Students Admitted as Freshmen
Current Transfer Students
Contact Us

Current UCLA Students Admitted as Freshmen

Freshmen students who are admitted to UCLA as pre-public affairs majors are admitted to the College of Letters and Science and must apply no later than winter quarter of their second year to be admitted to both the Luskin School of Public Affairs and the Public Affairs major. The Luskin School of Public Affairs requires the same University, Writing, Foreign Language, Quantitative Reasoning, Diversity, and General Education Requirements as the College of Letters and Science. Thus, by beginning their UCLA career in the College, pre-public affairs majors are afforded the flexibility to explore multiple majors and minors while also making progress toward the Public Affairs major.

First and second year UCLA students who are in good academic standing (i.e. minimum 2.0 term and cumulative GPA), may declare the Public Affairs Pre-major by completing the Request to Declare the Public Affairs Pre-Major Form. Please allow 5-7 business days from the date of submission for your petition to be processed. You can review your petition status via MyUCLA > Academics > “Advising and Academic Services” > Petitions.

Be advised that students who have completed three quarters at UCLA and who submit the Request to Declare the Public Affairs Pre-Major Form will be asked to meet with a Luskin undergraduate academic counselor to ensure that they are on-track to meet the major application requirements.

All public affairs pre-majors are encouraged to meet regularly with a Luskin counselor to review their progress and eligibility to apply to the major.

OVERVIEW

To pursue the Public Affairs major, students who are admitted to UCLA as freshmen must apply to the major no later than winter quarter of their second year. The annual application process opens Monday of week 9 of winter quarter and closes Friday of week 1 of spring quarter. Students are notified of their application outcome by week 10 of spring quarter of their application year. Students are encouraged to attend a Major Application Information Session in the winter quarter of their application year.

Effective Spring 2023, to be eligible to apply to the Public Affairs major students must:

  • Be in good academic standing (i.e. minimum 2.0 term and cumulative GPA), and
  • Complete PUB AFF 40, PUB AFF 60, and 2 additional Public Affairs major preparation courses (4 courses in total) with a minimum C grade in each course, and
  • Have completed at least 45 units (including AP/IB/transfer units) and no more than 135 units (excluding AP/IB/transfer units), by the end of winter quarter of the year they apply.

Students who do not apply to the Public Affairs major by winter quarter of their second year are not eligible to declare or pursue the Public Affairs major.

If you are not eligible to declare the Public Affairs major we recommend that you consider pursuing the Public Affairs minor instead.

For questions about the application process, and/or your eligibility to declare the Public Affairs major, contact the Luskin Undergraduate Program via MyUCLA Message Center.

ADMISSION GUIDELINES

  • If students miss the 2nd year application deadline, they may consult with a Public Affairs counselor to find out if a late application may be possible. Late applications may be considered during Fall of their 3rd year if space permits. Students who are permitted to apply late must still meet the criteria above by the end of the summer quarter before their 3rd year. Students are not permitted to apply after Fall quarter of their 3rd year.
  • Students should have a backup major in mind in the event they are not accepted into the Public Affairs major. Students may schedule an appointment with a Public Affairs counselor via MyUCLA Message Center to discuss suitable options.
  • Student athletes who wish to pursue the Public Affairs major should contact the Public Affairs Undergraduate Program via MyUCLA Message Center as soon as possible to create a study plan that complements their athletic schedule.
  • Exceptions due to the COVID-19 Pandemic: While all requirements for the Public Affairs major must be completed for a letter grade, this requirement was waived for courses taken in Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Winter 2022, and Spring 2022. During these terms, students who earned a grade of Pass in a Public Affairs major course must petition to apply the course toward the major requirements; approval is not guaranteed. Grades of Not Passed do not satisfy major requirements. Contact the Public Affairs Undergraduate Program via MyUCLA Message Center for questions about this exception.
  • Major Application for Transfer Students: For information about applying to the Public Affairs Major as a transfer student, please view the section “Current Transfer Students” below.

APPLICATION TIMELINE

The Public Affairs Major Application opens Monday of week 9 of winter quarter, and closes Friday of week 1 of spring quarter. Application outcomes are released during week 9 or week 10 of spring quarter.

ELIGIBILITY TO GRADUATE EARLY

Students who plan to graduate early must request approval from the Luskin School of Public Affairs Undergraduate Program. To be eligible to graduate early, the student’s degree plan for early graduation must account for all degree requirements and accommodate the Public Affairs three-quarter capstone preparation process and the three-quarter capstone requirement. Be advised that graduating early is possible as long as you plan early. Students who plan to graduate early should contact the Public Affairs Capstone Advisor via MyUCLA Message Center as early as possible to discuss their eligibility to graduate early and outline a plan for early graduation.

APPLYING TO THE MAJOR WHEN YOU ARE GRADUATING EARLY

Students who were admitted to UCLA as freshmen and who plan to graduate within 3 years should to apply to the major winter quarter of their 1st year, assuming they meet the application eligibility criteria by the end of winter quarter of their 1st year.

In the event the student cannot complete the required courses by the end of winter quarter of the 1st year, the student may be eligible to apply winter quarter of their second year and still graduate within three years. These students MUST contact the Capstone Advisor & Coordinator via MyUCLA Message Center no later than Friday of week two of winter quarter of the 2nd year to discuss their capstone internship placement and experiential learning requirements. If the student fails to notify the Capstone Advisor & Coordinator of their plan to graduate early by the stated deadline, the student will not be eligible to graduate early as part of the Public Affairs major. In that case, the student will either have to follow a 4-year plan or seek a new major.

Students completing a 3-year plan should carefully review the experiential learning requirements and the sample 3-year study plan. The capstone workshops MUST be completed before the student can start the internship series. Failure to complete the workshops will result in the student being ineligible for the capstone series, and therefore the major.

OVERVIEW

The annual Public Affairs Major application process opens Monday of week 9 of winter quarter and closes Friday of week 1 of spring quarter. Students are notified of their application outcome by week 10 of spring quarter of their application year.

The Winter 2024 Public Affairs major application will be open from Monday, March 4, 2024 at 9:00am (PT) through Friday, April 5, 2024 at 11:59pm (PT).

Students who meet the eligibility criteria listed below are eligible to apply during Winter 2024. Be advised that completion of course requirements and/or a high GPA alone do not guarantee admission to the major.

WINTER 2024 APPLICATION ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be eligible to apply to the Public Affairs major during Winter 2024, students must satisfy the following criteria:

  • Must be able to complete all degree requirements for the B.A. in Public Affairs within their time-to-degree (i.e., 12 quarters, excluding summers).
  • Must be in good standing at UCLA at the time of application. This means students must have a minimum 2.0 term and cumulative GPA and cannot be on Probation, Subject to Dismissal, or Dismissal status when they apply.
  • Must have completed the following courses by the end of Winter 2024 (please also read the exceptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic):
    1. PUB AFF 40 with a C or better (the admissions committee will consider applications from students who completed a different microeconomics course at UCLA), and
    2. PUB AFF 60 with a C or better (the admissions committee will consider applications from students who completed a different introductory statistics/data analysis course at UCLA), and
    3. Two additional Public Affairs major preparation courses with a C or better in each course.
  • Have completed at least 45 units (including AP and transfer units, if needed) by the end of Winter 2024.
  • Have not exceeded 135 units of coursework (not including AP or other transfer units, if that brings the total over 135 units), by the end of Winter 2024.

Exceptions due to the COVID-19 Pandemic: As a result of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Public Affairs Undergraduate Program modified the major application requirements for the Winter 2024 application cycle. While all requirements for the Public Affairs major must be completed for a letter grade, this requirement was waived for courses taken in Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Winter 2022, and Spring 2022. During these terms, students who earned a grade of Pass in a Public Affairs major course must petition to apply the course toward the Public Affairs major requirements; approval is not guaranteed. If the petition is approved, satisfying a Public Affairs major requirement with a grade of Pass will not have a negative effect on the application to the Public Affairs major. Grades of Not Passed do not satisfy major requirements.

APPLICATION PROCESS

The Winter 2024 Public Affairs major application will be open from Monday, March 4, 2024 at 9:00am (PT) through Friday, April 5, 2024 at 11:59pm (PT).

To apply to the Public Affairs major, students must submit their completed application materials via the online Public Affairs Major Application (link will be made available when the application opens). We recommend that students carefully review the Public Affairs Major Application: Winter 2024 Application Instructions (link will be made available when the application opens) prior to beginning the application process.

Admission to the Public Affairs major is not guaranteed. Applications will be reviewed holistically based on academic performance and submitted application materials. Please make sure to complete all application components. Incomplete applications, including applications that are improperly assembled or labeled at the time the application closes, will not be considered. Late applications will not be considered.

Application decisions will be emailed to students by week 10 of Spring 2024 (exact date TBA).

APPLICATION TIMELINE

  • Monday, March 4, 2024 at 9:00am (PT): Public Affairs Major Application opens
  • Friday, April 5, 2024 at 11:59pm (PT): Deadline to submit the Public Affairs Major Application
  • Friday, May 31, 2024 by 6:00pm (PT): Public Affairs major application decisions are released

IMPORTANT LINKS

QUESTIONS?

For questions about the Public Affairs major application eligibility criteria and process, contact the Public Affairs Undergraduate Program via MyUCLA Message Center.

The Public Affairs Undergraduate Program invites you to attend a Public Affairs Major Information Session to learn more about the Public Affairs major. Please check back every quarter for an updated schedule of information sessions.

Public Affairs Major Information Session
Students who are interested in pursuing the Public Affairs major are invited to attend a Public Affairs Major Information Session. By attending the session, students will learn about the Public Affairs major scope and requirements, application eligibility criteria, and recommended program plan to remain on-track to apply to the major. Major Information Sessions are typically hosted during fall and winter quarters.

  • Fall 2024 Public Affairs Major Information Sessions
      • Information Session #1 (Zoom):
        • November 6, 2024
        • 1:00pm – 2:00pm
        • Register to receive the Zoom link
      • Information Session #2 (In-person):
        • November 14, 2024
        • 5:00pm – 6:00pm
        • 4320 Public Affairs Building
        • Light refreshments will be served. Walk-ins welcomed.
      • RSVP here

Public Affairs Major Application Information Session

Public Affairs pre-majors who are applying to the Public Affairs major during the current application cycle are encouraged to attend a Public Affairs Major Application Information Session. By attending the session, students will learn about the Public Affairs major application process and what to expect once they are admitted to the major. Major Application Information Sessions are typically hosted during winter quarter.

For questions, please contact the Public Affairs Undergraduate Program via MyUCLA Message Center.

Current UCLA Transfer Students

Transfer students are admitted to UCLA as Public Affairs Pre-Majors in the College of Letters and Science. During orientation, transfer students are officially coded as students in the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and as Public Affairs majors. This process is automatic and students are not required to submit any paperwork to initiate and complete the process.

Transfer students must be admitted to UCLA as a Public Affairs Pre-Major to be eligible to pursue the Public Affairs major. If you are a transfer student who is not eligible to declare the Public Affairs major, we recommend that you consider pursuing the Public Affairs minor instead.