A Student’s Guide to the L&S Seven-Course Breadth
The College of Letters of Science (L&S), the largest college at UC Berkeley, has a unique seven-course breadth requirement, covering various subjects in order to support a more well-rounded liberal arts education. Fulfilling these requirements can be daunting: there are many classes to choose from and some breadths may not seem like a lot of fun. I’m not a science guy at all, so the science breadths used to intimidate me when I first got here.
Things to Remember
Let’s break down some classes you can take to complete these requirements, starting with some general rules of thumb.
No Escape
Nothing in high school lets you complete these requirements early. You have to take all seven, and take them in college as part of the College of Letters and Science.
You (Shall) Pass!
You can take these courses either for a letter grade or pass/no pass, but you’ll only get credit and complete the requirement if you get at least a C- or a pass.
Transfers, Fret Not!
Though you’ll likely need to jump through more hoops to get community college courses approved for the seven-course breadth, the L&S website tells you how to get them approved depending on what community college you went to and what certification you earned.
What if I’m Studying Abroad?
Participation in the program is a good way to fulfill the international studies requirement, along with the other six. Passing requirements still apply abroad, and you can check which courses fulfill the requirements based on where you’re studying and which program you’re studying abroad under. UCEAP in particular will make the process of choosing an equivalent breadth class easy because of its affiliation with the University of California.
One at a Time!
If a course fulfills more than one breadth, you can only take it to fulfill one requirement. However, classes fulfilling the American Cultures and American History and Institutions requirements may simultaneously fulfill a seven-course breadth. For variety’s sake, you can take no more than two breadth courses in one department. However, major requirements and prerequisites can simultaneously fulfill breadth requirements.
Potential Classes For Every Breadth
Here are some classes from each breadth that I’d recommend, based on personal experience or word of mouth from friends and other Berkeley Life writers! You can find all of these classes and more in the Course Catalog, and the Class Schedule shows what is offered each semester.
Arts and Literature
Theater 26 – Introduction to Performance Studies
This fulfills one of the media studies prerequisites and is one of the few classes you can take to get it done early. It’s a great introductory class even for those not interested in theater, and the performance reviews force you to get out and witness art for yourself, whether that be a theatrical performance, protest, or any other kind of performance art.
English 45A/45B/45C – Literature in English
These are the core classes that English majors must take, covering literature from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance (45A), the Late 17th to the middle 19th Century (45B) and the middle 19th to middle 20th Century (45C). If you’re a bookworm this is a great way to get hip with literature classics like Canterbury Tales, Paradise Lost, The Picture of Dorian Gray and more! 45A is a class on Old English, so it’s a bit of an adjustment to understand the content.
English 180Z – Science Fiction (Sci-Fi)
“This class was very fun in that you do not necessarily read traditional English literature texts. You learn about sci-fi as a genre and then jump into reading examples, working your way up to more contemporary sci-fi literature. If you want to read about aliens and robots and earn a grade for writing essays on those topics, this is the class for you.” —Melissa Mora-Gonzalez, English major, Class of 2025, Berkeley Life writer
Biological Science
ESPM 40: Insects and Human Society
“An introduction to the diversity and natural history of insects in natural and human environments. The course examines the wonder of insects, their interactions with the living world, and their contributions to and impacts on human society.” —Melissa Mora-Gonzalez, English major, Class of 2025, Berkeley Life writer
PhysEd 32 – Fitness for Life – Physical Adaptations to Exercise
This class is usually at 8 a.m., but the professor is great! You really learn a lot about healthy living. Prepare to be humbled, because most of the curriculum dives into why most of us aren’t living our healthiest lifestyle, and how our environment is set up in a way that encourages us to be unhealthy. Class activities include exercises that measure fitness and health!
Psych C61 – Brain, Mind and Behavior
Specifically made for those in other L&S majors, if you took AP Psych in high school and liked it, this class is a good way to complete the breadth. The curriculum focuses on contemporary neuroscience, in particular exploring the complexities of the brain and the study of its biological structure.
Historical Studies
History 7B – Introduction to the History of the United States: The United States from Civil War to Present
A prerequisite class for Media Studies majors that focuses on American history from the Civil War to the present day. I had Professor Brilliant when I took it last spring. He makes lesson outlines before class, so note-taking isn’t that stressful, and he is an excellent lecturer with some fascinating theses. You’ll watch a bunch of great movies for homework in this class, a recent addition being Oppenheimer for the longest module in class, the Manhattan Project!
History 100AC – Special Topics in the History of the United States
“This class was all about sports history, specifically women, POC, and queer athletes. It was an absolutely fascinating look at US history and was incredibly relevant today. Professor Bonnie Morrison is also an incredible and hilarious professor.” —Rachel Holmes, media studies major, Class of 2026, Berkeley Life Social Media/Writing Team
History 190 – Soccer: A Global History
A class about the history of soccer! This is Professor Vernon’s last year of teaching it, so hopefully it gets picked up by another professor. Beyond the game and its players, this world history class focuses a lot on the deep lore behind how the advancements of soccer coincided with social and political events of the time like imperialism, nationalism, and communism.
International Studies
Global C10A – Introduction to Global Studies
I took this to complete the breadth and really enjoyed it! It’s a really interesting class about third-world problems and how colonialism exists today in different forms. Professor Faust is new at Berkeley and very passionate about the subject.
GEOG 10AC: Worldings: Regions, Peoples, States
“Geography is a way of thinking deeply and expansively about our place in the world and this course is designed to transform how you think about America through understanding its place within a global context. Through concepts central to the field of geography such as space, nature, empire, and globalization, you explore the issues of race, culture, ethnicity that pepper the pages of newspapers almost every day in stories of immigration, police violence, global warming, ethnic cleansing, and terrorism throughout the course.” —Melissa Mora-Gonzalez, English major, Class of 2025, Berkeley Life writer
Philosophy and Values
Philos 2 – Individual Morality and Social Justice
This is the most straightforward way to complete the breadth. Even if you don’t like philosophy, I’d recommend it because getting an introduction to the subject is really important, and helps you engage in a lot of debates and discussions that are extremely thoughtful.
Psych C162 – Human Happiness
A class I’ve heard a lot about from my friends, that usually runs in the fall semesters. Taught by Professor Keltner, who helped advise Pixar’s Inside Out, Inside Out 2, and Soul, it explores how we understand happiness, how that’s changed over time, and the world history of treatments meant to make people happy.
AGRS 28 – Greek and Roman Myths
“An introduction to the themes, characters, and images of Greek and Roman myth. Great for mythology lovers and those who want to gain a deeper understanding of myths —especially important because they appear a lot in contemporary society or other readings you may have across classes regardless of your major.” —Melissa Mora-Gonzalez, English major, Class of 2025, Berkeley Life writer
Physical Science
EPS 80 – Environmental Earth Sciences
For non-stem majors and those who aren’t a fan of science, I’d recommend this one. It’s a relatively math-free course on the processes on earth, natural and man-made that make up and explain the environment and its changes. The professor is super knowledgeable, and the workload is very reasonable, with midterms and finals that have questions identical to the study guide.
ASTRON C10 – Introduction to General Astronomy
Everyone and their mother talks about how great this class and the professor are. If you’re a STEM major I’d recommend it, the field studies you do in the class are fascinating. Even if you’re not a STEM major, it’s an ideal pick if you can deal with the math, as there are often open spots even after the first few days of the semester.
Earth and Planetary Science C20 – Earthquakes in Your Backyard
“I am not a STEM student by any means but I had to complete a science breadth requirement and actually really enjoyed this one! It is a lot of tedious work, but none of it is hard and it is a very interesting class.” —Rachel Holmes, media studies major, Class of 2026, Berkeley Life Social Media/Writing Team
Social & Behavioral Sciences
MEDIAST 10 – Introduction to Media Studies
Intro class for media studies, super fun with a great professor. I would recommend it for any student, media literacy is such a vital skill nowadays. I always looked forward to going to lecture for this class, and if you go to office hours, you can meet the crows that hang by the professor’s office!
PolSci 1 – introduction to American Politics
A common prerequisite class for a few majors. If you took AP Gov, the topics are a bit similar, but it makes for a pretty straightforward way to fulfill a prerequisite and the breadth at the same time. The classes go over the specifics of how our country was structured politically, and what changes have led to today’s current landscape.
Anthropology 160AC – Forms of Folklore
“This class is probably my favorite that I’ve taken at UC Berkeley. We looked at folklore in a traditional sense with stories & mythology, but also in a modern sense with memes, songs, & jokes. It was such an entertaining class with fascinating content and a hilarious professor, I genuinely looked forward to going every week.” —Rachel Holmes, media studies major, Class of 2026, Berkeley Life Social Media/Writing Team
Not a Straight Path!
A reminder that these are just suggestions—take the courses that interest you! Be sure to check the course catalog and filter classes that fulfill the breadth to see all of the options you have; some breadths have up to a hundred different classes you can take to fulfill it.
Nolan Zils, Class of 2027, is majoring in media studies and minoring in creative writing and journalism.
Want More?
- Need more academic help? Here’s a step by step guide on what to do, and who to reach out to!
- Still deciding on a major/minor in the Letters and Sciences college? Check out Hosea’s article on what to consider!
- Considering a semester abroad? See our story on applications, how to pick programs, and advising.
- Review the Berkeley Academic Guide.