Undergraduate Advising
Our mission is to promote your success. The entire advising group in the College of Engineering (CoE)—department staff and faculty advisors, student affairs officers in the Undergraduate Office, and peer advisors—are here to help you get the most out of your undergraduate engineering education and prepare for a successful career.
Questions about Majors, Courses, Holds, Degree Requirements, Dismissals, or Readmission?
Click here for answers.
Mandatory Advising
We consider annual advising to be so important to your success that we have made it mandatory in the CoE. You won’t be able to enroll for the next quarter until you have satisfied this requirement.
Academic Advising About Your Major
Contact the undergraduate staff advisor in your department (see contact info on the right), who can help you with:
- Academic planning
- Degree requirements
- General education requirements
- Student petitions
- Options when you are in academic difficulty
You’ll meet the staff advisor in your department at UC Davis Orientation or at the beginning of your first quarter. You will find out more then about the advising program and who your faculty advisor is or how to choose one.
Faculty advisors can help with:
- Career goals
- Choice of major
- Field of specialization
- Elective courses
How to Satisfy Your Advising Requirement
Schedule advising during the quarter that corresponds with the first letter of your last name:
- A—G: Fall Quarter
- H—N: Winter Quarter
- O—Z: Spring Quarter
You can register for classes for the quarter that you are first notified of the advising requirement.
Be sure to ask your department advisor for an advising worksheet to help you with discussing your program of study.
What Happens If You Don’t Satisfy the Advising Requirement?
An advising hold is placed on your registration if you don’t satisfy the advising requirement during your first specified quarter. You won’t be able to enroll for the next quarter, check on or make any changes to your enrollments during the current quarter.
How To Get a Hold Lifted
You will have approximately four months to clear an advising hold.
Contact your department advisor by the following deadlines:
- A-G: end of fall quarter
- H-N: end of winter quarter
- O-Z: end of spring quarter
We strongly recommend that you NOT wait until the deadline to get a hold lifted. Take action before finals of the given quarter of your hold.
Help With Other Academic Issues
The student affairs officers in the CoE Undergraduate Office are available for appointments Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. to help you with:
- Degree certification
- Options for managing academic difficulty
- Dismissal appeals
- Readmission
- Transfer evaluation, credit, course equivalencies
Call 752-1979 or come by the office at 1050 Kemper Hall to make an appointment.
Get Advice from a Peer Advisor
In addition to the professional staff advisors in the CoE, a team of academic peer advisors—current engineering students themselves—are also available to advise you on academic and administrative issues.
Call the peer advisors: (530) 752-1979, or stop by 1050 Kemper Hall or one of the academic advising centers in Segundo, Tercero and Cuarto residence areas.
Most importantly, don’t wait to ask a question or get help. We want you to succeed. Let us help you make that happen.
Gearing Up for Graduate School
Each winter quarter the College of Engineering offers a one-unit seminar series titled "Gearing Up for Grad School." Weekly presentations by guest speaker and undergraduate advisers cover information about preparing to apply for graduate school in engineering. The sessions explain the master's degree, Ph.D. degree, and MBA degree, as well as preparing each part of the graduate application. Program Contact: Kim Reinking
Occasionally the College of Engineering hosts representatives from graduate programs at other institutions. Some recent programs include:
Nuts & Bolts – A First-Year’s Introduction to Engineering
Each fall and winter quarter, the College of Engineering offers a weekly seminar that introduces the different branches of engineering to students. Each week a faculty member from each of our seven departments will discuss their own discipline and provide insights into how to be successful as an engineer. The seminar includes brief writing assignments to deepen participating understanding. The course is 1-unit and is graded Pass/No Pass. Contact: Alin Wakefield