Registered Students
Breadth Requirements
All L&S students must satisfy the Seven Course Breadth requirement before graduation. This requirement is designed to expand your general education experience, and courses that satisfy this requirement can be taken throughout your time at Cal. Almost all FPF students take one or more breadth courses in the fall.
Review the L&S Seven Course Breadth requirement.
American Cultures Breadth Requirement
All UC Berkeley students must satisfy the American Cultures (AC) requirement before graduation. Many L&S breadth courses also fulfill AC. By taking an FPF breadth course that has “AC” in its title, you would fulfill both the American Cultures requirement and one of the L&S Seven Course Breadth categories.
Note: The L&S Seven Course Breadth requirement and the American Cultures breadth requirement cannot be fulfilled with AP credit or other high school coursework. However, if you have taken courses at a community or junior college, you may be able to use that credit to fulfill either category. Visit assist.org to determine if your courses are transferable to UC Berkeley and which Breadth categories they may fulfill.
Selecting Breadth Courses
Read through the course descriptions below, and select several courses from separate categories. Although many courses fall under multiple breadth categories, each course can be applied to only one of the L&S Seven Course Breadth categories. Choose breadth courses based on your interest or curiosity in the subject. Make sure you choose several courses so you have backups in case some of them are enrolled to capacity.
Breadth Course Descriptions
American Cultures
- Anthropology 2AC
- English 31AC
- Environmental Science, Policy and Management 50AC
- Ethnic Studies 21AC
- History 7B (AC)
- Linguistics 55AC
- Sociology 3AC
Arts and Literature
Biological Science
- Anthropology 1
- Geography 30
- Integrative Biology 33
- Integrative Biology 41
- Molecular and Cell Biology 32
Historical Studies
- Anthropology 2AC
- Asian American Studies 20A
- Classics 10A
- Environmental Science, Policy and Management 50AC
- Ethnic Studies 21AC
- History 7B (AC)
- History of Art 11
- Linguistics 55AC
International Studies
Philosophy and Values
Physical Science
Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Anthropology 1
- Anthropology 2AC
- Asian American Studies 20A
- Environmental Science, Policy and Management 50AC
- Ethnic Studies 21AC
- Gender and Women's Studies 10
- History 7B (AC)
- Linguistics 55AC
- Middle Eastern Studies 20
- Philosophy 2
- Political Science 2
- Psychology 1
- Sociology 3AC
Elective
Anthropology 1—Introduction to Biological Anthropology (4 units)
Prerequisite: None
Satisfies: Either the Biological Science or Social and Behavioral Sciences breadth category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: This course provides an introduction to human evolution, focusing on the physical and behavioral adaptations of humans and their prehistoric and living relatives. Topics include evolutionary theory, interpretation of fossils, primate behavior and molecular evolution. The course defines and discusses theoretical and methodological approaches, prehistoric activities, genetic components of behavior, and racial and geographic differences. Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.
Anthropology 2AC—Introduction to Archaeology (4 units)
Prerequisite: None
Satisfies: Both the American Cultures requirement and either the Historical Studies or Social and Behavioral Sciences breadth category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: Introduction to the methods, goals and theoretical concepts of archaeology with attention to the impact archaeology has had on understanding the histories of diverse communities, including Native Americans, Latin Americans and Euro-Americans. This course focuses on archaeology in California, with many examples from elsewhere in North America. Discussion section activities provide students with hands-on experience in different aspects of archaeological research.Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.
Asian American Studies 20A—Introduction to the History of Asians in the United States (4 units)
Prerequisite: None
Satisfies: Either the Historical Studies or Social and Behavioral Sciences breadth category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: This introductory course examines critical aspects of Asian American histories and experiences from 1848 to the present. The principal objective is to provide students with a historical framework for basic understanding of the experiences of the major Asian American groups and an analytical foundation for comparative analyses. In doing so, the course will expose students to national and international factors that have an impact on migration and related policies; intersecting issues of race, class and gender relations; interclass conflicts between labor and capital; and intraclass conflicts as evidenced by labor agitation against Asian migration and resettlement. Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.
Astronomy 10—Introduction to General Astronomy (4 units)
Prerequisite: None
Satisfies: Physical Science breadth category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: This course covers modern astronomy with emphasis on the structure and evolution of stars, galaxies and the universe. Additional topics optionally discussed include quasars, pulsars, black holes and extraterrestrial communications. A minimum of high school–level algebra and geometry is assumed, but equation solving and memorization are not emphasized. Most students are not physical science majors, and the emphasis is on understanding the skills used in astrophysics that are of interest to society. Students receive no credit for Astronomy 10 after taking Astronomy 7A or 7B. Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.
Classics 10A—Introduction to Greek Civilization (4 units)
Prerequisite: None; however, this is a writing- and reading-intensive course, and students' writing skills should exceed the College Writing course level.
Satisfies: Either the Arts and Literature or Historical Studies or Philosophy and Values breadth category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: This course provides an introductory survey of Greek civilization from the Bronze Age to fourth-century B.C.E. ancient Greece. One of several civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean, Greek civilization has had an enduring influence in many areas of Western thought and culture, and its surviving literature includes several works that continue to stand among the world's most significant. The study of this culture, in both its similarities and differences with our own, helps us understand contemporary individual and societal conflict. In this course, students read and discuss works of several different types of literature, including epic poetry, lyric poetry, tragedy, comedy, history and philosophy. Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.
Earth and Planetary Science (Geology) 80—Environmental Earth Sciences (2 units)
Prerequisite: None
Satisfies: Physical Science breadth category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: This course surveys human interactions with the Earth. Students will examine topics ranging from geologic hazards, such as earthquakes and volcanoes, to human effects on the environment, such as pollution and climate change. Students will also study geologic aspects of the use of land and oceans. Two hours of lecture per week.
English 31AC—Literature of American Cultures (4 units)
Prerequisite: None; however, this is a writing- and reading-intensive course, and students' writing skills should exceed the College Writing course level.
Satisfies: Both the American Cultures requirement and the Arts and Literature breadth category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: An introduction to short stories, poems, memoirs and essays by contemporary African American, Latin American, Asian American, Native American and Middle Eastern American authors. Reading transports us to new worlds where we can encounter different, sometimes unsettling voices. Discussing and then writing about these diverse texts will not only deepen students' appreciation for their own familial and cultural legacies, but also help you become more open to those of others. This course is open to all students but especially recommended for prospective English majors and for students who have satisfied the R&C requirement but who wish to develop college-level reading, analytic and writing skills. Three hours of lecture per week.
Environmental Science, Policy and Management 50AC—Intro to Culture and Natural Resource Management (4 units)
Prerequisite: None
Satisfies: Both the American Cultures requirement and either the Historical Studies, Philosophy and Values, or Social and Behavioral Sciences breadth category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: An introduction to how culture affects the way we use and manage fire, wildlands and urban forests, rangelands, parks and preserves, and croplands in America. The basic concepts and tools for evaluating the role of culture in resource use and management are introduced and used to examine the experience of American cultural groups in the development and management of Western natural resources. Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.
Ethnic Studies 21AC—A Comparative Survey of Racial and Ethnic Groups in the United States (4 units)
Course schedulePrerequisite: None
Satisfies: Both the American Cultures requirement and either the Historical Studies or Social and Behavioral Sciences breadth category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: This survey course will examine the historical experiences of European immigrants, African Americans and Latinos, emphasizing the themes of migration and economic change since the late 19th century. Though the course will focus on the three groups noted above, it will also address the experiences of Asian Americans, Native Americans and recently arrived immigrants in the context of the themes of the course. Throughout the course, intragroup differences such as gender, socioeconomic stratification and cultural variation will be discussed. Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.
Gender and Women's Studies 10—Introduction to Gender and Women's Studies (4 units)
Prerequisite: None
Satisfies: Social and Behavioral Sciences breadth category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: Introduction to questions and concepts in gender and women's studies. Critical study of the formation of gender and its intersections with other relations of power, such as sexuality, racialization, class, religion and age. Questions are addressed within the context of a transnational world. Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.
Geography 30—The Ocean World (4 units)
Prerequisite: None
Satisfies: Either the Biological Science or the Physical Science category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: Introduction to the cultural and physical geography of the world's oceans. Ecology of ocean biota and environments. History and geography of ocean peoples, cultures and resource use. Problems confronting ocean peoples and environments. New approaches to saving the oceans. Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.
History 7B (AC)—The United States From Civil War to Present (4 units)
Prerequisite: None
Satisfies: Both the American Cultures requirement and either the Historical Studies or Social and Behavioral Sciences breadth category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: This course examines the experiences and conflicts that make up the history of modern American society. Students will be exposed to a wide range of historical actors and dialogues in order to understand the past from the perspective of the men and women who experienced it and to gain some insight into the daily lives of Americans—their work and leisure, their cultures and ideologies, their relations with one another, and the political and economic system under which they lived. Lectures and readings focus on the complex interplay among political, economic and cultural interests and will examine, in particular depth, race relations, the laboring classes, reform movements, the interior of American lives, the changing conditions for success and survival in the culture Americans were shaping, and the emerging role of the United States as a world power. Three hours of lecture and two hours discussion per week.
History of Art 11—Introduction to Western Art: Renaissance to the Present (4 units)
Prerequisite: None
Satisfies: Either the Arts and Literature or Historical Studies breadth category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: An introduction to the historical circumstances and visual character of Western art from the Renaissance to the present, this course is not a chronological survey but an exploration of topics and themes central to this period. For example: What tasks did painting and sculpture perform in the past? For whom, at whose expense? How do the rise of landscape painting, the cult of the artist and the new emphasis on the nude relate to the emergence of modern society? Do stylistic labels like classicism, realism, impressionism and modernism help answer such questions? This course is recommended for potential art majors and for students in other disciplines, both humanities and sciences. Three hours of lecture and one hour discussion per week.
Integrative Biology 33—The Age of Dinosaurs (3 units)
Prerequisite: None
Satisfies: Biological Science breadth category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: This is a lecture course on dinosaurs from appearance to extinction. Topics include the dinosaur skeleton, reconstructing dinosaurs, basic principles of evolution, classification and adaptation, and a survey of dinosaur types. We consider dinosaur reproduction, the question of dinosaur endothermy and the origin of birds. We also survey the other animals that coexisted with the dinosaurs as we build a picture of the Mesozoic world. Lectures are often illustrated with slides. Three hours of lecture per week.
Integrative Biology 41—Marine Mammals (2 units)
Prerequisite: None
Satisfies: Biological Science breadth category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: A survey of marine mammal evolution, biology, behavior, ecology and politics with a concentration on those species found in the North Pacific. Coverage includes origin and evolution of cetaceans, pinnipeds, sirenians and sea otters; basic biology and anatomy of marine mammal groups, North Pacific species in particular; ecological interactions and roles in nearshore and pelagic marine communities; and interactions between humans and marine mammals. Two hours of lecture per week.
Linguistics 55AC—The American Languages (4 units)
Prerequisite: None
Satisfies: Both the American Cultures requirement and either the Historical Studies or Social and Behavioral Sciences breadth category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: A linguistic view of the history, society and culture of the United States, students explore the variety of languages spoken in our country and the issues surrounding them: language and ethnicity, politics of linguistic pluralism versus societal monolingualism, language and education, language shift, loss, retention and renewal. Languages include English (standard and nonstandard, African American English), pidgins and creoles, Native American languages, Spanish, French, and immigrant languages from Asia and Europe. Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.
Middle Eastern Studies 20—Perspectives on the Middle East (2 units)
Prerequisite: None
Satisfies: Either the International Studies or Social and Behavioral Sciences breadth category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: A seminar that addresses ethnic perspectives (Persians, Arabs, Turks, Israelis), religious perspectives (Islam, Christianity, Judaism) and disciplinary perspectives (anthropology, sociology, etc.). Two hours of seminar per week.
Molecular and Cell Biology 32—Introduction to Human Physiology (3 units)
Prerequisite: One year of high school or college chemistry
Satisfies: Biological Science breadth category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: A comprehensive introduction to human cell biology, the course will concentrate on basic mechanisms underlying human life processes, including cells and membranes; nerve and muscle function; cardiovascular, respiratory, renal and gastrointestinal physiology; and metabolism, endocrinology and reproduction. Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.
Music 27—Introduction to Western Music (4 units)
Prerequisite: None
Satisfies: Arts and Literature breadth category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: This course is devoted to the development of listening skills and appreciation of the major forms of Western art music. It is not intended for music majors. The guided listening, lectures and discussions present music as a language in which students can develop a basic fluency. The recorded music used in the course covers the gamut of Western art music from the Renaissance to the present day. Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.
Philosophy 2—Individual Morality and Social Justice (4 units)
Prerequisite: None; however, this is a writing- and reading-intensive course, and students' writing skills should exceed the College Writing course level.
Satisfies: Either the Philosophy and Values or Social and Behavioral Sciences breadth category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: We survey the basic questions of moral and political philosophy and some important attempts to answer them, with particular attention to topical issues (abortion, the ethics of eating animals and gay marriage, for example). What is the moral thing to do with respect to these issues? Is there a fact of the matter what the moral thing to do is, or does it depend on one's feelings, upbringing or culture? Why should we do what is morally right? Why should we tolerate alien moral beliefs and practices? What role should governments play? We will read, among others, Plato, Bentham, Hobbes and Mill. Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.
Political Science 2—Introduction to Comparative Politics (4 units)
Prerequisite: None
Satisfies: Either the International Studies or Social and Behavioral Sciences breadth category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: This course is a comparative study of countries and their different levels of economic and political development. It examines what they are like and how they came to be the way they are. Topics include the nature of power, processes of politics, and the cultural and social forces that have given countries their distinctive identities. A number of countries (United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, China, Japan, India, Mexico, Nigeria) are examined in some detail. Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.
Psychology 1—General Psychology (3 units)
Prerequisite: None
Satisfies: Social and Behavioral Sciences breadth category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: Examine a representative sample of topics in psychology, including the operation of neurons and the brain; animal behavior; sensory and perceptual processes; obedience to authority; and theories of personality, mental disorders and psychotherapy. Topics also include the history of psychology (with brief readings from Plato, Darwin, James, Freud and Watson), recent ideas about the role of consciousness in cognition and computer modeling of cognitive processes. Two hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.
Rhetoric 2—Fundamentals of Public Speaking (2 units)
Prerequisite: None
Satisfies: None
Course Description: This course is designed as a practical tool for academic and personal improvement. It helps students establish and develop basic competence in the skills required for effective oral presentations, whether prepared in advance or spontaneous. Course materials cover formulation of a clear communicative intent, basic principles of communication and theories of persuasion, organization of presentation material, delivery, use of visual aids and response to audience questions. Students make six different oral presentations during the term, with ample opportunity for ungraded practice and coaching prior to evaluation. Three hours of class per week. This course is offered only on a Passed/Not Passed basis. Although this course does not satisfy a College of Letters and Science breadth requirement, units are granted.
Sociology 3AC—Principles of Sociology: American Cultures (4 units)
Prerequisite: None
Satisfies: Both the American Cultures requirement and the Social and Behavioral Sciences breadth category if completed with a C− or better or a Passed grade
Course Description: This course introduces the sociological analysis of individuals, institutions, groups, inequality, power and privilege. We use this sociological lens to understand the experiences of four ethnic groups in the United States: Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, African Americans and European Americans. We compare the experience of these groups in arenas such as class, work, family, gender, sexual orientation and social change. Three hours of lecture per week.