Core Institute Requirements, All Options

A Caltech education requires not just the depth of an option, but also considerable breadth in basic science, humanities, and social science. Caltech’s core curriculum prepares students for the interdisciplinary nature of contemporary research in science and technology. This encourages a culture of problem solving, collaboration, and communication while providing valuable experience in all fields of science. Significant study in the humanities and social sciences is an important component of Caltech’s core curriculum, giving alumni the ability to navigate the societal, political, and economic factors that influence, and are influenced by, their work.

The following requirements are applicable to incoming first-year students for 2026-27. Some information for continuing students has been provided as footnotes, but guidance on special cases must be sought. Courses used to satisfy core requirements may not be used to satisfy option electives.

¹ The Integrated Core courses (see below) satisfy the requirements for Ma 1 bc, Ph 1 abc, Ch 1 ab, Bi 1, a menu class, the first-year chemistry laboratory, the additional introductory laboratory, and one first-year humanities course.

² The biology core requirement can be met by any Bi 1 course. Alternatively, the requirement may be fulfilled by taking both Bi 8 and Bi 9. Nine units must be taken on grades.

³ These courses can be taken First or Second Year as P/F.

⁴ This requirement can also be met by completing Ch 4 a, Ch 8, or Ch/ChE 9.

An alternative pathway to completing many of the core courses is the Integrated Core (IC), which consists of the following classes:

¹ Integrated Core students will also take Ma 1 a to complete their core mathematics requirements.

² Integrated Core Humanities counts as one of the two required first-year humanities courses (see below)

In addition to the IC courses enumerated above, Integrated Core students will take Ma 1 a; CS 1 or CS 1 x; Scientific Writing, 27 units of humanities courses, 27 units of social sciences courses, 36 units of additional humanities and social sciences courses, and 9 units of physical education.

First- and second-term first-year students will be limited to 45 units of classroom and laboratory courses. If a student chooses no electives except physical education and takes the minimum permissible laboratory courses, the total unit requirement will usually be in the range of 39 to 45. A total load - including electives - of more than 48 units per term is considered a heavy load. Loads of more than 51 units require approval by the dean of students.

Core courses taken in the first two terms will be graded on pass/fail. All permanent grades recorded for first-year students in Core classes during the first and second terms they are enrolled will be either P, in indicating "passed," or F, indicating "failed."

Courses taken in the first two terms from a select list of introductory courses (below) will be graded on pass/fail. If a first-quarter or second-quarter First-Year student is enrolled in a course from the list of introductory courses below, and the instructor for that courses gives letter grades, the registrar will record P for all passing grades.

The list of introductory courses to which this policy applies is: Bi 8, Ma 2, Ma 3, Ph 2ab, Ph 12ab, Ch 41ab.

Students who wish to take non-Core, non-introductory classes must take those classes according to the published grading scheme. In other words ,classes that are not part of the Core curriculum or the list of introductory classes above, even if taken in the first two quarters of the first year, can only count towards fulfilling graduation requirements if their grading scheme meets the requirement of the particular option. For example, supposed a student wants to fulfill their graduation requirements for the Computer Science (CS) option. In that case, they cannot take a CS course that is not part of the Core curriculum as pass/fail and use it to meet the requirements for that option. This is because the CS option prohibits pass/fail grading schemes for fulfilling its requirements. As a result, the student must take the CS course for a grade if they wish to fulfill the CS option requirement. Computation of grade-point averages begins at the end of the third term of the first year; the cumulative grade-point average will include any letter grades received for non-Core non-introductory classes taken for letter grades during the first two terms of the first year. First-quarter and second-quarter First-Year students receive pass/fail grades in all Core and introductory courses listed by virtue of their classification as First-Year students by an admissions committee or, for students whose status after the first year is uncertain, by the Undergraduate Academic Standards and Honors Committee.

Menu classes are specifically designed for breadth. The intent of the menu class requirement is to introduce students to a subject that they did not plan to study. In many cases, it is the only class in that subject that they ever take; in other cases, they may decide to take more classes in that subject as a result. Students cannot take a menu class in a subject that they have already taken classes in or in their current option. This requirement must be completed by the end of sophomore year.

All students are required to take 9 units of first-year biology, which can be satisfied by taking any course numbered Bi 1. Several different course options are available, with each Bi 1 course representing a different approach to providing an introductory understanding of the biological sciences. Bi 1 courses are offered in different terms. All Bi 1 courses may be taken pass/fail if they are taken in a first-year student's first year, independent of the term in which the course is taken. For students who are interested in a more in-depth introduction to biology, the first-year biology requirement can also be satisfied by completing both Bi 8 and Bi 9, with one of them taken for grades.

All students are required to take at least 12 units of laboratory work in experimental science during their first and sophomore years. Ch 3 a (6 units) or Ch 3 x (6 units) shall be taken during the first year or second years. The additional 6 units must be chosen from one of the following (or a more advanced laboratory): APh/EE/MS 9 (6 units), APh/EE 24 (9 units), Bi 1 x (9 units but only if Bi 1 x is not being used to satisfy the biology core requirement), Bi 10 (6 units), Ch 4 ab (9 units), Ch 8 (9 units), Ch/ChE 9 (9 units), EE/ME 7 (6 units), Ge 116 (9 units), ME 8 (6 units), ME 50 ab (12 units), Ph 3 (6 units), Ph 5 (9 units), Ph 8 bc (6 units). The Integrated Core sequence also satisfies this requirement. Computational laboratory courses may not be used to satisfy this requirement.

All students must complete satisfactorily 99 units in the Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences. Of these, 36 must be in the humanities (English, history, history and philosophy of science, humanities, music, philosophy, and visual culture) and 27 in the social sciences (anthropology, business economics and management, economics, law, political science, psychology, and social science). The remaining 36 may be drawn from humanities and social sciences, including HSS tutorial courses and 9 units of either Wr 2. They may not include BEM 102. They may not include reading courses unless credit has been granted by petition to the humanities or social science faculty. Language courses may count toward the additional 36 unit requirement, with the exception of beginning, intermediate, and advanced classes in the student’s native language. In general, no more than 18 units of first-year humanities may be counted toward the 99-unit requirement.

Entering first-year students are required to take two terms of first-year humanities; that is, cross-listed humanities courses numbered 60 or below in the Catalog. These classes introduce students to the basic issues and methods in the disciplines of English, history, philosophy, and visual culture. Successful completion of two terms of first-year humanities is a prerequisite for all humanities courses, except for foreign languages. It is not a prerequisite, however, for introductory social sciences. The first-year humanities classes may be taken in any two terms of the first year.

To encourage breadth, students will have to take their two first-year humanities courses in different disciplines, the disciplines being English, history, philosophy, and visual culture.

A student must take 18 units of advanced humanities courses as well. The classes that count as advanced humanities courses are those numbered 90 or above in English, history, history and philosophy of science, humanities, music, philosophy, and visual culture. Language courses do not count toward the advanced humanities requirement, except for courses that are cross-listed or taught concurrently with one of the listed subjects, such as humanities or visual culture. Courses used to fulfill the advanced humanities requirement must be taken for grades. Courses taken on a pass/fail basis will not fulfill the requirement.

Since writing is an important method for developing and sharing ideas, all first-year humanities courses and other humanities courses numbered above 90, with the exception of some foreign languages and courses, require at least 4,000 words of composition. Instructors give extensive feedback on written work and help students improve their prose. As entering students may not be fully prepared for the writing in first-year humanities, all first-year and transfer students take a writing assessment before the beginning of the fall term. On the basis of this assessment, some students may be required to pass WR 2, 3, 4 and/or 50 before entering either first-year or advanced humanities classes.

Students are required to take two introductory social science courses and 18 units of related advanced undergraduate social science courses. Courses used to fulfill the advanced social science requirement must be taken for grades; courses taken on a pass/fail basis will not fulfill the requirement. The introductory social science courses must be drawn from the following list: either Ec 11, PS 12, or Psy 13. The 9 units of advanced undergraduate social science courses (numbered 100 and above), in fields following at least one of their introductory courses, must be taken as indicated here:

For instance, a student who has taken PS 12 and Ec 11 may use 9 units of advanced political science courses or 9 units of advanced economics courses.

Included in the 11 humanities and social science courses, students must take at least 3 writing-intensive courses and these must be taken on grades. The graded advanced humanities courses count towards this total. A student can select another course from advanced humanities or a social science course with writing content. Any social science course designated with a ‘w’ suffix is considered to be writing-intensive. (Example BEM 109w). These three writing-intensive courses should be spread out over the student’s sophomore, junior, and senior years.

Before graduation, each undergraduate is required to successfully complete 9 units of physical education. This requirement may be satisfied entirely or in part by participation in intercollegiate athletics, or successful completion of physical education class course work. All grades are issued pass/fail. A maximum of 6 units per term may be applied toward graduation requirements, with the total not to exceed 36 units. Participation as a bona fide member of an intercollegiate team for the period covered by the sport in a given term satisfies the requirement for that term.

A broad program of instruction is provided each term. Late registration is permitted during the first week of each term, provided there is space available and with permission of the instructor. Standards for evaluation of student performance will be clearly defined at the beginning of each course.

The following courses are suggested for each option, but the scientific writing requirement can be satisfied by taking an appropriate course offered by any division. The course used to satisfy this requirement must be taken on grades. All options also require a three-unit course in oral communication. Some options combine these two requirements into one course. At the discretion of the option, the scientific writing requirement can be satisfied by three units of additional work associated with a senior thesis, focused on effective written scientific communication.