Capped Majors

What is an "capped" major, and how can I declare one?

• If you are planning to declare a capped major, contact the major department immediately and inquire about the formal declaration procedure. If, after this meeting you anticipate any difficulty in declaring, then immediately make arrangements to see an L&S College Adviser to plan for both the capped major and another alternative. Plan early! Junior transfers (those with 60 or more units completed at the time of transfer to Berkeley) are given one semester - their first of the Berkeley campus - to apply for a capped major.
  
  
• "Capped" means that some majors restrict admission due to very high student interest and demand. Each of these majors restricts admission in a slightly different way. Some use heightened grade requirements in prerequisite courses. Some use special application deadlines and essays. Some use a combination of these.
  
  
• The following majors in the College of Letters and Science are currently capped:

  Economics
  Mass Communications
  Operations Research & Management Science (ORMS)
  Psychology
  Public Health
  Social Welfare

• With the College Adviser, plan an "alternative major" that is not a capped major; you may want Psychology or Social Welfare, for example, however, it is possible since both are capped that you will be denied admission to both, so you must plan some sort of realistic alternative major to which you could reasonably expect to be admitted. Other than the capped majors, all other majors (approximately 60 of them) in the College of Letters and Science require only a 2.0 gpa in the major prerequisites, and overall, in order to gain admission.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q - Can I apply to a capped major department more than once?

A - That is up to the major department. Consult the department and then an L&S Adviser to determine how the application process works and if you will have sufficient time/units to reapply

Q - Can I apply for two majors at once?

A - No. You should apply for only one major at a time unless you are submitting a double major or simultaneous degree application.

Declare Major

American Cultures