The Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science awards B.S. degrees to students who have satisfactorily completed four-year programs in engineering studies.
Students must meet University requirements, school requirements, and department requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree.
The University of California has two requirements that undergraduate students must satisfy in order to graduate: (1) Entry-Level Writing or English as a Second Language, and (2) American History and Institutions. These requirements are discussed in detail in the Undergraduate Study section of the UCLA General Catalog.
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science has seven requirements that must be satisfied for the award of the degree: unit, scholarship, academic residence, writing, technical breadth, ethics, and general education.
To receive a bachelor's degree in any UCLA Samueli major, students must complete a minimum of 180 units. 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.
In addition to the requirement of at least a C (2.0) grade-point average in all courses taken at any UC campus, students must achieve at least a 2.0 grade-point average in all upper-division courses offered in satisfaction of the subject and elective requirements of the curriculum. A 2.0 minimum grade-point average in upper-division mathematics, upper-division core courses, and the major field is also required for graduation. Grade point averages are not rounded up.
Of the last 48 units completed for the B.S. degree, 36 must be earned in residence at UCLA Samueli on this campus. No more than 16 of the 36 units may be completed in Summer sessions at UCLA.
Students must complete the UC 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 a grade of C or better in each (a C- grade is not acceptable).
The Writing I requirement must be satisfied by completing English Composition 3, 3D, 3DS, 3E, or 3SL with a grade of C or better (a C- or Passed grade is not acceptable) by the end of the second year of enrollment.
The Writing I requirement may also be satisfied by (1) scoring 4 or 5 on one of the College Board Advanced Placement Examinations in English, (2) a combination of a score of 720 or better on the SAT Reasoning Test, Writing section (last administered in January 2016) and superior performance on the English Composition 3 Proficiency Examination, (3) completing a course equivalent to English Composition 3 with a grade of C or better (a C- or Passed grade is not acceptable) taken at another institution, or (4) scoring 5, 6, or 7 on an International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examination.
Students whose native language is not English may need to take English Composition 1A, 1B, and 2I before enrolling in a Writing I course. All courses in the sequence must be passed with a grade of C or better (a C- or Passed grade is not acceptable).
The engineering writing requirement is satisfied by selecting one approved engineering writing (EW) course from the school writing course list or by selecting one approved Writing II (W) course. The course must be completed with a grade of C or better (a C- or Passed grade is not acceptable). Writing courses are published in the Schedule of Classes.
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 school 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 181EW, 182EW, 183EW, or 185EW with a grade of C or better (a C- or 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 reveals to students the ways that research scholars in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences create and evaluate new knowledge, introduces students to the important ideas and themes of human cultures, fosters appreciation for the many perspectives and the diverse voices that may be heard in a democratic society, and 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 chapter of the UCLA General Catalog or consult with 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.
General education courses are grouped into three foundational areas: Foundations of the Arts and Humanities, Foundations of Society and Culture, and Foundations of Scientific Inquiry.
Five courses (24 units minimum) are required. Engineering writing requirement courses also approved for GE credit may be applied toward the relevant GE foundational areas.
Students must meet with a counselor in the Office of Academic and Student Affairs to determine the applicability of GE cluster courses toward the engineering writing or GE requirements.
Courses listed in more than one category can fulfill GE requirements in only one of the cross-listed categories.
Two 5-unit courses selected from two different subgroups:
Courses in this area provide perspectives and intellectual skills necessary to comprehend and think critically about our situation in the world as human beings. In particular, courses provide the basic means to appreciate and evaluate the ongoing efforts of humans to explain, translate, and transform their diverse experiences of the world through such media as language, literature, philosophical systems, images, sounds, and performances. The courses introduce students to the historical development and fundamental intellectual and ethical issues associated with the arts and humanities and may also investigate the complex relations between artistic and humanistic expression and other facets of society and culture.
Two 5-unit courses, one from each subgroup:
Courses in this area introduce students to the ways in which humans organize, structure, rationalize, and govern their diverse societies and cultures over time. The courses focus on a particular historical question, societal problem, or topic of political and economic concern in an effort to demonstrate how issues are objectified for study, how data is collected and analyzed, and how new understandings of social phenomena are achieved and evaluated.
One course (4 units minimum) from the Life Sciences subgroup or one course from Bioengineering CM145/Chemical Engineering CM145, Chemistry and Biochemistry 153A, or Civil and Environmental Engineering M166/Environmental Health Sciences M166:
This requirement is automatically satisfied for Bioengineering and Chemical Engineering majors. The requirement is satisfied for Civil Engineering majors by the natural science requirement.
Courses in this area ensure that students gain a fundamental understanding of how scientists formulate and answer questions about the operation of both the physical and biological world. Courses also deal with some of the most important issues, developments, and methodologies in contemporary science, addressing such topics as the origin of the universe, environmental degradation, and the decoding of the human genome. Through lectures, laboratory experiences, writing, and intensive discussions, students consider the important roles played by the laws of physics and chemistry in society, biology, Earth and environmental sciences, and astrophysics and cosmology.
Creating and maintaining a general education curriculum is a dynamic process; consequently, courses are frequently added to the list. For the most current list of approved courses that satisfy the Foundations of Knowledge GE plan, consult with an academic counselor or see the Registrar’s GE Requirements web page.
Transfer students from California community colleges have the option to fulfill UCLA lower-division GE requirements by completing the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) prior to transfer. The curriculum consists of a series of subject areas and types of courses which have been agreed on by the University of California and the California community colleges. Although GE or transfer core courses are degree requirements rather than admission requirements, students are advised to fulfill them prior to transfer. The IGETC significantly eases the transfer process, as all UCLA GE requirements are fulfilled when students complete the IGETC courses. Students who select the IGETC must complete it entirely before enrolling at UCLA. Otherwise, they must fulfill UCLA Samueli GE requirements. The school does not accept partial IGETC.
UCLA Samueli departments generally set two types of requirements that must be satisfied for award of a degree: preparation for the major (lower-division courses) and the major (upper-division courses). Preparation for the major courses should be completed before beginning upper-division work.
A major requires completion of a set of courses known as preparation for the major. Each department sets its own preparation for the major requirements; see the Departments and Programs chapter of this announcement.
Students must complete their major with a scholarship average of at least a 2.0 (C) in all courses in order to remain in the major. Each course in the major department must be taken for a letter grade. See the Departments and Programs chapter of this announcement for details on each major.
Degree requirements are subject to policies and regulations, including the following:
Students should take advantage of academic support resources, but they are ultimately responsible for keeping informed of and complying with the rules, regulations, and policies affecting their academic standing.
Study lists require approval of the dean of the school or a designated representative. It is the student’s responsibility to present a study list that reflects satisfactory progress toward the Bachelor of Science degree, according to standards set by the faculty. Study lists or programs of study that do not comply with these standards may result in enforced withdrawal from UCLA or other academic action.
Undergraduate students in the school are expected to enroll in at least 12 units each term. Students enrolling in fewer than 12 units must obtain approval by petition to the dean before enrolling in classes. The normal program is 16 units per term. Students may not enroll in more than 21 units per term unless an Excess Unit Petition is approved in advance by the dean.
Full-time UCLA Samueli undergraduate students must complete a minimum of 36 units in three consecutive terms in which they are registered.
Some portions of Advanced Placement (AP) Examination credit are evaluated by corresponding UCLA course number. If students take the equivalent UCLA course, a deduction of UCLA unit credit is made prior to graduation. See the AP credit table.
Credit earned through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) may not be applied toward the bachelor’s degree.
Effective for students admitted fall 2017 and later, after completing 105 lower-division quarter units toward the degree in all institutions attended, students are allowed no further unit credit for courses completed at a community college or for lower-division courses completed at any institution outside of the University of California. The University of California does not grant transfer credit for community college or lower-division courses beyond 105 quarter units, but students may still receive subject credit for this coursework to satisfy lower-division requirements. Units earned through Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and/or A-Level examinations are not included in the limitation. Units earned at any UC campus (through extension, summer, cross-campus, UCEAP, Intercampus Visitor Program, and regular academic year enrollment) are not included in the limitation. To convert semester units into quarter units, multiply the semester units by 1.5; for example, 12 semester units x 1.5 = 18 quarter units. To convert quarter units into semester units, multiply the quarter units by .666; for example, 12 quarter units x .666 = 7.99 or 8 semester units.
No credit is granted toward the bachelor’s degree for college foreign language courses equivalent to quarter levels one and two if the equivalent of level two of the same language was completed with satisfactory grades in high school.
For undergraduate students who repeat a total of 16 or fewer units, only the most recently earned letter grades and grade points are computed in the grade-point average (GPA). After repeating 16 units, the GPA is based on all letter grades assigned and total units attempted. The grade assigned each time a course is taken is permanently recorded on the transcript.
UCLA Samueli students in good academic standing may be permitted to have a minor or double major. The minor or second major must be outside the school (e.g., Electrical Engineering major and Economics major). UCLA Samueli students are not permitted to have a double major with two school majors (e.g., Chemical Engineering and Civil Engineering). Students may file an Undergraduate Request to Double Major or Add Minor form at the Office of Academic and Student Affairs. The school determines final approval of a minor or double major request; review is done on a case-by-case basis, and filing the request does not guarantee approval. Students interested in a minor or double major should meet with their counselor in 6426 Boelter Hall.
While the school considers minor or double major requests, specializations are not considered.
It is mandatory for all students entering under-graduate programs to have their course of study approved by an academic counselor. After the first term, curricular and career advising is accomplished on a formal basis. Freshman students are assigned a faculty adviser in their particular specialization.
In addition, all undergraduate students are assigned, by major, to an academic counselor in the Office of Academic and Student Affairs who provides them with advice regarding general requirements for degrees, and UC, UCLA, and school regulations and procedures. It is the student's responsibility to periodically meet with the academic counselor, as well as with the faculty adviser, to discuss curriculum requirements, programs of study, and any other academic matters of concern.
Students normally follow the curricula in effect when they enter the school. California community college transfer students may also select the curriculum in the UCLA General Catalog in effect at the time they began their community college work in an engineering program, provided attendance has been continuous since that time.
Students admitted to UCLA in fall quarter 2012 and thereafter use the Degree Audit system, which can be accessed through MyUCLA. Students should contact their academic counselor in 6426 Boelter Hall with any questions.
UCLA Samueli undergraduate students following a Catalog year prior to fall quarter 2012 should schedule an appointment with their academic counselor in 6426 Boelter Hall, or by calling 310-825-9580, to review course credit and degree requirements and for program planning.
The student's regular faculty adviser is available to assist in planning electives and for discussions regarding career objectives. Students should discuss their elective plan with the adviser and obtain the adviser’s approval.
Students should also see any member or members of the faculty specially qualified in their major for advice in working out a program of major courses.
Students are assigned to advisers by majors and major fields of interest. A specific adviser, or an adviser in a particular engineering department, may be requested by logging in to MyEngineering and clicking on the My Advisors link.
Academic counselors in the Office of Academic and Student Affairs assist students with UCLA procedures and answer questions related to general requirements.