Current Students

Declaring a Major

Provided you have completed the pre-biology major requirements, you will need the following to declare your major.

1. Requirement Sheet for your proposed major (click on the major you want to declare then go to "Resource Documents" on the right)
2. Undergraduate Petition to Change Major, Emphasis, or College*
3. Major Progress Check Request Form*
4. Course Descriptions
5. Updated list of the proposed courses for the year*
6. E-mail these forms (Change of Major Petition, Major Progress Check Request Form, and Requirements Sheet) to us at bio-adv@lifesci.ucsb.edu using your UCSB e-mail address. Note: in the subject line please type "major change forms"

The Change of Major Petition, Major Progress Check Request form (not required to declare Pre-Biology), and Requirements Sheet form must be completed and returned to the Biology Advising Office for processing (we will get the department Chair's signature.) Our normal processing time is about 3 weeks, although delays are likely during certain times of the academic year and if volume is unusually high. The Registrar's office also needs to input this into the computer system and their processing time varies.

* Available on the Resource Files block to the right. Also available from the Biology Undergraduate Advising Office.

Requirements for Changing Majors

Freshman admits may declare the full major at the end of their second year provided that they have completed MCDB 1A,1B, EEMB 2, 3 (2.0 gpa required), MCDB 1LL, EEMB 2LL (2.0 gpa required), Chem 1ABC and two other preparatory courses (2.0 gpa required). Please see the Pre-Biology major requirement sheet for more detailed information.

Junior biology transfer students may declare the full major after their second quarter (Winter) - usually 4 upper division biology courses completed (2.0 gpa required)

At the time of petition for full major, you must have a 2.0 or higher grade point average in all courses attempted toward the major within preparatory and within upper division. Also grades earned must meet the grade prerequisites for the full major.

For Biochemistry-Molecular Biology, Cell & Developmental Biology, Microbiology, Pharmacology, and the Physiology major completion of chemistry 109ABC is required with no grade less than a C.

Non-biology Majors Switching to the Biology Major

First Year (Freshman) students - may declare the pre-biology major after successful completion of chemistry 1A and 1B (+ labs if possible). If taking Chemistry 1B in Spring quarter you must also enroll in chemistry 1C (either Summer or Fall) and enroll in MCDB 1A (either Summer or Fall) before you can change into the pre-biology major. Concurrent enrollment in chemistry 1C and MCDB 1A is allowed.

Second Year (Sophomore) students - who are starting the Chemistry 1ABC series must go to UCSB Summer School, at the end of their second year, and take the introductory biology courses MCDB 1A, MCDB 1B, EEMB 2 and MCDB 1LL . Provided that the student successfully completes these Summer courses (MCDB 1A,MCDB 1B and EEMB 2) with grades of 'C' or better they may declare the pre-biology major (the student must also be enrolled in EEMB 3 and EEMB 2LL in Fall quarter). If you earn less than a 'C' in these 3 courses you will not be admitted into the biology program

Students who have been following our recommended schedule (see "resource documents" on the right) may petition to the pre-major after their second quarter.

Note: Non-biology students will not be admitted into the biology program after their seventh quarter (or equivalent), and students will only be admitted to the pre-major in their seventh quarter if they have completed introductory biology and most of the required pre-biology major courses.

Non-biology Junior transfer students may not major in biology. This is due to the biology Junior transfer regulations and that our program is impacted.

Declaring Candidacy to Graduate

You must declare your candidacy in order to graduate. Declaring candidacy for graduation is a separate process from participating in commencement ceremonies. Follow the instructions on the Registrar's web site.