Graduation Requirements

Certainly, one of your primary goals is to graduate from UCSC! So it's important to be very clear about what those requirements entail. Here is a quick breakdown of the requirements that all UCSC students need to complete in order to be eligible for graduation:

1) University Requirements:

• 180 quarter credits
• Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) 
• American History and Institutions Requirement
• Pass/No Pass Grades: No more than 25% of your UC Santa Cruz credits can be graded on a pass/no pass basis. Check with your major and college advisers before selecting the P/NP grading option.
• 2.0 GPA: Students must have a minimum 2.0 UC grade point average to graduate.
• Senior Residency: You must be registered at UC Santa Cruz for at least three terms, and 35 of your final 45 credits must be taken at UC Santa Cruz. For more detail and information on exceptions (for Education Abroad or similar programs), please see The Navigator.
  

2) Cowell College Requirement:

• Completion of the Cowell Core Course (Frosh only)

3) General Educational Requirements:

• NOTE: depending upon what year you were admitted and whether or not you are a transfer student, there are different GE requirements. Review the information in the general catalog to determine what applies to you.
• First year frosh admitted Fall 2010 and beyond will all follow the new GE pattern.

4) Major Requirements:

• Review your Major Requirements
• Disciplinary Communications Requirement
• Check with your department about specific major requirements!