Registration is the way you become a student at the university. Every UC Davis student must register each quarter by the deadline. Registration includes enrolling in classes, paying fees and other financial obligations, filing your current address with the Office of the Registrar, and completing and filing other information forms.
If you are a new or reentering student you must also:
Change of Name. Petitions to change your name on official university records can be obtained from the Office of the Registrar. (Students planning to graduate should file this petition no later than the 5th week of the quarter in which they intend to graduate.)
Change of Address. Be sure to inform the Office of the Registrar of any change of address. Important registration materials, information and announcements are mailed to students throughout the year, so keep your campus/local mailing address, your billing address and your permanent address up to date. Failure to file your current address can result in a hold on your registration. You can update your address in three ways:
New graduate students who have been registered previously at UC Davis as undergraduates are considered to be new students.
Late registration privileges extend through the 10th day of instruction, but you will be assessed a fee of $50.00 to defray the extra clerical costs of late registration. Registration after the deadline will be allowed only if action or inaction on the part of the university delays registration. A recommendation from an appropriate administrative unit will be required, and the registration fee must be paid with cash, cashier's check, credit union check, university check or fee credit.
RSVP and Web Registration. Students enroll in courses by using the UC Davis telephone registration system, RSVP (Register Students Via Phone, 530-752-7787) or by using Web Registration on the World Wide Web.
The Class Schedule and Registration Guide, available several weeks before the start of each quarter, explains registration procedures, gives class meeting times and locations, changes to the General Catalog, and provides the most up-to-date information on fees and registration.
The Office of the Registrar World Wide Web site, http://registrar.ucdavis.edu, includes each quarter's "Schedule of Classes," RSVP and Web Registration information, the "Open Courses" list, General Catalog, academic calendar and other general information.
Registration Priority. Access to registration (RSVP and Web Registration) is by priority groups. The groups are established according to student class level, as determined by the number of units completed. Undergraduate classification is determined by the number of quarter units you have completed:
| Class Level | Units |
| Freshman | 0.0-44.9 |
| Sophomore | 45.0-89.9 |
| Junior | 90.0-134.9 |
| Senior | 135.0 or more |
Study List. You are officially registered in all courses listed on your individual study list. You are responsible for completing each of the courses.
To confirm your study list (class schedule), you can call RSVP, or view and print your class schedule at Office of the Registrar Kiosks in Mrak Hall and the MU or online using Web Registration. You can also check your grades using RSVP, the Kiosk or Web Registration.
You can adjust your schedule by adding or dropping courses until the published deadlines.
The last day to add courses is the 12th day of instruction. The last day to drop courses without dean's permission or fee is the 20th day of instruction, except for those courses designated by departments as 10-day-drop courses. You will need to obtain the permission of your dean and pay a $3.00 fee to drop a designated 10-day-drop course after the 10th day of instruction or to drop any other courses after the 20th day of instruction.
The Class Schedule and Registration Guide for each quarter lists the add and drop deadlines and explains how to use RSVP and Web Registration to adjust your schedule and what add/drop procedures and fees apply after the published deadlines. The academic calendar in the front of this catalog also lists the course add and drop deadlines.
To drop a course after the deadline (but before the day of the scheduled final examination), you need approval of the dean of your college or school. Graduate students must have their adviser's approval in order to drop courses. A $3.00 fee applies to late drops. Permission to drop courses after the deadline may be granted only in exceptional circumstances.
To add a course after the deadline (but before the day of the scheduled final examination), you need approval of the department. A $3.00 fee applies to late adds.
Occasionally, in exceptional circumstances, students are allowed to drop a course after the course is completed. Reasons for seeking a retroactive drop are very specific: medical problems, severe emotional difficulties, or recent death or severe illness in the immediate family. Petitions are available from the Office of the Registrar and should include a detailed account of the problem, appropriate documentation and an adequate explanation of why an I grade or late drop was not taken during the quarter in which the problem occurred. The instructor's signature is required on the petition. A $3.00 fee is applicable on all retroactive drops.
In some rare circumstances, students are allowed to add a course after the course is completed. Petitions for retroactive adds are available from the Office of the Registrar. Each petition must include the reason for the student's failure to add the course during the quarter in which it is offered. The petition must be supported by the instructor's signed approval, together with a statement from the instructor indicating knowledge of the student's participation and performance during the presentation of the course in question and the instructor's understanding as to the reason for the student's failure to add the course before the end of the quarter. A course grade must be assigned by the instructor. A $3.00 fee is applicable on all retroactive adds.
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