Academic Resources
Academic Advising/Counseling Options
There are many options for academic advising at UCLA depending on a student’s needs. The resources below lay out the various academic advising options for UCLA’s College.
Transfer students should make an appointment with their advisers as needed, however, it is recommended to meet with the College Academic Counselor and Departmental Advisor at least once a quarter to check the status of major requirements and being on track for graduation*. Utilizing the Degree Audit Report through MYUCLA account can also help keep track of progress!
*Students from other colleges at UCLA may have advising options through their respective schools. The other undergraduate colleges at UCLA are the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science (HSSEAS); School of the Arts and Architecture; School of Theater, Film, and Television; and School of Nursing.
Center for Academic Advising in the College (CAAC)
CAAC is the place to go for general questions regarding requirements for graduation, transferring credit, any academic difficulty, and program planning such as double majoring or taking on a minor. They are located in A-316 Murphy Hall but visit the CAAC website for many ways to contact them including virtual!
UCLA Departmental Advising
Departmental advising is the place to go for questions regarding major/minor requirements, major/minor courses, professors, and other major/minor related concerns and issues.
Your department's contact information can be found on its respective departmental website.
Honors Counseling
Are you part of the UCLA Honors Program? If you are, then you can see an honors counselor instead of the general Center for College Academic Advising in the College. In order to see an honors counselor, a student must be accepted into the College Honors Program.
For questions on qualifications and eligibility, see the Honors Program Website.
Get in touch with an Honors Program Councelor.
Academic Advancement Program (AAP)
Are you part of AAP? If you are, then you can see an AAP counselor. AAP addresses the specific needs of students who come from historically disadvantaged backgrounds through specialized programming and resources.
Membership is required to use their services. To find eligibility requirements and inquiries for these services visit the AAP website.
Get in touch with an AAP counselor.
Student Athletics Counseling
Are you part of Student Athletics? If you are, then you can see a Student Athletics counselor.
Student athletes utilize counseling from the UCLA Student Athletics Counseling.
Academic Honor Options
College Honors
College Honors at UCLA is an academic program designed to encourage high academic achievement and individual excellence. Students attain College Honors by completing a diverse selection of honors coursework and maintaining superior grades. One of the advantages of being in the UCLA Honors Program is that you are assigned an individual honors counselor to help you plan your time out as a transfer student and find honors courses that best meet your academic needs and graduation goals.
Students may receive the College Honors designation on their diploma by graduating with at least a 3.5 overall GPA and completing a specific number of honors courses with a letter grade of B or better in each. Find out about joining the UCLA College Honors Program.
Students who entered UCLA as Transfer students, are placed in the Transfer Coursework Plan .
Departmental Honors
In the College of Letters and Science, departmental honors and highest honors are awarded at graduation on the recommendation of a student’s major department, based on successful completion of a departmental honors program, and generally the completion of an honors thesis in major. Students should consult their department for its requirements and application process.
Latin Honors
The college awards Latin Honors according to overall grade-point average at graduation. The levels of honors are summa cum laude, magna cum laude , and cum laude . Honors are reflected on official transcripts and diplomas. Eligible transfer students must have completed at least 90 University of California units for a letter grade. Please consult with a counselor to determine eligibility if are under this unit cap.
For questions regarding Latin Honors, students in the college should consult with their advising unit (CAC , AAP , Athletics , or Honors)
Dean’s Honors List
The School of the Arts and Architecture, Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, School of Nursing, School of Theater, Film, and Television, and the College of Letters and Science award Dean’s Honors to deserving students each term. Honors are based on the grade-point average attained within a specified number of units. Consult the College or school for further information.
Academics on the Hill (For Those Who Live on Campus)
A huge advantage of living in a UCLA residential community is readily available access to world class places to study , unique classes , faculty , advice and unique community living opportunities . Learn from your neighbors and take advantage of the great academic resources and support available to you right where you live.
Center for Community Learning
In collaboration with campus academic departments, the Center for Community Learning offers UCLA undergraduates the opportunity to participate in civic engagement through a variety of structured, rigorous academic courses that link theory with practice. The research interests of faculty and students are connected to the needs and priorities of community partners throughout Los Angeles and in the state, nation and larger global community.
Center for Accessible Education (Services for Students with Disabilities)
The Center for Accessible Education provides accommodations to students with permanent or temporary disabilities and chronic medical conditions.
Services include:
Research assistance
In-class note taking
Adaptive equipment for the classroom
Mobility assistance,
And much more...
If you are not sure if you have a disability, please contact the CAE.
CLICC Labs: Laptop Checkout, Study Room Reservations, etc.
The Campus Library Instructional Computing Commons (CLICC) offers technology and support for UCLA students, faculty, and staff. CLICC provides services such as laptop lending , printing , study room reservations , projector loans, computer stations, and a wide variety of instructional software. Most CLICC counters are located in various campus libraries.
Checkout laptops using your BruinCard at 7 different locations around campus! For FREE!
Community Programs Office (CPO) Student Retention Center (SRC)
The Student Retention Center (SRC) is the first student-initiated, student-run, and student-funded retention center in the nation. Strive to aim to retain 100% of UCLA Students from historically disenfranchised communities to ensure that they have the education, training, and support needed to graduate, compete in today’s workforce, and contribute as productive members and leaders of their communities. Provide culturally relevant academic support, mentoring programs, and leadership development, to enhance the student experience to improve student success and university graduation rates.
CPO Test Bank
Print out graded past exams that were given by your current professors through the process at the CPO Test Bank .
The service is free to students and it is easy to use as a new transfer, simply go to Room 105 in the Student Activities Center and sign up.
To continue using the resource after your first quarter you must bring a graded exam in exchange for more past tests.
Engineering Transfer Center
The UCLA Samueli Engineering Transfer Center is a resource especially for transfers pursing Engineering degrees.
Here, you will find information for both current transfer students at Samueli Engineering, and prospective transfer students from community colleges. Check out our events, resources, or just come hang out!
Their website is: https://etransfercenter.seas.ucla.edu/
Honor Societies
Tau Sigma
Tau Sigma is a national honor society that recognizes the high academic achievement of first-year transfer students. To become a member, UCLA students need to earn a 3.5 grade-point average or better during their first term at UCLA after transferring either from a community college or a four-year institution (summer quarter not included). Invitations are issued after each regular academic term, and an induction ceremony is held during Spring Quarter.
Tau Sigma honors UCLA’s large transfer community for academic achievement and provides leadership, networking, and social activities.
For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students, see the Dean's honor societies web page.
Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma
Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma are national honor societies that recognize high achieving first-year students. Membership is based solely on academic achievement during your first year at UCLA. To be eligible students must have a 3.5 grade-point average with 12 graded University of California units in their first term at UCLA or a cumulative 3.5 GPA at the end of the second and/or third terms. Invitations are issued in Winter Quarter, and an induction ceremony is held during Spring Quarter.
Golden Key
Golden Key is an international interdisciplinary academic honors organization dedicated to excellence. Students qualify on the basis of objective academic criteria. No more than the top 15 percent of enrolled sophomores, juniors, and seniors may be eligible
The society recognizes and encourages scholastic achievement and excellence in all undergraduate fields of study. It unites with collegiate faculties and administrators in developing and maintaining high standards of education and promotes scholastic achievement and altruistic conduct through voluntary service. Invitations are issued in Winter Quarter, and a reception is held in Spring Quarter. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students, 1206 Murphy Hall, 310.825.3871.
Mortar Board
Mortar Board is a national honor society for college seniors that recognizes outstanding and continual scholarship, leadership, and service to the campus community.
To be considered for membership, candidates must have completed 90 units and must have attained at least a B average or be in the highest 35 percent scholastically of the junior class, whichever is higher. Applications are available early in Winter Quarter and are due by mid-February. Approximately 35 members are selected each spring by the outgoing chapter.
Phi Beta Kappa
Phi Beta Kappa is a national academic honors society in the humanities, liberal arts, and sciences, founded at the College of William and Mary in 1776. Membership is conferred for high scholastic standing and is determined by vote of the chapter council according to scholarship records. Students do not apply for Phi Beta Kappa membership.
At UCLA only graduating seniors and selected juniors are elected to membership. The annual election is held in May, with the initiation in June. At present, the minimum grade-point average considered is 3.67 (for 140 or more UC units); the minimum number of UC units considered is 90 (students at the 90-unit level must have at least a 3.85 GPA).
Students who are elected are notified by mail.
For further information, contact Phi Beta Kappa in the UCLA Scholarship Resource Center, 233 Covel Commons, 310.206.2875.
Study Abroad Opportunities
There are many ways to participate in study abroad as a transfer student. Be sure to check out the Transfer Travel Abroad Timeline and the UCLA International Education Office Website to learn about all the options and to find out more information.
The Undergraduate Research Centers (URC)
The URC assists students in research. The centers support scholarly, critical, and creative research, provides mentoring and tutorials, and administers research stipends and scholarships.
The Center for Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences helps students improve their research skills, define academic interests and become a part of the university research community.
The Center for Undergraduate Research in Sciences works to serve students and faculty in the life and physical sciences, engineering and mathematics. The center focuses on increasing the retention of science majors in all disciplines, as well as preparing students for academic and research careers.
Tutoring Options
A complete list of tutoring resources available for a variety of subjects can be found through UCLA College of Letters and Sciences .
For more tutoring options, contact your Departmental Advisor .
You may be able to find additional tutoring in the Los Angeles area for a fee through websites such as ULoop and Wyzant . These are outside organizations not connected with UCLA.
There are many options for academic support in Residential Life for students who live on campus such as College Academic Mentors, Faculty in Residence, Classes on the Hill, and Undergraduate Writing Center locations on the Hill, you can find out about them here .
The Student Initiated Access Center is a student-run, student-initiated outreach program. Services include peer advising, skill building, and tutoring for historically underserved populations.
If you qualify for AAP , you have access to their peer mentoring service which offers free tutoring to all AAP students who want to strengthen their abilities to think independently, read analytically, write well, reason quantitatively, and study effectively.
The Student Retention Center offers peer counseling, mentorship, and tutoring to undergraduates with academic difficulties, and cultural and social transitions.
The UCLA Library offers a terrific online guide, one-on-one help, workshops on multiple topics such as how to write research papers, and more. Check out their website for more resources and information.
The Undergraduate Writing Center helps students with particular writing assignments and also guides students to become more effective and confident writers. They offer one-on-one appointments with peer learning facilitators, as well as walk-in appointments for more immediate questions. If you are using this resource be sure to start early in the quarter as the later in the term it gets the more difficult it is to get in to see the experts.
Community Programs Office’s Writing Success Program : Get one-on-one writing counseling with peer support, quarterly workshops on writing, and daily drop-in hours.
Below are additional resources outside of UCLA that others have found to be helpful:
UCLA Libraries: Free Academic Support
The UCLA Libraries are invaluable academic resources on campus! Be sure to comb the website and mine all the great services available to you such as 1:1 consultations to go over research ideas and papers, free laptop check out , a wealth of online resources to help with your research, 24 access to librarians online , study room reservations , and more!
The two of the most commonly utilized libraries on campus are Powell Library and Young Research Library (YRL), but we encourage transfers to explore them all !
Working on a research assignment, thesis project, or personal research project? Need inspiration or ideas? Trying to figure out how to collect, organize, and cite your sources?
Schedule a free research consultation with library staff! If your preferred time slot is booked you can also drop in the InqSpace for in 220 Powell to learn about resources, strategies, and tools you can use!
Undergraduate Writing Center and UCLA Writing Programs
UCLA Writing Programs and the Undergraduate Writing Center are free services for all UCLA students.
They provide one-on-one appointments at 3 locations:
- A61 Humanities
- Rieber Hall 115
- Powell 228
For hours and locations, please go to Hours & Locations . Staff at the Center are happy to work with you on course papers, capstone projects, senior thesis papers or application materials (resumes, CVs, statements of purpose or cover letters).
Writing Success Program
As part of the Community Programs Office (CPO) Student Retention Center, the Writing Success Program offers quarterly workshops, one-on-one writing support, and daily drop-in hours.
Their goal is to help ease students’ anxiety about writing and increase student confidence in their analytic and communication skills.
Check out writing tips and the Writing Programs blog here .
WI+RE (Writing Instruction + Research Education)
WI+RE is an open UCLA community focused on helping all learners succeed in their writing and research projects. The WI+RE team has created a series of online research tips and strategies , many of which are built for students by students in consultation with staff in the Library, Writing Programs, the Undergraduate Research Centers, and the Center for Digital Humanities.
If you need extra assistance and resources with your writing and research, check them out Transfers!