UCSD Course List: Complete 2026 Catalog, Schedule Of Classes, And Enrollment Guide
Navigating the University of California San Diego (UCSD) course list requires distinguishing between the overarching UC San Diego General Catalog, which contains all approved courses across the university, and the quarterly Schedule of Classes published on WebReg, which lists only the sections actively offered in a given academic term.
Whether you are a newly admitted undergraduate planning your four-year trajectory, a continuing student building a schedule for the upcoming quarter, or a visiting scholar evaluating prerequisites, understanding how UCSD organizes, schedules, and restricts its curriculum is essential for timely degree completion. This technical guide outlines the complete 2026 UCSD course architecture, department codes, registration workflows, and prerequisites across all undergraduate colleges and graduate divisions.
Deciphering the UCSD Course Numbering Architecture
UCSD maintains a standardized course numbering framework across all academic divisions, from the School of Biological Sciences to the Jacobs School of Engineering. Course numbers indicate the technical rigor, prerequisite depth, and academic level of the curriculum:
- Lower-Division Courses (Numbered 1–99): Designed for freshmen and sophomores. These classes introduce fundamental concepts and fulfill major preparation or College General Education (GE) requirements. Lower-division courses are not open to graduate students for elective credit without departmental petition.
- Upper-Division Courses (Numbered 100–199): Targeted at juniors and seniors with substantial background in the discipline. To enroll, students typically must complete designated lower-division prerequisites and achieve at least sophomore or junior standing (45 to 90 cumulative units).
- Graduate-Level Courses (Numbered 200–299): Rigorous, research-focused courses reserved for Master’s, Doctoral, and professional degree candidates. Select advanced undergraduates may petition via an Enrollment Authorization System (EASy) request if they possess exceptional academic standing and faculty consent.
- Professional and Apprenticeship Courses (Numbered 300–399 and 500+): Teacher training, pedagogical apprenticeship, and graduate instructional assistant practicums.
- Postgraduate and Clinical Courses (Numbered 400–499): Professional curricula primarily situated within the School of Medicine, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Rady School of Management.
Specific suffixes attached to course numbers designate instructional delivery or sequence structure:
- Letters A, B, C, etc.: Signify multi-quarter sequences that must ordinarily be taken in sequential order (for example, MATH 20A, 20B, and 20C).
- Suffix R: Indicates fully remote/online courses approved by the Academic Senate.
- Suffix W: Signifies courses that fulfill specific upper-division writing or college-specific composition mandates.
- Suffix L: Denotes dedicated laboratory courses paired with or separate from a lecture component.
- Number 199: Dedicated independent study or special studies research courses conducted under direct faculty supervision, requiring departmental clearance.
Primary UCSD Course Platforms and Planning Repositories
UCSD divides its curricular data across several distinct online databases. Relying solely on one interface often leads to scheduling conflicts, missed prerequisites, or unfulfilled degree requirements.
Official Catalog Notice
The General Catalog represents the complete inventory of academic courses approved by the San Diego Division of the Academic Senate. Inclusion of a course in the General Catalog does not guarantee that it will be taught during the current academic year. Always verify real-time term offerings using the Schedule of Classes published prior to enrollment.
1. The UC San Diego General Catalog
The General Catalog serves as the definitive reference for approved course descriptions, degree programs, four-year major plans, and college requirements. The 2026 catalog reflects all current revisions to program requirements, major caps, and departmental reorganizations. It serves as your primary tool for long-term academic mapping.
2. The Quarterly Schedule of Classes
Published approximately five weeks before the start of each registration period, the Schedule of Classes displays the operational details for a specific quarter: meeting times, building and room allocations, assigned professors, discussion sections, final exam slots, and seat capacities.
3. WebReg
The central transactional system where matriculated students actively enroll, drop, and waitlist courses. WebReg enforces automated appointment times (passes), calculates prerequisite satisfaction in real time, and prevents registration overlaps.
4. Plans.ucsd.edu and the Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS)
The Degree Audit system cross-references your completed, in-progress, and transferred coursework against your specific major, minor, and college GE requirements. Plans.ucsd.edu provides curated four-year and two-year transfer templates updated for the 2026 academic standards.
5. Enrollment Authorization System (EASy)
A centralized web portal that automates student petitions for course pre-authorization. Use EASy if you need to clear prerequisite equivalencies completed at another institution, request an add-code past the automated deadline, or seek entry into a restricted upper-division or graduate course.
UCSD Organizational Behavior Syllabus: Course Overview & Objectives ...
Core Department Codes Across Major Divisions
UCSD identifies course disciplines using two- to four-letter alphabetical prefixes. Below are the primary subject designations across the campus:
Jacobs School of Engineering
- BENG: Bioengineering
- CSE: Computer Science and Engineering
- ECE: Electrical and Computer Engineering
- MAE: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
- NANO: NanoEngineering
- SE: Structural Engineering
Division of Physical Sciences
- CHEM: Chemistry and Biochemistry
- MATH: Mathematics
- PHYS: Physics
School of Biological Sciences
- BIBC: Biochemistry and Cell Biology
- BICD: Developmental and Cell Biology
- BIEB: Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution
- BIMM: Molecular Biology
- BIPN: Neurobiology
- BILD: Lower-Division Biological Sciences (General Biology)
Division of Social Sciences & Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute
- DSC: Data Science
- ECON: Economics
- POLI: Political Science
- PSYC: Psychology
- SOCI: Sociology
- COGS: Cognitive Science
- COMM: Communication
Arts and Humanities & Professional Schools
- VIS: Visual Arts
- MUS: Music
- PHIL: Philosophy
- LIGN: Linguistics
- MGT: Management (Rady School of Management)
- GLBH: Global Health Program
Comparing UCSD Course Planning Platforms
The table below contrasts the functions, refresh frequencies, and access protocols of UCSD's official academic tools to help you use the right system for your specific registration needs.
| Platform / Tool | Primary Function | Update Frequency | Prerequisites Enforced Real-Time? | User Access Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Catalog | Official record of all approved degrees, majors, and course descriptions | Annually (Every Summer) | No (Informational only) | Publicly accessible |
| Schedule of Classes | Displays active sections, instructors, locations, and seat limits per term | Updated quarterly, then refreshed nightly | No (Static review portal) | Publicly accessible |
| WebReg | Real-time class registration, adds, drops, and waitlists | Live / Instantaneous | Yes (Automated block on missing pre-reqs) | Active UCSD students with Single Sign-On |
| DARS (Degree Audit) | Tracks individual degree progress, GPA, and graduation requirements | Runs on demand against transcript data | Not applicable | Active UCSD students and academic advisors |
| EASy Portal | Exception requests, prerequisite overrides, unit limit increases | Workflow-based (Instructor / Dept approval) | Evaluated manually by academic departments | Active UCSD students with Single Sign-On |
Step-by-Step Registration Workflow for UCSD Courses
Enrolling in UCSD courses requires careful adherence to the university's tiered two-pass registration system. Designed to ensure equitable access to high-demand classes, this process requires careful planning.
Verify Your Registration Appointment Times: Approximately two weeks before enrollment opens, log into TritonLink and check your specific start times for Pass 1 and Pass 2. Appointment times are assigned strictly by completed cumulative units, giving priority to seniors, followed by juniors, sophomores, and freshmen. Special priority groups (such as regents scholars and student athletes) register at the start of the cycle.
Audit Degree Requirements and Clear Holds: Run a fresh Degree Audit (DARS) to see remaining major, minor, and college requirements. Check TritonLink for administrative holds (e.g., Student Health immunization records, past-due balances, or academic advising holds) that can freeze your account and prevent registration.
Curate Primary and Alternate Schedules: Open the active Schedule of Classes and build multiple mock schedules using the WebReg planning feature. Identify primary and backup sections, paying attention to final examination codes to prevent conflicting three-hour final exam slots.
Execute Pass 1 Enrollment (Maximum 11.5 Units): When your first pass opens, enroll in up to 11.5 units. Focus on your most critical, high-demand courses—such as impacted computer science, data science, or chemistry laboratory sequences. You cannot waitlist courses during Pass 1.
Execute Pass 2 Enrollment (Maximum 19.5 Units): During your assigned Pass 2 window, enroll in your remaining schedule, up to a total of 19.5 units (including both enrolled and waitlisted units). If your target class is full, add yourself to the automated waitlist.
Manage Unit Exceedance Petitions (Week 1): If you wish to enroll in more than 19.5 units, you must wait until the first day of instruction. At that point, eligible students with a minimum cumulative GPA (typically 3.0 or higher depending on their college) can enroll in up to 22 units directly or submit an EASy petition for greater unit allocations.
Managing Prerequisites, Waitlists, and Impacted Sections
High student enrollment across quantitative, computational, and pre-health departments creates distinct operational hurdles. Address these situations using the following strategies:
Automated Prerequisite Enforcement
WebReg checks your academic history for exact course codes before allowing you to register. If you completed an equivalent prerequisite at a California Community College or another university, verify that the units have officially posted to your UCSD academic history. If the transcript has arrived but the course does not clear the automated check, submit an EASy request immediately with an unofficial transcript and course syllabus attached.
The Ten Percent Waitlist Rule
Waitlists operate automatically through Thursday night of Week 2 of each quarter. As enrolled students drop, the system admits waitlisted students in strict numerical sequence. As a standard planning benchmark, approximately 10% of a class’s capacity drops within the first two weeks. If you are ranked 4th on a waitlist for a 40-seat section, your chances of admission are relatively low; if you are ranked 4th on a waitlist for a 250-seat lecture hall, you have a strong likelihood of enrollment. Always attend the lecture, complete assigned homework, and participate in discussion sections while waitlisted.
Navigating Capped (Impacted) Majors
Several departments—including Computer Science and Engineering, Data Science, and Public Health—limit student enrollment due to capacity constraints. Non-majors attempting to register for upper-division courses within these departments often face major-restricted holds during early registration passes. Check departmental announcements to determine precisely when unreserved seats open to non-majors, which typically occurs during late Pass 2 or the first week of classes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I view the official UCSD course list for the current quarter?
The active schedule of classes is hosted directly on TritonLink under the Schedule of Classes search tool. You can search by department subject, general education requirement, course code, or instructor name to view active section times, locations, and available seats.
The Schedule of Classes updates each quarter approximately five weeks before registration begins, whereas the UCSD General Catalog lists every course approved by the university regardless of term availability.
How does the UCSD two-pass registration system work?
Pass 1 restricts enrollment to a maximum of 11.5 units so every student has an opportunity to secure their most essential, high-demand courses. Pass 2 expands your enrollment limit to 19.5 units, allowing you to add general electives, secondary requirements, and join course waitlists.
Each pass is assigned based on total completed units, giving upperclassmen earlier registration access. Students cannot waitlist any classes until their Pass 2 appointment begins.
How do I enroll in a course if I don't meet the listed prerequisites?
You must submit a formal petition through the online Enrollment Authorization System (EASy) prior to your registration pass. The application requires documentation showing you have satisfied the underlying requirements through equivalent coursework, work experience, or external credit.
Once submitted, the request routes to the course instructor and the sponsoring academic department for approval. If approved, the prerequisite hold is temporarily bypassed in WebReg for that specific term.
What is the maximum number of units I can take per quarter at UCSD?
During the standard registration passes, undergraduates can enroll in a maximum of 19.5 units, which includes both enrolled classes and waitlisted courses.
Beginning on the first day of instruction, students in good academic standing (minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA) may increase their enrollment cap to 22 units without departmental approval. Enrolling in more than 22 units requires an approved petition from your undergraduate college's academic advising office.
What is the difference between WebReg and the General Catalog?
The General Catalog is a static reference document containing official course descriptions, prerequisites, and degree plans, while WebReg is the dynamic enrollment system where students officially add, drop, and waitlist classes.
A class listed in the General Catalog might only be offered once every two years, whereas WebReg only shows sections that are actively running in the selected academic term.
Prepare your schedule ahead of each registration window by consulting with your college and major academic advisors through the Virtual Advising Center (VAC). By tracking prerequisite pathways, confirming degree audits, and adhering to designated pass windows, you can navigate UCSD's curriculum efficiently and stay on course for on-time graduation.
