Information for Prospective CS Students
Thank you for your interest in the Department of Computer Science at UC Davis! Here are answers to frequent questions about our department, its people and our undergraduate program.
- Where can I find information about admission to UC Davis?
- The CS Department is not directly involved with the first year or transfer admission process. Our departmen chair, faculty, and staff do not have a say in who is admitted or waitlisted to our undergraduate program. We do not meet with prospective students or families about admissions. For information on how to apply or transfer to the university or concerns about your admission status, please contact the University Admissions office directly through their pages: First Year Admissions, Transfer Admissions, and International Admissions.
- If I am admitted to UC Davis under a different major, can I switch my major to Computer Science or Computer Science and Engineering?
It is very difficult to switch to Computer Science or Computer Science & Engineering if you are admitted under a different major, however, it may be possible. Please keep in mind, 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. The requirements to change into the major continue to get stricter as the interest and demand for the program grows. We, therefore, encourage you to explore 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.
If you are accepted to other universities for a CS program, it may be in your best interest to pursue one of those programs instead as there is no guarantee you will be able to change into a CS major here.
Other Majors for CS Field:
- Cognitive Science
- Data Science
- Statistics
- Applied Mathematics
- Applied Physics
- Biotechnology
- other majors in College of EngineeringPlease see the Changing Majors and Double Majors page for the requirements to change majors.
- What is the difference between the Computer Science (CS) and Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) majors?
- Actually, the two majors are almost identical in terms of computer science core material, including digital circuits. The difference between the two curricula is that CSE also covers microprocessors, analog circuits and electronics, while CS offers greater flexibility via large numbers of free electives. An important advantage of CSE is that the student sees the entire machine, from top to bottom, insight that is highly beneficial in developing software for today's high-performance applications. On the other hand, CS is attractive in that it facilitates supplementary study in another field as a minor or even as a double major. Graduates of the two curricula tend to go into the same kinds of jobs, or focus on the same research fields if they attend graduate school. In either case, success stems overwhelmingly from the depth of insight gained in school, rather than the specific major.
- I’m coming to campus. Can I meet with a Professor, advisor, take a tour, etc?
- Our professors and advisors do not meet with prospective students or their families. The College of Engineering offers tours with an Engineering Ambassador, who is a current student, and virtual “Ask An Aggie Engineer” Q&A sessions. You can register for the tours and Ask An Aggie Engineer sessions through College of Engineering Visit Us. You can arrange general campus tours and learn about admissions events at UC Davis through Visit UC Davis and Undergraduate Admission Events.
- Where can I find out more information?
- All information about the department, major programs, minors, degree requirements, and more can be found on the website for the Computer Science Department, College of Engineering, and UC Davis. In particular, our Computer Science Majors page may be useful in determining if majoring in Computer Science is right for you.