Do you have questions? We have answers.
We have compiled a list of questions that are frequently asked by incoming students preparing for their first quarter at UC Davis. We strongly encouraged that you read our FAQ about prior to registering for classes. A lot of the questions that you have will be on this list. If you still have questions after reviewing the list, please contact our office.
- Advanced Placement/ International Baccalaureate Credit
- What if I have Advanced Placement credit?
The University of California recognizes College Board Advanced Placement (AP) examinations for college credit. AP examinations presented with official scores of 3, 4 or 5 will receive units of college credit and, in specific instances, may be comparable to some lower-division courses. College credit will apply toward the minimum 180 quarter units required for a bachelor’s degree.
To learn how many units can be received for an AP examination and to which UC lower-division courses AP examinations are comparable, see College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Examination Credit under Credit Toward Degree. How units will be applied toward specific degree requirements in each college is explained within each examination category.
What if I have International Baccalaureate credit?
To see the courses or number of units corresponding to each exam or score, please refer to the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Examination Credit table. Please be sure to speak with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Science Dean's Office if you have questions regarding General Education Requirements.
Higher Level exams presented with scores of 5, 6, or 7 receive 8 units of college credit and sometimes may be comparable to lower division courses. Students who complete and submit the IB diploma with a score of 30 or above will receive a maximum of 30 quarter units. College credit will apply towards the minimum 180 unit requirement to obtain a Bachelor’s degree. To learn how many units can be received for an IB examination, please refer to the International Baccalaureate (IB) Higher Level Examination Credit table.
While students generally will not earn university credit for college courses or Advanced Placement (AP) transfer credits that duplicate credit already earned through IB, there are a few exceptions. Additionally, courses for which IB credit has been granted cannot be used towards fulfilling the University’s General Education Requirements. Please be sure to speak with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Science Dean's Office if you have questions regarding General Education Requirements.
What if my Advanced Placement credit does not appear in OASIS?
If Advanced Placement credit does not appear in OASIS, students should check with both College Board and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Dean’s Office to make sure their scores were both sent and received. The Dean’s Office can be contacted at caesadvising@ucdavis.edu. Additionally, it is possible that the scores were sent and received, and they have yet to be processed and uploaded.
What if my International Baccalaureate credit does not appear in OASIS?
If Advanced Placement credit does not appear in OASIS, students should check with both College Board and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Dean’s Office to make sure their scores were both sent and received. The Dean’s Office can be contacted at caesadvising@ucdavis.edu. Additionally, it is possible that the scores were sent and received, and they have yet to be processed and uploaded. - Major-Related Questions
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What do I do if I want to change my major?
If you are planning on changing out of your current major, please contact the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Dean’s Office for more guidance on how to plan for your first quarter of classes. In order to change your major once you have started in the Fall, you will need to wait until you have completed one quarter at UC Davis and are in good academic standing.What if ANS 001 is full?
What if CHE 2A is full?
If ANS 001 is full, you may wait list for the class during your Pass 1 Appointment. If you do not get into the course, then you may take ANS 001 next Fall. It is important that you register for another course in place of ANS 001 that you would be comfortable taking. Selecting a class that you would like to take is important so that you will not feel the need to change your registration if you are unable to get into ANS 001. Your goal is to be registered for 12-14 units in your first quarter at UC Davis. We recommend that you register for a General Education course.
You may wait list for the section of CHE 2A that works best with your schedule during your Pass 1 Appointment. Be sure to arrive on time the first day of lecture and lab. Come prepared with your PPE, lab notebook, and lab manual a few minutes early. If you cannot get into CHE 2A, you can always take it the next quarter it is offered. You can meet with an advisor to make this adjustment in your academic plan.
What if WLD 950 is full?
Students who are unable to get into WLD 950, may wait list for the course during their Pass 1 Appointment. Be certain that you have registered for an alternative course, in the place of WLD 950. We recommend that students consider taking BIS 2B, as they wait list for WLD 950. If students are still unable to get into WLD 950 for Fall, ALEKS is a great option. ALEKS Preparatory Chemistry is designed to test for individualized knowledge gaps and to fill the gaps through computerized adaptive learning software. Students take an initial assessment which the software uses to gauge your current content mastery level. Your mastery level may go up or down based on your subsequent interactions with the software. The goal of this preparatory course is to fill the "pie chart" to 100%, which is the mastery level.
What courses should I register for?If you are a freshman, then you should register for CHE 2A or BIS 2B, ANS 1, and an English or General Education course. You can also take any workload or preparatory courses this quarter for chemistry or mathematics but we encourage that you keep in mind a balanced schedule. Try not to take more than two science or math courses in Fall.
If you are a transfer student, you will have an opportunity to discuss your unique transfer credits and recommended first quarter schedule during your Aggie Advising appointment.
Is it possible to complete a minor while I am at UC Davis?It is possible to complete a minor while completing your major requirements. If you do so, we recommend you do a minor that will allow you to take courses that satisfy your General Education requirements (Arts and Humanities or Social Science) to prevent having additional science courses in your overall academic plan. It is important to maintain a balance between science classes and non-science classes. Once you arrive at UC Davis, you will have the opportunity to meet with minor advisors in order to learn more about the requirements and see how your minor of interest will fit into your academic plan.
- Online Appointments
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What will my remote advising appointment be like?
What will we talk about in my appointment?
In your advising appointment, you will be meeting with one of our four Staff Advisors (Caitlin, Emma, Katherine, or Quynh). They will help you select courses for your Fall schedule and answer any questions you may have to help prepare you to register in the coming weeks. Please review our document on how to prepare for your Aggie Advising appointment. Once you are here in the Fall, you may then schedule an in-person appointment with either a Peer Advisor or Staff Advisor to create a full academic plan.In your appointment, we will address any questions you may have pertaining to your Fall schedule, such as what General Education courses to select, placement exam information, any Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate scores you may have, or any coursework you may have transferred from another institution.
What if I need to cancel my appointment?
If you need to cancel your appointment, all you need to do is visit the Online Appointment System. After cancelling, you may reschedule for another time if you’d like by using the Online Appointment System.What if my internet stops working during my Zoom appointment?
Zoom allows for you to phone into the meeting as well from any mobile phone (cell phone or land line). Please see the Zoom invite you received for options on how to dial in. - Placement Tests
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What if I did not place into General Chemistry?
The Animal Science Advising Center also encourages students to refer to the online Chemistry resources found on Libretexts to help supplement their preparation for the exam.
Students who do not receive a score of 24 or above on the Chemistry Placement Exam are encouraged to either register for Workload Chemistry (WLD 950) or take the ALEKS Preparatory Chemistry course in order to prepare to retake the exam. Please note that taking either of these will not satisfy the Chemistry Placement Requirement; scoring a 24 or above on the Chemistry Placement Exam is the only way to qualify for CHE 2A. Additionally, if students are unable to pass the exam on their third attempt, they will need to submit an online petition to the Department of Chemistry.
What if I did not place into Calculus?
The Math Placement Exam is offered every quarter over two separate testing sessions. Students may only take the exam once per session. There are multiple options for students who do not place into calculus, to help them prepare for another attempt. These options include enrolling in Workload Course (WLD 55M), another college-level mathematics course (MAT B or MAT C), or utilizing the practice questions provided by the Math Department online. To determine the best course of action, students should consult with an advisor.What is the Entry Level Writing Requirement?
The Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) is a requirement for all students enrolled in a UC School. The ELWR serves to ensure that all first-year students have college-level proficiency in writing. Satisfaction of the ELWR is a prerequisite to the English Composition and Writing Experience Courses that are required for graduation. Students can have fulfilled the ELWR prior to coming to UC Davis if they completed the following:
Standardized Testing Scores
-30 or better on the ACT, English Language Arts, or
-63 or better on the ACT English exam + the ACT Reading exam; or
-680 or better on the SAT, Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (beginning with Fall 2018 admits)*
OR
AP or IB Test Scores
-3 or above on either Advanced Placement Examination in English (Language and Composition or Literature and Composition); or
-5 or above on an International Baccalaureate Higher Level English A: Literature exam (formerly known as Higher Level English A1 exam); or
-6 or above on an International Baccalaureate Standard Level English A: Literature exam (formerly known as Standard Level English A1 exam); or
-5 or above on an International Baccalaureate Higher Level English A: Language and Literature exam; or
-6 or above on an International Baccalaureate Standard Level English A: Language and Literature exam
OR
Transferable Courses
Credit earned before entering UCD can be transferred to fulfill the ELWR if there is a grade of C or higher in an acceptable 3 semester-unit or 4 quarter-unit English composition course. If you are transferring credit from a California community college, the course must be listed in Area UC-E under "UC Transfer Admission Eligibility Courses" on http://www.assist.org/ and must be completed before you enter into UCD. English composition courses completed at both in-state and out of-state institutions are evaluated by Admissions for ELWR fulfillment. - Registration
- What if I have more questions after my advising appointment/Group Advising Session?
You may email us with any additional questions at asac-newstudent@ucdavis.edu.
What if I don’t get into the classes I want?
If you do not get into the classes that you want, we recommend you either wait list for those courses or we can help you update your academic plan. Make sure you are registered for a minimum of 12 units, wait listed units do not count as you are not enrolled.
What is a wait list?
If a class is full and closed, students can place themselves on a wait list using Schedule Builder and wait lists are established on a first-come, first-serve basis. During the academic terms, wait lists begin during Pass 1 registration appointments and end after the last day to add classes, the 12th day of instruction.
The units of a wait listed course count towards the maximum units allowed during registration periods. However, the units of a wait listed course do not count when determining eligibility for financial aid. Students must be enrolled in 12 or more units for financial aid to disburse in full. By adding yourself to the wait list, you are letting the department know that you would like to take the class. Wait list policies are different for each department that the class is in. For example, ANS courses would fall under the Department of Animal Science.
How do wait lists work?
When you wait list for a course you are assigned a number on that wait list. As people drop the course, you will move up the wait list.
How many units should I register for?
You should be registered for at least 12 units in order to be considered as a full time student. You also need 12 units to receive financial aid. Again, wait list units do not count.
What if I am at 10-11 units? What can I register for?
If you are at 10-11 units, then we recommend you register for additional courses such as an ANS 49 class or a First-Year Seminar in order to reach a minimum of 12 units for full time status.
What is a Pass Time?Registration takes place during two intervals called “Passes.” Undergraduate students are assigned a registration appointment time during each of the two passes. Each registration appointment time is a four-hour window. Undergraduate students can enroll in up to 17 units during Pass One, 19 units during Pass Two, and 28.5 units during Schedule Adjustment.
What if I miss my Pass Time?
Your Pass Time is four hours long from your assigned time noted on your Schedule Builder. If you happen to miss that registration window you can register during Open Hours. Open Hours is a time after hours and on weekends that allow students to edit their schedules and enroll in additional courses (given the unit cap).
What if I am a freshman and took college courses during high school?
If you took college-level courses in high school, we recommend that you avoid taking classes with similar course titles for your first quarter at UC Davis. After the Fall quarter begins, you may make an appointment with an advisor in our office to evaluate your transfer coursework.
Upper-Division vs. Lower-Division courses?
Lower-division courses are numbered 0-99 and are appropriate for Freshman and Sophomore students (Juniors and Seniors may take them as well if desired). Upper-division courses are numbered 100-199 and are more rigorous than lower-division courses. Upper-division courses are more appropriate for Junior and Senior students and should not be taken during a student’s Freshman year. Any course numbered 200 or above is for graduate and professional students and should not be taken. - Transfer Student Questions
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Will my courses be evaluated before I register?
Yes, the Staff Advisors will be reviewing the transcripts that you have submitted to UC Davis prior to your meeting.What if I am waiting on my transcript from Spring or Summer?
Please follow the directions you receive from the UC Davis Admissions Office but please have an unofficial copy to your transcript on hand for your remote advising appointment for your Staff Advisor to view.What if I did not pass a class in Spring or Summer?
We recommend that you contact the UC Davis Office of Admissions as soon as possible as this can impact your status with UC Davis.What if I got a grade in a course at Community College that I would like to repeat at UC Davis?
Any course that you received a C- or higher in cannot be repeated at UC Davis. While it is possible to repeat a course that you received a D-, D, or D+ in at UC Davis, there may be issues with illegal repeats. Please talk to your Staff Advisor about this to receive information about next steps. If it is a course you received an F in, then you can retake that course here at UC Davis.What is an Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) certificate?
An IGETC certificate fulfills your College General Education requirement and possibly the College English requirement as well. If you have questions concerning your IGETC or College requirements, please contact the College of Agricultural and Environmental Science Dean’s Office.How do I know if I have IGETC?
What if my Official IGETC has not been submitted?
In the Fall, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Science Dean’s Office will evaluate every transfer student’s record by the end of November. You will receive a notification through the Message Center on whether UC Davis has received your IGETC, if you have a partial IGETC, or if your IGETC has not been received. Further details will be provided in this message.Please contact your Community College as soon as possible to have your IGETC submitted to UC Davis.
May I complete my IGETC requirements at UC Davis?
If you have a partial IGETC, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Science Dean’s Office will reach out to you and let you know what requirements you have left to fulfill at UC Davis. If you did not fulfill an IGETC, please check in with the CAES Dean’s Office during Fall 2021 to discuss your General Education Requirements.