How to Enroll in Sociology Courses on Cal Central

Thinking about enrolling in Sociology classes at Cal? Here's what you need to know: 

🔑 First Things First: Declared Majors Get Priority Phase I Enrollment

• Only officially declared Sociology majors can enroll in most upper-division Sociology courses during Phase I.
  
   
• Some  courses may  fill up fast, so if you're a declared major—enroll early.
• During Phase I, seats in Sociology 101 are reserved for declared Sociology Seniors entering their 7th semester. In Phase II, we will open up the waitlist as well as seating for both declared Sociology Juniors and Seniors.
  
   

Phase II Enrollment

• Upper division waitlists will open for all students during Phase 2.
• During Phase II, some seats may open up for:
   
  
  • Undeclared students
  • Non-Sociology majors (first-come, first-served)
    
     
• We also hold a small number of seats for students in Social Welfare, American Studies, and Interdisciplinary Studies Field (ISF) majors—since they also need Sociology courses for their programs.
   

Pro Tip: If you're planning to major in Sociology, declare ASAP so you can get priority access.

🕐 Adjustment Period & Waitlists

Waitlists are manual (not automatic), and spots may be  filled based on priority—not your number on the list.

Waitlist Priorities:

1. Sociology majors
   
    
2. Social Welfare, American Studies, ISF majors
   
    
3. Everyone else, with seniors getting priority over juniors, and so on.
   
    

Important: You won't be able to  add to a waitlist until Phase II starts—this includes declared majors.

💬 Special Notes on Specific Courses

• Soc 1 & Soc 5: Many seats may be reserved for sophomores/juniors who plan to declare Sociology.
  
   
• Soc 3 & 3AC: Open enrollment (first-come, first-serve). Not recommended for students planning to major in Sociology.
  
   
• Sociology 190, H190A, Independent Studies (98, 197, 198, 199): Require special forms and deadlines. Check the Special Enrollment Procedures website.
   

📝 Discussion Sections & Enrollment

Some classes require enrolling in a discussion section first. You won’t be officially enrolled in the lecture until you get into one of its associated sections.

• Can’t find an open section?
  
   
  
  • Attend any section that might have space
    
     
  • Talk to the GSI
    
     
  • Add yourself to the waitlist for the course & discussion section
     

🚨 During the First 2 Weeks of Class

• Attendance is required—lecture AND discussion.
  
   
• Miss a class? Email your instructor or GSI right away so they know you still want to stay in the course.
  
   
• If you don’t show up, there’s a good chance you could  be dropped.
  
   
• Expect some student drop-off (~10%) early on, especially in large lower-division classes.
  
   

📋 What About Instructor Adds or Permission Codes?

• Instructors do not add students manually before the semester starts.
  
   
• We don’t use Permission Codes to bypass Cal Central—use the waitlist!
  
   
• Once classes begin, instructors or GSIs may request to add students off the waitlist based on class attendance and department priorities (see above).
  
   

✅ Double Check Your Schedule!

• Always monitor your schedule on Cal Central—especially during the first 4 weeks of the semester.
  
   
• You are responsible for knowing if you’ve been added or dropped.
  
   
• Changes can happen without email alerts, so check often.
  
   
• Don’t forget deadlines:
  
   
  
  • Add/drop and grading option (P/NP) deadlines come up fast.
    
     

📚 Need More Info?

• Make sure you’ve met the prerequisites for upper-division Soc courses (usually Soc 1, 3, or 3AC—or instructor approval).
• Check the Berkeley Sociology website and Berkeley Catalog for full course info.