Changing To/Adding On Majors At Cal (Specifically Capped Ones)

<p>I want to add on or switch to Media Studies at UC Berkeley.
Do any of you also want to change majors?
To an Impacted or capped major?
Have you thought about how you're going to do it?</p>

<p>To current Cal students who've done this, is it really as easy as simply declaring the major if you meet all the requirements to declare?
Do you have to submit additional material to your major declaration form for capped majors?
Can the capped major departments reject your major declaration even if you meet all the requirements, just because you didn't apply for the major in the November UC application?</p>

<p>Bump, anyone?</p>

<p>I got in for Legal Studies but I want to switch to Econ. I have all the math requirements completed already and either way both majors are under L&S. I’m really not sure what it entails, since I know that people admitted under the Econ major are not even considered Econ majors until they take and pass certain classes first semester. From that point, they petition into the Econ major. I’m wondering then, can I just take whatever classes are required for an Econ major even though I’m technically a Legal Studies major and then petition into the Econ department? Or is there more to it than that?</p>

<p>I’d also like to see this answered. </p>

<p>I want to switch to or add the history major (which isn’t capped), and I declared anthropology on my application. Since I only have 1/4 of the prerequisites done, I’ll take 2 or 3 more during the summer if possible.</p>

<p>@emilsinclair: If you see this post (you probably won’t, lol), please help us!!!</p>

<p>I don’t know but attend CalSO and ask questions?</p>

<p>Do we have to declare a major at CalSO?</p>

<p>i got in as math but switched to econ in my first semester and then declared math my 2nd for a double. its really easy to do as long as you fulfill all the requirements. I think for econ and media studies you must declare the first semester so it means you need all the prereqs done by then. For econ, you have to maintain a 3.0 in the econ prereqs your first semester and you’re pretty much in. For a major that isn’t capped, you just fill out some forms once you finish the prereqs and then you’ll be declared.</p>

<p>@JetForcegeminix: Thanks so much for your reply!
Did you have to ask the Econ adviser for permission and explain your situation, etc. to switch? Or were you able to declare just like a student who applied for Econ in the UC application?</p>

<p>And another question: This may sound stupid, but will the department get angry at you for declaring an impacted major (which are usually more competitive to get into) when you didn’t apply for it? Or will they even know/care what major you applied for?</p>

<p>^ considering econ majors have to apply for the apply once they’re at cal, i don’t think administration minds much. plus, they know people have a change of heart about majors, etc.
and from what emilsinclair has said, you should be able to switch to media studies no problem, especially since you have the pre-reqs down, correct? and even if it is capped. so just take MS10 in your first semester, or even in the summer to be at an advantage.
good luck @deanzatransfer =)</p>

<p>you don’t have to explain anything. You just follow the instructions to apply for the major like the other econ admits. Also, no one cares if you want to switch majors. In fact, there are workshops for transfers who want to switch majors. So its actually encouraged because they don’t want you stuck in a major that you actually don’t like. If you goto CalSo, they have major specific advising and i recommend you go to advising for the major you want to switch into instead of the major you were admitted as.</p>

<p>Ok so just sign up for the classes that Econ majors need to take first semester in order to declare the major and then petition during first semester into the Econ department. Thanks jetforce :)</p>

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<p>I’m an Economics Spring Admit and would like to double major in Economics and Math. How is the Economics and Math double major working for you? How many semesters after the transfer is it taking you to complete the double major? What’s the highest level of math you completed before transferring? How are the math/econ courses?</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

<p>I have a question about adding a major too. It might sound kind of dumb but… I got in for political science and I’m thinking about adding Legal studies as my second major. The only prereq I haven’t finished for that is Econ 1B. Would it be okay to take that over summer qtr at my cc or is it not possible to add that major since I didn’t fulfill requirements by Spring?</p>

<p>The math/econ major is a pretty common double major and its not that difficult to complete. Its definitely possible to graduate in less than 4 semesters but i’m taking an extra semester to finish up some more graduate courses. I took all the lower div math classes prior to transferring. </p>

<p>Also, the classes really depend on your teacher for math. For econ, it depends whether or not you take the technical econ courses (101A/B,141) or the more qualitative ones. Its easier to get an A in the technical courses (something like 50% A/A-) but the coursework will be much more difficult and your classmates will set the mean to be pretty high usually since they’ll all be econ majors with stat/engineering/math/cs double. There are very few vanilla econ majors in those courses because they’re meant for students who are going to goto graduate school.</p>

<p>@ JetForce and mytime: Thank you guys so much! I’m so glad that it really is possible to switch your major at Cal! I applied for my major after having been in college only for ~half a year (I started in winter quarter 2010). I really didn’t intend to switch majors after transfer when I applied, but now I’m having second thoughts about my major (Linguistics). I thoroughly read all the information I could find on the Media Studies major at Cal, and it seems like a perfect fit for me (I didn’t even know about the major at the time I applied).
I hope this all works out! I’ll definitely keep everyone here on CC updated :))</p>

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<p>B.A. MATHEMATICS/APPLIED MATHEMATICS: MATH 7, 8, 10, 11; MATH 13 and 15</p>

<p>Wow… I’ve only completed Math 8… the only thing holding back my transfer were the math requirements. You completed 10, 11; 13 and 15? Maybe I should minor in math.</p>

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<p>I seem to be halfway there. Hmmm… the only difference in in lower-division courses between the minor and major seem to be Mathematics 55 Discrete Mathematics… then how do MATH 7, 8, 10, 11; MATH 13 and 15 translate to Berkeley?</p>

<p>Oh… so Mathematics 54 Linear Algebra & Differential Equations is Math 13 and Math 15…</p>

<p>I’m interested in adding Media Studies as a major too. I wish there was a minor option, though. I was thinking of asking at the welcome reception since this is may be a deciding factor on picking Cal for me :)</p>

<p>@dezziner: We should ask together! I’ll PM you.</p>