Sign ups are open!
Interested in Pathways, but still not sure? Check out the FAQs below and watch this informational webinar for more details.
Enrollment is limited and will be first come, first served. The deadline to sign up is Friday, June 27, 2025. Please send questions to lspathways@berkeley.edu.
General Information
What is L&S First-Year Pathways?
L&S First-Year Pathways is a program for first-year undergraduate students in the College of Letters & Science, and was designed to help new students successfully transition from high school to UC Berkeley. The program offers over 20 different “clusters,” which are groups of 3-4 courses. Students learn in small cohorts of 17-30 students, providing opportunities to form new friendships and connections. Each cluster satisfies different breadth or major prerequisites, so students make the most of their time in their first year at Berkeley.
What are the benefits of the L&S Pathways program?
L&S Pathways has several beneficial components:
- New friends: Pathways provides a cohort experience (17-30 students), so you can make friends with interests similar to your own.
- Early class enrollment: Pathways students receive priority enrollment, right at the beginning of the primary registration period for incoming first-year students. Also, if you are enrolled in a cluster, you will only need to add 1-2 more units (if any) to make the threshold for full-time student status, which is 13 units. See the question below on “how to enroll” for more information.
- Compelling topics on some of the most interesting and important issues of our time.
- Efficient degree progress: Each cluster satisfies different breadth or major prerequisites, so students make the most of their time at Berkeley. Read the full course descriptions to see which breadth and major requirements the class may fulfill.
Is L&S Pathways the right program for me?
To be eligible for L&S Pathways, you must:
- be a newly admitted first-year student in the College of Letters & Science (Pathways will not enroll transfer students, as the high-unit load of the course clusters will prevent you from making progress in your major).
Pathways is a good choice if you are:
- uncertain about what to take in your first semester.
- unsure as to your intended major but have some ideas about topics of interest to you.
- feeling a bit intimidated by how large the student population at Berkeley is and/or are feeling overwhelmed by the number of course choices you have.
- want to get a jumpstart on fulfilling breadth requirements and/or major prerequisites.
- looking for a cohort experience with fellow students.
- looking for a small seminar experience.
How is L&S Pathways different from other programs for new students, e.g. Fall Program for First Semester, Freshman and Sophomore Seminars, Big Ideas Courses?
| Smaller Class Sizes | Designed For First-Years | Small Cohort-Based | On Berkeley’s Campus | Academic Themes | Fall Semester Only | |
| L&S First-Year Pathways | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Fall Program for First Semester (FPF) | X | X | X | X | ||
| Freshman and Sophomore Seminars | X | X | X | |||
| Big Ideas Courses | X | X | ||||
| Berkeley Connect | X | X | X |
Can I enroll in Pathways if I'm also participating in Summer Bridge?
Yes. There is no conflict between Pathways and Summer Bridge.
Can I enroll in Pathways if I'm participating in Fall Program for First Semester?
No. FPF students take a majority of their Fall coursework through the FPF course offerings, and thus would not have the space in their schedule to participate in L&S First-Year Pathways. For more information on the FPF program, please contact fpf@berkeley.edu.
Can I enroll in Pathways if I've been admitted to a different College that is not L&S?
To participate in L&S First-Year Pathways, you must be enrolled in the College of Letters & Science as a first-year undergraduate student.
Clusters Information
What is a "cluster"?
A cluster is a predetermined grouping of 3-4 courses. Each cluster satisfies various major prerequisites and/or L&S breadth requirements. Students within a cluster are treated as a cohort: even within larger lectures, students within the cluster participate in their own discussion section, enabling students to learn together and support each other in all classes. Check out the Fall 2025 clusters online.
What are the cluster sizes?
L&S Pathways cluster “cohorts” are roughly between 17-30 students. While certain courses in your cluster may be larger lectures, your discussion sections will be comprised of the same small cohort.
How do I choose which cluster to take?
There are over 20 different clusters available for Fall 2025, offering a variety of themes and exploring different subject areas. If you are interested in a particular major or topic, strengthening writing skills, or satisfying specific major prerequisites or L&S breadth requirements, we encourage you to visit the Clusters Grid to find what you’re looking for. Use the search bar to see which clusters best meet your needs.
Do I need to take additional classes if I'm enrolled in a L&S Pathways cluster?
It depends. Most L&S Pathway clusters carry an 11 or 12 unit course load, in which case you will need to add another small unit course of 1-2 units to make the minimum course load (13 units) for full-time student status. However, some clusters already carry 13 units, the minimum course load. We encourage you to ask your L&S adviser for suggestions during Golden Bear Advising. To help manage your course load for a more successful experience, we strongly suggest that you do NOT enroll in more 3-4 unit courses in this semester.
Can I take just one or two classes in a cluster?
There are a few courses that are only available as part of the L&S Pathways program. However, you may be able to enroll independently in some of the other courses (this would be part of the regular class enrollment process in July, and would not constitute as part of the L&S Pathways program or related cohort offering).
Can I drop a course in a cluster?
No – you must take the whole cluster, all the way through the semester. Barring exceptional circumstances, if you drop one course, you will be dropped from the entire cluster. Otherwise, to drop the cluster, you will need to do so prior to the early drop deadline, which is Friday of the second week of classes – you will need to find an entire other roster of courses when you do, so we don’t recommend this course of action.
If you are enrolled in a Pathways cluster and wish to drop out prior to the start of classes, please email us immediately at lspathways@berkeley.edu so we can drop you from the program and allow you to enroll for other classes. If you are unsure as to whether Pathways is right for you, please contact us at the same email address, or simply register for regular classes.
Can I sign up for more than one L&S Pathways cluster?
No – due to the high unit-load of the clusters, you cannot fit more than one within the unit cap.
How does placement work for Clusters offering an R&C writing course?
Some of the clusters offered this fall include a college writing class (reading and composition or “R&C”) courses), which are titled “COLWRIT R4A” and “COLWRIT R4B.” COLWRIT R4A fulfills part A of R&C and COLWRIT R4B fulfills part B of R&C requirements – note that part A must be fulfilled before you can take part B. If you indicated that one of these clusters (Numbers & Narratives, To Be Human, The Petri Dish, The Parabola & The Pen, Breaking into Behavioral Sciences, Information & Power, Elements of Water, Life and Physical Sciences, Nature of Mind, Evaluating & Presenting Evidence) was your first or second choice, you will be placed into the appropriate course (R4A or R4B) based on certain criteria.
To help determine your R&C level (1) be sure you have satisfied Entry Level Writing with a qualifying test score (such as an AP English exam), Berkeley Writing Assessment score, or completion of COLWRIT R1A in fall 2025; and (2) review the Reading and Composition Requirement website for all of the options that satisfy Reading and Composition.
If you need more information on approved transfer courses for R&C, refer to the resources below according to the type of institution where you completed your coursework:
I completed a course at a California Community College
I completed a course that was not at a California Community College
In the enrollment sign-up form, you will be asked for more information about your Reading & Composition (R&C) writing level by selecting from a list, to the best of your ability. We understand that you may not have your AP English exam score data at this time.
How does placement work in "Understanding through Letters & Numbers" for Chinese or Spanish?
Understanding through Letters and Numbers cluster offers students the opportunity to choose between Spanish or Chinese. This may involve the student self-selecting their class (Spanish) or taking a placement test (Chinese)
- Introducing your hobbies
- Explaining why you want to learn Chinese
- Narrating an unforgettable happening in your life
- What you would do if you had to learn something that does not interest you
- Explaining the connection between your major and learning Chinese
Enrollment Information
How do I enroll in one of the L&S Pathways clusters?
You must have finished reading the FAQs on this page to register. Once you have done so, during the sign-up period (Date TBD), you can click the “Sign Up” link at the top of the homepage, and follow the instructions on the sign-up form. You should indicate whether there’s a specific cluster that you want to be in, or whether you’d be happy in any of them. Please note that enrollment is first-come, first-served!
We will let you know whether you’ve been accepted into a cluster. We will enroll you in the cluster as soon as priority enrollment for first-year students begins. Once you have been enrolled, you will only be able to register for one small-unit course during the primary registration process.
You must have a CalNetID and Berkeley.edu email address to sign-up – to obtain these, make sure you have signed your Statement of Intent to Register form, and review the instructions here: How to Claim your CalNet ID.
What if the cluster I want is full?
We will do our best to place you in your first choice of cluster. If it is full, you will be placed on a waitlist for your first choice of cluster and will be notified as such.
How do I know if I'm enrolled or waitlisted?
We will email you to let you know whether you are enrolled or waitlisted in your cluster. At that point, you will have the choice to try to sign up for a different cluster (if there is space available). If you are waitlisted for a cluster, we strongly recommend that you try to sign up for a different cluster, or go ahead and enroll in other classes during your priority enrollment appointment. If space in your desired cluster emerges at any time prior to the first week of classes, we will email you to see whether you would still like to be enrolled.
Can I enroll if I'm not a first-year admit student? What if I'm a transfer student?
L&S Pathways is only available for first-year L&S students at this time. You will not be able to sign up if you have already taken courses at Berkeley as a fully-matriculated student. If you are a transfer student, the high unit-load of the clusters will prevent you from making degree progress in your major, so we do not make it available to those students.
Who can I talk to about my eligibility?
If you have questions, please email lspathways@berkeley.edu.
I'm in a country from which I can't access Google Forms. How do I sign up for a cluster?
Please email lspathways@berkeley.edu with the subject heading “Cluster Sign-Up.” Please say in your email which country you are from, your name, your Berkeley email and student ID number, and the cluster for which you’d like to sign up.
Questions? Email lspathways@berkeley.edu. Thank you!