I’m in my last year at community college, and trying to transfer to UC Berkeley for Psychology. UC Berkeley has now added a requirement of 1 semester of Calculus 1 or 2, but I would also need to take precalculus to be able to take Calculus 1, so that really means that I need 2 semesters of Calculus and that’s just not possible. The counselor I saw a year ago at my school made me a bad student education plan that I blindly and stupidly trusted, and I just recently made a new one that includes all the prereqs I need for Berkeley, and I do not have room or time to add on a bunch of Calculus classes before graduating in Spring of 2016. I’m really nervous about this, and kind of baffled that UC’s keep adding and changing prereqs. How is anyone suppose to make a plan that they can follow if things keep getting thrown in at the last minute?
Anyway, I’m going to campus tomorrow to ask what I should do, but is anyone else experiencing this problem? My school is unreliable with any information, so I don’t even bother asking them since I keep getting a bunch of different information from different people.
A counselor I saw a few days ago said I should think about applying as a sociology major, which I can do with the classes i’m taking and what I’m planning to take, just to get into the school, but I’m afraid if I do that, I won’t be able to switch over to the psych department and be stuck as a sociology major.
http://web1.assist.org/web-assist/report.do?agreement=aa&reportPath=REPORT_2&reportScript=Rep2.pl&event=19&dir=2&sia=BERKELEY&ria=UCB&ia=UCB&oia=BERKELEY&aay=14-15&ay=14-15&dora=PSYCH says that one quantitative course is required to transfer to Berkeley for the psychology major. While calculus 1 or 2 qualifies, there are several other courses, such as introductory statistics (Berkeley Statistics 2, which does not require calculus as a prerequisite and which CCs commonly offer articulated courses for), that qualify.
That’s what I thought too, and had originally planned to do, but then my counselor gave me a notice from UC Berkeley that says transfer students now need 3 quantitative courses. Psych 10 (which is research psychology), stats, and calculus (math 1A or 1B). Here’s an image of the memo she gave me.
https://flic.kr/p/qPzEA2
Ok, it looks like a future requirement, according to http://psychology.berkeley.edu/students/undergraduate-program/lower-division-requirements-fall-2014-freshmenfall-2015-transfers , although future is for those transferring in fall 2015 and later. Interesting that it has not shown up on http://www.assist.org yet.
If you intend to transfer in fall 2016, you have plenty of time to take calculus (and precalculus before calculus if you have not had precalculus in high school). Discrete math (course articulating to Berkeley Math 55) is another option, since it does not necessarily require calculus, but is often a relatively rigorous math course compared to other frosh/soph math courses.
Other changes for fall 2015 transfers include:
- Evolution is not required.
- Different courses are allowed for the two biology courses.
- Political science is no longer allowed for the two non-psychology social studies courses.
So the net effect is two extra quantitative courses (Psychology 10 and one other) but one fewer evolution course. Psychology 10 may not be universally available at community colleges.
Wow, thank you so much. You’ve been really helpful.
Hmm I’m kind of confused. So does this mean that for those of us who will be in Berkeley in 2016, we will need to take calculus?
Thx for the update on that @ucbalumnus.
I still have a younger daughter to go through this and it’s getting where every G…D… major needs calculus.
Wait no I’m sorry. Does this mean for those of us who are just admitted, and will be starting in the fall of 2015…we would have to take calculus? Would those of us who are Berkeley class of 2017 fall under admitted prior to fall 2015? So I will be considered complete with my lower division requirements right?
I’ve contacted both undergrad advisors as well as the general psych program. I will let you guys know when I hear back.
It usually says on the website something like “for those admitted after____.”
For what its worth it does say effective for transfers starting fall 2015 on the webpage. I’m wondering if it’s a typo and meant to say 2016, as it’s missing on assist.
Have you heard back from the undergrad advisors?