Undergraduate Admissions

Are you passionate about working with youth? As a Child Behavioral Health (CBH) major, you will gain direct experience and work closely with dedicated peers and supportive faculty. This innovative undergraduate program brings elements usually found in graduate-level studies into an undergraduate program preparing you to provide effective behavioral health support to youth.

Application Deadlines 

Are you an incoming first-year or transfer student?  Submit your UO application by the deadline for the term you want to start. Don’t forget to declare pre-child behavioral health as your major.

UO Deadlines  

How to Apply

Step 1: Declare the pre-child behavioral health major. 

All students will begin their journey as a child behavioral health pre-major.

  • Incoming first-year and transfer students: On your UO application choose the pre-child behavioral health major. If you’re already accepted to the UO and want to switch to pre-CBH before orientation, contact the UO Office of Admissions. 
  • Current UO students: If you are interested in the CBH major, you can declare the Pre-Child Behavioral Health major using the CBH Pre-major Declaration Form or make an appointment with our advising team.  

Step 2: Complete our core requirements.

To qualify for the full major status, you’ll need to complete UO’s bachelor's degree requirements (which include core education courses ) and the following pre-major core curriculum. An example Four-Year Degree Plan can be found here. You will be expected to maintain a 3.0 GPA in your pre-major core curriculum and your overall cumulative GPA. 

Meeting these requirements usually takes two years. 

Pre-Major Core Curriculum

Psychology/Human Services: Choose One

FHS 213: Issues for Children and Families 

FHS 215: Exploring Family and Human Services

PSY 202: Mind and Society 

PPPM 202: Healthy Communities 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Choose One

FHS 216: Diversity in Human Services 

ES 101: Introduction to Ethnic Studies

PHIL 216: Philosophy and Cultural Diversity

SOC 207: Social Inequality 

Human Development: CHoose One

FHS 328: Human Development in the Family Context                                                                      

PSY 308: Developmental Psychology                                                                                                    

If you have taken a similar course at a transfer institution, use the Transfer Equivalency Database to determine if it would meet one of these requirements. Still have questions? Check out our transfer page or reach out to our advising team for assistance.     

Step 3: Apply to full major status.

The final two years of the child behavioral major will be completed at the Ballmer Institute located at University of Oregon’s Portland campus. As a cohort model, all students will begin their final two years in the fall term. The application opens in the second week of October.  

  • Current UO students: Priority deadline is December 1, 2024
  • Incoming transfer students: Priority deadline is May 1, 2025

Apply to join the 2027 CBH cohort 

Step 4: Transition to the Ballmer Institute 

Before you transition to the Ballmer Institute, you must clear the CBH Checkpoint to certify that you have met the following requirements:   

  • Have a 3.00 GPA (both for cumulative and pre-major core curriculum)   
  • Completed all bachelor's degree requirements and pre-major core curriculum 
  • Cleared the background check requirements  

Students who do not clear the CBH Checkpoint will be contacted by our advising team to develop a plan for moving forward.