Navigating UCLA's Unit Limit Regulations: A Comprehensive Guide

UCLA, like any major university, has specific regulations regarding the number of units a student can enroll in per quarter. These regulations are in place to ensure students maintain a manageable workload and progress towards their degrees in a timely and effective manner. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of these regulations, drawing upon official UCLA resources and guidelines.

Understanding Unit Limits

The unit limit at UCLA refers to the maximum number of course units a student is permitted to enroll in during a single academic quarter. This limit can vary depending on a student's academic standing, college or school affiliation, and other factors. Exceeding these limits may prevent a student from earning credit toward their degree.

General Unit Limit Policies

While specific unit limits may vary, some general policies apply to all UCLA undergraduate students. It is important to note that the UCLA General Catalog states that all courses, course descriptions, instructor designations, curricular degree requirements, and fees described are subject to change or deletion without notice. Students should consult the Catalog for the most current, officially approved courses and curricula.

Maximum Unit Accumulation

A maximum of 216 units is permitted for all students, regardless of the number of majors or minors completed. Students who will not be graduating within their time to degree (whether they are within or exceeding unit maximum) must file a petition requesting to exceed their time to degree. Students are encouraged to speak with a College Advisor to discuss their academic plans and the petition process in detail.

Courses Not Counting Towards the Unit Maximum

A select number of other courses can also be taken which do not count toward the unit maximum. These courses, if taken in Winter 2004 or thereafter, include 19, 88S, 89, 89HC, M97X, 98X, 98XA, 98XB, 99, HC 101A-E, 189, 189HC, 190, 193 and 194, Education 1SL and 10SL, MATH 71SL and 72SL.

Specific Course Limitations

Students in the College of Letters and Science face specific course limitations. Exceeding these limitations will prevent a student from earning credit toward their degree.

Independent Studies (195-199): Limited to 8 units per quarter. No more than 32 units may be taken for a letter grade.
300 and 400 Level Courses: No more than 8 units of 300 and 400 level courses from UCLA will automatically be applied toward the Bachelors Degree. These courses count as general units and may not be used in satisfaction of the College’s upper division requirement.

Impact of Community College Units

For students who entered UCLA in Fall 2017 or later, after completing 105 lower-division quarter units toward the degree in all institutions attended, students are allowed no further unit credit for courses completed at a community college or for lower-division courses completed at any institution outside of the University of California. The University of California does not grant transfer credit for community college or lower-division courses beyond 105 quarter units, but students may still receive subject credit for this coursework to satisfy lower-division requirements subject to course evaluation approval (students can meet with an OASA academic counselor to see if they meet eligibility). Units earned through Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and/or A-Level examinations are not included in the limitation. Units earned at any UC campus (through extension, summer, cross-campus, UCEAP, Intercampus Visitor Program, and regular academic year enrollment) are not included in the limitation. To convert semester units into quarter units, multiply the semester units by 1.5; for example, 12 semester units x 1.5 = 18 quarter units.

Continuing UCLA Samueli School of Engineering students who have completed 105 or more units from any source may not earn additional credit from any community college.

Minimum Progress

In the College, an undergraduate student is required to enroll in a minimum of 13 units in a regularly scheduled quarter and to maintain expected cumulative progress, as specified in Letters and Science Divisional Regulation 452. An undergraduate student who does not fulfill unit requirements for expected cumulative progress in the previous two completed quarters shall be placed on academic notice and after four completed quarters shall be subject to disqualification from further registration at the University. Courses bearing solely letter designations may be used to meet this requirement only during the first three quarters of residence. Petitions for exceptions to these requirements must be approved by the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and may be granted only for extraordinary circumstances.

An undergraduate student, except for students in the College of Letters and Science (Divisional Regulation A-304.A.4), who does not pass at least 36 units during any three consecutive terms shall be placed on academic notice, and an undergraduate student who does not pass at least 32 units during any three consecutive terms shall be subject to disqualification from further registration at the University. Courses bearing solely letter designations may be used to meet this requirement only during the first three quarters of residence. Petitions for exception to these requirements must be approved by the Dean and may be granted only on account of poor health or of regular outside occupation requiring half-time or more.

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Overriding Unit Limits

In certain situations, students may need to exceed the standard unit limit. This typically requires submitting a petition to the appropriate academic authority, such as their college or school's advising office. The petition should clearly state the reason for the request and demonstrate that the student is capable of handling the increased workload.

Impact of Grades on Unit Progress

Academic performance directly impacts a student's ability to maintain good standing and progress towards their degree. UCLA has specific regulations regarding academic notice and dismissal based on a student's grade point average (GPA) and unit completion.

Academic Notice and Disqualification

A student shall be placed on academic notice if, while in good standing, the student fails to maintain at least a grade "C" average for all courses undertaken in a quarter. A student shall be subject to disqualification from further registration at the University if (a) the student's grade-point average falls below 1.5 for any quarter, or (b) after two quarters on academic notice the student has not achieved a grade-point average of 2.0 (C average) for all courses undertaken in the University, or (c) while on academic notice the student's grade-point average for work undertaken during any quarter falls below 2.0 (C average).

Each Division may enact legislation governing the use of the grade Incomplete in the determination of a student's scholastic status. Divisional variances from this regulation must be approved by the Assembly.

Grading System

The level of achievement of all undergraduate students shall be designated in the following terms: A+ (extraordinary), A (superior), B (good), C (fair), D (poor), F (fail), I (incomplete), IP (in progress), P (passed), NP (not passed), DR (deferred report). The passing grades A, B, C, and D may be modified by plus (+) or minus (-) suffixes. Grade points per unit shall be assigned by the Registrar as follows: A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1, F-zero. "Plus" grade carry three-tenths grade-point more per unit, with the exception of the A+, and "minus" grades carry three-tenths grade-point less per unit than un-suffixed grades. Subject to the provisions of Systemwide Regulation 634, courses in which a student receives a P grade shall be counted in satisfaction of degree requirements, but courses in which either a P, NP, DR, I or IP has been awarded shall be disregarded in determining a student's grade-point average. Faculty are instructed to use the A+ grade only for truly extraordinary performance. The grades A, B, C, and P denote satisfactory progress toward a degree. The D grade denotes progress toward a degree, but as stipulated in Divisional Regulation A-304 such a grade must be offset by higher grades.

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The work of all graduate students shall be reported in terms of the following grades: A (superior achievement), B (satisfactorily demonstrated potentiality for professional achievement in the field of study), C (passed the course but did not do work indicative of potentiality for professional achievement in the field of study), F (fail), I (incomplete), IP (in progress), DR (deferred report), S (satisfactory) U (unsatisfactory). The passing grades A, B and C may be modified by plus (+) or minus (-) suffixes. Grade-point per unit shall be assigned by the Registrar as follows: A-4, B-3, C-2, F-zero. "Plus" grades (except A+) carry three-tenths grade-point more per unit and "minus" grades carry three-tenths grade-point less per unit than un-suffixed grades. The grade A+ carries 4.0 grade-points per unit, the same as for an (un-suffixed A;) but when A+ is reported, it represents extraordinary achievement. Courses in which a student receives an S grade may be counted in satisfaction of degree requirements, but courses in which either an S, U, DR, I or IP has been awarded shall be disregarded in determining a student's grade-point average. The grades A, B, and S denote satisfactory progress toward a degree. A graduate student is subject to dismissal if the student's cumulative grade-point average falls below 3.00.

The Incomplete Grade

The grade I may be assigned when a student's work is of passing quality, but is incomplete. The grade I shall only be assigned when it is established to the instructor's satisfaction that the student's work is incomplete for good cause. When the instructor assigns the grade "I" on the grade sheet, the grade should be accompanied by a notation specifying what work must be done to remove the incomplete.

An undergraduate student is entitled to have the grade I replaced by a passing grade and to receive unit credit and grade-points provided the student satisfactorily completes the work of the course by the end of the next full term that the student is in residence in regular session following the term in which the I was received. The Dean of the appropriate school or college has authority to extend the deadline for completion in the event of unusual circumstances that would clearly impose an unfair hardship on the student if the original deadline were maintained. A graduate student is entitled to have the grade I replaced by a passing grade and to receive unit credit and grade points by the first day of the corresponding term in the subsequent year, provided the student satisfactorily completes the remaining work in a way specified by the instructor at least 30 days prior to this deadline. Graduate students may advance to candidacy but not earn their degree if they have incomplete grades on any required courses.

If the work is not completed according to the provisions of B. or C. above, the grade I shall automatically be replaced with a final grade of F, NP or U as appropriate.

If a student does not take the final exam and never contacts the instructor, the student receives the grade they have earned with their completed work up to that point, usually an F. Consistent with the above discussion, if a student contacts the instructor providing a valid and documented reason (e.g. illness or other serious problem), the instructor may assign the incomplete (I) grade under the following conditions: the student must ask the Instructor for the I grade, the student’s work must be of passing quality and the reasons for requesting the I grade must be of sufficient gravity to warrant an incomplete grade (such as illness or other serious problem). If an I grade is assigned, students may receive unit credit and grade points by satisfactorily completing the coursework as specified by the instructor. Students should not re-enroll in the course; if they do, it is recorded twice on the transcript. If the work is not completed by the end of the next full term in residence, the I grade lapses to an F, NP, or U as appropriate. The College or school may extend the deadline in unusual cases (not applicable to graduate students).

Repeating Courses

Students are not repeating a course in which a grade of C-, D+, D, D- or F has been earned. Students have not received two NP grades.

Additional Academic Considerations

Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS)

DARS (Degree Audit Reporting System) is a computerized degree audit system. Students who use DARS will be able to see the credit they have received and determine which requirements of their degree are left to complete. The degree check is the official record of how all UC and transfer credit has been applied to your requirements.

Online Course Formats

UCLA offers courses in various online formats, including:

Online: Classes will be held at scheduled times with faculty delivering course content using remote communication tools and students in attendance using those tools.
Online - Recorded: Classes will be held at scheduled times with faculty delivering course content using remote communication tools and with students in attendance using those tools. Faculty will record the class and make available those scheduled activities for subsequent use by students.
Online - Asynchronous: With the exception of office hours or review sections, there are no pre-scheduled sessions for this class.

Departmental Scholar Program

A student who has completed 24 courses or 96 quarter units at UCLA, or the equivalent at another institution, and who has completed the requirements in preparation for a major, may be designated a Department of Scholar. Departments will designate only exceptionally promising students as Departmental Scholars, subject to approval of the Graduate Council. The Departmental Scholar will be admitted provisionally to the Los Angeles Division of Graduate Education in his or her department or in an interdepartmental degree program in which that department is a component field. In order to obtain both a Bachelor's and Master's degree, the Departmental Scholar must fulfill requirements of each of these programs. No course may be used to fulfill the requirements of both these degrees. For awarding the grade A+ in courses used to satisfy the Master's degree requirements, Departmental Scholars shall be governed by grading Divisional Regulation A-308. Should a student for any reason be forced to, or wish to, withdraw from the Departmental Scholar program, his or her department will notify the Division of Graduate Education, and the student's provisional admission to the Division of Graduate Education will be lapsed.

Application of Graduate Courses Toward Bachelor's Degree

With specific approval by the instructor and the department, and subject to the requirements of the college in which the student is enrolled, qualified undergraduate students may take 200 series courses to apply toward their Bachelor's degrees. The departmental plans and the list of such courses shall be filed by the department with the Division of Graduate Education and with the Deans of the colleges concerned. No course taken by an undergraduate to fulfill requirements for the Bachelor's degree can be used to fulfill requirements for a higher degree.

Courses at UCLA-Upon approval of the Dean of Students

Candidates for the Juris Doctor degree are permitted to take, during regular law session only, two courses in UCLA departments other than the School of Law for a maximum of six semester units of Law School credit. (Conversion of quarter to semester units = total number of quarter units multiplied by 2, then divide by 3). This option is not available to joint degree students, or to students on probation or subject to special requirements (see Sections V.B and V.C). A course so taken must be supplementary to a student’s legal studies and the prior written approval of the Assistant Dean for Students must be obtained. Such outside courses must be graded on an “A, B, C, D” or “F” basis, and the grade of “B-” or better in the outside course and satisfactory completion of the law course are required in order to receive units and proportional residency credit toward the Juris Doctor degree.

University Requirements

Students must work toward satisfaction of either the Entry Level Writing or English as a Second Language (ESL) requirement during their first quarter in residence and subsequent quarters if necessary. English Composition 3 must be completed before the end of the second year of enrollment. A grade of C or better must be earned in the required English course(s). These courses may not be taken P/NP. The American History and Institutions requirement must be satisfied in order to graduate.

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