Major Declaration
Courtesy of the Gross Family Collection
Students who enter UCSC as frosh are required to be formally declared in a major before enrolling in their third year (or equivalent). Upper division transfer students are required to be declared in a major by their second term at UCSC. Students who fail to declare a major by the aforementioned deadlines will not be permitted to enroll in their courses for the following quarter. Consult the UCSC Academic and Administrative Calendar for the quarterly "Declaration/Change of Major/Minor" deadline.
STEP ONE: Download Forms
Download two forms:
- a Petition for Major/Minor Declaration from the UCSC Undergraduate Advising Center. Fill out the petition to the best of your ability. Be sure to indicate your expected graduation term (EGT) on the petition. Your EGT can be found in your Student Advising Summary on your MyUCSC Student Portal. Please note that the EGT for most students reflects one extra quarter beyond what they will need to complete requirements. You do not need to have your EGT adjusted if you are planning to graduate before the term indicated.
- A Jewish studies major planning worksheet (PDF). Fill out the form to the best of your ability. Include any completed and in-progress coursework on the worksheet. Use the Jewish studies undergraduate curriculum to plan for future course enrollment.
STEP TWO: Meet with a Jewish Studies Faculty Adviser
Meet with one of the Jewish studies faculty advisers to review and discuss your proposed plan of study. You may be advised to modify your plan to achieve greater breadth or concentration. Obtain your adviser's signature on your Jewish studies major planning worksheet.
Jewish Studies Faculty Advisers
Nathaniel Deutsch, Professor of History
Alma Heckman, Assistant Professor of History
Bruce Thompson, Lecturer in History and Literature
STEP THREE: Complete Declaration of Major
Submit your Petition for Major/Minor Declaration and Jewish studies major planning worksheet to the undergraduate program coordinator during drop-in advising hours to complete the declaration process.
Double Major
Pursuing a double major is a highly individual decision, and should be based on a student's educational and career goals. For many students, pursuing a single major and including internships, research opportunities, or more classes than are required in their major discipline is just as challenging and rewarding as a double major, if not more so.
A student becomes eligible for a double major by satisfying the minimum degree requirements for each major. To pursue a double major program, you must file a quarterly academic plan that shows you are able to complete all of your double major requirements within the maximum number of quarters of enrollment available to you at UCSC.
Upper-division courses applied toward a second major/minor may or may not also be applied to the Jewish studies major requirements. Read the UC Santa Cruz Academic Senate "Double Counting" policy and consult with the history undergraduate program coordinator if you'd like to share upper-division courses between multiple majors or minors.
STEP FOUR (OPTIONAL): Declare Additional Major(s)/Minor(s)
If you are planning a double major or major/minor program, you will need to complete both advising office’s declaration processes, and will need to file a UCSC Academic Planning Form. Advisers from both programs will sign both your Petition for Declaration of Major and your Academic Planning Form.
*If you have already declared a major in a previous quarter, you are required to complete step four before declaring the Jewish studies major. Checking in with your major adviser beforehand verifies that the addition of the Jewish studies major will not negatively impact your degree progress.
