Double Majors 101

Using this worksheet

• HDS Curriculum Planning Worksheet

Start with noting your course preferences for the HDS major: Look at the course list for your specific HDS major, here:

• Human Developmental Sciences Bachelor of Arts
• Human Developmental Sciences Bachelor of Science
• Human Developmental Sciences Bachelor of Science with a Specialization in Equity and Diversity
• Human Developmental Sciences Bachelor of Science with a Specialization in Healthy Aging

For each of the major requirements (19 courses for the BA, 21 for the BS), review the course options in each category (you can click the course titles for a description of each class option).

For each requirement, note your top three course choices for fulfilling it (or the course you have already taken to fulfill it). Obviously, if there's only one choice for a specific major requirement, that will be the class you take. 

remember the limits on overlap when making course choices.

You will use your top course preference in each category for creating the initial draft of your double major petition.  The alternate options can be backup if your topic choices do not fit within your quarter by quarter plan.

Note: each class can only fulfill ONE major requirement.  If a class appears as a choice in more than one area, you can choose where it applies, but it only counts once in the major.

Take your top choices from the courses preference worksheet, and place them on a double major petition. 

• Blank Double Major Petition (PDF)

The petition should have ALL classes listed on it: 19 classes for the BA, 21 for the BS.

For the lower division section
Please list ALL lower division courses (numbered 1-99) here in this section, even if they overlap. 

Since there are only 6 lines in this section, you can put more than one course on each line, (Example: BILD 1, 2) to fit all 7-8 of the lower division classes. 

Not 100% sure which class you want to take for the requirement? That's ok in this section--You could also just list the requirement name (Example: "Two Social Sciences") on one line.  See example:

BS example:

For the upper division section
If you plan to overlap any UPPER DIVISION courses (numbered 100-199), those SPECIFIC COURSE NUMBERS must be listed on the petition, in the bottom section where it says "List each upper division course that overlaps to satisfy requirement in both majors" 

Note that this is the one area on your form that MUST list specific classes and can't just say "elective" or HDS 1**. The Degree Audit programmers need to encode these overlaps on your degree audit in order for the two majors to correctly overlap them, so specific courses are required here. (And NOTE: if you change up your overlaps, a revised form will be needed to update the overlaps).

The remaining 10+ upper division courses for each major that are NOT overlapping go above that area, in the section that says "Upper-Division (Do not list overlaps or extra)"  You can list degree categories rather than course numbers in this area, if unsure of course choices.

Need an example?   <--This shows a double major form between Biology and History, with NO overlaps

Want a prefilled example for HDS, with overlaps?  

Theses two examples (a BA and a BS) both show TWO upper division overlaps for the Biological CORE and Biological DEVELOPMENT courses.  

• Example 1:  HDS Bachelor of Science--combined with a Bio major (with two overlaps)
  
  
• Example 2:  HDS Bachelor of Arts-- combined with an Anthro Major (with two overlaps)

Feel free to download and edit the course lists and intended overlaps as needed. Note: Both of these examples presume HDS as the "to be added" major.  If you are already an HDS major adding a different one, move the HDS information to the left side of the form for "current major".

On the second page of the form, you must complete the following:

1. A brief Statement of Purpose explaining your reasoning for completing two majors.

Download a copy of a blank Academic Planning worksheet to get started on your academic plan. 

If it feels too daunting to start with a blank worksheet, we do also have pre-filled plans you can start with that are very basic, and just lays out HDS classes by category, which you can then customize (see later steps).  Note that these pre-filled templates only list HDS major coursework.

Choose the plan that best reflects the amount of time you have left at UCSD

• Generic HDS 4-year plan (<-click link to make a copy).
  Includes all 21 courses for the BS major (or 19 for the BA), spread out over 4 years
  
  
• Generic HDS 3-year plan (<-click link to make a copy).
  Includes all 21 courses for the BS major (or 19 for the BA) and you just need to remove those you have already received credit for before customizing
  
  
• Generic HDS 2-year plan(<-click link to make a copy).
  Includes all upper division classes, and 3 lower division classes--assuming that some lower division courses (4 for the BA, 5 for the BS) were already completed prior to you choosing to double major.  If you need to complete more lower division courses than that, please add them to the plan.

Regardless of whether you use a blank plan, or a pre-filled one, at the top right corner of this worksheet, make sure you put in all units you have earned to date inside the Transfer Units box. 

You will next need to modify this plan by replacing the degree requirements (such as "HDS Core") with specific course numbers that you listed on your double major petition or listed on your HDS Curriculum Planning Worksheet (see next step)

 Now you can begin customizing your plan by entering in specific courses!

1. Match up  each degree category on the Academic Planning worksheet to the preferred course  listed on your double major petition and/or HDS Curriculum Planning Worksheet, replacing the degree requirement with a specific course number.
   
   
2. For this academic year: Review the HDS Annual Course Offerings for classes offered this year in the HDS major. https://hdsciences.ucsd.edu/courses/course-offerings/index.html   
   
   
   1. Compare what is offered this year to the course choices you listed on your plan for this year.  Are there any requirements recommended to be completed this year, but the course you wanted to take for that requirement is not being offered? Consider one of the alternate options you listed on your course planning worksheet instead.  Otherwise, remember that your plan is flexible--if you'd like to move around a few classes and postpone a requirement until later in order to take your preferred class, you can. 
      
      Our four HDS majors have a lot of choices to fulfill your requirements, and many don’t *have to* be taken in a specific order, however the following 5 classes are required of ALL HDS majors, and must be taken in this order:

      HDS 1 & HDS 60 --> then HDS 181 (once junior/senior standing) -->  then HDS 191 & HDS 150 (senior standing)
      
      (Note: they don't have to be taken back-to-back.)

      • HDS 1 is offered Fall and Spring
      • HDS 60, HDS 181, 191, and 150 are offered all year--Fall, Winter, and Spring. 
      • HDS Core Courses (Numbered 110-133) should be completed before HDS 181.
        
        
   2. For later academic years: Under the course titles for each HDS class, we note which quarter it is typically offered.  For non-HDS classes, you can compare grids from prior years to see which classes are offered consistently from year-to-year, and which terms. Classes like BICD 100 and PSYC 101 are offered every quarter.  Specialized topics are usually only offered once  a year.

Want an HDS advisor to look over your documents before you submit them?  We'd be happy to help!

For you advising session, You will need the following 4 items for us to review for your Double major application:

1. Your completed HDS Curriculum Planning Worksheet
   
   
2. Your completed Double Major Petition (PDF).
   1. Don't forget to Complete the Statement of Purpose on page 2!
      
      
3. Your completed Academic Planning worksheet (Google Sheet)
   
   

Please follow the above steps and complete these to the best of your ability, and then we can go over them and make any corrections during an advising appointment.  If you feel you will need significant help in creating your academic plan, please let us know, as then we may need to block off more time for your appointment.

Schedule an advising session here and specify double major as the reason for your request:

https://hdsciences.ucsd.edu/advising/appointments.html

Once you have completed your forms, and (recommended) have had both majors have reviewed your draft double major form & academic plan for accuracy (and made any corrections/revisions), you will then need to route these documents SEQUENTIALLY for signature in order for your double major to be approved. 

Please do not send them to all three offices at the same time, as we all need to sign the same form.
Once you obtain a signature from one office, please then route the signed form to the next office.

Please route them in this order (if you don't know where to submit the forms themselves, please send a VAC message to the unit in question):

1. First Major
2. Second Major
3. College academic advising office for final review.

To send your petition to HDS, please have the following documents ready to upload in our below HDS Double Major submission form:

1. Your completed Double Major Petition (PDF).
   1. Don't forget to Complete the Statement of Purpose on page 2!
      
      
2. Your completed Academic Planning worksheet (Google Sheet)
   
   
3. Required for HDS submission only: Your completed HDS Curriculum Planning Worksheet

To Check the status of your DMP once you have routed it to both majors and then submitted it to your college:

• Your College Academic Advising Office will notify you regarding the status of your request via the Virtual Advising Center.
• View your Academic History to confirm that both majors appear online. Allow five working days for processing after approval by the college.

1. _{Please review the Academic Senate policy on double majors (A-3) for more information.}