Policies

Key Policies for Undergraduates

  • Pass/No Pass Policy and Information 

  • College of Engineering students may exercise the Pass/No Pass grading for General Education (GE) courses or unrestrictive electives taken outside the College of Engineering, up to 16 units.

    No course that appears on a list of degree requirements or could potentially be used to satisfy a requirement can be taken under a P/NP grading option unless the requirement has already been satisfied for students in the College of Engineering.

    For more information, see the College of Engineering’s website.

  • Permission to Add (PTA) Policy for Undergraduates 

  • The Department of Materials Science and Engineering does not accept requests for PTA numbers for full courses.

    If a course is full, you will need to add to the waitlist. Keep in mind, we cannot guarantee you a seat in the class if you are on the waitlist, so we recommend finding a backup plan as soon as possible. Whenever possible our department tries to expand the capacity of the class, but we are often limited by classroom space and TA and instructor resources. Your instructor will keep you informed about any developments related to enrollment. If expansion is not possible, your only way to get off of the waitlist is if enrolled students drop the course. Please do not request a PTA number from your instructor, advising staff, or peer advisors if the class is full.

    PTA numbers can be requested for courses with open seats if there is a time conflict with another course and you have already received permission from the instructors of both courses. Written consent is required from instructors of both courses.

    Below are NOT acceptable reasons to request a PTA number:

    ♦   The course is full and you want to bypass the waitlist
    ♦   A change of major
    ♦   Classes dropped due to non-payment of fees
    ♦   Classes dropped accidentally
    ♦   Completion of degree requirements for institutions other than UC Davis
    ♦   Missing Pass 1 or Pass 2 registration
    ♦   The class is listed on your academic plan for the current quarter
    ♦   Completing a Minor
    ♦   Completing the Major (if you have other opportunities to take the course and it does not delay your graduation beyond the usual graduation timeline such as attempting early graduation)
    ♦   Elective course for completing a Major (if you have other options/opportunities to take the course)
    ♦   Completing EMS classes for other university requirements
    ♦   Circumventing course registration restrictions (ex. Pass 1/2 registration restricted to EMSE majors)
    ♦   This course is recommended for a job, internship, research position, or admission to a graduate program
    ♦   To maintain full-time status and/or receive financial aid
    ♦   To meet the minimum progress requirement
    ♦   To repeat a failed course

    PTAs for courses with open seats will not be allowed after the 20th day of instruction.

  • Prerequisites Policy and Information 

  • One of the goals of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering is to assist students to be successful and learn as much as possible in their academic program. Specifically with respect to prerequisites, when a student takes a course without the prerequisites they are, more often than not, less likely to pass (or do well in) the course, gain less insight into the course material, and can unnecessarily burden instructional resources, e.g., the instructor and/or TA’s time. Prerequisites are there for a reason. These prerequisites have been determined after many offerings to ensure that the course outcomes are maximally achieved. Bypassing prerequisites will significantly damage the quality of the program. This will impact what the students learn and also jeopardize the accreditation of our program which will further impact the students. The faculty regularly scan ECH courses to ensure that registered and waitlisted students have completed their prerequisites. We therefore strongly recommend that you enroll only in those courses for which you have completed the prerequisites or for which the prerequisite course is in progress.

    Students without the required prerequisites will be dropped from the course. If as an oversight you enrolled in a course without the required prerequisite, please drop the course as soon as possible, but no later than the drop deadline. Students with coursework from another institution that has been approved as a course substitution can submit a prerequisite petition. Please review the Prerequisite webpage for more information. Please also see additional prerequisites information included in our Frequently Asked Questions for current undergraduates.

     

  • Transfer Credit 

  • The expectation to earn a degree in Materials Science and Engineering at UC Davis is to take the classes that UC Davis offers. Only in extenuating circumstances will the department approve courses to be taken at other 4-year institutions. 

    Transfer requests may be reviewed for the following reason: (Approval is not guaranteed)
    - Courses completed at a 4-year institution prior to admission to UC Davis - no course sub petition required; please contact a CHMS advisor
    - Unable to get into a required, core course (not a technical elective) at UCD in final quarter

    Please note, requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the faculty on the EMS Undergraduate Affairs Committee. Even if you meet one of the above reasons, your request may be denied.

    Students requesting transfer credit be reviewed must submit a Course Substitution Petition and provide a course syllabus including detailed course description and course assignments, a personal statement explaining extenuating circumstances - why you were not able to take the course at UCD, why you need to take the course at the other school, and why you think the course at the other institution should count for the specific EMS course at UCD.