"Earth and Planetary Sciences" text placed on top of a decorative photo collage of the five main UC Davis EPS research disciplines.

Geology Orientation

Earth and Physical Sciences Building

For New Students

Welcome new Aggies! Here you will find information for preparing to register for Fall classes. Please read it carefully, and feel free to contact your major advisor with any questions. 

The first step to orienting yourself to UC Davis is to complete Aggie 101 and the Aggie Advising Canvas course online. Once you have done that, use this page to learn the basics about your major. You will get a chance to review this information in a Webinar and one-on-one appointment with your major advisor before you register for Fall classes. In addition, you will learn more about your major requirements and opportunities during Aggie Orientation in September, and through events early in Fall Quarter.

Aggie 101

In addition to completing Aggie 101, read on to learn more about the resources available to you in the Geology community. 

Welcome to UC Davis Geology!

The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences is thrilled to have you join our community. You have a lot of great resources for success to take advantage of as a Geology major. Some of these include:

  • Getting involved – there are three Geology-related clubs you can join, as well as many other ways to get involved in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. These clubs give students an opportunity to meet other Geology students, be mentored by older students and graduate students, develop professional skills, and have fun!
  • Do undergraduate research – students have unique opportunies to get highly involved in research in this collaborative, creative department. 
  • Take part in internships – many of our students work in nearby Sacramento, gaining skills for the workplace. The CalTeach/MAST program connects future teachers with classroom experience. 
  • Study abroad – gain global experience while working on major or general education coursework.
  • Prepare for careers or graduate school.
  • Scholarships – including merit-based or need-based scholarships, and support for research projects and fieldwork.
  • Engage with faculty and advisors to support you and your individual goals.
  • Find your community and support system through UC Davis’ many student resources for success in college.

Aggie Advising

Preparing for Fall Quarter course registration
First-Year students | Transfer Students

First-Year students | Preparing for Fall Quarter course registration

The Geology major starts with basic science preparatory courses for the first two years: Math, Chemistry, Physics, Statistics, and Geology. It is recommended to start with Math and Chemistry.

Creating your First Quarter Schedule:

1. Your top priority is completing the Entry-Level Writing Requirement if you haven’t yet.

2. Choose 1-2 major classes from these options: 

  • Math
    • Major requirement: MAT 16A or 17A or 19A or 21A. MAT 17A is recommended. 
    • Complete the Math Placement Requirement during the open testing window online.
    • If you have not yet placed into one of these classes, speak with your major advisor about which math class is most appropriate for you.
    • If you placed in a higher numbered course and want to take a lower numbered course, you may. Choose the course that best fits with your intended major.
    • You can take or retake the Math Placement Exam in September, and in the mean time register for the course you think you will place into. 
    • If you have AP or IB credit for a calculus class, it’s still recommended that you start at the “A” level. 
  • Chemistry
    • Major requirement: CHE 2A or 4A. CHE 2A is recommended. 
    • Complete the Chemistry Placement Requirement during the open testing window online.
    • If you have not yet placed into CHE 2A, speak with your major advisor about which chemistry preparation option is most appropriate for you.
      • CHE 1 or 1V: 3-unit course to prepare you for UC Davis Chemistry. Offered Summer Session 2 and Fall. Passing this class with a C- or Pass or better makes you eligible to take CHE 2A or 4A, no matter your placement exam score.
      • ALEKS program: Summer online chemistry preparation. If choosing this option, go ahead and register for Fall’s CHE 2A now. You will retake the Chemistry Placement test in September after completing ALEKS online
    • You can take or retake the Chemistry Placement Exam in September, and in the mean time register for the course you think you will place into. 
    • If you have AP or IB credit for a Chemistry class, it’s still recommended that you start at the “A” level. 

3. Add nnon-major class(es) to get you to 12-15 units total

Reminders:

  • Only take 12-15 units for now, with a total of 1-2 major (STEM) classes
  • Only take lower division courses for now (#1-99)
  • Prioritize your Entry-Level Writing course if it’s required. Do not take “WE” general education until you have satisfied ELWR.
  • Only take non-science General Education classes
  • Don’t take courses you already have AP, IB, or transfer credit for (unless marked as “duplicate credit allowed”)
  • If you can only get into 1 or even no major classes, that’s fine. Everything will count for something useful towards graduation at this point. 
  • Create backup schedules on Schedule Builder for a smoother registration process.
  • Feel free to make an advising appointment with your Major advisor to check your Fall Quarter schedule and talk about your requirements and resources for academic success.

Planning your Geology Major: 4-year GEL Sample Academic Plans

Transfer students | Preparing for Fall Quarter course registration

 1. Check your transfer coursework on assist.org. Once it is received and processed by UC Davis, it will also show up on OASIS, along with the equivalent UC Davis course.

  • If you have non-California Community College credit, contact equivalent departments at UC Davis to get courses articulated. Your major advisor can help you with this process. 
  • Do not take any classes at UC Davis that you already have transfer credit for.

2. Determine what preparatory science coursework you have left to complete. Those classes are the priority for Fall. Take 2-3 major classes and fill in with non-major classes. 

3. If you are done with preparatory science coursework, follow the sample academic plan for transfer students on the Planning your Geology Major webpage.

  • Your top priority is GEL 60

4. Final course schedules should have 2-4 major classes, then fill in with non-major classes for a total of 12-15 units. Filler options:

 Reminders:

  • Only take 12-15 units for now, with a total of 2-4 major (STEM) classes
  • Don’t take courses you already have AP, IB, or transfer credit for (unless marked as “duplicate credit allowed”)
  • Create backup schedules on Schedule Builder for a smoother registration process. 
  • Feel free to make an advising appointment with your Major advisor to check your Fall Quarter schedule and talk about your requirements and resources for academic success.

Planning your Geology Major: 2-year Sample Academic Plans

Geology Major Webinar

Review the information above in a webinar this summer. You will get a chance to meet your major advisor, learn about resources for success in your major, get a basic introduction to your major requirements, and learn how to plan your Fall quarter schedule.

Meeting with an advisor

After you have done Aggie 101, the canvas pages, and attended or viewed the major webinar, feel free to connect with an advisor to answer your questions or do a brief Fall schedule check. 

You can connect with a college advisor to ask about university-level or college-level requirements like ELWR, the College English Composition requirement, GEs, or IGETC. You can connect with a major advisor to ask about major-required classes and resources for success in your major. 

Feel free to email or make an advising appointment.

Registering for Classes

Aggie 101 taught you how to register for classes and find your registration time, and canvas taught you what to register for. Again, be sure to reate your schedule ahead of your registration pass time. If you have any questions during your registration pass time, your college will let you know how to reach them for help, or you can email your major advisor at mlrousseau@ucdavis.edu. Emails to the major advisor will be answered starting 30 minutes after summer registration times open to allow you time to troubleshoot on your own.

Aggie Orientation

Watch for information from the UC Davis Orientation program regarding online Orientation between move-in and the start of Fall Quarter.

  • Geology First-Year Students Major Advising session: September 20, 2024. Time and location TBD. Check your Aggie Orientation Canvas page later in the summer for the details. 
  • Geology Transfer Students Major Advising session: September 18, 2024. Time and location TBD. Check your Aggie Orientation Canvas page later in the summer for the details.

And save the date for September 27th, 2024 from 12:10-1pm in 1348 Earth and Physical Sciences for the First Friday Lunch Talk and faculty introductions for a chance to meet faculty and other students in your major.