L&S First-Year Pathways
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
COLLEGE OF LETTERS & SCIENCE
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L&S First-Year Pathways

Find Your People, Your Place & Your Passions

Navigating a large university can feel overwhelming, so L&S First-Year Pathways simplifies your start at UC Berkeley. Get connected to a small cohort, preselected courses that fit your goals, and guaranteed enrollment! From pre-med tracks to humanities and social sciences, Pathways clusters provide a roadmap and community for your academic journey.
Submit an Interest Form!

Early Class Enrollment

Pathways provides priority enrollment into 3-4 courses for incoming first-year students

New Friendships

Build lasting friendships with a dedicated cohort through shared interests and engaging extracurricular activities

Small Cohort Experience

Learn alongside a cohort of 20-25 students, forming relationships with peers and faculty

Degree Progress

Most clusters are aligned with specific majors, and each cluster satisfies major prerequisites and/or L&S breadth requirements

Clusters for Fall 2026

Illustration of planet Earth from space, with North and South America visible and lit up
15 Units

Discovering Our Dynamic Planet

With courses in Chemistry, Math, and Earth and Planetary Science, this cluster is ideal for intended majors in Earth & Planetary Science.

Profile of two people holding hands as they look at a vast night sky, with orange, purple colors
13 Units

Understanding the Universe (Year-long)

This cluster is ideal for intended majors in Physics, Astrophysics, and Earth & Planetary Science, who would benefit from enrolling in Math 51 (Calculus I) in their first semester.

Various medical tools on a tabletop: blood pressure cuff, latex gloves, stethoscope, pill case
11 Units

Futures in Healthcare (Year-long)

This cluster is ideal for pre-med and pre-health careers, and intended majors in Neuroscience, Molecular and Cell Biology, Integrative Biology, and Psychology.

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We know that the campus can sometimes feel a little intimidating…so we’ve tried to design the Pathways program to give students a home, both socially and intellectually.

Shannon Steen

Associate Dean, Letters & Science