Transfer Students

Transfer Students

Welcome to the Department of Gender & Women’s Studies (GWS), where we pride ourselves on opening up minds in the exciting cutting edge field of Women, Gender and Sexuality. As a transfer student, you may be considering declaring our major. In order to help you prepare to file your paperwork, we have put together the following information for you. We hope this helps you in finding your way around Berkeley!

We welcome and appreciate the opportunity to work with transfer students.

We are also aware that many community colleges do not have Gender and Women’s Studies departments so transferring in as a major might feel less straightforward. However, we are happy to work with admitted Berkeley students to assess what classes you have already taken that might help fulfill major requirements and to build a plan toward your GWS degree.

Contact our GWS Undergraduate Advisor for more details.

Learn about the Direct Admission to Major for Transfer Students Program

Prerequisite Courses

Choose 2 of the following:
  • GWS 10: Introduction to Gender & Women’s Studies
  • GWS 20: Introduction to Feminist Theory
  • LGBT 20AC: Alternative Sexual Identities and Communities in Contemporary American Society
  • For information on community college equivalent courses, please see Assist.org

Getting Declared in the Major

Though you indicated an interest in an L&S major in your application, once at Cal, you will need to declare your major. The first step for declaring the major in Gender & Women’s Studies is to complete the prerequisite classes above. Transfer students benefit most by meeting with the department’s Undergraduate Advisor (UA) (see above) to learn more about the details of the major; including options for internships; study abroad; special research and the GWS student association. Students can declare the major throughout the academic year. Please feel free to drop by anytime if you have questions regarding the major. Once you are sure that the major is right for you, you can turn in your declaration packet. You can get the declaration materials in 608 Social Sciences Building. Please complete the forms and return them to the department Undergraduate Advisor. Once the UA approves and updates your academic record in Cal Central, you will be officially declared in the department.

Fall: Transfer Students Golden Bear Advising

Let’s get started, please do the following:

  1. Read Golden Bear Orientation (GBO)
  2. Complete Golden Bear Advising (GBA) by July 7, 2019
  3. Visit and get familiar with CalCentral and your student overview.
  4. Be sure to complete the College of Letters and Science modules in bCourse during Golden Bears Advising
  5. See Fall 18 GWS Course Listing and make a list of the courses you need and courses you would like to take in the fall. You can review this list with your GWS adviser to make sure you’re on the right track.  Make sure you have alternate courses in case you cannot get into your first choice. If your GWS class is marked full in Cal Central, contact the GWS adviser for enrollment advice.

Helpful Information

  1. Minimum of 120 Units are required to graduate (includes units transferred from community college and the units to be completed from UCB).
  2. If you did not complete your American Cultures requirement in community college, you can satisfy this requirement with the following GWS/LGBT elective courses:  50AC, 100AC, 116AC, 130AC, 132AC, 133AC and LGBT 20AC. It can also be fulfilled by any course identified as AC in the Schedule of Classes.
  3. Students are required to take at least 6 units of upper division (courses numbered 100-199) units outside of their major. 
  4. What is a lower division course:  courses that are numbered 1-99 (courses typically taken by frosh and sophomores).
  5. What is an upper division course:  courses numbered 100-199 (courses typically taken by juniors and seniors).
  6. Berkeley Time!!  All classes begin 10 minutes after the published hour.  If the class is scheduled to start at 11am, it will begin at 11:10am.  This will give students enough time to get to classes across campus.
  7. The following courses can help with students transition into Cal:  
    1. Education 198 – Transitioning to Cal: An Introduction to the Research University.
    2. L&S 10: On the Same Page – course featuring the book There There by Tommy Orange, Fall 2019
    3. BIG IDEAS or DISCOVERY course – special program courses sponsored by the L&S Deans
    4. Berkeley Connect – a one unit mentoring class
    5. DeCal Classes– courses develop and facilitated by students

Helpful Resources for Students in the Major