Degree Requirement Overview

The minimum units allowed for HSSEAS students is between 185 and 190, depending on the program. The maximum allowed is 213 units.

After 213 quarter units, enrollment may not normally be continued in the school without special permission from the associate dean. This regulation does not apply to Departmental Scholars.

Students must earn at least a C (2.0) grade-point average in all courses taken at any UC campus. In addition, at least a 2.0 grade-point average must be achieved in total upper division required courses and total upper division engineering courses. See a counselor in 6426 Boelter Hall for details.

Of the last 48 units completed for the B.S. degree, 36 must be earned in residence in HSSEAS on this campus. No more than 16 of the 36 units may be completed in Summer Sessions at UCLA.

Students must complete the University’s Entry-Level Writing or English as a Second Language (ESL) requirement prior to completing the school writing requirement.

Students admitted to the school are required to complete a two-term writing requirement—Writing I and engineering writing. Both courses must be taken for letter grades, and students must receive grades of C or better (C– grades are not acceptable).

Writing I. The Writing I requirement must be satisfied by completing English Composition 3 or 3H with a grade of C or better (C– or a Passed grade is not acceptable) by the end of the second year of enrollment.

The Writing I requirement may also be satisfied by scoring 4 or 5 on one of the College Board Advanced Placement Tests in English or a combination of a score of 720 or higher on the SAT Reasoning Test Writing Section and superior performance on the English Composition 3 Proficiency Examination.

Students whose native language is not English may satisfy the Writing I requirement by completing English as a Second Language 36 with a grade of C or better (C– or a Passed grade is not acceptable). Admission into the course is determined by completion of English as a Second Language 35 with a passing grade or proficiency demonstrated on the English as a Second Language Placement Examination (ESLPE).

Engineering Writing. The engineering writing requirement is satisfied by selecting one approved engineering writing (EW) course from the HSSEAS writing course list or by selecting one approved Writing II (W) course. The course must be completed with a grade of C or better (C– or a Passed grade is not acceptable). Writing courses are listed in the Schedule of Classes at http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/soc/writing.htm.

Writing courses also approved for general education credit may be applied toward the relevant general education foundational area.

The technical breadth requirement consists of a set of three courses providing sufficient breadth outside the student’s core program. A list of HSSEAS Faculty Executive Committee-approved technical breadth requirement courses is available in the Office of Academic and Student Affairs, and deviations from that list are subject to approval by the associate dean for Academic and Student Affairs. None of the technical breadth requirement courses selected by students can be used to satisfy other major course requirements.

The ethics and professionalism requirement is satisfied by completing one course from Engineering 183EW or 185EW with a grade of C or better (C– or a Passed grade is not acceptable). The course may be applied toward the engineering writing requirement.

General education (GE) is more than a checklist of required courses. It is a program of study that (1) reveals to students the ways that research scholars in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences create and evaluate new knowledge, (2) introduces students to the important ideas and themes of human cultures, (3) fosters appreciation for the many perspectives and the diverse voices that may be heard in a democratic society, and (4) develops the intellectual skills that give students the dexterity they need to function in a rapidly changing world.

This entails the ability to make critical and logical assessments of information, both traditional and digital; deliver reasoned and persuasive arguments; and identify, acquire, and use the knowledge necessary to solve problems.

Students may take one GE course per term on a Passed/Not Passed basis if they are in good academic standing and are enrolled in at least three and one-half courses (14 units) for the term. For details on P/NP grading, see Grading in the Academic Policies section or consult the Office of Academic and Student Affairs.

GE courses used to satisfy the engineering writing and/or ethics requirements must be taken for a letter grade.