In Dilemma - Changing Major at UCLA

<p>As of now, I have finished almost all of my major's (International Development Studies) pre-reqs, remaining maybe one or two. Today, I suddenly had the desire to change to Engineering, nothing in particular yet. I just thought that it would be better in the long-term. So I checked out assist.org and saw that I completed only one or two majors for any major in the Engineering department at UCLA. I was all excited and happy to finally transfer out of CC, but now I am just lost. </p>

<p>So the bottom line is I want to do Engineering, and lost in whether changing into Engineering after I get in with IDS major would be possible, taking into account that I might graduate a year or two later. Staying one more year at CC would be my very last resort, perhaps would not even consider it. So would there be any way, or even an easier way (like major in something other than IDS, simply because it would get me a greater chance of switching into Engineer after I transfer) for me to change my major to Engineer after I transfer?</p>

<p>Probably no chance of changing into engineering if you don’t have the pre-reqs.</p>

<p>Either start the pre-reqs now at UCLA. Summer started this week but you can still register. Take all entire physics series and as much as math as possible then try to change some time next year.</p>

<p>Or you can just stay at CC another year and finish your physics/math series and apply next year.</p>

<p>Fyi, I have not transferred yet and will be applying this fall. So are you saying that after I transfer, if I take all of pre-reqs for engineering there, I will be able to change into engineering? If so, will I also be able to take some pre-reqs at CC’s during summer?</p>

<p>Would you advise me to take some engineering pre-reqs this fall and spring prior to transferring, although UCLA would notice that they have no relation to the major I applied to? Or should I just focus on IDS and transferring, then switch over to doing pre-reqs for engineering after I transfer?</p>

<p>^
If you are not transferring now… Then just apply for engineering in the fall… </p>

<p>Take as many pre-reqs as you can and hope for the best.</p>

<p>If you don’t get again then try next year.</p>

<p>I wouldn’t try to get in another major then try to switch to engineering. Mostly likely you won’t be able to do it.</p>

<p>The thing is… I am too afraid to risk my GPA now and completely flush down all my hard work to transfer. So are you saying that there is no chance of me changing into engineering even after I finish all pre-reqs for it after I transfer?</p>

<p>You can try but it will probably not likely. </p>

<p>Also you have to consider other things like unit cap… The max is 216 at UCLA then you get booted. Engineering is very unit intensive. You want to start engineering right away when you transfer. If you do another major while waiting for engineering, most likely you will go over the unit cap.</p>

<p>Switching to engineering from another major is a lot easier to do at other UCs other than LA/B.</p>

<p>Says:

</p>

<p>[Change</a> of Major — UCLA Engineering Office of Academic and Student Affairs](<a href=“http://www.seasoasa.ucla.edu/change-of-major]Change”>http://www.seasoasa.ucla.edu/change-of-major)</p>

<p>“…the student would have been admitted had he or she originally applied directly to the HSSEAS major.”</p>

<p>Ok, what does had I “originally” applied directly to the HSSEAS major that exactly mean? Like if I had the pre-reqs ready for engineering but got into UCLA through another major?</p>

<p>So should I loosen up on IDS classes (just in case I do not get into engineering) at UCLA and focus completely on engineering pre-reqs? How about applying to a major other than IDS that would somewhat give me the edge to get into engineering later on?</p>

<p>You should start now. You have an entire year and just 1 or 2 IDS pre-reqs left. Those courses will be much harder at UCLA, so you might as well take them while you wait. Apply as your IDS major or another for which you have many of the pre-reqs done, maybe one with a lower GPA admit rate. Then, take all the pre-reqs for engineering that you can and try to switch after you transfer. You’ll be making good use of your time for the next year while you wait and will be ready after you transfer to switch majors. I don’t think transferring and starting the engineering pre-reqs and having to work on your IDS upper division work is realistic at all. It’s not like you can just ignore the fact that you were admitted as an IDS major and not take any of those classes. If you think you’re not capable of maintaining a decent GPA in those pre-reqs, imagine taking them at UCLA.</p>

<p>So what is the possiblity, in percentage wise?</p>

<p>I was admitted as aerospace engineering at ucla for this fall.</p>

<p>to answer your question, changing major into engineering at ucla is very hard. You would need all the major pre-requisites completed with good grades. Even if you do complete them, there could simply be no room left for you. If you are really set on engineering, I would recommend finishing lower-division pre-reqs at a community college and apply as engineering major. You don’t want to pay expensive tuitions at ucla to take lower-division classes that you can take at a cc much cheaper.</p>

<p>is there a particular reason you want to go to ucla? uci, ucsd, ucsb, usb have excellent engineering programs too.</p>

<p>Nope, other than the fact that UCLA has been my dream school for quiet some time. How about switching to Chemistry? Would I have a better chance?</p>

<p>I got accepted into American Lit. and decided I wanted to switch to applied mathematics. The lady in admissions said that I shoulld easily beable to change at orientation but I think this is because I have pretty much all the pre-reqs and that math is unimpacted. Engineering is probably much harder to switch into but I think its still important that you try to finish the pre-reqs at your cc. Why do you want to get accepted and then switch instead of just changing to engineering now, at your cc, since you haven’t applied yet.</p>

<p>@HeatherBecca
The reason is because I have only finished maybe 1 or 2 of engineering pre-reqs, and finishing the pre-reqs after I apply (which is this fall) is just out of the question.</p>