⇨ Welcome Letter from L&S Dean Johnson-Hanks
⇨ Upcoming deadlines
⇨ Top 3 ways to add another unit
⇨ Getting advising during peak period
⇨ Satellite L&S College Advising locations
⇨ Premed, pre-health, pre-law, and pre-MA/PhD events
⇨ New Policy: High Demand Majors

Dear L&S Student,

Welcome to the fall semester of 2023 in the College of Letters & Science at UC Berkeley! We are delighted you are here, and excited for this time together. The College comprises such a remarkable diversity of people, fields of study, and opportunities—I have been on the faculty for 23 years, and was here also as an undergraduate, and still continually find new riches in the College of Letters & Science.

One of the greatest privileges of being on this campus is how we get to keep learning, keep exploring new ideas and new horizons. For example, the new film Oppenheimer was filmed partly on campus, because its protagonist was faculty in our physics department. Perhaps this is the year you take a course in physics? The 2023 On the Same Page work is the film Crip Camp. Come to the campus showing on September 14!  As I write, there are still seats open in our renowned Gamelan class. Is this your chance?

I hope that you will take advantage of your time here to challenge yourself to keep learning. You can learn about research by listening to what others are doing. Most academic departments and research centers hold public talks—some every week, others a few times a semester—and as a Berkeley student, you are always welcome. Stop by the linguistics department in late November to hear postdoc Justin Royer, or perhaps go to Integrative Biology in late October to hear Paul Ramos. And of course you can also learn about research by doing it yourself. If you haven’t yet tried the Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program, give it a try! Berkeley offers more than you can explore in the time you have here—I hope you will make the most of it in whatever way is right for you.

Have a great fall, and fiat lux!

Jenna Johnson-Hanks

Executive Dean, College of Letters & Science

• AASD: African American Student Development 
• APASD: Asian Pacific American Student Development
• CLSD: Chicanx Latinx Student Development
• DSP: Disabled Students' Program
• EOP: Educational Opportunity Program
• TSC: the Transfer Students Center

Pre-Law: Law School Application Planning
⇨ Co-facilitated by L&S Advising and the Career Center

Premedical & Health Careers Planning Session
⇨ Co-facilitated by L&S Advising and the Career Center

Pre-Masters/PhD Planning Session

⇨ Co-facilitated by L&S Advising, the Career Center, and the GiGS Mentors

Art Practice

Computer Science

Data Science

Economics

Global Studies

Media Studies

Operations Research & Management Science

Political Economy

Psychology

Public Health

Social Welfare

For first-year students admitted to the College of Letters & Science (L&S) for Fall 2023 and after, there are two pathways to declare a high-demand major. 

If you selected a high-demand major as your first choice on your admissions application: You are guaranteed a spot in the high-demand major you selected as your first choice as long as you meet certain requirements.