How to Declare a Major or Minor

  • All students interested in declaring one of the programs offered by the department must have an established UCLA GPA and be in good academic standing (i.e., not on Academic Probation or Subject to Dismissal) at the time of requesting to change their major.
  • For students who have 150+ units (based on the 180 unit tab on the DARS), the department must first obtain permission from your College Counseling unit (AAP, CAC, Honors, Athletics) before your request can be processed by our office.
  • All 150+ unit reviews are done by your assigned College Counseling unit, and can take
    upwards of 15 business days.

How to Apply:

Major Change and/or Minor Declaration Requests: 10-15 business days (Effective Spring quarter, March 29, 2021).

Our office will only accept requests during the following weeks of regular quarters and Summer Sessions (any requests submitted outside of the noted weeks below will not be processed and a new request will need to be submitted at the next applicable timeframe):

  • Fall & Winter Quarters: Weeks 0 – 3; 8 – Finals Week
  • Spring Quarter: Weeks 0 – 5
  • Summer Session A: Weeks 3 – 6
  • Summer Session C: Weeks 1 – 6

Send a message through Message Center with the following information:

  • Your first and last name.
  • Your UCLA ID number.
  • Your e-mail address.
  • The specific program that you would like to declare:
    • Biology Major
    • Ecology, Behavior and Evolution Major
    • Marine Biology Major
    • Conservation Biology Minor
    • Evolutionary Medicine Minor

Pre-Requisites for the Majors (Biology; Ecology, Behavior and Evolution; Marine Biology):

For students who entered UCLA as a First-Year college student:

  • Completion of Life Sciences 7B or LS 1 with a grade of C- or better
  • Enough units to complete the major without exceeding your current unit maximum
  • Successful completion of latest attempt of a Life Science Core Curriculum course (C- or better)

For students who entered UCLA as a transfer student in Fall 2008 or later:

  • Must have been accepted as a student in a department within the Division of Life Sciences
  • Completion of Life Sciences 7B or LS 1 with a grade of C- or better
  • Enough units to complete the major without exceeding your current unit maximum
  • Successful completion of latest attempt of a Life Science Core Curriculum course (C- or better)

Pre-Requisites for the Conservation Biology minor:

  • Completion of Life Sciences 7B or LS 1 with a grade of C or better
  • Completion of EE BIOL 100 with a grade of C or better
  • Completion of either EE BIOL 116 or Environment 121 with a grade of C or better

Effective June 2020 and forward, all departmental majors (Biology; Ecology, Behavior and Evolution; and Marine Biology) will no longer be able to declare the Conservation Biology due to extensive curriculum overlap. 

Pre-Requisites for the Evolutionary Medicine Minor

  • Completion of Life Sciences 7B or LS 1 with a grade of C or better
  • Completion of EE BIOL 100 with a grade of C or better
  • Completion of either EE BIOL 120* OR EE BIOL 185 with a grade of C or better

*Students who have received credit for EE BIOL 120 cannot take EE BIOL 185.