Welcome New Students!
The Department of Plant Sciences houses three majors, Biotechnology (BIT), International Agricultural Development (IAD), and Plant Sciences (PLT). Now that you have completed Aggie 101, you are ready to review the following information in preparation for scheduling your first quarter at UC Davis. This webpage is meant to be a resource for you as you prepare for your first quarter at UC Davis. We invite you to return to this website frequently for any questions that you might have.
Academic Planning
There are many factors involved when academic planning. Factors such as course choice (e.g. placement in gen chem, calculus, CHE 118 or CHE 8), AP credits, restricted electives, minors, professional goals, research, jobs, general education choices, and more will all influence your final schedule.
Freshman in their first quarter should register for their first course of gen chem (depending on placement) and either calculus or BIS 2B. Depending on comfortability, some students may decide to take all three the first quarter, but most typically take two (gen chem and either calculus or BIS 2B). It is important to not overload your first quarter. We recommend 12 – 15 units for your first quarter. Freshman should find balance with a GE, First Year Seminar, and/or Career Discovery Group.
- Information on Chemistry Placement (Chemistry Dept website)
- Information on Math placement (Math Dept website)
- Information on Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR website)
- Foreign Language Placement Exams
Transfer students will have a unique situation regarding transferrable coursework. Your major advisor is reviewing and processing a full evaluation of your coursework as it applies to your major only before your Pass 1 registration. We recommend 12 – 15 units for your first quarter.
- If you’d like to see what courses transfer into UC Davis from your community college, please refer to www.assist.org.
- For more information on IGETC
Experiential Opportunity Quarter At Aggie Square
Plants, People, and the Planet offered for Plant Sciences Scholars for an experiential learning degree experience. Courses can be taken to satisfy Plant Sciences degree requirements. This program combines a community engagement course with a guided internship experience in the greater Sacramento area. UC Davis faculty from a broad range of Departments including Plant Sciences will offer support to guide and enhance the community engagement and internship experience in the Sacramento Region. Students will gain hands-on experience, knowledge, and skills that will empower them to make a positive impact on our global ecosystem.
Preparing for your Advising Appointment
In your advising appointment, you will be meeting with your major advisor. They will help you select courses for your Fall schedule and answer any questions you may have to help prepare you to register in the coming weeks. Once you are here in the Fall, you may then schedule an in-person appointment with either a Peer Advisor or Staff Advisor to create a full academic plan. We will address any questions you may have pertaining to course selection, placement exams, and any Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) scores you may have, or coursework you may have transferred from another institution.