rheean

Hey all
So I'm in the process of applying to UCLA, and I have a question about the major I should choose. I would like to go into Communication Studies, and I think UCLA would be a great school for that. However, since I can't get into Communication Studies as a freshman, I need to pick a different major. Would it be wise to pick something like Business Economics? (Would like to double major or minor in Business with a major in Communications, but not sure yet) Or should I go in undecided?
Does it make a difference either way?

Thanks!

beyphy

business economics and communications are two of the most competitive majors at UCLA. Both have +3.9 average acceptance rates for their transfer admits (i think bus-econ is 3.93) and they're both very different majors.

My advice is go undecided. For all you know, you'll take classes and find a different major you like.

rheean

If I go in undecided, does this affect my chances of getting into either of the majors later? Or is it better to declare it now?

beyphy

I doubt it. You'll likely just be taking GEs your first year, and many change their majors anyway. But if you really want to pick a major and feel that you want to major in communications, I say pick it on the application.

rheean

Well the thing is, they don't open communication studies to freshman I don't think. So I would have to choose something else or go in undecided. And I just was wondering if either would affect my chances of switching in later. But if not, I may just choose undecided for right now.

drax12

Those transferring in, as beyphy noted, need to choose a major because they only have two years of study left in their undergraduate careers, and there are higher gpa reqs for a lot of majors, which are all chosen when one is applying, along with possible alternate majors. As a student entering from high school, you have just about an unlimited amount of majors from which you can choose. One of the exceptions would be engineering, which you would have to declare at the time your applying (along with some arts programs similarly).

With this said, there are majors that have higher standards of entry than others, and are generally applied to after two years for students as yourself: Business Economics, Film, Comm Studies. So if you wanted to major in Bus-Econ, you generally wouldn't be admitted to it as a frosh. There are some exceptions, I believe, because I've apparently seen some persons admitted as frosh to the major, generally athletes, eg, a water-polo player, probably because the U is trying to entice them to choose UCLA.

Both majors you specified, as per above, have tough grade requirements for entry. The Business Economics major seems to have prereqs that are more in line with the major and comprise a decent no. of courses, and the Comm Studies seems to have a wider array of interdisciplinary coursework in addition to the two or so intro CS courses (not to be confused with the computer science major). I'm sure doubling in both is doable, but they are in completely different disciplines. The pathway to B-E seems to be more rigid; the pathway to CS seems to be more open within the social-science, humanities depts, but I'm sure you can take the reqs for both within your pre-studies. I know CS used to have a pre-major, which B-E still has, so you can probaly declare pre-econ-biz and do the the CS prereqs, which aren't as set in stone.

With this said, I wouldn't worry about it as much right now; I'd more worry about getting into UCLA, but if you are, go ahead and address these same things on the UCLA message board.