Not sure what you want to study? No problem. Take advantage of our diverse academic offerings and flexibility to sample a variety of majors and career options before making up your mind.

About Undeclared and Exploratory Majors

Many first-year students arrive on campus without declaring a specific major; others may have declared a major but may still be unsure of their final choice. Don't worry! Flexibility, exploration and challenge can be an exciting part of your first year. You have plenty of time to decide, and we have an excellent professional advising staff to help you zero in on what's right for you. You can design a first-year schedule that will allow you to explore many options and still complete your degree within four years.

You may apply to one of four undeclared major options in the College of Letters and Science. These are:

  • Undeclared — Fine Arts
  • Undeclared — Humanities
  • Undeclared — Social Sciences
  • Undeclared — Physical Sciences

In the College of Biological Sciences you may apply to this undeclared major option:

  • Undeclared — Life Sciences

In the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences you may apply to this undeclared/exploratory major option:

  • Undeclared/Exploratory — College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Due to the volume of applicants to the College of Engineering, students in engineering must apply to a specific major. No undeclared or exploratory majors exist for this college.

Narrowing Down Your Major Choices

If you enter UC Davis without a declared major, you will participate in a college-wide program designed to help you sample a wide range of courses, make progress on completing your general education requirements and clarify your interests to help you decide on a major. Students accepted into any of the undeclared major options are automatically enrolled in the respective college's academic program:

  • College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences— Academic Explorations Program
  • College of Biological Sciences— Academic Life Sciences Program
  • College of Letters and Science— Academic Options Program

These programs provide advising to help students explore their academic interests, course planning and major selection. The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the College of Letters and Science's academic programs are open to first- and second-year students with fewer than 60 semester/90 quarter units. The College of Biological Sciences' academic program is open only to new incoming freshmen.

If you’ll be entering the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences as a freshman, consider the Career Discovery Groups program designed to help undeclared students with career planning. Participants are paired with a mentor and take a cluster of three classes—one per quarter during their freshman year—including a general education course, a class that explores a major-related topic and a career discovery seminar led by the campus Internship and Career Center. Tailor your experience by selecting an emphasis from one of the following areas: Animal Sciences/Wildlife, Environment/Ecology/Sustainable Agriculture, Exploratory or Food Science/Nutrition. Each Career Discovery Group is limited to 20 students and is mentored by a Career Discovery Fellow.