Degree Requirements

UC, Campus, College & Major requirements are courses you're required to take. These are sometimes referred to as "subject" requirements.

Unit Requirements for Graduation

  • Minimum total units: 120
    • PE maximum units:  4
    • Special Studies maximum units: 16
      • Courses numbered 97, 98, 99, 197, 198, or 199
    • Maximum 300-499 course units: 6
  • Minimum upper division units: 36

Essential Skills – see approved courses

  • Reading and Composition
  • Computational Reasoning
  • Statistical Reasoning
  • Human and Social Dynamics of Data and Technology

Additional information on the CDSS Essential Skills courses can be found at the Berkeley Undergraduate Academic Catalog in the 'Requirements' section for each major. Please see the Computer Science, Data Science, and Statistics pages in the Catalog for more information. 

Transfer students: Completing the IGETC will satisfy the Reading and Composition Essential Skill. Computational Reasoning, Statistical Reasoning, and Human and Social Dynamics of Data and Technology Essential Skills may be completed at a community college but are not automatically satisfied with IGETC. Please review the information linked above on how to satisfy these requirements.

Note: Students who were admitted to UC Berkeley prior to Fall 2024 have the option of completing their CDSS degrees by satisfying either the College of Letters & Science essential skills requirement or the CDSS essential skills requirement, however CDSS policies will apply.

For Fall 2024 and onward, all students admitted into CDSS must meet CDSS essential skills and CDSS College policies.

Seven-Course Breadth Requirements

The undergraduate seven-course breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship. Learn more about the Seven-Course Breadth Requirements.

CDSS breadth requirements are the same as L&S breadth requirements, with one exception: a second semester foreign language course can be used to satisfy the International Studies breadth requirement.

The seven-course breadth courses can be satisfied by a C- or better or a Pass (P) grade. 

Transfer students: Completing the IGETC will satisfy all Seven-Course breadth requirements. 

Residency Requirements

For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus (excluding courses taken through UC Extension) as a student in the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless you go abroad for a semester or year or you are considering changing into the College of CDSS after your junior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to meet a College Advisor to determine whether you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.

Senior Residence Requirement

After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your B.A. degree), you must complete:

  • At least 24 units in residence as a CDSS student. 
  • At least 2 terms in residence as a CDSS student. To count as a term in residence, at least 6 units must be passed.

Modified Senior Residence Requirement

Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP), Berkeley Summer Abroad, Berkeley Global Internships, UC Natural Resource System (NRS), the UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC), or the UC Center in Sacramento program (UCCS) may meet the Modified Senior Residence Requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP or UC Extension) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have completed 90 units.

Note: For Fall 2024 and onward, all students admitted into CDSS must meet CDSS senior residency requirements. 

UC, Campus, College & Major requirements are courses you're required to take. These are sometimes referred to as "subject" requirements.

Review major requirements through your major's website and by working with your undergraduate major advisor. You may explore majors through the Berkeley Undergraduate Academic Catalog. For more support finding a major, see the CDSS Academics page.

GPA requirements represent the minimum GPA you must earn in your UC coursework and in your major.

  • Minimum 2.0 overall GPA
  • Minimum 2.0 GPA in upper division and graduate courses identified for the major

Honors in the College

The Dean’s honors list recognizes outstanding academic achievement by undergraduate students each fall and spring semester. Requirements include:

  • Completion of 12 or more letter-graded units in that semester, or completion on a letter-graded basis of the minimum number of units approved before the add/drop deadline due to approved reduced course loads for DSP, paid employment, student parent/caregiver responsibilities or other extenuating circumstances approved by the college.
  • A semester GPA in the top 10 percent of all College of Computing, Data Science, and Society undergraduates as determined by the method noted in honors at graduation (high honors cutoff).
  • No grades of I, NP or M in that semester.

Dean’s honors are determined approximately three weeks after the semester ends. This honor is noted on the student’s transcript at the end of each eligible semester.

To be eligible for honors in general scholarship at graduation, students must have:

  1.  Completed a minimum of 50 units at the University of California (includes UCEAP, UCDC, courses completed at other UCs, and UC Berkeley Extension XB or XBW or Concurrent Enrollment), of which 43 units must have been undertaken for a letter grade
  2. Completed a minimum of 30 units on the Berkeley campus
  3. Achieved a grade-point average ranking in the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society as follows:
  • Top 3 percent – highest honors
  • Next 7 percent – high honors
  • Next 10 percent – honors

At the end of each academic year, the Office of the Registrar shall determine for each school and college the minimum grade-point averages of the top 3 percent, the next 7 percent, and the next 10 percent of the students graduating in that year. These grade-point averages shall serve each school and college as minimal criteria for honors during the next academic year.

The honors distinction levels for Fall 2025, Spring 2026 and Summer 2026 are as follows:

  • Highest honors: 3.988 GPA
  • High honors: 3.923 GPA
  • Honors: 3.832 GPA
     

Honors to date, or semester honors, is awarded to students who have:

  • Completed a minimum of 12 units of letter grades on the Berkeley campus; and
  • Achieved an overall grade-point average equal to or greater than the grade-point average in the top 20 percent of the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society shown above.

The notation of honors appears after the grades on your Berkeley record for each semester in which you earn semester honors.

Each of the majors in the College of CDSS offer departmental honors. These programs are open to students at any time, not later than the first semester of the senior year, who have a grade-point average of 3.00 or higher overall, 3.30 or higher in the major program, and meet all other conditions as the Committee on Honors for that major prescribes. 

For more information, visit each major’s webpage or visit your Undergraduate Major Advisor for more information:  

Academic Progress Report

The Academic Progress Report (APR) is designed as a checklist for students. It can help you keep track of all of your degree requirements and monitor your progress toward completion.

The APR includes all eligible exam and transfer credit (as noted in your Exam Results and Transfer Credit Reports), along with Berkeley coursework to confirm satisfaction of requirements as assigned by the responsible unit (e.g., university, campus, college, major and minor department).

Please review the Central Evaluation Unit's webpage on the Academic Progress Report for an overview and common questions related to the APR.

How to make updates to your APR

If a correction needs to be made to your APR regarding CDSS College requirements, fill out the CDSS APR Correction Form.

If a correction needs to be made to your APR regarding major requirements, please reach out to your major advisor.

Academic Policies

Find topics related to your academic journey. The Academic Policies page covers a wide range of policies and procedures to help undergraduate students navigate smoothly. Understand key policies on registration, enrollment, unit limits, transfer credits, and more.

Have questions?

Contact CDSS College Advising

 

Barbara and Gerson Bakar Gateway

2300 Hearst Avenue,

Berkeley, CA 94720 - Level 1, 1190

 

Open: Monday – Friday

- 9:00 am to 12:00 pm

- 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

 

See Advising Services to connect with an advisor. 

 

Email: cdss-undergrad@berkeley.edu