Some high-demand courses reduce the time during which they can be dropped from four weeks to two weeks.
An impacted course is one for which demand exceeds the number of seats available. Undergraduate students cannot drop an impacted course after Friday of the second week of a term for other than exceptionally extenuating circumstances. Classes dropped after second week carry a transcript notation of the week the class was dropped. For more information, see drop a class. Impacted courses are indicated in MyUCLA class information and on the class detail page in the Schedule of Classes.
The Faculty Executive Committee of the College or school considers the following criteria when making a decision to designate a course as impacted:
- The course has high enrollment demand, and late drops would deny qualified students a chance to take the course that term
- The course has a high instructor/student ratio or involves a large commitment of resources. Laboratory classes often meet this criterion
- The course meets infrequently, and it is difficult to complete if a student has not attended by the second week of the term
- The course satisfies the Writing II requirement
Courses designated as impacted during the regular academic year are also impacted during summer sessions. Summer impacted courses may be dropped on or before Friday of the first week of the term with no transcript notation. Impacted courses dropped after the first week carry a transcript notation of the week the class was dropped.