Changing Majors

Changing Majors and Double Majors

Important Information on Major Changes

All students must meet the minimum GPA requirements to change into CS/CSE. No exceptions!

The Computer Science program is impacted, meaning that there are more students in our majors, minors, or who want to take our classes than there are spaces available. This makes it harder to get classes and transfer into our department than in non-impacted majors. We, therefore, encourage you to use the Internship and Career Center for exploring interests, majors, and career areas to make an informed decision about the major that is right for you, so you can create an interdisciplinary skill set for your future endeavors. Pursuing a CS major will likely result in an extended time to degree, so pursuing a non-impacted major may be a better option for you.

Change of Major Advising Sessions are only for students outside of the CS/CSE majors interested in changing majors into CS/CSE or adding a double major or minor in CS. If you are a currently declared CS/CSE student, please schedule an appointment to discuss the process for you to switch. 

The advising sessions will cover the requirements to be eligible to change majors/double major and minor, frequently asked questions, and will provide time for students to ask questions to the advisors. Advising sessions are open to current UC Davis students only. You must be logged in to your UC Davis Zoom account to register.

Other Majors for CS Field:
- Cognitive Science
- Data Science
- Statistics
- Applied Mathematics
- Applied Physics
- Biotechnology
- other majors in College of Engineering
 

  • Advising Sessions
  • Change of Major Advising Sessions are only for students outside of the CS/CSE majors interested in changing majors into CS/CSE or adding a double major or minor in CS. If you are a currently declared CS/CSE student, please schedule an appointment to discuss the process for you to switch. 

    You need to sign into your UC Davis Zoom account first, and then register for the session. If you are signed into another Zoom account on your computer, it will not let you register. You can find steps to log into your UC Davis account on the UC Davis Service Hub if needed.

    Friday, January 17th, 9:00am - 9:45am; Zoom Registration
    Friday, February 14th, 9:00am - 9:45am; Zoom Registration
    Friday, March 14th, 9:00am - 9:45am; Zoom Registration
     
  •  Computer Science Change of Major/Double Major

  • In order to be eligible to change to the Computer Science major, all students must meet the following requirements*:

    1. Complete the following courses with a C- or higher and a 3.0 cumulative GPA:
        - MAT 21A
        - MAT 21B
        - ECS 20
        - Choose one option:
           - (a) ECS 32A and ECS 32B and ECS 32C (offered in fall quarters) and ECS 34 (offered in winter quarters)
           - (b) ECS 36A and  ECS 36B and ECS 36C - not open to non-majors
    2. Have an overall UC GPA of 3.0
    3. Have a GPA of 2.0 or better in all other completed MAT, PHY, BIS, and CHE courses required for your intended major, and have received a C- or better in each of these courses
    4. Be a registered student and have completed at least one quarter (minimum of 12 units) at UC Davis
    5. Have completed no more than 135 cumulative units (excluding AP/IB/A-Level units)
          - students who have completed more than 135 units will be considered on a petition basis only
    6. Be in good academic standing and meet minimum progress requirements
    7. Have received a letter grade for all courses that satisfy Engineering degree requirements (no P/NP allowed)
    8. Have no grade lower than a C- in any completed engineering course required for your intended major(s) taken at UC Davis
    9. Have at least a  2.0 UC GPA in all completed engineering courses.
         - Engineering courses are any courses taught by ENG, ECS, MAE, EEC, EAE, EBS, BIM, ECH, ECM, ECI, EMS, EME

    Transfers: must meet transfer admissions requirements in addition to the requirements listed above.

    Double Major Not Allowed:
    - Data Science 
    - Computer Science & Engineering
    - pending final decision: Electrical Engineering (double major requests will not be reviewed at this time)
    - pending final decision: Computer Engineering (double major requests will not be reviewed at this time)

    CS Change of Major Checklist

    *Change of major requirements are subject to change at any time and you must meet the change of major requirements in effect at the time you submit your change of major form on OASIS.
     

  • Computer Science and Engineering Change of Major/Double Major
  • In order to be eligible to change to/add the Computer Science & Engineering major, all students must meet the following requirements*:

    1. Complete the following courses with a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher:
         - MAT 21A
         - MAT 21B
         - MAT 21C
         - PHY 9A
         - CHE 2A or CHE 4A
         - ECS 20
        - Choose one option:
           - (a) ECS 32A and ECS 32B and ECS 32C (offered in fall quarters) and ECS 34 (offered in winter quarters)
           - (b) ECS 36A and  ECS 36B and ECS 36C - not open to non-majors
    2. Have an overall UC GPA of 3.0
    3. Have a GPA of 2.0 or better in all other completed MAT, PHY, and CHE courses required for your intended major, and have received a C- or better in each of these courses
    4. Be a registered student and have completed at least one quarter (minimum of 12 units) at UC Davis
    5. Have completed no more than 135 cumulative units (excluding AP/IB/A-Level units)
          - students who have completed more than 135 units will be considered on a petition basis only
    6. Be in good academic standing and meet minimum progress requirements
    7. Have received a letter grade for all courses that satisfy Engineering degree requirements (no P/NP allowed)
    8. Have no grade lower than a C- in any completed engineering course required for your intended major(s) taken at UC Davis
    9. Have at least a  2.0 UC GPA in all completed engineering courses.
         - Engineering courses are any courses taught by ENG, ECS, MAE, EEC, EAE, EBS, BIM, ECH, ECM, ECI, EMS, EME

    Transfers: must meet transfer admissions requirements in addition to the requirements listed above.

    Double Majors Not Allowed:
    - Data Science 
    - Computer Engineering 
    - Electrical Engineering 
    - Computer Science

    CSE Change of Major Checklist

    *Change of major requirements are subject to change and you must meet the change of major requirements in effect at the time you submit your change of major form on OASIS.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can I change to the CS or CSE major or double major without a 3.0 GPA?
  • No. All students must meet the minimum GPA requirements in order to change to CS/CSE. No exceptions.
  • Can I take the requirements to change my major or add a double major as P/NP?
  •  No, CoE does not allow P/NP grading for any major courses. As of July 2023, both CS and CSE majors are housed under CoE. 
  • I am trying to register for the Change of Major/Minor Advising Session over zoom and keep getting this error "This meeting is for authorized registrants only. Please enter another email address."

  • You need to sign into your UC Davis Zoom account first, and then register for the session. If you are signed into another Zoom account on your computer, it will not let you register.

    You can find steps to log into your UC Davis account here if needed.

  • Can I take prerequisite requirements at another institution?
  • Yes, you can take prerequisite requirements at California Community Colleges. Please use assist.org to make sure your courses are transferrable back to UC Davis. You must obtain approval from your college dean's office if you want to take courses simultaneously at a community college while you are taking courses at UCD during the fall, winter, and/or spring quarters. Keep in mind, a simultaneous enrollment petition may be denied by the college for students trying to take courses towards another major. You do not need permission for summer quarter.

    We do not recommend taking the introductory programming series at a Community College as you will not be well prepared for the upper division CS courses. Students who complete the 32/34 series here are better prepared and are more successful when they reach the upper division CS courses.
  • How long does it take to change majors or add a double major?
  • Starting from a blank slate, 5 quarters on average. 
  • If I am looking to change my major or double major, do I get pass one registration access?
  • No! Until you are officially in the CS/CSE major, you will NOT get pass one registration access and you are NOT eligible for PTA's. 
  • If a course has pass one and pass two restrictions for CS/CSE majors only, can I enroll during schedule adjustment?
  • No. The pass restrictions are not listed during schedule adjustment. If a course has pass one and two restrictions for CS/CSE majors only, then you cannot take the course. The department will not issue PTAs even if there are open seats.
  • Is it hard to get into CS classes?
  • Yes, we have many types of students taking CS/CSE courses; major, non-majors, minors, and change of major students. This results in impacted classes and long waitlists. This is why you have to be flexible and patient when pursuing a change of major into CS/CSE. Please be warned that changing your major to CS/CSE can cause an extended time to degree. 
  • Why are ECS courses so hard to get into?
  • The CS department is severely impacted. Every quarter we offer as many courses as possible based on the resources we have available, but unfortunately, we do not have enough resources to accommodate the demand for ECS courses. 
  • What do I do if I took MAT 16/17/19 courses instead of MAT 21AB?
  • Refer to the MAT department Transfer Flow Chart for information on how to change into the MAT 21 series.
    -If you completed MAT 16ABC with a C- or better, we will substitute those three courses for MAT 21AB

    -If you completed MAT 17AB with a B or better, we will substitute those two courses for MAT 21AB
    -If you earned a C in MAT 17A and 17B, you will also have to take 17C to substitute for MAT 21AB

    -If you completed MAT 19AB with a B or better, we will substitute those two courses for MAT 21AB
    -If you earned a C in MAT 19A and 19B, you will also have to take 19C to substitute for MAT 21AB
  • Can I schedule an appointment with a CS advisor if I'm interested in changing to or double majoring in CS or CSE?
  • No, we are unable to see non-major students in appointments or virtual drop-ins due to the large number of students currently in our program. However, you can sign up for our change of major advising sessions under "Advising Sessions" on this webpage. 
  • Can I switch between the 32/34 and 36 series?
  • No, once you complete the B course in a series (for example ECS 32B), you must finish that series. Due to credit limitations, you will not earn units for the other series and they will not count towards the change of major or major requirements for CS/CSE.
  • What is the recommended order for my major courses?
  • When planning out what order to take your courses in, you need to be mindful of the prerequisites for each course. Some courses have multiple quarters of prerequisites that you have to follow. The best way to identify course prerequisites is to use the major checklists or UCD Catalog. The order you take your classes in can look different than other students in the same major. 

    Tips for creating an academic plan:
    1. Start with courses that are prerequisites to other major courses (for example, the ECS 32/34 series)
    2. If you aren't eligible to take a course that is a prerequisite to something you'll need later, then look for courses that don't have prerequisites
    3. Fill in your schedule with GE, minor, or other non-major electives to give yourself a balanced schedule

    You can also review our sample schedules for an idea on how to order your courses, but remember there are many variations of schedules that you can create.
  • May I enroll in an ECS course even though I have not completed the prerequisite?
  • No. It is essential that you’ve completed the stated prerequisite for a given ECS course before attempting the course. Departments have the authority to restrict enrollment to students who have completed the prerequisites. If you haven’t satisfied the prerequisite, you will be dropped from the class. Re-adding a class after you have been dropped may be reported to Student Judicial Affairs.
  • Can I double major in CS/CSE and Data Science?
  • No.  It is not possible to be a double major in CS/CSE and Data Science.