Variable Unit Courses

Earn Variable Units Towards Your Degree!

  • Students can earn "variable" units (1-5 units per quarter) that may go towards the electives requirement for both majors.
  • Only upper division units are counted towards ECI electives for the majors.
  • No more than 6 variable units may be counted towards electives for Civil majors. This may include any combination of 198 or 199 units. Any additional variable units taken will still count towards units for graduation, but will be excluded from the degree.
  • Consult student lead and/or faculty supervisor for number of units appropriate. Generally, the more hours you dedicate, the more units you can earn. Please refer to details on this below.
  • Submit the Variable Unit Form to civiladvising@ucdavis.edu BEFORE the 12th day of instruction to receive a specific CRN number to add to Schedule Builder. Anything submitted after this date will require a special PTA number and a $3.00 late fee.

Download Variable Unit Form HERE

Student Clubs (ECI 198) 

Typically, students earn units for a higher-level of involvement with a club that may include attending competitions, or serving as an officer. Once you decide to commit to a club for the quarter and wish to earn units, follow the step-by-step instructions below. It is recommended to complete this process prior to the start of instruction of the target quarter you wish to receive units. 

  1. Contact the club officer/president or faculty supervisor for commitment expectations to earn units. 
    Number of units vary depending on the club and level of commitment. 
  2. Fill out the Variable Units form. This will require faculty signature. 
  3. Email to civiladvising@ucdavis.edu 
  4. You will be emailed the unique CRN number to register for the units on Schedule Builder.
  5. Double check that you register for the correct number of units
  6. If after the 12th day of instruction: You will be emailed both the CRN number and a PTA number to add the course. 

    See a list of our student clubs here!

Research Involvement (ECI 199)  

Once you have successfully joined a lab or received an offer to work as a research assistant and wish to earn units for it, follow the step-by-step instructions below. It is recommended to complete this process prior to the start of instruction of the target quarter you wish to receive units. 

  1. Contact the faculty supervisor for commitment expectations and hours per week to earn units.
    1 unit = 3 hrs per week (e.g. 4 units of 199 in a given quarter will require 12 hrs of research work per week.) 
  2. Fill out the Variable Units form. This will require faculty signature.
  3. Email to civiladvising@ucdavis.edu
  4. You will be emailed the unique CRN number to register for the units on Schedule Builder.
  5. If after the 12th day of instruction: You will be emailed both the CRN number and a PTA number to add the course. 

    See a list of our research centers here!

Other Variable Units (not for degree credit)

Units for Clubs and Research: Lower Division (ECI 098/099)  

Lower-division students (freshmen/sophomores) can also earn variable units that may go towards minimum progress, but these do NOT count towards any major elective requirements. Only upper division variable units may go towards major requirements. Once a student earns Junior/Senior standing on OASIS, upper-division units may be applied. To earn lower-division ECI 98/99 units, follow the same steps above, but be sure to fill out the forms indicated the lower-division version of the course. 

Units for Internships (ECI 092/192)  

ECI 092/192 units may be earned when a student wants to receive credit for an off-campus internship related to their degree. These units contribute to Minimum Progress requirements and may also be necessary for Curriculum Practical Training (CPT) for international students. Both lower division and upper division units for internships do NOT count towards any major requirements. 

For international students requiring CPT credit, please email CEE staff advisors directly with the following: 

  • Job/internship offer letter including company name, start/end dates, and job duties
  • A brief explanation on how this internship is related to your degree. 

A staff will email you directly with the CRN number to register on Schedule Builder. Internships must be approved and monitored by an assigned faculty member who will oversee your progress on the internship experience. This may involve submitting a final report on a students' learnings from the internship experience in order to receive the 'Pass' grade for ECI 192.