Academic work at the university is measured by "units of credit.'' In conjunction with the letter grade you receive from the course instructor, units of credit give a fairly accurate evaluation of the amount of time you have devoted to a given subject. Units of credit also make it possible to anticipate the amount of work involved in a particular course and enable you to transfer from one campus or university to another without undue difficulty. (To convert quarter units to semester units, multiply by 0.66; from semester to quarter units, multiply by 1.5.)
Units of credit are assigned to courses based on the "Carnegie unit,'' which assigns 1 unit of credit for three hours of work by the student per week. Usually this means one hour of lecture or discussion led by the instructor and two hours of outside preparation by the student. In laboratory courses, two or three hours of work in the laboratory are normally assigned 1 unit of credit.
In most courses at UC Davis, the standard procedure prevails, so that a 3-unit course meets for three hours a week, a 4-unit course for four hours, and so on. Courses that are an exception to this pattern may require additional class time or give more demanding assignments. If you have questions about the number of units assigned to a course, you should check the expanded course descriptions (if your college or department provides them) or ask the instructor what is required in terms of outside reading, term papers, problem sets or field trips. These are not always spelled out completely in the General Catalog. By knowing the amount of work that will be required, you can plan your course load more systematically and realistically.
Under certain prescribed conditions, currently registered students in good standing may receive course credit by taking an examination without formally enrolling in a course. You may obtain a petition and a copy of the prescribed conditions from the Office of the Registrar. The petition is subject to the approval of the instructor giving the examination and the department involved.
The completed petition, accompanied by a fee of $5.00, must be presented for final approval to the dean of your college or school, or if you are a graduate student, to the dean of Graduate Studies.
The credit received for the examination may not duplicate any credit you have already earned toward your degree. You may not use credit by examination to repeat any course you have taken previously, regardless of the grade you received in that course. The final results will be reported to the Office of the Registrar, which will assign you the appropriate grade and grade points. Since failure to pass the examination will be recorded as an F, you are encouraged to prepare fully for such an examination before attempting it.
You may also receive credit for learning in nonacademic settings through credit by examination.
To earn credit through the credit by examination process, the examination must be given by a UC Davis instructor and be for a course listed in the current General Catalog. Students are not eligible to take a credit by examination in a quarter in which they are not currently enrolled.
A student may not obtain transfer credit for courses taken at a non-University of California campus in a term during which the student is registered as a full-time student at UC Davis. A variance can be obtained only by petitioning the dean of your college well in advance of the desired registration. When a variance is granted, units earned are counted toward minimum progress for the term in which the dual registration occurs. Summer session courses are exempt from this regulation.
Students may gain credit for courses taken during the summer at other institutions, provided the courses parallel those given in the University of California. Assurance that such credit will be accepted, however, can be given only after the courses have been completed. You should arrange to have the transcripts of your summer session grades sent to Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach Services for evaluation. See the Summer Sessions bulletin for detailed information.
Qualified undergraduates may take advantage of educational opportunities on other University of California campuses as an Intercampus Visitor (ICV). This program enables students who have completed at least one year in residence on their home campus and have maintained a grade point average of at least 2.0 to take courses not available on their home campus, to participate in special programs, or to study with distinguished faculty members on other campuses of the university. Students who meet the above requirements should complete an application available in the Office of the Registrar.
44 Mrak Hall
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616-8715
530-752-1641 or 1-888-VIP-7580;
summer-sessions@ucdavis.edu; http://summer-sessions.ucdavis.edu
Summer Abroad programs: 1-800-SUMMER6
Every summer, several thousand students earn units, complete their undergraduate degrees, expand their knowledge, do research, take special study courses, meet prerequisites or take courses that are often over-enrolled during the academic year by participating in Summer Sessions at UC Davis. More than 7,000 students enrolled in 1998.
Summer Sessions offers more than 200 lower and upper division courses in a wide range of subject areas that provide full university credit transferable to most campuses. Since admission is open to virtually all adults, Summer Sessions traditionally attracts students from universities and colleges, high school graduates and many other qualified applicants. Admission to a summer session, however, does not guarantee or imply admission to the university's regular academic quarters.
In 2000, the Office of Summer Sessions will offer two six-week sessions, which will run from June 26 to August 4 and from August 7 to September 15. All UC Davis undergraduates will automatically receive our 2000 Summer Sessions Catalog and application materials by the end of April; non-UC Davis undergraduates should contact us by phone, e-mail, internet address or in writing to the the address above.
Summer Abroad and special programs offered in 1999 included the Summer Institute of Fine Arts; Literature of the Wilderness, in McCall, Idaho; the study of volcanoes in Hawaii; Literature of Northern California; and other special topic programs of different lengths. In 1999, students had the opportunity to study in England, France, Italy, Japan, and Peru.
If you are interested in taking a particular class at a nearby CSU or Community College campus, you may now do so through the Intersegmental Cross Enrollment program. Enrollment is limited to one course per term and participating students need the approval of both the home and the host campus. (Please note that the Los Rios Community College district is NOT participating in the program.)
Senate Bill 1914, also known as the Killea Bill, requires that UC, CSU and the California Community Colleges permit students to enroll in one course per term at a campus of either of the other two systems on a space available basis at the discretion of the two campuses. This program aims to encourage community college students to enroll concurrently in courses offered at local universities, potentially increasing the number of community college transfers, including students from underrepresented groups.
Students must meet certain qualifications and be certified by their home campus as to eligibility, residence, fee, financial aid and health status. Generally, students will be allowed to add a class, if space is available, after the add/drop period on the host campus. To add a course, students must obtain the faculty member's approval and signature on a Cross-Enrollment form, available at their home campus Registrar's Office. The student takes the signed form to the Registrar's Office at the host campus for processing. If you are interested in participating, come to the service counter at the Office of the Registrar, 12 Mrak Hall, for information.
Credit for a limited number of units may be granted for specified University Extension courses, subject to the regulations of the individual colleges (see Bachelor's Degree Requirements section). No grade points are assigned for courses completed through University Extension.
UC Davis 1999-2000 Online General Catalog. Posted July 30, 1999.
catalog-comment@ucdavis.edu
Molly Theodossy, Keitha Hunter and Barbara Anderson, Editors
We welcome your comments.