UC San Diego undergraduate students who would like to change from another major or undeclared into the DSC program may apply to the major via the Selective Major Application. Applications must be submitted on or before the deadline.

Please note that space within the Data Science major is limited and admission is not guaranteed. We recommend that all interested students looking to switch majors meet with their current Major Advisor, College Advisor, and a DSC Advisor.

Students majoring in Computer Science and Engineering may NOT double major or minor in Data Science.

Beginning summer 2025, selective majors allow students to apply to switch in once per year. Selection will be based on a point system that considers academic performance and other factors: California residency, first-generation status and Pell eligibility. Only students who have completed the required screening courses and have a minimum 2.0 UC GPA are eligible to apply. Please visit Selective Majors at UC San Diego for additional information and the link to apply. 

In addition to the eligibility criteria outlined on the Selective Major Guidance page, Data Science requires successful completion of the following 3 screening courses: (MATH 18 or MATH 31AH), (MATH 20C or MATH 31BH), and DSC 10.

Courses must be completed for a letter grade at the time of the Selective Major Application to be eligible. Students may not have any outstanding grades for screening courses or any reason (e.g., Incompletes, pending Academic Integrity case, etc.). Grades from transfer credit for screening courses will be used to determine eligibility.

Students who entered UC San Diego as First-Years: 

Students must be on track to complete DSC 30 and DSC 40A prior to their third academic year at UC San Diego to be on a 4-year graduation track.

Students who entered UC San Diego as Transfers: 

Currently, the DSC major requires a minimum of 8 quarters for transfer students to complete. To remain on this 8-quarter transfer plan, transfer students must be on track to complete DSC 30 and DSC 40A prior to their second academic year at UC San Diego.

For answers to commonly asked questions, click here.