First-Year Guide

Student sits outside of Wheeler Hall with laptop

Welcome to the Arts & Humanities Division! On this page, you can find quick links to get you started in your A&H journey at Berkeley.

Are you a transfer student? Check our our Transfer Guide.

The Compass Course (HUM) offers you an opportunity to explore the division of Arts and Humanities. They are offered on different themes each year, but they share a unique structure. The class is taught by three professors in three modules of study. You will have a chance to study with each professor, experience a range of approaches to the theme, and learn the methods and structures of different disciplines. Compass Courses are designed to guide you through various options for study in Arts and Humanities and to serve as a gateway to the rich offerings at Berkeley.

A&H Resources

A&H Majors and Minors

Languages Offered

A&H Advising Contacts

Course Threads

A&H Diversity Office

Join Our Mailing List

L&S Resources

L&S First-Year Pathways

Pathways is an exciting new program for first-year undergraduate students at UC Berkeley. It consists of three courses — linked by a common theme — that you take in your first semester at Berkeley.

L&S Advising Appointments

L&S New First-Year Student Guide

Discover Opportunities & Connect on Campus

L&S Student Support & Advocacy

Campus Resources

Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarships

Berkeley Career Engagement

Academic Accommodations Hub

Educational Opportunity Program

Student Organizations

Student Discovery Hub

Meet Our Undergraduate Dean's Leadership Team

The Dean’s Leadership Team (DLT) is a volunteer, undergraduate leadership program housed in the Division of Arts & Humanities. DLT members collaborate with their peers on creative strategies to promote the Arts & Humanities on campus, build community for the division’s undergraduate population, and provide support for student engagement and communications initiatives.

A&H Undergraduates in the News

News

Hong Joo Ryoo '24 on the Intersection of Philosophy and Physics

June 27, 2025

Hong Joo Ryoo is a UC Berkeley alum, having completed a quadruple major in Math, Physics, Philosophy and Cognitive Science in 3.5 years. He is currently pursuing a dual graduate degree at Johns Hopkins University, working toward a PhD in Physics and a Masters in Philosophy as a...Read more about Hong Joo Ryoo '24 on the Intersection of Philosophy and Physics

Between theory and practice: A Re-Entry Student's Experience with Film and Media

April 1, 2025

Orestes Sophocleous is a re-entry undergraduate student at UC Berkeley. He is majoring in Film and Media with a minor in Rhetoric. He is currently a teaching assistant for Film 155, under professor Nicole Starosielski, on film infrastructure. Outside of academia, Orestes has a...Read more about Between theory and practice: A Re-Entry Student's Experience with Film and Media

Data, Poetry, and Nordic Flavor Networks: Alankrita Malhotra’s Journey into Computational Folklore

January 21, 2025

Alankrita Malhotra is a sophmore and is forging an interdisciplinary path by combining her passions for Data Science and the humanities. Her work on computational folklore and Nordic flavor networks under the guidance of Professor Timothy Tangherlini, who we interviewed for the project...Read more about Data, Poetry, and Nordic Flavor Networks: Alankrita Malhotra’s Journey into Computational Folklore