Advising Clusters
“Advising Clusters” are groups of majors to help exploratory students identify potential majors at UC Santa Cruz. New frosh may, on their application for admission, identify an advising cluster if they are not ready to identify a "proposed major." Students are expected to move from an advising cluster to a “proposed” major by the end of the first year, and must be formally qualified for and declared in a major by the end of the sophomore year. Consider some of these strategies to guide your major exploration.
The links to the left and below provide information about initial placement and first year courses for majors in each cluster. More complete information about the requirements for each major is in the UCSC General Catalog.
If you're interested in BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS: Consider these majors: economics; business management economics; global economics; or the combined major in economics & mathematics.
If you're interested in EDUCATION or a teaching career you may select from a wide variety of majors. The following focus specifically on education: Education, Democracy & Justice; Mathematics Education, Science Education, and a combined major in Latin American and Latino Studies/Education, Democracy & Justice. Minors are available in education or in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education.
If you're interested in ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY, SCIENCE, AND SUSTAINABILITY: Consider these majors: agroecology, Earth sciences (the standard major or with a concentration in geology, environmental geology, ocean sciences, or planetary sciences), ecology and evolution, environmental science, environmental studies, global and community health BA, marine biology, plant sciences, or in combined majors between environmental studies and biology or economics. A minor in sustainability studies is also available.
If you're interested in HUMAN PSYCHOLOGY, CULTURE AND SOCIETY: Consider these majors: anthropology (or a combined major in anthropology/earth sciences), cognitive science, community studies, critical race and ethnic studies, feminist studies, global and community health BA, language studies, Latin American and Latino studies, a combined major in Latin American and Latino Studies/Education, Democracy & Justice, legal studies, linguistics, politics, psychology or sociology.
If you're interested in LANGUAGES, LITERATURE AND COMMUNICATIONS: Consider these majors: applied linguistics and multilingualism, literature, linguistics, language studies, and inter-disciplinary studies with a particular focus in a language: classical studies, Jewish studies, Latin American and Latino studies, or Spanish studies.
If you're interested in LIBERAL ARTS AND AREA STUDIES: Consider these majors: classical studies, critical race and ethnic studies, feminist studies, history, history of art and visual culture, Jewish studies, language studies, Latin American and Latino studies, philosophy, and Spanish studies. These majors focus on a particular area and include perspectives on relevant history, literature and social structures.
If you're interested in LIFE AND HEALTH SCIENCES: Consider these majors: general biology, cognitive science, ecology and evolution, global and community health B.A. or B.S., marine biology, molecular, cellular and developmental biology, microbiology, neuroscience, plant sciences, and science education.
If you're interested in PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATH: Consider these majors: applied physics, chemistry (general, or a concentration in biochemistry), biochemistry and molecular biology, Earth sciences (general, or with concentrations in environmental geology, geology, ocean sciences, and planetary sciences), environmental sciences, mathematics, mathematics education, mathematics theory and computation, physics, physics (astrophysics), or science education.
If you're interested in VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS AND MEDIA: Consider these majors:art, creative technologies, film and digital media, history of art and visual culture, music, theater arts, or art & design: games and playable media.
If you're interested in a major offered by the BASKIN SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, see the information on their website. Incoming students cannot specify a cluster in this area, but instead must be proposed in a major from the very beginning.
Last updated 6/2024
