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New/Incoming Students

Course Registration & Schedule Builder

• How do I build my Fall schedule?
• 1. Complete Aggie 101
  2. Complete Aggie Advising Canvas Modules.
  3. Optional: meet with an advisor for in-depth questions. Transfer students will meet with a major advisor. Freshmen will meet with a college advisor.
  4. Utilize your online resources. Carefully read about your GE requirements, major requirements, and sample schedules.
  → College of Letters & Science Resources
  → Major Resources: New Students and Major Requirements (see next question)
• How does my coursework transfer to UC Davis and to my major?
• Your transfer credit takes time to process, and you may not see your transfer credit in OASIS until Fall quarter begins. The Undergraduate Admissions office will determine what courses transfer and how many total units will transfer. For some courses, Admissions will also determine the direct equivalency to UC Davis courses. However, some coursework may require additional steps to determine whether they can satisfy major/minor requirements.
  
  Our transfer credit page explains important steps for getting your transfer credit reviewed for major credit. 
• I keep getting errors when trying to register. Help!
• Registration errors may occur because you have exceeded the maximum units, have not taken the pre-requisite course, or encountered one of the following course restrictions: 
  
  → Student Level Restriction: These courses are reserved for students belonging to a certain level (e.g. undergraduate and graduate). Most of these restrictions are removed in Pass Two registration.
  → College Restriction: These courses are reserved for students declared in a major belonging to a certain college (e.g. College of Ag and College of Biological Sciences). Most of these restrictions are removed in Pass Two registration.
  → Major Restriction: These courses are reserved for students declared in a certain major(s). Most of these restrictions are removed in Pass Two registration.
  → Class-Level Restriction: These courses are reserved for students belonging to a certain class-level (e.g. juniors and seniors). Most of these restrictions are removed in Pass Two registration.
  → Duplicate Course, Section, Equivalent, or Crosslist: You may not enroll in more than one section of a course or a course equivalent, including cross-listed courses.
  → Time Conflict: You may not enroll in two courses scheduled at the same time. Occasionally, two courses with unique meeting times will have conflicting times for the final exam.
• I completed the prerequisite, but Schedule Builder it saying I don't have it! 
• There are several possible reasons you are encountering this issue:
  1.  Your Pass One occurred before Undergraduate Admissions finished their review of your transfer credit
  2.  Your previous institution is not a California Community College
  3.  ASSIST.org is missing updated agreements with UC Davis 
  4.  You completed a lower division course, and the prerequisite is an upper division course
  5.  Your score on an AP or IB exam is insufficient
  
  For reasons 1–3, Schedule Builder may not recognize that you have completed the prerequisite courses for a course. In these cases, if you think you have completed ALL prerequisites for the course, complete the Prerequisite Petition that appears in Schedule Builder.
  
  For reason 4: if a course's prerequiste(s) is upper division (100–199), and you completed a similar course at the community college, it will not satisfy the prerequisite. This is because all courses from community colleges transfer as lower division (001–099). In this case, you must complete the prerequisite course at UC Davis.
  
  For reason 5: In the case of insufficient AP or IB scores, it is unlikely that Schedule Builder is incorrect. Check the AP/IB charts, because UC Davis may require a higher score than your previous institution. If you have, in fact, earned a sufficient score, then it is possible the University has not received or processed your official test scores. In this case, please contact Admissions.
• How do Pass Times work?
• Pass One
  ♦   Your first opportunity to register for the upcoming quarter
  ♦   After your Pass One appointment ends, you have limited access to make changes to your schedule
  ♦   Many course restrictions are active
  ♦   You are limited to 17 units maximum
  ♦   Waitlists are open; waitlisted units count toward the 17-unit limit
  
  Pass Two
  ♦   Many course restrictions end (e.g. Pass 1 major-restrictions) 
  ♦   The maximum unit threshold raises to 19 units
• How do waitlists work?
• Waitlists open in Pass One. In Schedule Builder, when you add a course that has 0 seats, you will be added to the waitlist. When you are on a course's waitlist, you are NOT registered for the course. The waitlist is an ordered list of students who will be added to the course when registered students drop the course. When you become #1 on the waitlist and a registered student drops the course, you will automatically be registered for the open seat.
  
  If you are still on the waitlist for a course after the quarter begins, your chances of enrollment decrease every day. It is crucial that you are fully registered for at least 12 units by the first day of classes.  
• I'm supposed to take 1–2 non-major courses (electives). What's that?

• Most students will need to take units outside of their major in order to graduate. Here are some infographics that breakdown elective credit at UC Davis:
   

  

  This is why we encourage you to take non-major elective courses...because you need those extra units to graduate! It's okay that many courses are already full in Schedule Builder; it means that you must be flexible and be willing to try new subjects and topics.
  
  Consider these options:
  ♦   Courses that help you explore a minor
  ♦   Courses that prepare your for your career interests (e.g. pre-health STEM courses, pre-credential education courses)
  ♦   Courses, in any discipline, that interest you (here are some upper division suggestions)
  ♦   First-Year Seminar or First-Year Aggie Connection
  ♦   GE writing or other GE requirements

• Everything I want to take is full! What should I register for?

• Consider these options:
  ♦   Courses that help you explore a minor
  ♦   Courses that prepare your for your career interests (e.g. pre-health STEM courses, pre-credential education courses)
  ♦   Courses, in any discipline, that interest you (here are some upper division suggestions)
  ♦   First-Year Seminar or First-Year Aggie Connection
  ♦   GE writing or other GE requirements

  The truth about seat availability in Schedule Builder:
  ♦   For many classes, we reserve seats for incoming students. The seats are divided amongst students in certain majors and colleges. If you encounter an error that you don't qualify for a reserved seat, it may mean that the seats are reserved for a different college/major. Please try a different section.
  ♦   During Pass Two, many continuing students modify their schedule, meaning that seats in full classes may open up. 
  ♦   Continuing students had their Pass One appointments in May, so many seats were filled prior to your admission to UC Davis. Know that your Pass One appointment time will get better and better with each quarter.

• What are the add/drop deadlines?

• Use the calendars on the Office of the Registrar website to keep track of all University deadlines. You can even add these calendars to your personal google calendar by clicking the Subscribe option!
  
  Quarter Dates & Deadlines Calendar   |   Registration Calendar

Declaring Your Major

• I applied as an A.B. major, but OASIS says I'm a B.S. major! Why is that, and how do I change it?

• For majors that offer both A.B. and B.S. options, all students are admitted as the B.S. by default. If you plan to do the A.B. option, you can follow the A.B. requirements.
  
  In your second quarter, as long as you are in Good Academic Standing, you can officially switch to the A.B. by submitting a Change of Major form in OASIS.

  

  How to Switch From a BS to an AB major

  YouTube video

• How do I change my major?

• At a minimum, you will need to wait until your second quarter at UC Davis and be in Good Academic Standing to change your major. Some majors may have additional requirements to declare their major. Check the website for your intended major for their declaration requirements and change of major process.
  
  If you are wanting to switch into one of our Yellow Cluster majors, here are our processes:
  → Psychology: to declare a Psychology major, you must have a combined 2.5 in PSC 1 and PSC 41. If that GPA is not achieved, then you may take 3 upper-division PSC courses with at least a 2.0 to be eligible to declare PSC major.
  → Cognitive Science: No specific courses are required, but you must have a 2.0 GPA in all coursework completed toward the major for the Change of Major form to be approved. We recommend taking CGS 1 prior to declaring.
  → Philosophy: No specific courses are required, but you must have a 2.0 GPA in all coursework completed toward the major for the Change of Major form to be approved. We recommend taking at least one lower division PHI course prior to declaring.
  → Science & Technology Studies: You must have a 2.0 GPA in all coursework completed toward the major for the Change of Major form to be approved. We recommend taking STS 1 prior to declaring.
  
  Once you meet your intended major's declaration process, you will need to submit the Change of Major form in OASIS.

• How do I declare an emphasis for my major?

• Our majors each have different emphasis options, and you do need to select one to follow in order to complete your major requirements. However, there is not a specific declaration process. Simply follow your intended emphasis options' requirements; you can keep track of your progress in OASIS under the "Degree Worksheets" tab.

General Questions

• What is an A.B. Degree? Is it the same as a B.A.?
• A.B. is the abbreviation of Artium Baccalaureus, the Latin form of Bachelor of Arts. At UC Davis, you will hear A.B. and B.A. used interchangeably. Formally, your diploma will read "Bachelor of Arts."
• Where can I learn about my major requirements?
• Check out our website for all major requirements for Psychology, Philosophy, Cognitive Science, and Science & Technology Studies. 
• What is the difference between major advisors and college advisors (i.e. College of Letters & Science advisors)?
• Going to both major and college advising is essential to your academic success. However, since the advisors in either department have different roles, it’s important to understand which advising center can best assist you based on your questions and goals.
  Major advisors can assist you with creating academic plans, understanding major requirements, discussing your educational and career goals, preparing for grad school, and learning about field-related opportunities. We also assist students with registration, course selection, and adding courses with a PTA.
  College advisors can assist you with understanding GE and IGETC requirements and other non-major degree requirements. They also advise on academic probation and minimum progress, Pass/No Pass grading restrictions, and dropping courses with a PTD. 
   

  

  What's the difference between major advisors and college advisors?

  YouTube video

   

• Where can I learn about minors? Will I be able to complete a minor?
• It's reasonable to expect that you will have the flexibility in your degree requirements to fit a minor. We encourage you to explore the minors at UCD and discuss your ideas with a major advisor or a minor advisor. Find contact info for a minor on the website for the department offering the minor. 
  
  Once you have decided to declare a minor and have completed the courses required to declare it, you may declare it by using the Minor Declaration form in OASIS (under the Forms & Petitions tab). 
• I want to double major. How does that work?
• Many majors leave the flexibility for a double major; however, there are some factors that make double majors complex, which is why you must plan carefully.
  
  It's best to discuss your ideas about a double major with a major advisor. Together, you can discuss the merits of double majoring, in relation to your career goals, and the impact that a double major might have on your estimated graduation date. 
• Lower-division vs. upper-division courses. What's the difference?
• Most 4-year institutions classify courses by lower and upper division, and numbering conventions are on a university-by-university basis. At UC Davis, we classify our courses accordingly:
  ♦  001–099 courses are lower division
  ♦  100–199 courses are upper division
  ♦  200–499 courses are graduate level
  
  Lower-division courses are designed for students in their first two years of college. These courses focus on subject-matter breadth, skill-building, and foundational knowledge.
  
  Upper-division courses are designed for more experienced college students, those in their third year and beyond. These courses focus on the depth of a subject or topic and often require prerequisite knowledge.
  
  In general, lower division skims a wide surface of the ocean, while upper division takes a deep dive into one small part of the ocean.
  For example:
  PSC 001, Intro Psychology, teaches a little bit about many areas of psychology (development, cognition, the brain, personality, etc.)
  PSC 154, Psychology of Emotion, teaches a lot of detail about one area of psychology
• I live with a disability, an illness, or different abilities. How can I get accommodations in my classes?
• The Student Disability Center (SDC) supports students who seek accommodations in their classes due to a documented physical, mental, or learning difference. Accommodations are meant to bridge gaps and remove barriers in a student's classroom learning experience. 
  
  The SDC website explains the process for getting registered with this service, including the documentation that you must provide.

Psychology & Cognitive Science

• I plan to go to graduate school. Will I be more competitive for graduate school if I choose a B.S. emphasis?
• It makes little to no difference whether you choose A.B. or B.S. As long as you take the necessary prerequisite courses for the grad programs that interest you, an A.B. is usually sufficient if you'd rather not choose a B.S. emphasis.
  
  You should plan courses and co-curricular activities that prepare you for graduate school, no matter what your major is. This strategy will shape you into a better grad school candidate than completing a B.S. major alone.
  
  For Psychology majors, you may find that for some health programs, like medical school, you can efficiently complete pre-health requirements by choosing the PSC-Biological emphasis. 
• How do I get involved with research?
• Our Psychology and Cognitive Science research website helps you explore research opportunities and prepare to apply for research positions.  
  
  Students may also pursue lab/research opportunities outside of their major department. Every academic discipline at UCD engages in research! Psychology and Cognitive Science students have worked for labs in Human Development, Linguistics, Communication, Philosophy, Computer Science, Biological Science, and the Medical Center, to name a few.
  
  You should also check out the programs in the Undergraduate Research Center!  
• How can I explore careers related to Psychology and/or Cognitive Science?
• Check out our Career & Grad School website to explore and prepare for careers related to your major.

Philosophy

• How do I get involved with research?
• Explore research opportunities in these ways:
  → Ask your instructor(s) if you can do a research project with them
  → Read the advising newsletters; they sometimes announce research opportunities
  → Reach out to your major faculty advisor, Dr. Jan Szaif, to ask about how to get started
  
  You should also check out the programs in the Undergraduate Research Center!  
• How can I explore careers related to Philosophy?
• Check out our Career & Grad School website to explore and prepare for careers related to your major.

Science & Technology Studies

• How do I get involved with research?
• Explore research opportunities in these ways:
  → Ask your instructor(s) if you can do a research project with them
  → Read the advising newsletters; they sometimes announce research opportunities
  → Reach out to your major faculty to ask about how to get started, Dr. Gerardo Con Diaz (faculty advisor) and/or Dr. Colin Milburn (program director)
  
  You should also check out the programs in the Undergraduate Research Center!  
• How can I explore careers related to Science & Technology Studies?
• Check out our Career & Grad School website to explore and prepare for careers related to your major.