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.

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

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.

Profile of two people holding hands as they look at a vast night sky, with orange, purple colors
11 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.

Person in lab coat wearing blue lab gloves looks through a microscope while colleagues hold test tubes and look at laptops
15 Units

Biological Systems

With courses in Chemistry, Integrative Biology, and Math, this cluster is ideal for pre-med and pre-health careers, and intended majors in Integrative Biology, Chemistry, and Molecular & Cell Biology.

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The L&S Pathways program is designed to help first-year students transition into academic and social life here at Berkeley.

Shannon Steen

Associate Dean, Letters & Science