I had a couple questions regarding the required 3.3 gpa requirement in 4 CS courses to declare CS in the College of Letters and Sciences in Berkeley.
Coming from a Community College, does the rigor done at CC’s like De Anza and Diablo Valley accurately prepare CS transfers to do well in the required courses before declaration?
If I take equivalents for 61A, 61B and 61C through CC’s that offer the classes, do the grades I receive in these courses carry over? If they don’t then does my ability to declare CS as my major ride on me getting higher then a 3.3 in COMPSCI 70?
What options are available for people who transfer as CS majors and end up not having the GPA to declare as a CS major?
Thanks!
@ucbalumnus
Thanks! That link has information about everything I asked. That said, If I completed all courses in the 61 series outside of Berkeley and received a B in 70, could I retake courses in the 61 series at Berkeley to raise my GPA?
From what I understand from the link:
Technically yes you could (up to 12 units)…but at that point you are risking meeting the unit / semester ceiling for a major you might ultimately can’t declare.
Given that there is no real rationale for retaking the CC equivalents within Berkeley, it would be very hard to find someone willing to approve a petition to stay additional semesters should you need it.
If you are concerned about the risk of not being able to declare L&S CS, you can consider the following:
A. Prepare for an alternate major. Applied math used to be a common backup major for L&S CS hopefuls. As a CC student, you can take the equivalents of Math 53 and 55 to be ready to declare that major. Math 55 overlaps considerably with CS 70, so you will have a head start when you take CS 70 if you have taken a course equivalent to Math 55.
B. Take some of CS 61A, 61B, 61C in summer sessions at Berkeley. If you get A grades, they can help buffer your GPA to declare L&S CS. If you get low grades, you know early on to make alternate target plans for other UCs/CSUs.
C. Prepare for and apply to the EECS major. If admitted, you will be in the major. However, it is likely more selective with lower chance of admission, and there are additional requirements before transfer (Physics 7A, 7B and an option science) and after transfer (upper division H/SS courses).
Of course, you should always have backup UC/CSU campus plans (perhaps TAG), since admission to Berkeley is by no means assured.