p>I’m going to revive this thread, because I’ve discovered something new: the Engineering Physics major.
So
Engineering Physics vs Physics (concentration on plasma physics)
Which would
- Allow me to take more nuclear science classes.
- Better prepare me for grad school in the field.
Obviously, the physics degree would give me a better basic background in physics.</p>
<p><a href=“http://coe.berkeley.edu/students/current-undergraduates/advising/EngAnn%2012-13.pdf[/url]”>http://coe.berkeley.edu/students/current-undergraduates/advising/EngAnn%2012-13.pdf</a>
[General</a> Catalog - Physics](<a href=“http://general-catalog.berkeley.edu/catalog/gcc_view_req?p_dept_cd=PHYSICS]General”>http://general-catalog.berkeley.edu/catalog/gcc_view_req?p_dept_cd=PHYSICS)</p>
<p>Both physics and engineering physics allow you to take all of the typical physics and math courses:</p>
<p>Math 1A-1B-53-54
Physics 7A-7B-7C or H7A-H7B-H7C
Physics 137A-137B (quantum mechanics)
Physics 105 (analytic mechanics) (EP allows substituting ME 104)
Physics 112 (statistical and thermal physics) (EP allows substituting E 115)
Physics 110A-110B (electromagnetism) (EP allows substituting EE 117 and EE 119 or BioE 164)
Physics 111 (physics lab) (physics requires 6 units; EP requires 3 units and allows substituting EE 143 or NE 104)
Math 104-185 or 121A-121B (required for EP; recommended for physics)</p>
<p>Note that EP does require at least 14 upper division physics units, 15 upper division engineering units, and 40 total upper division technical units.</p>
<p>EP has additional technical course requirements:</p>
<p>Chemistry 1A-1B or 4A-4B
Engineering 7 or CS 61A
two lower division technical electives
MSE 111 or Physics 141A
additional upper division technical electives</p>
<p>If you intend to take the physics versions of the courses listed above (instead of the substitutions allowed by EP), then the regular physics major may allow more freedom in choosing additional technical courses in NE or other subjects (instead of the more restricted list of technical electives in EP). However, you may want to check whether the NE courses of your interest give registration priority to CoE students over L&S students.</p>