Advising

Earth and Planetary Sciences Undergraduate Academic Advisors

Academic advisors are here to support your academic success in college by helping you reach your academic, career, and personal goals.

Major Express Advising

Major Advising Appointment

College Advising

New starting Winter 2025! Visit express advising with the major advisor for quick questions. Open Monday through Thursday 3:30-4:30pm on Zoom.

Schedule checks
Major requirements and academic policies
Course equivalencies (done by email)
Major degree check
Minors
New student orientation
Getting involved in research
Finding a study abroad program
Referrals to campus resources or other advisors
Unsure where to go next

For more in-depth conversations. Make an appointment to meet with the staff advisor by Zoom, phone, or in-person on the Advising Appointment System, or email your faculty advisor to meet.

2- or 4-year academic plans
Mandatory Advising
Career and graduate school advising
Exploring majors, or changing into a GEL/MCS major
Personal matters
Time off, withdrawal, and readmission
Specific situations
Study skills

Visit the college website to access non-major advising.

General Education requirements
College-wide and University-wide requirements
Academic Difficulty
Readmission
Petitions
General referrals and resources
Study skills

Staff Major Advisor

Meet with your staff major advisor, Mandy Rousseau, to discuss major requirements and resources, set goals, and create individual plans for success. Learn how Mandy can help you succeed in college by reading her academic advising philosophy .

Faculty Advisors

All undergrads are encouraged to meet with their faculty advisor once per year to discuss in-depth major opportunities.

Geology Major. For general inquiries, email geology-advisors@ucdavis.edu.
Marine and Coastal Science Major. Faculty advisors are assigned based upon Focus Area choice, but students may visit any of them for advise. For general inquiries, email mcs-advisors@ucdavis.edu.
- Rachael Bay (focus in Marine Ecology and Organismal Biology, College of Biological Sciences)
- Anne Todgham (focus in Marine Environmental Chemistry and Coastal Environmental Processes, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences)
- Tessa Hill (focus in Oceans and the Earth System, College of Letters and Science)
Minors.
- Geology: Same as Geology major faculty advisors (Paleobiology emphasis: Ryosuke Motani)
- Environmental Geology: Same as Geology major faculty advisors
- Geophysics: Magali Billen
- Oceanography: Tessa Hill

College/BASC advisors

Contact your college or BASC advisor for non-major advising and general resources for success.

Mandatory Advising

Mandatory Advising is designed to help students connect with their advisors regularly. In doing so, students will learn about resources to help them succeed academically and personally, whether they are transitioning into college, managing their curricular and co-curricular schedules, or planning their next steps toward their future professional career. Students will receive proactive academic advice, learn how to become more involved, and build higher-quality relationships with their faculty and staff advisors.

It's also a good opportunity to make sure that you have a complete and detailed Academic Plan on file on OASIS, due to the complexities of planning your major.

College of Letters & Science

Each student in the College of Letters & Science has an annual Mandatory Advising requirement, which is different depending on your year in school. You will get an email when your registration hold is set, with instructions on how to remove that hold by meeting with the appropriate advisor.

First Year Freshmen
- Requirement: See https://lettersandscience.ucdavis.edu/mandatory-advising.
- Timing: Due at the end of Winter Quarter.
First Year Transfer students
- Requirement: Meet with your staff or faculty major advisor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.
- Timing: Your registration hold will be set in early Winter Quarter and will begin to block registration on March 14th.
Second Year students
- Requirement: Meet with your staff or faculty major advisor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.
- Timing: Your registration hold will be set in early Winter Quarter and will begin to block registration on March 14th.
Third Year students
- Requirement: You will automatically receive a Degree Check from your academic advisor in the College of Letters & Science.
Fourth Year (and beyond) students and Second Year (and beyond) Transfer students
- Requirement: Meet with your staff or faculty major advisor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.
- Timing: Your registration hold will be set in early Fall Quarter and will begin to block registration on December 6th.

College of Biological Sciences

Students in the College of Biological Sciences will receive an email about first-year Mandatory Advising with BASC advisors. Transfer students should arrange to meet with the MCS major staff advisor, while first-year students will complete a canvas module.

College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Students in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences do not have a Mandatory Advising requirement, but are encouraged to meet with their major advisor annually.