Undergraduate Advising

Meet your advising team

Ursula Oberg, LALS Undergraduate Program Coordinator

My favorite part of this job is talking to students: in person, on Zoom, or over email. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you want to talk about your academic, career, or life goals. I am also a slug alumna and someone who got a lot out of my undergraduate experience here. I can’t wait to help you make the most of your time at UCSC! Make an appointment with me on Navigate Slug Success or email me at lalsadvising@ucsc.edu.

María Rivera, LALS Peer Advisor

I am a transfer student at UCSC pursuing a combined major in Latin American and Latino Studies and Sociology. I would love to become a full-time advisor helping students reach their goals and connecting them with resources like my advisors have done for me! Don’t be shy to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns about the LALS program. I’m looking forward to meeting many of my Banana Slug peers! Email me at lalspeer@ucsc.edu.

Requirements for LALS majors and minor

Academic planning forms and petitions

Declaring a Latin American and Latino studies major or minor

Step 1

LALS B.A. and MINOR: Pass one LALS course with P grade or letter grade of C or better.

LALS/EDUCATION: Pass one LALS course with P grade or letter grade of C or better and one lower-division politics course (numbered 1-79) with C grade or better.

LALS/POLITICS: Pass one LALS course with P grade or letter grade of C or better and one lower-division politics course (numbered 1-79) with C grade or better.

LALS/SOCIOLOGY: Pass one LALS course and two sociology courses (choose from SOCY 1, SOCY 10, and SOCY 15) with P grade or letter grade of C or better.

Step 2

Use the MyUCSC portal to apply for the LALS major or minor.

Once signed in, this link will take you to the form: Petition for Major/Minor via MyUCSC.

If we have not already created an academic plan for you, we will do so when we approve your petition, and share the link with you in your email confirmation. Students adding an LALS major or minor to their existing major will need an updated academic plan from their declared major so we can add LALS courses to that plan. See below for more information.

Declaring a double major in LALS

If you have already declared another major and you are adding an LALS major or minor, we will need your other advisor(s) to update your current academic plan before we add the LALS program of your choice. Also, we suggest you become familiar with the campus policy on double-counting courses at UCSC. Please contact LALS advisors with any questions, and refer frequently to your Degree Progress Report (DPR) to track your complete requirements.

Course enrollment options and policies

Details of our department’s course offerings are available on the Courses and Class Schedules page, but students should also make sure they understand each of the special topics below related to course selection and registration.

Outside electives

The LALS B.A. and Minor programs allow two electives (except in the case of study abroad–see below) from outside our program to enhance students’ interdisciplinary experience. Students may choose from a list of approved electives or petition faculty to consider a new course. Students in the combined majors must choose their electives from department offerings.

Study abroad course credit

Students can use up to three approved courses from study abroad toward their LALS degree requirements. Review the previously approved EAP courses to explore your options. Keep in mind that course availability is subject to change, and any changes to course content must be reviewed by LALS faculty for approval, as needed. Students who plan to take a course that has not yet been evaluated by LALS faculty should start by submitting a syllabus to the advisor and be prepared to submit further work from the class by request.

Career resources

The following campus resources are a great way to start planning for your career.