New Graduate Student Orientation

Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate Orientation: 

Orientation for Fall 2023 will be a combination of remote sessions throughout September, as well as an in-person component on right before classes start.  Dates and times will be available soon - last year's sessions are listed below so you can see what we generally offer. 

Virtual Orientations

• Program Welcome and Degree Requirements
• MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON!
  
  Host: Prof. Miguel Jaller (Graduate Advisor for Civil and Environmental Engineering)
  
  Session Description: In this welcome session, Prof. Jaller will provide an overview of the department, registration, degree requirements and more!
  
  The session will be recorded, but attendance is encouraged to ask questions.

  
  This session has passed - Watch the recordings below.
  Welcome and Program Overview
  MS Degree Requirements
  PhD Degree Requirements

• All About Funding (Optional)
• MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON!
  
  Host: Lauren Worrell, Graduate Program Coordinator
  
  Session Description: Overview of funding at UC Davis and in CEE.  Please review our Student Funding page in advance of attending.  Opportunities for questions, but specific student funding situations will not be discussed. 
• Computing, IT, Building Access, Safety, and the CEE Business Office
• MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON!
  
  Hosts: Reuben Castelino, Jessica Hazard, Nicole Smith-DeCasper and Sarah Woodall
  
  Session Description: Introduction to the IT and computing resources in CEE.  Learn about how to gain access to our building, graduate computer labs, and research labs.  Overview of department safety and safety training confirmation.  Overview of the CEE Business Office and the services they provide. Note: This session will satisfy the initial safety training that is required for building access!
  
  Fall 2022 material: please use the links below to view recordings and slides.
  Recording
  Slides
  Welcome Pamphlet
  
  AFTER watching the video, please complete this form to satisfy the safety training requirement for building access. You may need to be logged into your UC Davis account to access the form (and not a personal google account).
• Non-Engineering Degree Background Course Requirement (Optional)
• MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON!
  
  Host: Lauren Worrell, Graduate Program Coordinator
  Highly recommended for students who do not have an engineering degree.
  
  Session Description: Overview of courses needed for students without an engineering degree.  The majority of this session will be Q&A, so it will NOT be recorded – if you can’t make this time, you can schedule individual advising as needed.
  
  Students who have a previous engineering degree do not need to complete the background course requirements. 
• Area Advising

• MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON!

In-Person Orientation

Location: All full group sessions will be in 1002 Giedt Hall

• Orientation check in

• Session Description: Check in, get information packets, and have your picture taken for our Graduate Student Board outside of Lauren's office in Ghausi Hall!
  
  Note: Breakfast/coffee will not be provided. You can find breakfast/coffee at the Peets location in the Silo or the CoHo South in the Student Community Center.

• Faculty Welcome

• Session Description: Formal welcome to the Department and the Civil and Environmental Engineering Degree Program with Department Chair, Dr. Christopher Cappa

• Meet the CEE Staff

• Session Description: Meet the CEE Staff that can support you through your time at UC Davis.  The Financial Analyst team, business office, and other personnel will tell you about how their roles. 

• Break

• Time to take a short break and travel to the next location

• Area Advising (various locations)

• Session Description: Faculty Advising is the most important part of getting a good start in the graduate program.  Faculty will be talking more about the program, coursework, and answering your questions.
  
  LOCATIONS
  Environmental: 

  Geotechnical: 

  Structures: 

  Transportation: 

  Water Resources: 

• Meet and Greet Lunch (Please RSVP), Ghausi Lobby/Bainer Lawn

• Session Description: Students are invited to join us for a social, outdoor lunch co-hosted with some of our wonderful student groups.  This will be an opportunity to get to meet other students in person!
  
  Lunch will be served as a grab-and-go style in Ghausi Lobby, and students will be eating outside on the Bainer Lawn (grass seating).  Temperatures can be high in September in Davis, so please consider hats/sunscreen, and bring plenty of water! 

• Student Panel
• Session Description: Come hear from some of our current students with their tips and advice!
• Q&A with the Graduate Program Coordinator (OPTIONAL)
• Session Description: Still have questions?  Feel free to stay and ask any questions with the Graduate Program Coordinator, Lauren Worrell

Other Orientation Materials:

• Helmet Hair Don't Care! Get a FREE helmet

New Student Information

Orientations

• Graduate Student Department Orientation: REQUIRED
• The Department Orientation for new students is still being developed – this year we will have a hybrid of online and in-person sessions. The online and in-person portions of orientation dates are listed at the top of this page. Throughout these sessions, we will have general and program information, Area Advising Breakout Sessions, and other important information. An in-person orientation agenda with more information will be emailed to you in early September. More information will be posted in August/September.
• Office of Graduate Studies Orientations
• You are all encouraged to complete Aggie 201.  This online orientation can be viewed at your own pace, and provides a resource and services overview for new graduate students. 
  
  Students are also invited to attend the Graduate Student Resource Fair, International Graduate Student Orientation (IGSO), and Holistic U sponsored by Graduate Studies. These events are social and academic orientation activities and workshops for graduate students and postdocs. These events will be held in mid-September. Registration generally opens in August, and more information can be viewed here.
• Teaching Assistant (TA) Orientation
• REGISTRATION COMING SOON! Please be sure to register by the priority deadline
  
  All students who are hired as Teaching Assistants (TAs) are required to attend the Campus TA Orientation. All students are highly encouraged to attend the TA orientation now in case they become a TA later in the year. CEE Students will attend the orientation on [Date TBA]. More information, and registration, can be found here.
  
  We encourage you to read the TA’s Guide to Effective Teaching at UC Davis over the summer prior to the TA Orientation.
  
  Note: 
  • Students are required to complete all sections of the orientation.
  • More information about applying for Teaching Assistant and Readership positions in CEE and around campus can be found in the FUNDING section of this welcome packet.
  • More information about the English requirement for Teaching Assistant positions can also be found in the FUNDING section of this welcome packet.
• Mandatory Sexual Assault Prevention (SAP) Training
• To complete the SAP requirement, students will receive an email invite in which they will need to access and complete the online Sexual Assault Prevention module via Everfi.  After six weeks from the date assigned, a registration hold will be placed on the accounts of students who did not complete the SAP requirement.  The hold will prevent them from registering for 2024 Winter Quarter classes.
  
  More information can be found here.
  
  The university’s policy on sexual harassment and sexual violence.
• Student-Parent Pre Orientation 

• All incoming undergraduate and graduate student parents are invited to attend this one-day, virtual pre-orientation designed to help you and your family prepare for your time at UC Davis.  Returning students who would like a refresher are also welcome.

  Participants are welcome to come in and out throughout the program

  For a complete program agenda and session descriptions, check out the proposed schedule.  

  Session presenters/topics include:

  · Childcare grant information

  · Local childcare providers

  · UC SHIP (Student Health Insurance Program)

  · Davis Joint Unified School District

  · Local housing resources

  · Community organizations (ExplorIt Science Center, Yolo County Library, Funderland, and others)

  · Student parent panel

  To register for the program, go to https://tinyurl.com/UCD-incoming-student-parents.  

  Questions?  Contact the Student Parent Working Group at studentparent-wg@ucdavis.edu

New Student Set Up

• Computer & E-mail Accounts
• The department’s IT Support will give you information regarding your department access to the computer laboratories at the New Student Orientation. In the meantime, you should have already established your UC Davis computing and email account when you submitted your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR).
  
  If you have NOT set up your UCD computing account and email, you should do so immediately. Instructions can be found here. If you need assistance setting up your computing account and email, contact IT Express: http://itexpress.ucdavis.edu/. All university-related communications will be sent to your UCD email, so it’s important that you check it on a regular basis. You can also redirect your UCD email.
• Duo
• Duo is a multi-factor authentication system which will better protect your UC Davis accounts. Enroll now.
• My UC Davis
• My.ucdavis.edu is a portal you can use to access your email, your schedule, your bill, and has links to all sorts of resources. Once you log in, you can edit the tiles on the main screen to have easy access to the things that are important to you. I would recommend using myAccounting, mySchedule, and myQuicklinks. In the Finances tab, you will also see a link to myAwards – please note that these are awards through the Financial Aid office, and completely separate from any funding through the department or college. Academic appointments and departmental fellowship for example are not reflected in myAwards.
• AggieCard - Student ID
• All students will receive a student ID card called an AggieCard. Find out more here.
• Final Transcripts
• All students must submit their official transcripts to the Office of Graduate Studies. If you submitted your final transcripts before you graduated, you will need to order a final transcript with your degree posted, and resubmit your official transcript. The final transcript(s) should be sent directly to the Office of Graduate Studies. Find out more here.
• Statement of Legal Residence Hold
• The Office of the University Registrar will be contacting you regarding filling out a Statement of Legal Residence form. This form is online and the deadline to complete it is July 1, 2021. If you do not meet this deadline, you will be classified as a nonresident and will be assessed the Nonresident Supplemental Tuition. Find out more here.
• UC Davis Health Requirements (Including COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements)
• Be sure to submit your immunization records. More information can be found here: https://shcs.ucdavis.edu/resources/new-students
  
  The University of California COVID-19 Vaccine Policy requires all employees and students to be fully vaccinated, or hold an approved exception.
  
  GET VACCINATED! (Click to make your appointment today)
  
  View a webinar covering UC's COVID-19 vaccine mandate and implications for students and employees.
  
      Q: If I received a vaccine outside of the U.S., will that count toward the vaccine mandate for Fall?
      A: if the vaccine you got was not WHO-approved (Pfizer, Moderna, J&J, AstraZeneca, Covishield, Sinopharm, Sinovac) then you'll need to get the Pfizer vaccine once you arrive in Davis in order to comply with the University of California vaccine mandate. 
  
  Please continue to check the Campus Ready site for updates or the SISS Fall Planning page for International Students. 
  
   

International Students

• International Student Orientation Program
• International students are required to attend the International Student Orientation Program. 
  
  Please be sure to read all the information on the “Newly Admitted Students” website.
  
  For more information about requirements for international students, please contact SISS, email siss@ucdavis.edu, telephone (530) 752-0864 or web http://siss.ucdavis.edu/. You can find your advisor based on last name here.
• English Language Courses for International Student
• Many international students will need to take UWP 225 / UWP 226 during their first academic year. The policy regarding this requirement can be found here.
  
  For more information about the English Course Requirement, please visit this link.
  
  This course will NOT count toward your degree requirements, or units needed for the degree, but it will count towards the 12 units needed to be a full time student in any given quarter.

Domestic Non-Residents

• Establishing California Residency for Tuition Purposes
• If you are classified as a domestic non-resident, after one year, you can establish California Residency for Tuition Purposes, and not be charged the Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition. While it takes a year to establish residency, it is important to begin the process early (in the first month of arriving in California, and definitely before December/ the end of your first quarter) with steps such as:
  • Getting a CA driver’s license
  • Registering to vote in California
  • Registering your vehicle in California (if you have one)
  
  Please take the time now to understand the steps required so you can start early. More information can be found here.  Also, check out the the checklist on how to establish intent here.
  
  Failure to take these steps early can result in a denial of your in-state residence. 

Course Registration and Faculty Advisors

• Faculty Area Advisors
• All new students are assigned an initial faculty Area Advisor based on their research area, unless you have already been in contact with a faculty advisor. You were admitted to the research area that you listed on the graduate application. In most cases, PhD students start the graduate program already knowing which faculty member they are going to work with. If you have any questions about the area you were admitted to, or who your faculty advisor is, please contact Lauren Worrell.
  
  The Area Advisor will serve as your initial faculty advisor until you find your major professor (permanent faculty advisor) – you should establish who your major professor is by your second quarter. Some MS Plan II students may stay with the area advisor for the duration of their degree, especially if they plan to do the capstone course or exam option (see the degree requirements for more about the MS Plan II options).
  
  There are some basic guidelines to assist with your first quarter registration below. Additionally, during the area advising session at our department orientation, you will have the opportunity to discuss your class schedule, degree requirements, etc. with your Area Advisor. The faculty Area Advisors, and their contact information, for the 2022-23 Academic Year are below (the area advisors information can also be found on this website.
  
  • Environmental: Jasquelin Peña (pena@ucdavis.edu)
  • Geotechnical: Alejandro Martinez (amart@ucdavis.edu)
  • Structures: John Bolander (jebolander@ucdavis.edu)
  • Transportation: Michael Zhang (hmzhang@ucdavis.edu)
  • Water Resources: Holly Oldroyd (hjoldroyd@ucdavis.edu)
• Fall 2023 Class Registration
• Although there are "pass times" for undergraduate students, graduate students are allowed to register at any time once registration opens, except for during the registration freeze. Generally speaking, students do not experience difficulty registering for Graduate ECI courses (there are seats available). If you are considering upper division and/or non-ECI courses, be sure to enroll early during the registration period.
  
  All full-time students are expected to register in 12 units each quarter. We recommend all students enroll by September 1. For payroll purposes, students (with academic appointments) must register for at least 12 units before September 1. Students must be full time to qualify for any funding (academic appointments or fellowship).
  
  Go to Student Information System on the Web (SISWEB) and login to Schedule Builder, or go directly to Schedule Builder. The Schedule Builder tool can be used to search and enroll in classes, view class details, find course materials, check for registration holds, adjust and view class schedules. Select Fall Quarter 2023 as the academic term then click Add/Search Courses. Choose “Engineering Civil and Environ (ECI)” from the Subject drop down menu. All available ECI Courses for Fall 2023 will populate (except hidden courses – such as research units – more information below).
  
  Courses numbered 200-299 are graduate level courses, and 100-199 are upper division undergraduate level courses. Courses numbered 1-99 are lower division undergraduate classes, and will not count towards your graduate record. Most, if not all, of your classes should be graduate level. Save the classes you want to register for to your schedule, and then click Register ALL, or register for each using the "actions" drop-down.
  
  The Course Search Tool is another resource to search for available classes on the Office of Registrar’s website. Select “Engineering Civil and Environ (ECI)” from the Subject Area drop down menu. All available ECI Courses for the current quarter will populate (the Course Search Tool is also very helpful for looking at historic offerings of courses).
  
  Some courses might have a "hidden" CRN - for example ECI 290C and ECI 299 Research units, or ECI 289 Special Topics classes.  You can find the CRN's for our Special Topics classes on our Courses website.
  
  Note: ECI is the course prefix for Civil and Environmental Engineering. All courses are assigned a specific 5- digit Course Registration Number (CRN), which is the number that you can use to search for courses and add them to your schedule. For example, if you decided to enroll in ECI 201 – Intro Theory Elast, you will find that CRN (52821) using the course link above. With this CRN number, you will also be able to enroll in courses using the old SISWEB system. (Most students prefer Schedule Builder to sisweb).
• Course Offerings and Descriptions
• Most ECI Graduate Level Classes are offered once a year, or even once every other year, which makes planning your schedule very important. You can easily see which classes have been offered in previous years by clicking on the “CEE Course Matrix” link from the Courses for Current Graduate Students page. Be sure to note the year of the sheet you are looking at on the bottom of the page. Our tentative course offerings for future terms will also be posted here, however these are subject to change without notice. This page will be the most helpful to plan courses for the full year.
  
  Below the CEE Course Matrix link, there is also a list for “ECI 289 Course Offerings”. ECI 289 courses are special topic courses. ECI 289 course offerings are constantly evolving. These are typically specialty courses offered by faculty on a trial basis that may or may not become permanent course offerings. Please view this page, or talk to the faculty member directly, for more information about special topics courses. Expand the description to find the CRN number and number of units you should enroll in (as 289 classes are variable unit, you must edit this to the appropriate number indicated by the faculty instructor). 
  
  For catalog descriptions of ECI courses, including course prerequisites, visit this link.
• Taking Courses outside of Engineering
• We often have students take courses outside of ECI, and outside of the College of Engineering.  Our MS Degree Requirements nominally allow one course to be an undergraduate level and/or outside of Engineering (with faculty approval).
  
  We encourage students to seek courses that will support their academic, research, and career interests. Students should talk to their Faculty Advisor to make sure the course(s) they are interested in will be approved for their Program of Study. It's a good practice to prepare the Preliminary Program of Study early and have it approved by the Faculty Advisor to insure the coursework you take will be approved for the degree program. 
  
  CEE students have found related coursework in the College of Engineering (including Energy Systems and Transportation Technology & Policy) and many departments across campus, including: Agricultural & Environmental Chemistry, Atmospheric Science, Environmental Science & Policy, Hydrologic Science, Mathematics, Microbiology, Soil Science, Statistics, and more!
• Taking Undergraduate Upper Division Courses
• As mentioned earlier, most your classes should be graduate level courses.  Students without a degree in Engineering may need to take several background upper division undergraduate level courses.  Our MS Degree Requirements nominally allow one course to be an undergraduate level and/or outside of Engineering (with faculty approval)
  
  Please note that some undergraduate level engineering courses will have registration restrictions for graduate students. If you plan to register for an undergraduate upper division course and SISWEB/Schedule Builder restricts you from adding it, please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator, Lauren Worrell (lkworrell@ucdavis.edu, Room 2007 Ghausi Hall) to inquire about when restrictions might lift or if you are able to obtain a permission to add (PTA) number for the course. Generally we will need to wait for the pass two registration time, or even the adjustment period, or issue a PTA for an undergraduate course.
  
  Also note that many undergraduate level courses will have prerequisites. You will be required to fill out an online prerequisite form for every undergraduate class with prerequisites (unless you took the prerequisite courses at UC Davis). Be thorough in filling out this form and mention that you are a graduate student, why you need the courses, and what courses in your academic background fulfill the listed prerequisites and/or why you think you will be successful in the course. The faculty will approve your prerequisite petition to allow you to remain in the course.
• Fall 2023 Class Registration Tips
• You must enroll in a minimum of 12 units, unless you are approved to be part-time (this is not common). Many students will take two to three courses, and then enroll in a seminar and/or research units as needed to reach the 12 unit minimum (more information about research units below). You will have a chance to talk to your area advisor about courses as part of the department orientation, and there will be some time in the first week to adjust your schedule (especially to drop a class and add research units). The deadlines to drop and add courses are listed here.  
  
  While most graduate level classes will have a 20 day drop deadline, be sure to check the drop deadline for every class (sometime labs will have an earlier drop deadline than lectures). I HIGHLY recommend you put the add and drop deadlines on your calendar now, as petitions for late drops are not generally approved.
• Required Core Coursework
• Information about the required core courses by Research Area can be found in the Guidance Manual and on the Degree Requirements website. Because our graduate courses are generally offered only once a year, we highly recommend you start thinking about the core coursework now, and when you will take your required core courses.
• Fall Registration Suggestions
• You should check the CEE Course Matrix for the ECI course offerings, and these are great courses to start with. You can also consider courses outside of ECI. It is highly recommended you explore some course options on your own, and then check in with your major professor or area advisor to be sure the courses you selected are appropriate for the degree.
• Guidance Manual for Graduate Students and Their Advisors
• The Guidance Manual for Graduate Students and their Advisors has the department’s current degree requirements, and a lot of important information and policy. You may review the current manual and official degree requirements from our Degree Requirements page. 
  
  It is highly recommended you take the time to read the entire guidance manual, as there is a lot of important information in there. For additional information on Graduate Studies policy, please see the Graduate Studies website.
• Creating your fall schedule and first year plan
• Using the tools above, start with these steps:
  
  1. Review your core classes and see when they are being offered. Fill those courses in for Fall/Winter/Spring.  
  
  2. Review what other classes are being offered in our department, and make a list of the ones that seem interesting to you and when they are being offered.
  
  3. Explore classes outside of ECI that are related to your research, academic and/or career goals. Make a list of these courses and when they are being offered (this might take some searching - department websites, historical offerings, etc). 
  
  *Note: be sure to review prerequisites when exploring classes!
  
  4. Review if you have other course requirements, such as the background courses for a student without an engineering degree, or the graduate first year English course. These courses will NOT satisfy requirements for the MS or PhD Program of Study.
  
  5. Start making a one year (three quarter) plan, with about 2-3 courses per quarter (and maybe one or two back-up courses). 
  
  6. If you are trying to graduate in one year, be sure your plan fulfills all the degree requirements. You can consider using the Program of Study form, as you will need to submit a preliminary Program of Study around the start of your second quarter. 
  
  7. Attend the Area Advising as part of the CEE Department Orientation, and check in with the faculty about the courses you are planning to take. 
   
• Registering in Research Units (ECI 290C/299)
• Some MS students, and all PhD students, will register in ECI 290C and 299 research units with your respective major professor (faculty advisor) at some point in their career. Every time you enroll in research units, you will want to talk to your faculty advisor early (before or when you enroll) so you can discuss what will be expected of you to earn “satisfactory” (or “S”) grades in your research units. While these units are sometimes used to “fill” a schedule to the 12 unit minimum, you are expected to put in the time and work based on the number of research units you are enrolled in to pass the course(s). Every CEE faculty member is assigned individual 290C and 299 CRNs each quarter and these courses are always taken concurrently.
  
  ECI 290C is called Graduate Research Conference and is always 1 unit. ECI 299 is the actual research course; it defaults to 1 unit, and students may increase the variable units as needed. To do this, simply login to schedule builder and find the button that says “edit” next to “Units” which is listed below the title ECI 299. Please note these research CRNs change quarterly, are NOT published online and must be obtained from Lauren Worrell (lkworrell@ucdavis.edu) or from the CEE Main Office (ceeghelp@ucdavis.edu) each quarter you plan to enroll in them. When emailing the staff to ask for research unit CRN’s, be sure to include the faculty name for the research units you want to enroll in. After you enroll in research units, always check to be sure they are with the right faculty member.
• Fall Instruction
• Instruction begins on Wednesday September 27, 2023 (even though the quarter begins Sept. 25, there won't be classes until the first day of instruction). The deadline to add courses is the 12th day of instruction. Be sure to note if any of your classes have a 10 day drop deadline – most classes will have a 20 day drop deadline. Stay updated on specific dates with the UC Davis calendar.
• Registration Holds
• You may have registration holds on your account from time to time.  The hold will prevent you from enrolling in classes, and you will find information about how to release the hold on schedule builder.  Common registration holds are for: submitting your official transcripts/or your transcripts with proof of degree; submitting immunization information to student health; having an unpaid balance on your student account after the Graduate Student Final Fee Payment Deadline.  The department does not control these holds and will not be able to release them for you to register.  You can always check in with the office that placed the hold on your account. 

Funding

• General Funding Information
• Be sure to check out the CEE Student Funding Page – we are always building out resources here, so check back often!
  
  Look for information about the sessions available regarding funding during the campus Graduate Student Orientation. Also be sure to look through the information on the graduate studies website – they have especially good resources related to external funding. Once you have determined who will serve as your major professor, that person will also be a good resource to discuss funding opportunities.
  
  Not all students will be funded (especially true for MS students). Many of our students will find partial funding, or full funding for select quarters once here. We highly encourage students to be proactive in seeking funding opportunities outside our department and outside campus. The offer of admission and any offer of financial support are separate processes. PhD students are more likely to receive a financial offer in advance of starting at UC Davis. If you do not receive an initial financial offer that does not mean that you won’t have funding while here.
  
  Funding for graduate students usually comes in the form of:
  
  External fellowships: You are strongly encouraged to apply for external fellowships on your own – information can be found on the Graduate Studies Website, including great search engines.  
  
  Internal fellowships and departmental fellowships: all new students are considered for these automatically with your application (you must apply by the priority deadline to be considered for the campus level fellowships).  A few select students will be nominated by the department for Campus fellowships, which are extremely competitive.  Then students may also receive departmental fellowships, which are decided on by our faculty in each research area.  These may be partial or full support.
  
  Academic appointments:
  - Graduate Student Researcher (GSR): You might be hired by a particular faculty member (your major adviser) to engage in research.  GSR positions pay a salary, and also provide full tuition and fee remission (in-state and NRST).
  - Teaching Assistant (TA), Reader, Tutor: You can be hired by our department, or apply with other departments for these positions.  For CEE, you can submit an application to be a TA or Reader on the Teaching Assistants and Readers website (I will announce when the application opens each quarter through our student listserv email).  Your major professor can also be an advocate for you in finding these positions. TA and Reader positions pay a salary, and also provide partial in-state fee remission. Non-Resident Supplement Tuition (NRST) is not a benefit of TA/Reader employment. 
• Teaching Assistant (TA), Readership, Tutor Appointments
• Any student who wishes to be a TA during their studies at UC Davis must attend for the TA Orientation. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering’s TA orientation is [date TBA]. Please register as soon as possible!
  
  If you are interested in being hired as a Teaching Assistant (TA) or Reader for our department, please complete the application on our website. The application link is on the “Teaching Assistant and Readers” website. Please note, that for our department, applicants will be considered when there are openings for TA and Reader positions, however filling out the form does not ensure you will be offered a TA or Reader position (as we have many more students than positions available). Order of application submission does not factor into placement decisions, as long as you meet the deadline.
  
  You can also contact other departments about possible TA and readership positions if you are interested. Each department will have its own process for selecting TAs and Readers – I highly recommend looking at both the department’s website, as well as checking for TA and Reader job postings on Handshake.
  
  English Proficiency Requirements for TAs:
  Depending on your Undergraduate Degree, TOEFL, and/or IELTS scores, you may be required to pass the TOEP test here at UC Davis prior to being employed as a TA (receiving a waiver for the TOEFL at time of admission does not automatically qualify you for a waiver of this requirement). Please be sure to read the policy on Language Proficiency Requirements for Appointment of Students to Teaching Assistant and Associate In_ Titles.
• Graduate Student Researcher
• If you are interested in being actively involved with research, you should speak to a faculty member about GSR opportunities. 
• FAFSA
• All students eligible to fill out the FAFSA, should fill it out EVERY YEAR. There are a few awards each year, as well as work study opportunities which require a completed FAFSA, and it may qualify you for a small campus fee grant and loans.
• Work Study
• Work study for graduate students is a way for a student to be hired as a GSR, with a cost savings for the hiring grant (faculty apply for work study on behalf of their students, however the student must have done the FAFSA). 
• UCPath
• UCPath is the payroll system for UC Davis. If you have an academic employment (GSR, TA, Reader position), you will be able to see your employment and important employment information in UCPath.
• Funding Questions
• The Graduate Program Coordinator, Lauren Worrell, is a good first point of contact for most questions related to funding rules/policy, funding and payment issues, what you see on your bill, fee remission policies, etc. 

Other Important Information

• UC Davis Calendars and Important Dates
• Take a moment to review the Registrar's Calendars and put important dates on your personal calendar.
  
  There are important deadlines on the 10th, 12th, 20th, and 25th days of instruction you should become familiar with.
  
  Fee Payment Deadline: the "student fee payment deadline" is relevant for our Undergraduate Students.  As a Graduate Student, please pay attention to the "Graduate Student Final Fee Payment Deadline" each quarter, and make sure you have a zero balance on your account by this later graduate student deadline. For these dates, check out the Graduate Studies Calendar!
• Graduate Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)
• All registered graduate students are eligible for, and automatically enrolled in, the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP); it is included in the quarterly student fees. As long as you are registered and your fees are paid each quarter (whether that be individually or via an academic appointment such as a GSR or Teaching Assistant), you have student health coverage through SHIP. 
  
  For more information on the Student Health Insurance Plan, visit this link. If you plan to continue to carry private insurance, you may submit the 2022-23 SHIP Waiver application online. The deadline to submit the waiver online is September 1 (to be effective in Fall quarter).
• Housing Information Web Sites
• Here are a few housing resources/websites to help you get started.  Most leases in Davis will be for the full academic year, so be sure to do your research before signing a lease.
  • Student Housing Office (Official UC Davis information)
  • Community Housing Listing, operated by Associated Students of UCD. This site is especially helpful if you are interested in renting a room in a larger house.
  • Graduate Studies Resource Page: Lots of links and helpful information here!
  • Graduate Studies student facebook page: This page is managed by Graduate Studies, and invites all incoming students to join. Students frequently post housing info, roommate opportunities, and upcoming vacancies
  • Graduate/Profession Housing Facebook Group: This page is managed by students, and can be tricky to join. See instructions here.
  • Davis Enterprise annual Housing Day insert (not affiliated with UC Davis): Features individual listings and contact information for local rental management companies
  • The California Aggie: The campus student-run newspaper often carries classifieds and ads for housing.
  • Craigslist.org (not affiliated with UC Davis). Some apartments, and room leases will be listed here.
  • Uloop.com (not affiliated with UC Davis). Like craigslist, has individual postings
  • Yelp.com (not affiliated with UC Davis). Includes reviews of apartments near Davis.
  • Note: Always be cautious of scams or misleading information when searching for housing online.
• Academic Calendar
• Please make sure to look at the “Fees and Billing”, “Quarter Dates and Deadlines”, and “Graduate Student Deadlines” calendars, all linked on the left hand side of this page. Take some time to copy these important dates into your personal calendar for the year (especially add/drop deadlines, and the graduate student final fee payment deadline).
• Campus Map and Transportation
• The online Campus Map available via this link.
  Please note that the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering is housed in Ghausi Hall. TAPS is the UC Davis Transportation Services. Parking permits (yes – campus does ticket!), driving, and bicycling information can be found on their website.
  Graduate Studies also has some transportation information as well.
  The UC Davis Bus System is called Unitrans. It has routes throughout Davis, and cost $1.25 for a one ride fare. Discounted passes are available.
• Get a Free Bike Helmet!
• You are in graduate school and investing a lot of time, money, and energy into your brain.  Protect it!  Take a short training and sign a pledge with Helmet Hair Don't Care! and get a FREE helmet