Physics seeks to discover the fundamental regularities or “laws” that govern our universe and to apply these laws to explain the behavior of fundamental and complex systems. The Physics Department offers majors in physics, physics (astrophysics), and applied physics. These programs prepare students for graduate work in physics, astrophysics and astronomy, for engineering and other technical positions in industry, and for careers in education. With appropriate courses in other disciplines, these majors provide excellent preparation for advanced study in technical subjects such as biology, chemistry, engineering, geophysics, and the philosophy of science. The applied physics major is excellent preparation for positions in industry directly upon graduation. For more information about the physics program requirements, please see the program description in the General Catalog.

The fastest growing major in the Humanities, Critical Race and Ethnic Studies (CRES) provides a deep understanding of how race and other modalities of power have structured human life in the past and the present. Students acquire an understanding of the historical production of race and ethnicity in the United States and across the globe. They learn how the contours of race and racism have changed over time and, concomitantly, how individuals and groups have experienced these phenomena in constantly morphing ways. Students examine present-day racial/ethnic ideologies such as multiculturalism, colorblindness, and postracialism as well as contemporary social phenomena such as changing working conditions, new migration patterns, and emergent cultural expressions. Students also explore the ways that race and ethnicity have developed in concert with gender, sexuality, class, indigeneity, citizenship, and other modalities of power and lived identity.

Philosophy investigates fundamental questions concerning knowledge and belief (epistemology), the nature of reality (metaphysics), and morality and aesthetics (value theory). The department offers courses that relate traditional questions to contemporary work in literature and the social and natural sciences. In addition, the department offers several courses that make a careful study of ancient and modern philosophical texts.

The Education, Democracy and Justice major (EDJ; pronounced ‘Edge’) provides opportunities to examine critical questions, theories, practices, and research in the field of education considered broadly and not only in relation to formal schooling. Courses in the major provide the conceptual knowledge for students to engage in critical thinking about social and policy contexts as well as everyday practices affecting inequitable structures in schooling, society, and culture that have enduring impacts on the quality of our democracy and communities.

The Music Department at UC Santa Cruz offers two undergraduate degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in Music (B.A.) and a Bachelor of Music (B.M.). The B.A. degree offers a uniquely diverse curriculum, with the option of completing a concentration in Contemporary Practices, Global Musics, or Western Art Music. The B.M. degree is designed for students who intend to pursue a career in music performance. The department also offers minors in Electronic Music, Jazz, Spontaneous Composition and Improvisation, and Western Art Music, providing more access for music students and students in other disciplines to engage with music during their studies at UCSC. Both the B.A. and B.M. degrees are distinctive in that they integrate elements of performance, theory, composition, literature, and history & culture. Music students leave UCSC prepared for graduate studies and music careers in performance, teaching, and the digital arts.

The Environmental Studies Department is committed to examining, understanding, and addressing environmental challenges from an interdisciplinary perspective. This is found in our scholarship, teaching, and programming that bridges the natural and social sciences, and influences the ways in which we think about the causes of and solutions to complex, contemporary environmental issues. Crucial to this approach is a recognition that degradation of our planet and social injustice are intricately intertwined. Our faculty undertake environmental scholarship across diverse social, natural, and human-managed systems and built environments. Our curriculum is designed to emphasize experiential learning and enhance practical environmental problem solving skills in order to enable our students to more effectively address the environmental challenges of the 21st century. We strive to acknowledge and practice diversity in our approaches to knowledge, reasoning, learning, departmental composition, and community engagement.

The central academic objective of this major is to provide students with a depth of expertise in interdisciplinary knowledge and skills related to agroecology and sustainable food systems. UCSC students pursuing this major will gain knowledge and skills in multiple disciplines and an increased understanding of complex agricultural and food systems.

Legal Studies is an interdisciplinary program. Students learn to use the methods and perspectives of various academic disciplines to study legal issues. They also use the conceptual framework of the law to illuminate empirical and theoretical concerns in the various disciplines. The major is not designed as a substitute or preparation for any part of a law school curriculum. It is a full and interdisciplinary field of study within the liberal arts curriculum.

*UCSC does not offer this as an undergraduate major. UC Santa Cruz offers a variety of field and exchange programs. Through field-placement programs, students gain or refine practical skills not usually taught in the classroom and provide needed services to organizations, groups, and businesses. Students can receive academic credit for courses taken at other institutions and for fieldwork completed through almost all of these programs. In addition to the opportunities below, internships are sponsored by UC Santa Cruz's Career Center, and independent field study is available through most departments on campus. For information on undergraduate research at UC Santa Cruz, please see the Undergraduate Research Opportunities web page.

*UCSC does not offer this as an undergraduate major. The Literature Department and the Writing Program at UC Santa Cruz offer courses in creative writing and in composition and rhetoric. The creative writing concentration within the literature major supports students in developing their craft alongside their peers and with the guidance of a faculty adviser. The courses offered through the Writing Program assist students in improving research and writing skills. The Writing Program offers lower-division general education composition courses, upper-division peer tutoring courses, and graduate-level pedagogy courses. In collaboration with the colleges, the Writing Program administers the Academic Literacy Curriculum. The Writing Program also houses the Don Rothman Endowed Award in First-Year Writing, which honors outstanding first-year writers and recognizes the pedagogical inspirations of their teachers.

The UCSC B.S. in computer engineering prepares graduates for a rewarding career in engineering. The computer engineering curriculum's focus is making digital systems that work. The program's emphasis on interdisciplinary system design provides both excellent training for future engineers and strong background for graduate study. UCSC computer engineering graduates will have a thorough grounding in the principles and practices of computer engineering and the scientific and mathematical principles upon which they are built.

The computer science curriculum gives students a solid grounding in both theoretical and practical computer usage. Students become proficient in many areas, with a good academic foundation for various careers in the software industry, as well as preparation for graduate school. Applications of computer science are found in many other areas of study, from art, music, and linguistics to social sciences, economics, business, digital, and social media, environmental and life sciences, and sciences. Thus, interdisciplinary activities are encouraged. For those students whose primary interest is in another area, a minor in computer science is offered.

Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary program that combines expertise from biology, mathematics, chemistry, computer science, and engineering to train students and develop technologies to address major problems at the forefront of biomedical and bio-industrial research. The program builds upon the research and academic strengths of the faculty in the Biomolecular Engineering Department, as well as many other departments.

Applied mathematics is a discipline devoted to the use of mathematical methods and reasoning to solve real-world problems of a scientific or decision-making nature in a wide variety of subjects, principally (but not exclusively) in engineering, medicine, the physical and biological sciences, and the social sciences.

The Bachelor of Science in Computer Science: Computer Game Design is an undergraduate degree program focused on the construction and design of interactive computer games. Reflecting both the growing cultural and economic importance of the computer gaming industry and the increasing complexity and specialization of computer gaming systems, the program focuses on the technical, narrative, and artistic underpinnings of these games. Students have multiple opportunities to create computer games, including an intensive year-long game project sequence in the final year. The program is regularly ranked among the very best public university game design programs in the U.S.

The electrical engineering curriculum provides a balance of engineering science and design and allows students to specialize in both the traditional topics and the latest subjects in electrical engineering. Students may concentrate their electives in the areas of electronics and optics or communications, signals, systems, and controls. The major is designed to attract motivated students who, upon graduation, will be sought by employers in the high-tech industry. The electrical engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

The Film and Digital Media major at UC Santa Cruz offers an integrated curriculum where students study the cultural impact of movies, television, video, and the internet and also have the opportunity to pursue creating work in video and interactive digital media, if so desired. Graduates of the UC Santa Cruz Film and Digital Media program have enjoyed considerable success in the professional world and have gained admission to top graduate schools in the field.

Graduates of the network and digital technology B.A. program will be prepared to contribute to engineering design teams, work with technology development, or join the computer network workforce. The major is designed for students looking to combine technology with other fields as a double major, or concentrate on digital design or computer networks in preparation for professional employment.

While UCSC does not have pre-med or pre-health majors, students from any major can be admitted to medical and health-related professional schools. The UCSC Career Success team provides students with resources to explore various health profession careers, including medicine. Students will learn how to get the most out of their time at UCSC to prepare for their desired careers in health professions. They will get tips on obtaining clinical and leadership experiences and preparing strong applications, and they can also connect directly with admissions representatives from various programs during the graduate school and health profession fairs.

The nation’s top law schools have accepted many UC Santa Cruz graduates. UCSC does not have a major title of "Prelaw." We offer legal studies major and a politics major. It is a popular misconception that students must major in prelaw, legal studies, or politics in order to get into law school. This simply is not the case. Law schools accept students from a variety of majors including, but not limited to, sociology, literature, philosophy, psychology, biology, anthropology, physics, economics, chemistry, mathematics, and engineering. Law schools are primarily interested in students who possess strong analytical and communication skills. Your GPA is a strong component of your application, so take classes you will excel in. They prefer students who have a diverse educational background to those who have a narrow academic focus. Students do not necessarily need to enter law school immediately after graduation. Many law schools prefer to accept students who have some work experience and maturity. The ages of first-year law students range from 21 to 50 years, with the median around 26. Diversity in academic background and employment or internship experiences enhance the law school experience for all students