How to Declare the CS Major

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GPA/Prerequisites to Declare the CS Major

Students must meet a GPA requirement in prerequisite courses to be admitted to the CS major. Prerequisite and GPA requirements are listed below.

Term admittedPrerequisites requiredGPA required
Fall 2022 or earlier*CS 61A, CS 61B, CS 70 3.30 overall GPA in CS 61A, CS 61B, & CS 70
Fall 2023 (Frosh-applied High Demand Computer Science)CS 61A, CS 61B, CS 70 2.0 overall GPA in CS 61A, CS 61B, & CS 70
Fall 2023 (Transfer-CS intended)CS 61A, CS 61B, CS 703.30 overall GPA in CS 61A, CS 61B, & CS 70 (completed by the end of summer 2024)

*To verify eligibility and college requirements, meet with CDSS college advisors.

For students admitted in Fall 2023 onward (Frosh-CS intended), please refer to the comprehensive review section below.

Transfer students admitted in Fall 2024 onward who did not select computer science on their UCB application will not be able to change their major to, or double major in, computer science; this includes simultaneous degrees.

(Updated on 9/22/25)

Major Declaration Policies

  • Per campus policy, students can retake and earn credit for a class in which they received a grade of D+ or lower. Beginning Spring 2017, prerequisite courses which have been retaken will be averaged to calculate the major application GPA (For example: CS 61A = D; CS 61B = A-; CS 61A = A-; CS 70 = A; averaged GPA = 3.1). 
  • If a student receives an NP in a pre-req, it will be factored as an F (0.0 grade points) when their CS major application is reviewed. 
  • If a student completes equivalent courses to our prerequisite courses (CS 61A, CS 61B, CS 70) at another institution, at least one course must be completed at UC Berkeley to calculate the major application GPA.
  • Students who do not meet the minimum prerequisite and GPA requirements for the Computer Science major, may choose to appeal the major declaration decision after they have submitted an initial application to the major. Find our more about the Major Declaration Appeal Process.

Applying to the CS Major (Pre-Fall 2023 Only)

Application timeline:

  • The application period to declare the CS major opens approximately 1 week after grades are posted.
  • You may submit the CS major application if you have finished the prerequisites and were admitted to UCB before Fall 2023, are a Fall 2023 transfer student, or were admitted as a High Demand CS student. To verify eligibility and college requirements, meet with CDSS college advisors.
  • You will be notified of the decision via email approximately 3-4 weeks after the deadline.
  • To receive the announcements about the opening of our application, please self-subscribe to our CS-intended mailing list by emailing sympa@lists.eecs.berkeley.edu with the text “subscribe cs-intended” in the body or the subject.
Major Application Form (status – CLOSED)

Comprehensive Review

This information is specific to the Computer Science (CS) major and is supplemental to CDSS College guidance and policies about the Change of College or Simultaneous Degree application process. Students interested in becoming Computer Science majors should be sure to review both the information listed on this page and the CDSS College guidance and policies.

For the most up-to-date guidance on comprehensive review, please join the EECS 101 Ed Stem page and follow the comprehensive review discussion. For general application inquiries and/or troubleshooting, contact the CDSS undergraduate advising team.

(Updated on 11/03/25)

Comprehensive Review FAQ

  • First-year students admitted from Fall 2023 onward who are not admitted to computer science on their UC application may apply to the major via comprehensive review.
  • Transfer students are not eligible to apply to CS via comprehensive review.

Completed Prior to Application (final grades required)Completed or In Progress (enrolled in the Spring)
Have completed: Math 51, Math 52 (or approved substitution)Linear Algebra (Math 54 OR Math 56 OR ELENG 66* (formerly EECS 16A)).
Have at least 1 of the 3 completed: CS 61A, CS 61B, CS 70CS 61A, CS 61B, CS 70

*Beginning Fall 2026, ELENG 66 (formerly EECS 16A) may no longer fulfill linear algebra for CS.

There is a 3.0 minimum GPA to apply. See course requirements above.

Yes, Data 8 (or Stat 20) + Data C88C + CS47A is an approved substitution for CS61A, however none of the grades in these classes will be included in your GPA for Comprehensive Review.

You may only substitute Math 55 for CS70 if you are adding CS as a simultaneous degree student with the Math/Applied Math or Engineering, Math, & Statistics major; for these students, CS 70 and Math 55 are viewed as equivalent for admission to the CS major. Keep in mind, however, that CS 70 is a prerequisite for many CS upper-division courses. If you decide to take Math 55, you may self-study to prepare for upper-division courses.

You may only substitute Physics 89 for Math 54 or Math 56 or EECS 16A if you are adding CS as a simultaneous degree student with the Physics major.

You may substitute ENGIN 7 for CS 61A if your original major accepted it; e.g., Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, etc.

Students must submit their comprehensive review application by January of their 6th semester to be considered for admission to the CS major.

  • Review lower division requirements
  • Review upper division requirements
  • Prepare responses to the following four prompts (length: 250 words max):
  • What are your greatest academic and/or extracurricular passions outside of CS? What was your original major plan other than CS?
  • What experiences (inside and/or outside the classroom) have led you to this major? How have you been able to learn more about this major at UC Berkeley?
  • What unique background, experience, or perspective would you contribute to the Computer Science program? Please do not describe involvement in UC Berkeley student-run clubs and organizations.
  • What are your future goals, and how do you see this major helping you achieve those goals?

You can reply each year with the ultimate deadline being the January of your 6th semester.