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New Graduate Student Information

New Student Checklist

Welcome to CEE! Review the important steps, deadlines and resources you need to prepare for your first quarter, from completing your enrollment requirements and setting up your accounts to accessing campus services and student support.

New Student Set Up

  • Submitting your SIR (Statement of Intent to Register)

  • We ask you SIR as soon as possible (whether you are attending UC Davis or not) so that we can plan accordingly and you can complete all the steps to start here in the fall in a timely manner, and receive all the important emails throughout the summer. 

    Please submit your SIR by June 1. If you SIR 'YES' after July 1, please email Lauren Worrell.
    The official campus deadline to SIR is August 1. 

    After you submit your SIR, you will want to complete all the steps in your checklist (you will see this after submitting your SIR). In early July, the program will send out an email with the updated New Student Information Packet. This packet contains important information such as: orientations, dates and deadlines, tips on enrolling in classes, funding, and TA and reader appointments. Please be patient to wait for this packet to come out.

  • Request to defer admission
  • If you are interested in deferring your admission, please submit your SIR as a "yes" (by Aug. 1), but DO NOT enroll in fall courses yet. If you enroll, you can no longer defer. Requests can be submitted until September 1 by emailing the Graduate Program Coordinator with the following information. 

    Please copy and paste the "email body" section into the email and answer all the questions:

    Email Subject:
    Deferral Request: [your name]
    Email Body:
    - Your full name:
    - Your SID (found on your admission letter):
    - Requested deferment term (example: Fall 2025):
    - The name of your major professor if you have already been in contact with a faculty member (Note: some MS students may or may not have a major professor yet, in which case you may state "area advisor"): 
    - A short statement as to the reason for your deferral request:
    - Have you submitted your SIR "yes" (yes/no):
    - Have you enrolled in any fall classes (yes/no):

    NOTES: Deferral requests can be for one, two or up to three quarters (one full year maximum). Our department generally only approves one deferral request, so please be sure of the term you would like to attend prior to making the request. You will not need to submit a new application. Approval of deferred admission does not automatically approve a deferral of any financial offer you might have received. If you want to request a deferral after September 1, but before the first day of the fall quarter, please email the Graduate Program Coordinator to ask for a departmental exception. 

    ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Most of our graduate coursework is offered once a year or once every other year.  Starting the program in a winter or spring term may impact your ability to take courses that are in a series or prerequisites for courses that are offered in the year. It is highly recommended you speak to a faculty advisor prior to requesting a deferral to a winter or spring term. Deferring for a full year (to the following fall term) is more common. 

    Deferral Requests will be automatically denied if:
    - If the request is made after UC Davis instruction starts (Requests made after Sept. 1 and before the start of instruction are considered on a case by case basis)
    - If you have enrolled in classes
    - If you submit your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) as a "no"
    - If you were admitted to the MS program, and you plan to attend a MS program elsewhere during the deferral period
  • Computer & E-mail Accounts
  • The department’s IT Support will give you information regarding your department access to the computer laboratories at the New Student Virtual Orientation. In the meantime, you should have already established your UC Davis computing and email account when you submitted your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR).

    If you have NOT set up your UCD computing account and email, you should do so immediately. Find more information about setting up your computing account. If you need assistance setting up your computing account and email, contact IT Express.

    All university-related communications will be sent to your UCD email, so it’s important that you check it on a regular basis. 
  • DUO
  • DUO is a multi-factor authentication system which will better protect your UC Davis accounts. Get DUO now.
  • My UC Davis
  • My.ucdavis.edu is a portal you can use to access your email, your schedule, your bill, and has links to all sorts of resources. Once you log in, you can edit the tiles on the main screen to have easy access to the things that are important to you. We would recommend using myAccounting, mySchedule, and myQuicklinks.

    In the Finances tab, you will also see a link to myAwards – please note that these are awards through the Financial Aid office, and completely separate from any funding through the department or college. Academic appointments and departmental fellowship for example are not reflected in myAwards.
  • AggieCard - Student ID
  • All students will receive a student ID card called an AggieCard. Learn about your AggieCard.
  • Final Transcripts
  • All students must submit their official transcripts to Graduate Studies. If you submitted your final transcripts before you graduated, you will need to order a final transcript with your degree posted, and resubmit your official transcript. The final transcript(s) should be sent directly to Graduate Studies. Get information on submitting transcripts.
  • Statement of Legal Residence Hold (Deadline July 1st)
  • The Office of the University Registrar will be contacting you regarding filling out a Statement of Legal Residence form. This form is online and the deadline to complete it is July 1. If you do not meet this deadline, you may be classified as a nonresident and assessed the Nonresident Supplemental Tuition. Learn about this deadline.
  • UC Davis Health Requirements
  • Be sure to submit your immunization records. Learn about this requirement.

International Students

Domestic Non-Residents

  • Establishing California Residency for Tuition Purposes

  • If you are classified as a domestic non-resident, after one year, you can establish California Residency for Tuition Purposes, and not be charged the Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition. While it takes a year to establish residency, it is important to begin the process early (in the first month of arriving in California, and definitely before December/ the end of your first quarter) with steps such as:
    • Getting a CA driver’s license
    • Registering to vote in California
    • Registering your vehicle in California (if you have one)

    Please take the time now to understand the steps required so you can start early. Get more information about these steps.

    View a checklist on establishing residency.

    Failure to take these steps EARLY can result in a denial of your in-state residence.

    Students denied residence will continue to be charged (and responsible for paying) the Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition. 

Insurance and Health Services

Other Important Information

  • UC Davis Calendars and Important Dates
  • Take a moment to review the Registrar's Calendars and put important dates on your personal calendar.

    Please make sure to look at the “Fees and Billing”, “Quarter Dates and Deadlines”, and “Graduate Student Deadlines” calendars available on the Registrar website.
  • Fee Payment Deadline
  • The "student fee payment deadline" is relevant for our Undergraduate Students.  As a Graduate Student, please pay attention to the "Graduate Student Final Fee Payment Deadline" each quarter, and make sure you have a zero balance on your account by this later graduate student deadline. For these dates, check out the Graduate Studies Calendar! Even if you are fully funded, it is your responsibility to make sure your fees are paid by the deadline.
  • Housing Information Web Sites
  • Here are a few housing resources/websites to help you get started.  Most leases in Davis will be for the full academic year, so be sure to do your research before signing a lease.
    • Student Housing Office (Official UC Davis information)
    • Community Housing Listing, operated by Associated Students of UCD. This site is especially helpful if you are interested in renting a room in a larger house.
    • Graduate Studies Resource Page: Lots of links and helpful information here!
    • Graduate Studies student facebook page: This page is managed by Graduate Studies, and invites all incoming students to join. Students frequently post housing info, roommate opportunities, and upcoming vacancies
    • Graduate/Profession Housing Facebook Group: This page is managed by students, and can be tricky to join. See instructions here.
    • Davis Enterprise annual Housing Day insert (not affiliated with UC Davis): Features individual listings and contact information for local rental management companies
    • The California Aggie: The campus student-run newspaper often carries classifieds and ads for housing.
    • Craigslist.org (not affiliated with UC Davis). Some apartments, and room leases will be listed here.
    • Uloop.com (not affiliated with UC Davis). Like craigslist, has individual postings
    • Yelp.com (not affiliated with UC Davis). Includes reviews of apartments near Davis.
    • Note: Always be cautious of scams or misleading information when searching for housing online.
  • Campus Map and Transportation

  • View the campus map.

    Please note that the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering is housed in Ghausi Hall. UC Davis Transportation Services parking, driving, and bicycling information can be found on their website.

    Graduate Studies also has some transportation information as well.

    The UC Davis Bus System is called Unitrans. It has routes throughout Davis. Discounted passes are available.

  • Get a Free Bike Helmet
  • You are in graduate school and investing a lot of time, money, and energy into your brain.  Protect it!  Take a short training and sign a pledge with Helmet Hair Don't Care! and get a FREE helmet

Funding

Explore funding opportunities and resources available to support your graduate education, including fellowships, assistantships and other financial support options. View our funding resources.

Campus Resources

Still have questions? Contact the graduate Program Coordinator, Lauren Worrell.