Graduation Requirements and Regulations

• At least 180 quarter units with a cumulative and major grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher.
• • 60 units (15 four-unit courses) of which must be at the upper-division level. Lower-division courses are numbered 1 - 99, upper-division courses are numbered 100 - 199.
  • At least 35 of the last 45 units must be taken at UC San Diego to meet the Senior Residency requirement

All students must demonstrate proficiency in English composition. Refer to the Analytical Writing Program website for information on test scores that fulfill the ELWR requirement. 

A knowledge of American History and federal and state institutions is required of all degree candidates. If you graduated from a California high school your AHI requirement is considered complete. Students from other states may ask the UC San Diego Admissions Office to clear the requirement if they completed comparable course work in high school.

If neither of the above applies to you, please refer to the UC San Diego General Catalog under “Undergraduate Degree Requirements” for courses that can be taken to clear the AHI requirement.

International Students should consult with Academic Advising regarding this requirement.

- This one course requirement may be taken for letter or P/NP grade and can overlap with any requirement. Check with your major on grading option requirements if you plan on overlapping this course with your major. -

A knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion is required of all candidates for a Bachelor's degree who begin their studies at UC San Diego in lower-division standing in Fall 2011 or thereafter, or in upper-division standing in Fall 2013 or thereafter.

1. This requirement shall be satisfied by passing, with a grade no lower than C- or P, a one-quarter, four-unit course expressly approved by the Committee on Educational Policy for that purpose.
2. This requirement may be satisfied by presenting proof of having passed a four-unit transfer course at a recognized institution of higher education, community colleges included, that has been articulated and deemed equivalent to one of the courses on the approved DEI list.

Click here or a full list of approved DEI courses

Courses on this list were reviewed and approved by the Academic Senate. Other courses not on this list may not count towards the DEI requirement. Students cannot petition other courses not on this list to count towards the DEI requirement. UCSD Departments may petition to have courses reviewed by the Academic Senate to be added to the DEI list, but petitions are not guaranteed and may take up to two quarters to review for a decision.

A knowledge of climate change is required of all candidates for a Bachelor’s degree who begin their studies as at UC San Diego in lower-division standing in Fall 2024 or thereafter.

• The requirement shall be satisfied by passing, with a grade not lower than C- or P, a one-quarter course expressly approved by the Undergraduate Council for that purpose. A list of approved courses will be provided in the UC San Diego General Catalog*.
• This requirement is required of all candidates for a Bachelor’s degree who begin their studies at UC San Diego as a first-year student. Transfer students are not required to satisfy this requirement.
• Information on courses that will satisfy both the CCER and a GE will be available beginning Fall 2024.

*All first-year ERC students will complete this requirement with MMW 15 and MMW 15 must be taken for a letter grade.

• Completion of 36 units in an academic year towards degree objective requirements to maintain minimum progress and qualify for further registration.
• Read the Academic Senate policy on minimum progress.

Quarter Limit and Enrollment Beyond the Quarter Limit (for students entering UC San Diego in fall 2019 or thereafter)

• An undergraduate student who enrolls at UC San Diego as a freshman in fall 2019 or thereafter is allowed to enroll for twelve quarters to complete all requirements for a bachelor of arts (BA) or bachelor of science (BS) degree; if a student reaches this quarter limit and needs additional time to complete those requirements, they will be required to submit a completion plan and have it approved by their college prior to enrolling for additional quarters to continue work toward the degree.
• An undergraduate student who enrolls at UC San Diego as a transfer student in fall 2019 or thereafter is allowed to enroll for six quarters to complete all requirements for a bachelor of arts (BA) or bachelor of science (BS) degree; if a student reaches this quarter limit and needs additional time to complete those requirements, they will be required to submit a completion plan and have it approved by their college prior to enrolling for additional quarters to continue work toward the degree.
• Summer session, as well as quarters during which students are approved for part-time status or have withdrawn from all courses, will not count toward the allowable number of quarters.

Maximum Unit Limitation (for students enrolled at UC San Diego prior to fall 2019)

• An undergraduate student may register for no more than 200 course units. An exception is permitted for candidates for BS degrees in engineering, for whom the limits are 240 units in Revelle and Roosevelt Colleges and 230 units in all other colleges. Other exceptions will be granted only for compelling academic reasons and only with the approval of the college provost.
• Transfer units applicable toward general-education requirements or major requirements are included in the maximum unit calculation; all other transfer units are to be excluded. Advanced Placement and international baccalaureate units are to be excluded.

Qualified students graduate with a degree awarded cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude.  A maximum of fourteen percent of graduating seniors may be so honored, and ranking is based on the GPA for at least 72 letter-grade units of course work at the University of California.  Typically, the top two percent will graduate summa cum laude; the next four percent, magna cum laude; and the next eight percent, cum laude.

University Honors will appear on the transcript and diploma for eligible UCSD students.