FAQs: Undergraduate Students in Computer Science, Data Science, and Statistics

All students should continue to complete their programs of study as described. 

Students graduating in Fall 2023 will see no changes in major or college requirements and will receive their degrees from L&S.

We expect students graduating in Spring 2024 to receive their degrees from CDSS. These students must continue to satisfy the College of Letters & Science degree requirements for graduation. Students will automatically receive a degree from CDSS, unless they specifically opt to remain in L&S. More information on opting-out of CDSS will be provided in Fall 2023.

Major requirements: Students should continue to go to their major advisor for all questions about major requirements, which will not change.

College requirements: The College of CDSS expects to open a college advising office in Spring 2024. Until the CDSS College Advising office opens, students should continue to direct all questions about college requirements and policy to the L&S College Advising office. All L&S College policies and requirements will apply. 

Forms and Petitions: For the academic year 2023-34, all forms and petitions must be approved by the College of Letters & Science, even after the CDSS college advising office opens. 

Current students who are eligible to declare a CDSS major by the end of Spring 2024 should continue to complete major prerequisites and declare their major in L&S via the process listed on the intended major’s website. Current students who expect to be eligible to declare a CDSS major in Summer 2024 or later should remain in their current college until eligible to declare, and then apply for a Change of College or Simultaneous Degree. More information about this process will be available prior to Summer 2024. 

For new students admitted in Fall 2023, we do not anticipate any change in the comprehensive review process for high-demand majors (this applies only to Computer Science and Data Science). Students admitted to CDSS in Fall 2024 will be automatically enrolled in their major. 

CDSS College requirements will be similar to L&S College requirements but not identical. Students who graduate in Fall 2023, Spring 2024, and Summer 2024 must satisfy L&S requirements. Continuing students in Fall 2024 will have the option to follow either CDSS or L&S requirements. CDSS requirements are expected to be announced in Spring 2024. A process will be set up for students to select the requirements they wish to satisfy.

The majors in Computer Science, Data Science, and Statistics will continue to be Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degrees.

For students already declared in a double major in L&S, their double major will automatically become a simultaneous degree.

After Spring 2024, students who wish to add a CDSS degree as a second major will need to submit a Simultaneous Degree application instead of a Double Major application. Updated forms will be available before the application period. Contact the major advisors to discuss your eligibility.

Students who have declared a CDSS major and are interested in declaring a second CDSS major should contact a major advisor in that program. Some major programs may not allow double majoring.

The Data Science minor is administered and housed in the College of CDSS. The Computer Science minor is administered by the College of Engineering (COE) and will remain in COE. The Statistics minor is currently administered by the College of L&S, but will move into the College of CDSS along with the three majors.

The Computer Science, Data Science, and Statistics minors are available to any UC Berkeley undergraduate student in any college. The policy on overlap will follow L&S policy for academic year 2023-24. Note: the Computer Science minor is housed in the College of Engineering.

Enrollment restrictions and seat reservations will continue to be managed by each department or program. We do not anticipate any changes as a result of the formation of the new college.

The first forum for students to learn about the new college was held in December 2022. Plans for information sessions are in progress, and we expect them to start being held in the Fall 2023 semester. If you have questions that need immediate attention and are not covered by this FAQ, please contact your major advisor or a college advisor in L&S.