This page is for L&S students who are considering adding a non-L&S major and also for non-L&S students wishing to add an L&S major.
If you are an L&S student wishing to declare more than one L&S major, please visit our Double Majors webpage instead.
If you are hoping to change from L&S to a different college at UC Berkeley, please consult with your intended college.
Overview
Pursuing a simultaneous degree (declaring a major in L&S and another major in a non-L&S College at Berkeley) can be a great way to fulfill your intellectual interests and gain depth in two academic disciplines. However, it is a significant commitment that requires considerable and careful planning. This page outlines requirements, deadlines, and application steps. Please note that application deadlines are strict, per regulations set by the faculty of the college.
Deadlines
- Through Summer 2027
- Simultaneous Degree petitions must be submitted at least one term prior to the term in which you intend to graduate as reflected on your Simultaneous Degree petition and program plan and no later than the last day of that term (i.e. the last day of final exams).
- Example: You have an EGT of Fall 2025 listed in CalCentral but you are requesting a new EGT of Spring 2026 in your simultaneous degree petition. You must submit your petition by the last day of finals for the Fall 2025 semester (current EGT in CalCentral, semester prior to the new proposed EGT).
- Simultaneous Degree petitions must be submitted at least one term prior to the term in which you intend to graduate as reflected on your Simultaneous Degree petition and program plan and no later than the last day of that term (i.e. the last day of final exams).
- Beginning Fall 2027
- Simultaneous Degree petitions must be submitted at least one term prior to the EGT listed in CalCentral at the time of the submission of the petition, and no later than the last day of that term (ie. last day of final exams).
- Example: You have an EGT of Fall 2027 listed in CalCentral, but you are requesting a new EGT of Spring 2028 in your Simultaneous Degree petition. You must submit your petition by the last day of Summer Sessions for Summer 2027 (term prior to the current EGT listed in CalCentral). For Summer EGTs, petitions must be submitted by the last day of finals of the Spring semester.
- Simultaneous Degree petitions must be submitted at least one term prior to the EGT listed in CalCentral at the time of the submission of the petition, and no later than the last day of that term (ie. last day of final exams).
L&S students: Declaring a Simultaneous Degree
Step 1: Review Eligibility Requirements
Applies if your home college is L&S. (You are currently declared or undeclared in L&S)
Petitions should be submitted at least two terms prior to the term in which you intend to graduate (in order to meet residence requirements) and no later than the last day of that term (i.e. last day of finals).
You may pursue a simultaneous degree after meeting the following criteria:
- Have completed at least one semester at UC Berkeley (unless you are a transfer student who must declare a capped major in your first semester).
- An overall GPA of 2.0 or higher.
- Approval from your L&S Undergraduate Major Adviser.
- Approval from the other College.
- No more than two upper division courses overlapping between majors (meaning, no more than two upper division courses can count for both majors).
- Meet the appropriate deadlines. Furthermore, the petition should be signed and dated by the respective advisers no more than four months prior to submitting the request.
- Completed petitions must include a program plan that demonstrates that you will be able to finish all degree requirements for both majors within nine semesters if you started as a First-Year student, or five semesters if you started as a Junior Transfer (counting enrollments in all institutions attended) or by the end of the semester in which you exceed 136 units (whichever comes second).
- See our Degree Requirements page for details about L&S requirements. See the Unit Ceiling and Semester Limits page for more information.
Important note: while these are eligibility requirements for L&S students, there may be other requirements at your intended second college. Please refer to the second college for additional eligibility requirements.
Step 2: Complete Simultaneous Degree Petition and the Degree Requirement Worksheet (UC, Campus, L&S)
- After confirming you are eligible to declare a Simultaneous Degree, download both the Simultaneous Degree petition and Degree Requirement Worksheet (UC, Campus, L&S) on our Forms & Petitions webpage. Please carefully read the instructions for each section.
- Acquire signature from your current L&S Undergraduate Major Adviser.
- You can find your L&S Undergraduate Major Adviser contact information under “Meet with an L&S Undergraduate Major and/or Minor Adviser.”
- Acquire L&S Advising approval.
- Email the Simultaneous Degree petition and Degree Requirement Worksheet (UC, Campus, L&S) to L&S Advising at lspetitions@berkeley.edu
- L&S College Advising will sign off as the home college and send the signed petition back to you upon approval, so that you can complete the process with your second college.
- Allow 10 business days for L&S Advising to process your petition. Other Colleges may have their own deadlines and processing times.
- Acquire signature and approval from second College.
Non-L&S students: Declaring a Simultaneous Degree
Step 1: Review Eligibility Requirements
Applies if your home college is not L&S. (You are declared in another School or College first.)
Completed petitions bearing all signatures should be submitted at least two terms prior to the term in which you intend to graduate (in order to meet residence requirements) and no later than the last day of that term (i.e. last day of finals).
You may pursue a simultaneous degree with L&S after meeting the following criteria:
- Have completed at least one semester at UC Berkeley (unless you are a transfer student who must declare a capped major in your first semester).
- An overall GPA of 2.0 or higher.
- Approval from your home College. Please be aware that your home College may have its own earlier deadlines that you must meet to obtain its approval.
- Approval from your intended L&S Undergraduate Major Adviser.
- No more than two upper division courses overlapping between majors (meaning, no more than two upper division courses can count for both majors).
- Meet the appropriate deadlines. Furthermore, the petition should be signed and dated by the respective advisers no more than four months prior to submitting the request.
- Completed petitions must include a program plan that demonstrates that you will be able to finish all degree requirements for both majors and colleges within nine semesters if you started as a First-Year student, or five semesters if you started as a Junior Transfer (counting enrollments in all institutions attended) or by the end of the semester in which you exceed 136 units. See our Degree Requirements page for details about L&S requirements.
- See the Unit Ceiling and Semester Limits page for more information.
Important note: while these are eligibility requirements for L&S students, there may be other requirements at your intended second college. Please refer to the second college for additional eligibility requirements.
Step 2: Complete Simultaneous Degree Petition and the Degree Requirement Worksheet (UC, Campus, L&S)
- After confirming you are eligible to declare a Simultaneous Degree, download both the Simultaneous Degree petition and Degree Requirement Worksheet (UC, Campus, L&S) at our Forms & Petitions webpage. Please carefully read the instructions for each section.
- Acquire signature(s) from your home College (and major adviser, if applicable).
- Acquire signature from your intended L&S Undergraduate Major Adviser.
- You can find your L&S Undergraduate Major Adviser contact information under “Meet with an L&S Undergraduate Major and/or Minor Adviser.”
- Acquire L&S Advising approval.
- Email the Simultaneous Degree petition and the Degree Requirement Worksheet (UC, Campus, L&S) to L&S Advising at lspetitions@berkeley.edu
- Allow 10 business days for L&S Advising to process your petition and for your CalCentral to reflect your approved Simultaneous Degree. If you do not see any changes after 2 weeks, please contact lspetitions@berkeley.edu.
Simultaneous Degrees FAQs
Will a simultaneous degree help me get a job or gain admission to graduate school?
Not necessarily
A simultaneous degree does not necessarily give you a competitive advantage for career opportunities or admission to graduate school after college. Many students make the assumption that engaging in more coursework will make them more impressive to employers or graduate programs. While this can be true in certain cases, most often, employers and graduate programs are interested in candidates that have a combination of skills, experiences, and qualifications that match the role or program.Focus on building skills
Many of the important transferable skills that employers and graduate programs value can be developed through participation in experiential learning opportunities such as leadership in student organizations, internships, public service, research, study abroad, volunteer work, and more. Committing yourself to a second degree can be a valuable experience, but if it impedes your ability to engage in these types of skill-building experiences, you may want to examine whether taking on an additional major is actually helping you achieve your goals.Do your research before committing
If you’re motivated to pursue a second degree in order to gain a competitive advantage in the job market or for graduate school, it is important to do your research first to determine whether this will help you achieve your goals. Resources like the Career Counseling Library and advising at Berkeley Career Engagement can assist you with this.What will I gain from a simultaneous degree?
Gain depth in two different areas of study
A simultaneous degree allows students to explore two interests, especially interests in different areas. If you find yourself curious about whether two fields of study fit in with your academic plan without making sacrifices to hands-on learning experiences, a simultaneous degree can be a great option. It can also be a way to explore an area you enjoy even when it is not aligned with any particular future goal.A simultaneous degree may support building transferable skills in multiple areas as well, but it is always valuable to consider whether a major, minor, or hands-on experience is the best way to gain the skill you’re interested in. A simultaneous degree can also be valuable if you are interested in researching or innovating at the intersection of two fields.
Quality over quantity
While the number of majors you have has not been shown to impact your competitive advantage for jobs, graduate school, or professional school, there are still great reasons to consider a simultaneous degree. If a simultaneous degree ever becomes an obstacle to your success, your goals, or if you lose interest in one major, then do not hesitate to focus on a single major.Course overlap rules
L&S allows you to overlap two upper division courses (courses numbered 100-199) between simultaneous degrees. By “overlap” we mean that up to two upper division courses can be used to satisfy requirements for a simultaneous degree.
You cannot overlap more than two upper division courses between the major requirements. In other words, a maximum of two courses in total can overlap between the majors. See Upper Division Overlap Examples here
You can overlap more than two upper division courses for non-major requirements, such as college general education requirements or courses that do not satisfy an L&S program (major/minor) requirement. For example, if you have two majors in College A and one major in L&S. College A allows three upper division overlaps between their majors. If none of the overlaps involve an L&S major or minor requirement, then you are not in violation of the L&S overlap policy.
If the other college has a more restrictive overlap policy, then the more restrictive policy applies.
Can I drop my simultaneous degree if I change my mind?
Yes. If you have declared a simultaneous degree that you no longer wish to complete, meet with an L&S College Adviser to request this change to your academic plan. Dropping a simultaneous degree may shift your semester limits and unit ceiling, so it is important to discuss how this may impact your timeline to finish your degree.