Selective Major Process
- Selective Majors for Continuing Students
- Selective Major FAQ
- Screened Majors
Frequently Asked Questions
(Selective Majors Only)
Why are some majors selective?
Selective majors are those that receive more applications than there are available spaces. These majors are very popular, meaning that departments cannot always accommodate all qualified students. Reasons for selective status include limited space, teaching, and/or laboratory resources. If the demand for a major is continuously larger than available spaces, the major might choose to become selective.
Will the selective status of majors change each year?
Possibly. Some majors (e.g., Computer Science and Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Bioengineering) continue to have extremely high demand, and we anticipate they will remain selective. Other majors may become selective or non-selective over time as resource allocation and student demand varies. As of Fall 2024, NanoEngineering and Structural Engineering are not selective. Newly selective majors will be identified before the end of Winter quarter each year. They will remain open to current students through the spring quarter, but will be closed to incoming students until the continuing student selective major selection cycle they are eligible for.
I am a newly admitted student who applied to one of the selective majors, but I was admitted as undeclared. What should I do?
We know it can be difficult to be admitted to UC San Diego, but not in the major you had hoped for. There is no guarantee that you will be able to switch to any of the selective majors, so you will need to decide whether attending UC San Diego or studying your major of choice is more important to you. How difficult it is to get into each major varies by department, so make sure you check out the department website for your desired major. However, our general advice is to accept your admission to UC San Diego only if you have an academic plan that includes a non-selective major that you are happy with. If you are fully committed to studying the field you original chose, and you have the opportunity to do so elsewhere, we understand and encourage you to pursue that path instead of coming to UC San Diego.
Eligibility
Who is eligible to apply for a selective major?
Continuing students with a minimum 2.0 UC GPA who have completed the screening courses with C- or higher in each course may apply.
In Summer 2025, NFRS (New Freshman) admits to UC San Diego who have been enrolled for between one and six quarters at UC San Diego (not including summers) may apply. Typically this means after their first or second year.
In Summer 2025, TRAN (Transfer) admits who have been enrolled for between one and three quarters at UC San Diego (not including summers) may apply. Typically this means after their first year.
This eligibility timeline will change in Summer 2026 for transfer students (these are students admitted to UC San Diego in Fall 2025 and after). Transfer students admitted to UC San Diego for Fall 2025 and after will no longer be allowed to apply to selective majors in the Summer application cycle after their first year. Selective majors may opt to select transfer students after the Fall or Winter in their first year at UC San Diego but are not required to do so. After Fall 2025, Public Health will select students only after Fall quarter (transfer students who have been enrolled at UCSD for 1 quarter). Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering will select students only after the Winter 2026 quarter (transfer students who have been enrolled for 2 quarters at UCSD).
Full-time and part-time Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters are counted. Summer quarters are not counted. Quarters of full withdrawal or non-enrollment do not count.
I just got admitted to UC San Diego. Can I change my major through the selective major process?
No. The selective major process is only for continuing students.
The earliest that students admitted to UC San Diego as New First-Year students would be eligible to apply for a selective major is the summer after their first year (e.g., Summer 2026 for students admitted for Fall 2025).
Students admitted to UC San Diego as Transfer students cannot apply into all selective majors. Check the eligibility of your major of interest.
Please review the selection criteria and process to understand how students are selected.
What happens if changing to a selective major would delay my graduation timeline?
The Quarter Limit policy states that students admitted to UC San Diego as first time first-year students are allowed a maximum of 12 quarters of enrollment (summers excluded). Students admitted as transfer students are allowed 6 quarters of enrollment at UC San Diego. If moving into a selective major will extend a student’s time to degree beyond that limit, students will need to submit a completion plan to be approved by both their major advisors and College advisors. Reasonable requests will be approved. Students should consult their College advisors with questions regarding the Quarter Limit policy.
What happens if I have a blank grade?
All screening courses must have final grades. If students do not have a final grade in a required screening course by Sept. 1, they will not be eligible to apply.
If a non-screening course is blank or Incomplete, it will not be factored into the GPA (neither the overall UC GPA nor the screening GPA) of the student.
Can I double major if I have a selective major?
Can students double major if they have one selective major?
Yes. The student must apply to and be selected to the selective major through the annual process. If they accept the offer, their primary major on record will then be changed to the selective major. The student must then follow the steps of the Double Major Petition process to add the second, non-selective major.
Can students double major with two selective majors?
We strongly discourage students from double majoring in two selective majors. However, whether it is allowed depends on the two majors a student wants to pursue.
Per Senate policy, students cannot double major in two majors within the Jacobs School of Engineering. Students cannot double major within a single department (e.g., can’t pursue two Public Health majors). Also, students cannot double major in Data Science with Computer Science and Engineering.
If a student intends to double major in two selective majors, they must consult their current department/School advisor before taking action.
If a student wants to double major with Biology and another selective major, Biology must be listed as the primary major. The student must apply to and be selected into Biology through the selective major process. If the student accepts the offer, their primary major on record will then be changed to Biology, and their previous major will be removed. The student must then follow the steps of the Double Major Petition process to add the second selective major back to their record. Computer Science and Engineering has the same policy. Those interested in double majoring in Biology with Computer Science and Engineering should consult both advising offices to discuss implications.
Can I apply to multiple selective majors?
No. The Selective Major Tool only allows students to apply to one major per cycle.
Can I finish my screening courses the same summer I plan to apply to switch to a selective major?
Yes, but only if you take them at UC San Diego. Students may complete their screening course requirements at UC San Diego during the summer and be eligible to apply to switch to a selective major that same summer. Courses taken during the summer at other institutions and transferred in will not be available in time for the selection process that same summer.
Can I use AP/IB credit or take the screening courses at another college or university?
Probably, but not always. In most departments, AP/IB credit can be used to fulfill screening course requirements. Also in most departments, at least some screening courses can be taken outside of UC San Diego and transferred in. However, some departments have restrictions about where screening courses can be taken. Please be sure you read the department's webpage carefully to understand these restrictions. Also note that any screening courses taken in the same summer that you wish to apply to change to a selective major must be taken at UC San Diego.
Selection Criteria
How do I know if I am Pell-eligible?
Pell Grant eligibility is determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students receive a summary report after they have submitted their FAFSA. For new students, the FAFSA summary report will state whether they are eligible for a Pell Grant or not. For continuing students, they can review their financial aid award status online to view whether or not they received a Pell Grant.
Financial aid information is used for the school year that ends in the summer students submit the selective major application. Example: The Summer 2025 selective major cycle will use FAFSA information from the 2024-25 school year.
How do I know if I am first-gen?
First-generation student status is defined by the UC Office of the President as neither parent earning a bachelor’s degree, regardless of whether they attended a two-year or four-year institution. The information is collected from the student’s initial application for admission to UC San Diego. This information cannot be changed. Students can review what they submitted by logging back into the UC Admission application (see top right corner for Sign in).
How do I know if I am a California resident?
A student can determine whether they are classified as an in-state resident based on the tuition they are charged. See Understanding Residency for more information about how the University of California determines residency for tuition purposes.
Do I get one point for every class above 3.0?
No. Students receive one point total if the GPA in all of their major screening courses combined is above 3.0.
How is screening course GPA calculated?
The Selective Major tool uses the first C- or higher grade for each screening course.
Screening course GPA includes grades for all screening courses included on a student's transcript, including grades transferred from other universities, except in the case where a program has restrictions about where a screening course must be taken. Please see the specific department's website for more information.
If a student took a screening course for Pass as the grading option, they are ineligible to apply. Screening courses must be taken for a Letter grade.
Decision Process
Who decides if a student can switch to a selective major?
The Division of Undergraduate Education oversees the process, in collaboration with technical support from the Jacobs School of Engineering Office of Engineering Computing and Enrollment Management. Students who have completed the screening courses and have a minimum 2.0 UC GPA will be reviewed using a point system that awards one point each for having a 3.0 GPA or higher in the major screening courses; California residency; Pell Grant eligibility; and first-generation status. Students with the highest number of points will be selected until all available spaces within the major have been filled. Ties will be broken using random selection.
Once students are offered a spot in the major, they have a deadline by which to accept the offer.
There is no appeal process for students not selected into a selective major.
What are my chances of being selected?
It depends, and it is likely to change every year. Enrollment Management and the Division of Undergraduate Education work with each academic department to set targets for new students annually. Based on incoming student enrollment, departments will then provide a non-zero number of seats which will be available for continuing students in the upcoming year’s selective major cycle.
Summer 2025 is the first round of this admissions process to selective majors so there is no historical data about admission into the selective majors.
Some departments list historical data on their websites to transparently show past cycles of the formerly-offered capped major process. Example: Biology.
There is no appeal process for students not selected into a selective major.
What happens if I'm not selected into a selective major?
Students should consider alternative majors. Advising resources are available to help.
NFRS students who apply for a selective major after their first year of enrollment may apply a second and final time after their second year of enrollment.
There is no appeal process for students not selected into a selective major.