Declaring the Business Major

Changing or adding the business major (starting Fall 2027)

Due to high demand and limited capacity, the UC Davis business major is capped at 50 changes of major per year. Beginning in 2027, eligible students who wish to change to or add the business major must apply through lottery. This process ensures equitable access while maintaining academic standards. 

For current UC Davis students who are interested in declaring the business major, please plan to attend an information session:

Information Sessions (Registration Required)

Advising Appointments

Students will have access to make an advising appointment after attending one of the information sessions above. 

Declaring the Business Major

Lottery Eligibility

The number of UC Davis students that can change to or add the business major is currently capped at 50 per year. To adhere to this number, qualified candidates can submit their application to a lottery that will determine the 50 UC Davis students who can change to the business major each year. These requirements also apply to students wishing to add the business major as a double major. 

Course Requirements

In order to be eligible for the lottery, you need to have completed the following courses and received a minimum 3.20 GPA in the entire group of courses. All courses must also be taken for a letter grade with no grade less than a C-.

  • ECON 1A: Principles of Microeconomics
  • ECON 1B: Principles of Macroeconomics
  • MAT 17A-17B-17C or MAT 19A-19B-19C or MAT 21A-21B-21C: Calculus
  • STA 13 or STA 32: Elementary Statistics
  • MGT 11A: Elementary Financial Accounting
  • MGT 11B: Elementary Managerial Accounting

NOTE: The only exception to the letter grade requirement is if you received credit for any of these courses through AP/IB exams.

In addition, overall UC Davis coursework must meet a minimum 3.00 GPA.

Unit Requirements

You must have fewer than 135 units completed (not including AP/IB units) at the time of the lottery. 

Lottery Logistics

Capped at 50 students per year.

The business major lottery will take place starting in 2027. Only one submission per student during their time at UC Davis will be allowed. Since change of major into the business major is not guaranteed, it is strongly recommended to consider other related majors associated with the UC Davis Business Economics Cluster and/or our two minor programs: Technology Management and Accounting.

FAQs

View frequently asked questions about declaring the business major.