B.A. Advising

Staff advising

The undergraduate advisor offers specific information about navigating through the program and assists students with requirements, policies, procedures, learning support, guidance on internships, scholarships, and opportunities for undergraduate research.

jeyson portrait
GCH B.A. program advisor, Jeyson Aldana (he/they)

Jeyson Aldana is a recent UC Santa Cruz alumnus (sociology, Latin American & Latino Studies, History of Consciousness minor, ‘22). His undergraduate career consisted of proactive engagements with research, student life, and opportunities serving transfer, domestic, and international students. Jeyson has worked in the Services for Transfer & Re-entry Students (STARS) as a Transition Mentor, Division of Global Engagement as a Global Mentor and Global Student Assistant, and as a Peer Advisor for the Social Sciences. Outside the office, Jeyson frequently listens to music while picnicking in the meadows and enjoys coffee a bit too much.

Drop-in advising calendar

This calendar includes virtual and in-person drop-in hours for advising. Schedule an appointment through MyUCSC

Declaring the major

Students who enter UCSC as frosh must be formally declared in a major before enrolling in their third year. Transfer students must declare their major during their second quarter at UCSC. Each quarter has a declaration deadline by which the major must be declared. If you are a proposed GCH BA student who has reached their declaration deadline but has not passed the qualification course (GCH 1) yet, you must submit an appeal to qualify form.

GCH BA students interested in adding a secondary major should meet with the GCH BA Program Advisor to update their Official Academic Planning Form (APF). Primary major offices should have filed and shared an APF on behalf of the student, allowing secondary major offices to view and add onto the APF.

Step 1Step 2Step 3
Complete the major qualification requirement with a final letter grade of C or better, and have completed Official Academic Planning Form (APF) on file with a Staff Advisor.

Email your APF to gchBAadv@ucsc.edu, schedule an appointment, or drop-in to confirm your plan on file. 
Complete the Petition for Major/Minor eForm in MyUCSC.

If you have met the major qualification policy, the GCH BA Program Advisor will approve your eForm for declaration. You will receive an automated declaration confirmation email in your UCSC student email inbox.

If you do not meet the requirements, we will respond to the eForm with a denial.

Declaration appeal petition

Students who do not meet major qualification grade requirements but are interested in pursuing the major may submit an appeal to qualify form. 

Before submitting an appeal, prepare a GCH B.A. Academic Planning Form (APF) and a personal statement letter. The letter should be addressed to the program director and explain the failure to meet major qualification requirements, plans for future academic improvement, and interest in the major. It must be signed with a full name and student ID number, with the following file name format: “Lastname_PSLetter”

Submissions are reviewed once after the quarterly deadline. Some students will not receive their results until after the quarterly deadline has passed. Submitting an appeal to qualify form does not guarantee admission into the major. Students are recommended to identify an alternate major as a backup in the event that their appeal is denied.

Substitution petition

Declared majors can use the substitution petition form to request a review of coursework completed at UCSC. Coursework accepted toward the major will be added to your Degree Progress report and your APF will be amended with notes. Decisions are sent via email from the GCH B.A. advisor.

Students who have taken UC Online courses listed in the current GCH BA Course Catalog [tab titled ‘UC Online courses for GCH BA’] have pre-approved substitutions for specific major requirements. If you have taken any of those courses, please submit a substitution form so the GCH BA Program Advisor can amend your Degree Progress Report and APF. Any UC Online course not found in the GCH BA Course Catalog must be reviewed as a new substitution and undergo formal faculty review.

Articulation petition

Admissions must have first reviewed your academic records and accepted courses for credit to submit an articulation request for courses completed outside of UCSC. Out-of-state or private colleges articulations are approved on a case-by-case basis by the respective home department and faculty. Incoming transfer students with out-of-state or private college coursework may use the articulation review form to request a review as in interest of fulfilling a major requirement or class prerequisite. Decisions are sent via email from the GCH B.A. Program Advisor. Articulations and equivalencies will be added to your Other Credit, as well as Degree Progress Report and your APF if appropriate.

Study abroad course pre-approvals

Declared majors can use the study abroad pre-approval form to request a review of their intended studies by advising staff. Pre-approval does not guarantee acceptance for credit through a course petition.

Exceptions to policy petition

Declared majors can use exceptions to policy form to request a review of extenuating circumstances by advising staff for issues other than major qualification or course substitution and articulation requests. Common exceptions are related to P/NP grading or waiving a major requirement. 

Senior exit requirements

  • Option 1: GCH 190 and GCH 195 | GCH 190 is a research intensive Task Force Seminar where both GCH B.A. and B.S. students collaborate to recommend possible solutions to a real world health problem. The work is highly collaborative and interdisciplinary. GCH 195 is a Communications course that further enables students to complete their GCH e-Record or e-Portfolios.
  • Option 2: GCH 199 A  and GCH 195 | GCH 199A is an Senior Thesis course where a student has a faculty senate GCH affiliated professor’s mentor and guide their research.  
  • Option 3: GCH 199 A + GCH 199B, and GCH 195

    To enroll in either Options 2 or 3, you must complete a petition for independent studies with a senate faculty sponsor affiliated with GCH. The completed form is then emailed to the undergraduate advisor, who completes the petition and then via email issues out an enrollment number. Review the senior thesis handbook for more information regarding the quality of work for a Senior Thesis in GCH B.A. and more details on educational policy, recommended timelines, and general steps towards those tracks.

Grading policy

Students must take the major qualification courses as a letter grade. All other requirements in the major must be passed with a C or better or Pass grade. UCSC has limits on P/NP. Review the university policy.

Permission numbers

Permission numbers or “permission codes” override prerequisites for a class to allow you to enroll. For any elective with a course ID that is not GCH, students must email the course Instructor or Professor with their Department’s Advisor CC’d. GCH BA cannot issue permission codes for courses outside it’s own GCH course ID.

Last modified: Oct 23, 2024