Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs for Undergraduate Students

General Questions

• What is Senior Design?
• The Senior Design Experience is a large-scale group project taken consecutively in the final Winter and Spring quarters at UC Davis. Under faculty supervision, students are put into groups and lead through the process of brainstorming and designing an engineering project in one area of specialization of their choice. Students have the opportunity to present their project at the end of the year at the Senior Design Showcase, a public event held on campus.
  
  Please not that Senior Design project is just a mechanism to show your professionalism in the following areas: communication, teamwork, writing, critical thinking, responding to feedback, etc. Therefore, doing a different project than your specialization area does not impact your career outcome.
• Are engineering students able to study abroad?
• Yes! The easiest way to fit studying abroad in your schedule is to go during the summer, but going during the school year is also an option. With careful planning, you can enjoy being abroad at the same time as fulfilling your major requirements. Find out about programs that may be of greater interest to Civil Engineering students on our Studying Abroad page. You can also visit the Study Abroad Center for a full list of programs.
• How do I change my major to Civil Engineering or Environmental Engineering?
• Visit our change of major page: Changing Majors | Civil and Environmental Engineering
• How can I look up my engineering GPA? What engineering GPA do I need for graduation?
• Log in to OASIS at students.ucdavis.edu. Then select GPA Charts and Tools -> What If GPA -> By Subject tab. Select all  Engineering courses. Then hover over the Selected GPA. In order to graduate, you must have a 2.0 GPA in Engineering Coursework that was completed at a UC.
• During my annual mandatory advising sessions, an academic plan was approved online. How do I get back to that form?
• Log in to OASIS at students.ucdavis.edu. Then select Forms & Petitions -> Active Forms -> Academic Plan -> View Form.
• I am interested in applying to graduate school. How do I get started?
• General information on the graduate school application process is available through Student Academic Success Center Pre-Graduate Advising. The College of Engineering offers a 1 unit seminar every Winter Quarter titled “Gearing Up for Graduate School.” Admission requirements and application procedures for the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Davis can be found here.

Research and Internships

• I am interested in getting involved with research. How do I start this process?
• You can visit the Undergraduate Research Center for help with finding a research opportunity. It is recommended that you meet with a faculty member whose research interests you. Please see our list of faculty and their research area. Sometimes persistence is needed to receive a position, so be prepared to email a few faculty members and follow-up with them in person.
• Can I receive research or internship credit toward my degree?
• Civil Engineering majors who participate in faculty sponsored group study or undergraduate research may earn ECI variable units to count toward the Civil and Environmental Engineering elective requirement. See more details in the Variable Units Page.
• How can I find out about internship opportunities?
• The Internship & Career Center, located in South Hall, has a great network of internship opportunities, including a job database Aggie Job Link and an engineering and physical science list serve. They also offer workshops on resume building, interviewing skills, finding internships, and much more. Be sure to also participate in the quarterly Internship and Career Fairs where many employers are looking for interns. You will find that that optimum time to do an internship is the summer after your junior year, as most companies seek students that have completed core engineering coursework. You can find a list of some companies and organizations that recruit students from our department here. Use your resources on campus, but also branch out to companies that don’t recruit directly from UC Davis. Networking is the key to finding an internship.

Annual Mandatory Advising

• What is the Annual mandatory advising?
• Annual Advising, Mandatory Advising or Annual Mandatory Advising are interchangeable words across different spaces in the College of Engineering & Engineering departments. This is one component to help students stay on track towards graduation. Every academic year, you will be required to meet with one of the department academic advisors (or follow a specific process) to review progress towards graduation requirements. More details are on the Mandatory Advising Page.
• Why is my Mandatory Advising different than it used to be? Does it change every academic year?
• Yes, the Mandatory Advising process can change from year to year. Each academic year, we will notify you by email when the website is updated with the latest information on how to fulfill the requirement. Please also note that each Engineering department manages its Mandatory Advising process differently.
• Can I meet with a EUO Advisor to satisfy the Mandatory Advising requirement?

• No. While the appointment system gives you access to both "Civil & Environmental Engineering" and the "Undergraduate Engineering Office (EUO)", only appointments with Civil & Environmental Engineering advisors will count toward your Mandatory Advising requirement—if your process requires a meeting with a Major Advisor.

  To understand the different types of advising available, please scroll to the bottom of the Advising & Student Support Page | Civil and Environmental Engineering

• I have advising hold, can I still register for upcoming pass time?
• You need to check when the hold goes into effect, if the hold goes into effect after your pass time you should be able to register for courses. But once it goes into effect you cannot make changes to your schedule in schedule builder until you clear the hold.
• I have met my Mandatory Advising Requirement, but I still have an active advising hold from CEE (or one was placed after meeting the requirement). What should I do?

• First, double-check that the hold is from CEE (Civil and Environmental Engineering) and not from another department.

  If it is a CEE advising hold and you completed your Mandatory Advising Requirement more than 24 hours ago, please email civiladvising@ucdavis.edu to request that the hold be removed.

• Should I wait for a hold goes into effect in OASIS/Schedule Builder before completing the Mandatory Advising steps for my class/admit year?
• No! For the 2025–2026 academic year, a hold will be placed on your account a couple weeks prior to your designated quarter, but the hold may be go effective at different points of the year, but you still need to meet with your Mandatory Advising requirement in your designated quarter.
• I'm planning to change my major to something other than Civil or Environmental Engineering. Do I still need to complete Mandatory Advising?
• You may not need to complete Mandatory Advising. If you meet the following conditions: 
  
  ♦   You have been meeting with your new potential major advisor
  ♦   You have a recently approved academic plan for the new major
  ♦    You have been in good academic standing
  
  If you meet all of the above, you can email us at civiladvising@ucdavis.edu to request removal of your advising hold.
• I missed my designated quarter. What should I do?

• We recommend that you complete the Mandatory Advising steps as soon as possible. If your advising hold has already gone into effect, it will not be removed until you have completed the required steps.

  We strongly encourage you to complete next year’s Mandatory Advising during your designated quarter

• Can I complete my Mandatory Advising earlier than my designated quarter?
• No, you must complete Mandatory Advising during your designated quarter. However, you are always welcome to meet with Peer Advisors or Major Advisors outside of your designated quarter for support and guidance. Please note that these meetings will not fulfill your Mandatory Advising requirement. But if you missed your designated quarter, see the Questions & Answer above.
• I can not find an appointment with the Major Advisor. What can I do?

• Appointments are released regularly on a weekly basis. During your designated advising quarter, more appointment slots typically become available compared to those outside of their assigned quarter.

  Additionally, when a student cancels an appointment more than 24 hours in advance, that slot becomes available to others — so we highly recommend checking the appointment system regularly.

  Please note that appointments can fill up quickly, especially during peak times such as during pass time periods or the beginning and end of the quarter. We kindly ask that you remain flexible and continue checking for openings.

Course Registration and Degree Requirements

• Can I receive a PTA number to register for a course?
• Please see our Enrollment & PTA Policies page to view more information about receiving PTA numbers. For courses not offered by our department (our department courses include ECI courses, ENG 35, and ENG 104/104L), you must contact the department that offers the course. For example, if you need a PTA for MAT 21A, you should reach out to the Mathematics Department.
• What are my chances of getting into a class from the wait list?
• Your chance of getting into a class from the wait list depends on what number you are on the wait list and how many students choose to drop the class. If you are still on the wait list the first day of class, you should attend lecture and get an idea of whether you will be able to enroll in the class. Please enroll in alternate open courses in case you cannot get into a class. You can drop these alternate courses once you have been admitted to the course from the wait list.
• Can I take a course if I do not have the prerequisites?
• Engineering is a discipline that requires mastery of prerequisite coursework to be successful in more advanced curriculum, so prerequisites are enforced in all College of Engineering courses.  If you enroll in a course without having completed the prerequisites, the instructor is authorized to drop you. Any student who re-adds a course after being dropped by the instructor may be referred to Student Judicial Affairs.
• I am currently taking the prerequisite for a course that I just registered for next quarter. Will I be dropped?
• No, if you are enrolled in the prerequisite course, and you receive the required prerequisite grade in the course, you will not be dropped.
• Can I take a course as Pass/No Pass?
• Students in the College of Engineering may not take courses as Pass/No Pass (P/NP) if the coursework will be used for major requirements. Additionally, no courses offered in the College of Engineering can be taken as P/NP, check out the policy and the P/NP Eligibility Tool by the college.
• How can I drop a course after the drop deadline?
• You may petition for a late drop if you can fully document that unforeseen circumstances beyond your control have affected your academic performance. Late drops will not be approved for poor academic performance, academic difficulties, change of interest in a course, or lack of midterm results. Please meet with a College of Engineering Academic Advisor to get more information: Academic Advising | College of Engineering (ucdavis.edu).
• Can I repeat a course more than once?
• You are allowed to repeat a course one time for credit in which you received a D+, D, D-, or F. If you wish to repeat a course for a second time you must submit a Petition for Multiple Repeat of a Course. If your petition is approved, you will be allowed to repeat the course another time. If you are unsure whether you should repeat a course for a second time, please consult with your program advisor.
• I took a course at community college/another institution over the summer and need to transfer the credit. How do I do that?
• For courses taken at another UC transfer automatically if you enrolled through Open Campus or UC Online. For other, college or institution, you can send it electronically or contact them and request that your official transcript is sent via mail, more information here: Transcripts and Test Scores | UC Davis
  
  Be sure that your final grade is posted to your record before ordering the transcript.
• What class should I take to fulfill the Upper Division English Composition requirement?
• There are six UWP classes that you can choose from to fulfill the Upper Division English Composition requirement, each of which focuses on a different type of writing. The class UWP 101 is general advanced composition, the classes in the UWP 102 series focus on writing done in specific academic disciplines, and the classes in the UWP 104 series focus on writing done in distinct professions. These six classes are listed below and linked to their expanded course descriptions:
  
  ♦   UWP 101 – Advanced Composition
  ♦   UWP 102E – Writing in the Disciplines: Engineering
  ♦   UWP 102G – Writing in the Disciplines: Environmental Writing
  ♦   UWP 104A – Writing in the Professions: Business Writing
  ♦   UWP 104E – Writing in the Professions: Science
  ♦   UWP 104T – Writing in the Professions: Technical Writing
• Can I take a test instead of a class to fulfill the Upper Division English Composition Requirement?
• If you pass the Upper Division Composition Exam, you do not have to take a course in Upper Division Composition. However, it is strongly recommended that you take the course because it gives you valuable skills and experience that you will not receive from taking the exam. Also, the pass rate from the exam is usually below 50%. The exam is given the 4th Saturday of each quarter, and you have no more than 2 chances to pass the exam.

Exams, Accreditation and the Profession

• What is the FE? What is an EIT?
• The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is a computer based test designed for recent graduates and students who are close to finishing an undergraduate engineering degree. Those who pass the FE may apply for Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certification through the State of California. Certification as an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) is the first step required under California law towards becoming a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) (see below). For more information, please visit: https://www.bpelsg.ca.gov/applicants/index.shtml and https://ncees.org/engineering/fe/
• What is a PE?

• A Professional Engineer (PE) is someone who has obtained a license to practice engineering from their state’s licensure board. Professional licensure protects the public by enforcing the standards of engineers. Becoming a licensed Professional Engineer can sometimes allow you to rise to management positions more quickly or earn a higher salary than your colleagues. There are several steps to becoming a PE, including earning EIT certification and passing the national Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam, passing any state-specific exams, and obtaining state-specific qualifying experience.

  For more information, please visit: http://www.nspe.org/resources/licensure/what-pe

• What types of companies and organizations hire graduates from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering?
• You can find a list of some companies and organizations that recruit students from our department here. You may be able to find internship and job opportunities by contacting these organizations directly. Additional data on what Civil Engineering students can do are posted on the Internship and Career Center website.
• Does UC Davis have an architecture program?
• UC Davis does not currently have an undergraduate program in general architecture. However, the university does offer three architecture-related majors: Landscape Architecture (LDA), Sustainable Environmental Design (SED), and Art History (AHI) with an emphasis in Architectural History. Read more.
• I am interested in architecture. What are my options since UC Davis doesn’t have a program?
• Do not fret! You can finish your undergraduate program here at Davis and continue onto a Master’s program in architecture. You do not need to necessarily take LDA, SED, or AHI at Davis; graduate programs see people apply from many different disciplines. Take the quick quiz to find a good graduate program for you. That website is also a great portal to help you explore the different architecture schools and programs around the country.