2023-24 Edition

About the UCI General Catalogue

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE

2023-24 General Catalogue, Volume 57

The UCI General Catalogue is published annually in July by the University of California, Irvine, University Editor’s Office, 215 Aldrich Hall, Irvine, CA 92697-4975.

The UCI General Catalogue constitutes the University of California, Irvine’s document of record. While every effort is made to ensure the correctness and timeliness of information contained in the Catalogue, the University cannot guarantee its accuracy. Changes may occur, for example, in course descriptions; teaching and administrative staff; curriculum, degree, and graduation requirements; and fee information. Contact the individual academic program or administrative office for further information.


Additional Catalogue Information

Because the UCI General Catalogue must be prepared well in advance of the year it covers, changes in some programs and courses inevitably will occur. The selection of courses to be offered each quarter is subject to change without notice, and some courses are not offered each year. The Schedule of Classes, available on the University Registrar’s website at shortly before registration begins each quarter, provides current information about course offerings, instructors, hours, and more. Students should consult the appropriate academic unit for even more up-to-date information. (Admission to UCI does not guarantee enrollment in any particular course.)

Course Listings

Undergraduate courses are classified as lower-division (numbered 1–99) and upper-division (numbered 100–199). Courses numbered 200 and above are graduate or professional courses. Lower-division usually refers to freshman-sophomore courses, upper-division to junior-senior courses. However, junior and senior students may take lower-division courses, and freshmen and sophomores may normally take upper-division courses when upper-division standing is not a prerequisite and when any other prerequisites have been met. A course has no prerequisites unless indicated.

Some courses are structured as three-quarter sequences, such as 1A-1B-1C; except as noted, each course in a sequence is prerequisite to the one following. The letter L following a number usually designates a laboratory course. The letter H preceding a number designates an honors course.

The "4 Units" designation following the course title indicates the quarter unit credits toward graduation. Some courses give other than four units of credit; for example, two, five, or a range from one to 12.

When a course is approved for satisfaction of the UCI general education (GE) requirement, the general education category is indicated by a Roman numeral in parentheses at the end of the description. Courses approved to fulfill the upper-division writing requirement are designated with the letter W following the course number and the GE symbol (Ib) following the course description.

Course Terms Definitions

Concurrent Courses - Concurrent courses are those that are offered at the same time and place, with the same instructor, but credit is given at two levels: graduate and undergraduate. In the Catalogue, concurrent courses can be found under the course description of the course. For example, PHYSICS 100 is concurrent with PHYSICS 229A. Under the course description for PHYSICS 100, it states the following: “Concurrent with PHYSICS 229A.”
 
Overlaps – When a course includes a substantial amount of material that is also covered in a different UCI course, the courses will be considered “overlaps” of one another. When a course is identified as overlapping with another, students may not receive credit for both courses. Therefore, students who earn a passing grade in one course will not receive credit if they later take the overlapping course, and students who earn a non-passing grade in a course with an overlap should not repeat that course with the overlapping course. In the Catalogue, an overlapping course appears under the course description of the course. For example, EARTHSS 17 overlaps with PUBHLTH 90. Under the course description for EARTHSS 17, it states the following: “Overlaps with PUBHLTH 90.”

“Same as” or Cross-Listed Courses - A cross-listed course is one course that is offered at the same time and place with the same instructor, and appears under more than one department name. In the Catalogue, a cross-listed course appears as “Same as” under the course description. For example, BIO SCI 14 is cross-listed with PHY SCI 5. Under the course description for BIO SCI 14, it states the following: “Same as PHY SCI 5.”
 
One course can be cross-listed up to three times, which in total would be four department names for one course.

Students are urged to become informed of and understand all requirements concerning their intended majors, minors, and associated areas of study. Special restrictions apply to some majors and minors; for example, some minors require formal application or declaration by students, others may be completed without such formalities. Information about the programs listed below may be found in the academic unit sections of the Catalogue.

Undergraduate Majors, Minors, and Associated Areas of Study

Undergraduate majors are offered in all of the bachelor’s degree programs on the list of degree titles; the degree programs are referred to as majors in the following list. In association with these majors, UCI offers a number of minors, concentrations, specializations, and emphases.

A minor consists of a coordinated set of seven or more courses (28–40 units) which together take a student well beyond the introductory level in an academic field, subject matter, and/or discipline but which are not sufficient to constitute a major. An interdisciplinary minor consists of courses offered by two or more departments, schools, or programs. Generally, all minors are available to all students, with the following exceptions: (1) students may not minor in their major, and (2) students may not complete certain other major/minor combinations that are expressly prohibited, as noted in the Catalogue. Minors are listed on a student’s transcript but not on the baccalaureate diploma.

A concentration is a program of interdisciplinary study consisting of courses offered by two or more schools or programs. Concentrations are similar to minors in that they require fewer units of work than majors do, and the area of concentration appears on the student’s transcript but not on the baccalaureate diploma. Concentrations are taken in combination with a major in one of the schools or programs offering the concentration.

A specialization is a program of study which enables students to focus on courses in a particular field within a major. The area of specialization pursued appears on the student’s transcript but not on the baccalaureate diploma.

An emphasis is a program of study within a major which emphasizes a specific area of the discipline. Emphases usually have a defined course of study and are not listed on the transcript nor on the baccalaureate diploma.

Graduate Concentrations, Emphases, and Specializations

A concentration is a subcurriculum such as a new method of inquiry or an important field of application which may be interdisciplinary and is applicable to one or more existing graduate programs. It consists of a coordinated set of courses (usually four or more) in conjunction with examinations, thesis, and/or dissertation, and is joined with the curriculum of one or more established graduate programs in a manner such that the requirements of the graduate program and of the concentration are met concurrently. Students ordinarily are admitted directly into a concentration. Concentrations are listed on a student’s transcript but are not listed on the diploma.

An emphasis is a program of study, often interdisciplinary, that focuses on a specific area of a discipline and may or may not reside in the student’s academic unit. An emphasis may exist within a concentration or within a regular degree program or be free-standing. It has a defined course of study and differs from a concentration in that it requires fewer courses (usually three) and the studies provide somewhat less depth and expertise in a subject. The subject matter of the emphasis is integrated into the thesis/dissertation. Students do not apply to an emphasis at the initial time of graduate application. Emphases are not listed on the student’s transcript or diploma.

A specialization is a program that is used more flexibly than a concentration or emphasis. It may be used to denote a program of study that enables students to focus on courses in a particular area of study without formal requirements. Specializations do not carry any specific admission criteria. Specializations are listed on a student’s transcript but are not listed on the diploma.

Where to Find:

Courses

View all of the University's course offerings, organized by subject matter, here.

To view courses offered by a particular School, Department, or Program, select a School or Program here. Then, click on the tab labeled “Courses” at the top of the page, under the banner image.

Admissions Information

For information for prospective students, including undergraduate and graduate admissions, transfer student services, financial aid, tuition, and more, visit the Information for Prospective Students section.

Information on a Specific Degree, Major, or Minor

View Undergraduate Degrees and/or Graduate Degrees. Or, view a page with all degrees in one table.

You can also search by the degree or program name via the search bar on any Catalogue page.

A Previous Edition of the General Catalogue

Previous editions of the General Catalogue can be found in the Catalogue archive. Most previous Catalogue editions are available, however, if you don’t see the edition you need on the list, send an email to aehassan@uci.edu.

A Hard Copy of the Catalogue

UCI stopped printing hard copies of the General Catalogue in 2011. If you’re looking for a Catalogue page from a previous year, and you don’t want the online version, you can download a PDF. View the General Catalogue archive.

Contact Us

To report a correction, broken link(s), or submit a question or suggestion, please email the University Editor, or call 949-824-5600.