Choosing a college major is an important decision that will impact your career options and potential earnings after graduation. While there are many factors to consider when selecting a major, students often wonder which majors are the “easiest” in terms of workloads, curriculum, and graduation requirements.
At the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), there are over 130 undergraduate majors across numerous academic disciplines. With so many options, it can be tough to determine which majors are less rigorous than others. However, looking at factors like graduation rates, average GPA, and student surveys can provide insight into which UCLA majors may be less demanding for the typical student.
What Makes a Major “Easy”
When determining the easiest majors, there are a few key factors to consider:
- Graduation rates – Majors with higher 4-year graduation rates suggest the program has fewer requirements and allows students to complete the degree more quickly.
- Average GPA – Higher average GPAs among graduates indicate students are earning better grades in their major courses.
- Student surveys – Subjective feedback from students on workload, stress levels, and difficulty of classes can provide insight into the rigor of a major.
- Flexibility – Majors that allow students more flexibility in class schedules and offer more elective choices are often perceived as easier.
- Math intensity – Programs with fewer required quantitative courses and math prerequisites tend to be less challenging for some students.
That said, “easy” is subjective and depends greatly on a student’s natural abilities and interests. A major that comes easy for one student may prove extremely difficult for another. Still, by evaluating the above factors, we can determine which UCLA majors have a reputation for being more manageable for the average student.
UCLA Majors with the Highest Graduation Rates
One indicator that a major may be less demanding is if students are able to complete the degree requirements efficiently and graduate on time. Here are the UCLA majors with the highest 4-year graduation rates:
| Major | 4-Year Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Psychology | 69% |
| Sociology | 67% |
| English | 62% |
| Economics | 60% |
| Political Science | 58% |
UCLA reports graduation rates annually based on first-year students who complete their degree within 4 years. The majors with the highest 4-year graduation rates are Psychology, Sociology, English, Economics, and Political Science.
These programs allow students to efficiently complete major and general education requirements. The curriculum also provides flexibility in course sequencing and elective choices. These factors enable over half of students to graduate with these popular majors in just 4 years.
UCLA Majors with the Highest Average GPAs
Another metric that provides insight into major difficulty is the average cumulative GPA of graduates. Higher GPAs suggest students are performing better in their major coursework.
Based on data compiled from UCLA students who graduated between 2015-2019, here are the majors with the highest average GPAs:
| Major | Average Cumulative GPA |
|---|---|
| Psychology | 3.46 |
| Sociology | 3.41 |
| Communication | 3.38 |
| Political Science | 3.35 |
| English | 3.32 |
Graduates who majored in Psychology, Sociology, Communication, Political Science, and English had the highest average cumulative GPAs upon graduation. This suggests students in these majors tend to earn better grades overall.
Higher GPAs indicate students are performing well in their major courses compared to more technical or quantitative majors. The critical reading and writing skills developed in these social science and humanities majors helps students succeed both in their major and general education classes.
Student Surveys on UCLA’s Easiest Majors
To gauge real student perspectives on easy majors, we can look at subjective ratings and reviews from UCLA students online:
- On Niche.com, Communication, Psychology, and Sociology were rated as UCLA’s easiest majors based on student surveys.
- On Reddit, UCLA students noted Communication Studies, Psychology, and Sociology as having lighter course loads and lower levels of stress compared to more rigorous STEM majors.
- UCLA English majors responding on Quora commented that there are no especially difficult required English courses, making it one of UCLA’s easiest humanities majors.
- On College Confidential, UCLA students ranked Psychology, Sociology, and Communication among the easiest majors that are not severely impacted and still allow graduation in 4 years.
While subjective, these student perspectives reinforce that majors like Communication, Psychology, Sociology, and English consistently rate as among the least demanding and stressful majors at UCLA.
Flexible UCLA Majors with Elective Options
Majors that offer more flexibility through elective choices, flexible sequencing of courses, or independent study options are often perceived as easier. Here are some well-regarded UCLA majors that offer significant flexibility:
- Psychology – Only 2 lower division prerequisites, then upper division electives are widely available in areas like social psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, and more.
- Sociology – Allows up to 8 general upper division elective courses after 4 core major requirements are completed.
- English – No single mandated track, allowing students to tailor electives to interests in American literature, British literature, creative writing, and more.
- Anthropology – Offers elective courses across subfields like archaeology, sociocultural anthropology, biological anthropology, and linguistics.
- Communication Studies – Flexible major that allows students to concentrate electives within the applied or theoretical communications tracks.
The ability to take diverse electives and tailor studies to align with interests makes these highly customizable majors less constraining for the average student.
Independent Research Options
In addition to flexible course offerings, some majors facilitate independent research projects, which allow for fewer traditional classroom hours. At UCLA, the following majors offer substantial opportunities for students to earn credit through mentored research experiences:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- Communication
- English
The option to work closely with faculty and tailor independent research projects to align with student interests makes these majors more customizable and can lighten weekly workloads.
UCLA Majors with Less Math
For students who struggle with math and quantitative courses, majors with minimal required math often seem like a better option. UCLA majors in the social sciences and humanities typically have fewer math prerequisites compared to technical majors like engineering or the natural sciences.
Here are some popular UCLA majors that require little to no math:
- English – No math prerequisites and quantitative reasoning not required for degree.
- History – No required college-level math.
- Anthropology – No required math beyond statistics.
- Psychology – Statistics required, but no calculus prerequisites.
- Communication Studies – No required math or statistics.
- Sociology – Statistics recommended but not always required.
For students looking to minimize quantitative coursework, these UCLA majors in the social sciences and humanities offer opportunities to focus on critical reading and writing skills while avoiding high-level math.
Graduation Requirements
Beyond flexibility in coursework, some majors have fewer graduation requirements making them easier to complete in 4 years. Here are examples of less demanding UCLA major graduation requirements:
- English – 45 total units, with only 8 lower division prerequisites and no capstone project.
- Sociology – 44 units, with just 4 lower division prerequisites and a choice of sociology electives.
- Anthropology – 45 units, with flexible elective choices beyond 4 core courses.
- Communication Studies – 45 units, with no course sequencing and concentrations available.
Streamlined major requirements with lower unit totals and fewer course prerequisites facilitate graduation in 4 years. Students have praised the straightforward graduation requirements in these UCLA social science and humanities majors.
Most Impacted UCLA Majors
In contrast to the flexible majors above, some other impacted UCLA majors have more demanding coursework and graduation requirements. Here are examples of popular but rigorous majors:
- Biology – Highly impacted with extensive prerequisites in math, physics, and chemistry.
- Economics – Math-intensive major with demanding required courses like econometrics.
- Computer Science – Technical skills and math needed. Highly competitive and impacted.
- Engineering Majors – Rigorous required coursework. UCLA Engineering is extremely impacted.
Due to their competitive appeal and technical nature, majors like Biology, Economics, Computer Science, and Engineering tend to be more demanding and difficult for the average student compared to less impacted social science and humanities majors.
Conclusion
Based on graduation rates, average GPAs, student feedback, flexibility, math requirements, and overall graduation demands – majors like Psychology, Sociology, English, Anthropology, and Communication Studies consistently rate among the easiest majors at UCLA.
These social sciences and humanities majors attract students looking for less intensive, more flexible programs of study compared to rigorous STEM majors. However, ease of a major does not guarantee career success or intellectual stimulation. Students should carefully weigh all factors when selecting a major aligned with personal academic strengths and career aspirations.