University Degree Requirements

Students are responsible for seeing that all of their degree requirements are fulfilled.

To earn a Bachelor's Degree, all students must fulfill the following requirements:

University Degree Requirements

For older Bachelor’s Degree Requirements, see Bachelor’s Degree Requirements Archive.

Academic Senate Regulation; Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees

Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees

521. University of California Entry Level Writing Requirement (En. 6/1/2006)

A. The University of California Entry Level Writing Requirement is a reading and writing proficiency requirement governed by Academic Senate Regulation 636 and this Divisional Regulation. (En. 6/1/2006, Am. 9/1/2018)

B. Prior to enrollment at the University of California, each student may satisfy the University of California Entry Level Writing Requirement as specified by Academic Senate Regulation 636. (En. 6/1/2006, Am. 9/1/2018)

C. A student who has not satisfied the University of California Entry Level Writing Requirement prior to enrollment in the University of California, Davis must satisfy the requirement either (En. 6/1/2006)

1. by passing the University of California Analytical Writing Placement Exam administered Systemwide or on the Davis campus, or (En. 6/1/2006)

2. by passing, with a grade of at least C or above, one of the Entry Level Writing Requirement courses certified by the Committee on Preparatory Education and Undergraduate Council. A student who receives a final grade of C- or below has not fulfilled the University of California Entry Level Writing Requirement and may repeat the course(s). The list of certified courses will be maintained by the Committee on Preparatory Education and publicized by the Director of Entry Level Writing. (En. 6/1/2006, Am. 9/1/2018)

3. For spring quarter 2020, summer session(s) 2020, fall quarter 2020, winter quarter 2021, spring quarter 2021, summer session(s) 2021, and fall 2021 a student can satisfy the University Entry Level Writing Requirement by passing, with a grade of Passed or at least C-, one of the Entry Level Writing Requirement courses certified by the Committee on Preparatory Education and Undergraduate Council. The list of certified courses will be maintained by the Committee on Preparatory Education and publicized by the Director of Entry Level Writing. (En. 9/1/2020, Am. 9/1/2021, 9/1/2022)

D. If a student is identified as an English language learner (ESL) on the University of California Analytic Writing Placement Exam, or through a placement exam on the Davis campus as determined by the Director for Entry Level Writing, the student will be placed into the ESL pathway for Entry Level Writing. The procedure for the ESL pathway will be maintained by the Committee on Preparatory Education and publicized by the Director of Entry Level Writing and the Director of ESL. (En. 6/1/2006, Am. 9/1/2018)

E. In accordance with Academic Senate Regulation 636.D, students placed into the ESL pathway will have three quarters plus one quarter for each required ESL course to meet the requirement. Other students must satisfy the University of California Entry Level Writing Requirement as early as possible during the first year in residence at the University of California. A student who has not done so within the prescribed timeframe will not be eligible to enroll for additional quarters unless the student has been granted an extension by the Committee on Preparatory Education. The Committee on Preparatory Education may delegate the authority to grant such extensions to that student’s college Dean, or adviser as authorized by the Dean. In the case of such delegation, the Dean shall submit an annual report to the Committee on Preparatory Education. (En. 6/1/2006, Am. 9/1/2016, 9/1/2018)

522. Baccalaureate Degree Requirement in General Education.

(A) Each candidate for a baccalaureate degree shall satisfy a General Education requirement comprising two components: Topical Breadth and Core Literacies. (Am. 6/6/2008)

1. The Topical Breadth component shall be separated into three subject matter areas: Arts and Humanities; Science and Engineering; and Social Sciences. (Am. 6/6/2008)

2. The Core Literacies component shall have four parts: Literacy with Words and Images; Civic and Cultural Literacy; Quantitative Literacy; and Scientific Literacy. (En. 6/6/2008)

(B) The Topical Breadth component shall be satisfied by passing between 12 and 20 units of courses in each subject matter area, for a total of 52 units from all three areas. (En. 6/6/2008)

(C) The Core Literacies component shall be satisfied by passing at least the specified number of units of coursework in the following four parts: (En. 6/6/2008)

(1) Literacy with Words and Images shall be satisfied with: (En. 6/6/2008)

    • 8 units or the equivalent of English Composition coursework (as specified by the candidate’s college); (En. 6/6/2008)
    • 6 units of designated writing experience coursework in the candidate’s major or elsewhere; (En. 6/6/2008)
    • 3 units of additional designated coursework in either oral skills or writing experience; and (En. 6/6/2008)
    • 3 units of designated coursework in visual literacy. (En. 6/6/2008)

(2) Civic and Cultural Literacy shall be satisfied with (En. 6/6/2008)

    • 3 units of designated coursework in American cultures, governance and history (En. 6/6/2008, Am. 9/1/2017)
    • 3 units of designated coursework in domestic diversity (En. 9/1/2017)
    • 3 units of designated coursework in world cultures. (En. 6/6/2008

(3) Quantitative Literacy shall be satisfied with 3 units of designated coursework in quantitative literacy. (En. 6/6/2008)

(4) Scientific Literacy shall be satisfied with 3 units of designated coursework in scientific literacy. (En. 6/6/2008)

(D) In satisfying the General Education requirement: (Am. 6/6/2008)

(1) Course units that satisfy requirements in the candidate’s major or majors may also be counted toward satisfaction of General Education requirements.

(2) While some courses may be certified in more than one of the three subject matter areas for Topical Breadth, no student may count a given course in more than one subject matter area. (En. 6/6/2008)

(3) No course may be counted by a student toward the satisfaction of more than one of the four Core Literacies. (En. 6/6/2008)

(4) With the exception of the 8 units of designated English Composition coursework, a course offered toward the satisfaction of the Core Literacies component may also be offered in satisfaction of the Topical Breadth component. (En. 6/6/2008)

(5) No course passed prior to satisfaction of the Entry Level Writing Requirement shall be offered toward satisfaction of the General Education requirements for writing experience coursework. (Am. 6/6/2008)

(6) Candidates may not present Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate credit in satisfaction of General Education requirements, except insofar as it may be applied to the English Composition component of the Literacy with Words and Images requirement. (En. 6/6/2008, Am. 6/3/2011)

(7) Students who have successfully completed the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) are exempt from all General Education requirements that may be met with lower-division courses. (Am. 6/6/2008, 6/3/2011, 9/1/2024)

(8) Students transferring to UC Davis who have not completed the IGETC or Cal-GETC curriculum shall satisfy all General Education requirements as specified by this Regulation, but may offer previously completed coursework toward their satisfaction. (Am. 6/6/2008, 6/3/2011, 9/1/2024)

(9) The Committee on Courses of Instruction has authority to delegate and to rescind prior delegation to the Deans of the undergraduate colleges the authority to determine the suitability of non-UC Davis courses presented by new and continuing undergraduate students in satisfaction of General Education requirements. (En. 6/3/2011)

(10) Subject to the limits otherwise applicable, candidates may elect Passed/Not Passed grading for courses fulfilling General Education requirements. (En. 6/6/2008)

523. Criteria for General Education Certification. (Am. 6/6/2008)

(A) Any undergraduate course carrying credit toward graduation is eligible for assignment to a Topical Breadth area if it takes a critical, analytical perspective on knowledge, considering how knowledge has been acquired, and the assumptions, theories, or paradigms that guide its interpretation. Where appropriate, a course may be assigned to more than one Topical Breadth area, and most courses are expected to be assigned to one or more areas. (Am. 6/6/2008)

(B) The criteria for the English Composition requirement shall be specified by the several undergraduate colleges, subject only to the condition that no fewer than 8 units or the equivalent shall be required. (En. 6/6/2008)

(C) The Committee on General Education’s criteria governing certification of courses for the Core Literacies component of General Education shall be consonant with the following: (En. 6/6/2008)

1. A course providing Writing Experience promotes the student’s ability to think clearly and communicate effectively about the course material through guided writing assignments completed in stages. Guidance may take the form of class discussions, peer feedback, individual or small group conferences, or written (including online) feedback. Students must be given feedback designed to promote improvement in writing in the course. Feedback may occur in the context of one or more successive, refined submissions of a single assignment, or over a series of multiple assignments. Students receive the current version of the handout on plagiarism from Student Judicial Affairs. Grading criteria are articulated in advance of the due date. The writing is evaluated for content, clarity, organization, and logic. A 1 unit course requires a minimum of 5 pages of writing; a course of 2 or more units requires a minimum of 10 pages, possibly in a series of staged tasks or shorter assignments. Approval may be sought for shorter assignments that total fewer than 5 or 10 pages when they are appropriate and clearly justified. (En. 6/6/2008)

2. A course in Oral Skills strengthens a student’s ability to understand and orally communicate ideas while using critical thinking. (En. 6/6/2008)

3. A course in Visual Literacy improves a student’s ability to understand ideas presented visually and to communicate knowledge and ideas by visual means. (En. 6/6/2008)

4. A course in American Cultures, Governance and History provides an understanding of the historical processes, institutional structures, and core analytic skills necessary to think critically about the nature of citizenship, government and social relations in the United States. (En. 6/6/2008)

5. A course in Domestic Diversity provides an understanding of issues such as race, ethnicity, social class, gender, sexuality, and religion within the United States, and develops the student’s ability to think critically about diverse socio-cultural perspectives. (En. 6/6/2008)

6. A course in World Cultures combines the historical and social context with the core analytic skills necessary to understand and adopt a critical perspective on society, politics and/or culture in one or more cultures outside the United States. (En. 6/6/2008)

7. A course in Quantitative Literacy develops a student’s ability to reason quantitatively and to evaluate quantitative arguments encountered in everyday life. (En. 6/6/2008)

8. A course in Scientific Literacy instructs students in the fundamental ways scientists use experimentation and analysis to approach problems and generate new knowledge, and presents the ways scientific findings relate to other disciplines and to public policy. (En. 6/6/2008)

(D) In extraordinary circumstances, for example, for majors subject to external accreditation, the General Education Committee may certify that the fulfillment of the major requirements meets specified parts of the General Education requirement. The major requirements must include courses that fulfill the objectives of the relevant parts of the General Education requirement. (En. 6/6/2008)