Course substitution petitions allow students to request that a course — taken at UCLA or at another institution — be used in place of a required course or counted toward a requirement for the Neuroscience major or minor. Course substitutions are not guaranteed and are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
When Should I Submit a Petition?
You should submit a petition if:
- You have taken a course that you believe is equivalent to a required course, or
- You would like a course to count toward the Neuroscience major or minor requirements
What Can Be Petitioned
- Substituting one course for a required course
- Applying a course toward the Neuroscience major or minor requirements
What Cannot Be Petitioned
- Lower division courses for upper division requirements
- Courses not related to the Neuroscience major or minor
- Incomplete petitions (e.g., missing syllabus)
Core vs. Elective Requirements
Core Requirements
Core requirements consist of specific courses that are fundamental to the Neuroscience major and minor curriculum. These courses include the Neuroscience core series (Neuroscience M101A, M101B, and M101C). Students are strongly encouraged to complete these courses at UCLA.
Petitions to substitute core requirements with courses taken outside of UCLA may be submitted; however, approval is rare due to the specialized and structured nature of these courses. Substituted courses must be closely equivalent in both content and rigor.
Elective Requirements
The department maintains an official list of approved elective courses for the major and minor. These courses are part of the established curriculum and do not require a petition. Students may also identify courses not included on the official elective list and submit a petition to have them count toward elective requirements. These petitions are considered if the course is appropriate in content and relevant to the major or minor.
Petition Deadlines and Review Timeline
Petitions are reviewed twice per quarter and once per Summer Session by the Neuroscience Vice Chair.
- Fall, Winter, and Spring Deadlines:
- Friday, Week 3 by 4PM PST
- Friday, Week 9 by 4PM PST
- Friday, Week 3 by 4PM PST
- Summer Session A & C Deadlines:
- Friday, Week 2 by 4PM PST
Please allow up to 10 business days after the deadline for review. Decisions will be communicated via email. Students who miss the published deadlines will need to wait until the next review period. No exceptions will be made to the published deadlines.
Submitting a Petition
Effective Fall 2025, all course substitution petitions must be submitted via Bruin Learn. Please follow these steps carefully:
- Complete the Course Substitution Petition form.
- Obtain a course syllabus (see requirements below).
- Submit both documents as one PDF submission via Bruin Learn.
Incomplete or incorrectly formatted submissions may delay review.
Syllabus Requirements
Your syllabus must include:
- Course title and number
- Institution Name (if taken outside of UCLA)
- Number of units/credits
- Course description or overview
- Weekly topics or course schedule
- Description of assignments, exams, or grading criteria
Important Considerations
- Approval is not guaranteed.
- Courses must be related to the Neuroscience major or minor and appropriate for the specific requirement (core vs. elective)
- For UCLA Courses:
- Must be upper division (numbered 100-199)
- Must be at least 4 units to satisfy upper division elective requirements
- Must be upper division (numbered 100-199)
- For Courses Taken Outside:
- Must transfer as upper division credit
- Must be equivalent in content and units to the UCLA course being replaced
- Must carry at least the same number of units as the UCLA course
- Must transfer as upper division credit
Questions?
If you are unsure whether a course is eligible for substitution, we strongly recommend contacting the Neuroscience Advising Office (neurosci@ucla.edu) or attending virtual drop-in advising before submitting a petition.