How to declare the Psychology major

Once all prerequisite coursework and grades are posted in CalCentral, students can submit a short google form and meet with an advisor at which time a decision will be made on your application. That's it; a quick and easy form followed by a friendly chat!

Read below for more specifics on the process. 

Beginning in Fall 2022, if you apply outside the guarantee window and are not accepted into the major, you may complete an appeal process. There are strict deadlines for submitting an appeal.  Read below for more information.

• Steps to Declaring the Psychology Major (Click to Expand)

  1)  Complete your prerequisite coursework and wait for grades to post to CalCentral.  

  2)  Once all your prerequisite coursework grades are posted in CalCentral, complete the online form to declare your intent to major in Psychology. 

  3)  While completing the online form, you will be given the option to choose and rsvp for a virtual Major Declaration Workshop. Alternative, you may schedule a 'Major Declaration' appointment to meet with a major advisor in lieu of the workshop, if you prefer to meet one-on-one. Attending either a workshop or an appointment is a mandatory step in the declaration process, but you don't need to do both.

  We realize that during peak periods, appointments may be booked far out and you may have to wait for meeting with an advisor. The workshops are offered in order to shorten the wait. We will honor the timestamp of your major declaration form submission in considering whether or not your application falls within the window of guaranteed admission, even if a workshop or appointment is not available before the start of the new semester.

  4)  If Psychology is not your first major, follow all steps required to declare a double major or simultaneous degree prior to the appointment with the major advisor.Here is the link to the double major paperwork, and here is the link to the simultaneous degree packet. 

  If your application is within the guarantee criteria and Psychology is your first major, we'll be able to declare your major during the appointment.  If your application is not within the guarantee window, we can talk about your specific circumstances and what the next steps may be. 

  If you have any questions about this new process or how to proceed, don't hesitate to reach out.  We're here to help!  

• Advice to Pre-major students (Click to expand)

  Students who intend to declare the Psychology major are encouraged to check in with the Student Services Office periodically.  You are welcome to drop-in for peer advising, schedule an appointment with a major advisor, and get involved in departmental student activities and events, such as:

  • Attending workshops hosted by peer advisors.
  • Joining the Psychology Majors bCourses to receive email notifications about psychology related events and opportunities.  Request access by emailing psychsso@berkeley.edu. 
  • Enrolling in the Personal Development in Psychology DeCal course regularly offered by advanced Psychology majors. 
  • Taking a freshman or sophomore seminar with a faculty member from the Psychology Department.
  • Following us on social media!
    • Instagram:@ucbpsychadvising
    • Facebook: UCB Psych Peers 
• Appeal Process (Click to expand)

  Effective Fall 2022 and going forward, students who apply to the Psychology major after they have begun their sixth semester and/or with a prerequisite GPA below 3.0 may not be admitted to the major. If you have applied to the major and were not accepted, you may submit an appeal. In order to consider your appeal, you must submit the following items through the online Psychology Major Application Appeal Form: 

  • One page (maximum) explanation of the circumstances for your major declaration and your plan for successful completion of the major. As a capped major with high demand courses, we cannot guarantee that any student can enroll in as many classes as they want in a given semester. We established the guarantee criteria for major declaration based upon what we feel is necessary for most students to successfully complete the major on time. For your appeal, we are particularly interested to understand why you are applying outside the guarantee window and why you feel you are a strong candidate for the major. 
  • A schedule plan for on-time graduation. Beginning with the current semester (we can see your previous enrollment history in CalCentral), list all the courses you plan to take between now and your expected graduation term (EGT). Be sure to account for all remaining major requirements as well as remaining UC, UC Berkeley, and College of L&S requirements in your plan. Feel free to use the College of L&S Program Planning Sheet or create your own document.

  The form can be accessed via this link at the beginning of each term.  

  All appeals will be considered as a batch after the appeal deadline passes.  We do not consider appeals on a rolling basis so that we can give each appeal the attention it deserves. 

  The appeal deadlines are as follow:

  Fall - October 1
  Spring - April 1
  Summer - July 1

  Appeals received after this date will be held until the next review cycle.