ESS Academic Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
| What do I need to know about prerequisites and corequisites? For clarification, a prerequisite is a course that must be taken before the course in question is started. A corequisite is a course that should be taken concurrently with or before the course in question. The Department of Earth System Science is actively checking prerequisites and corequisites. Before registering for classes, you should always check the current Course Catalogue to see if there are any prerequisites or corequisites for the courses you would like to enroll in. In some instances, a pre/coreq can be waived by consent of instructor. In most cases, the pre/corequisites are listed online in the schedule of classes. However, if you believe you have satisfied a prerequisite but are having difficulty registering, please contact the ESS department office. If you have any questions about our requirements, please contact Cynthia Dennis (cadennis@uci.edu). For more general information on prerequisite checks, visit http://www.reg.uci.edu/facnet/prereqinfo.html |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| How do I add a class, drop a class, or change my grading option or units? Students can add or drop a class or make changes to their enrollment electronically through the end of the second week of classes. After this date, students must obtain an add/drop card and take this over to the Registrar. Please come to the ESS front desk in Croul Hall 3200 to ask for this card. Add/Drop/Change (ADC) cards are used for: Adding a class Dropping a class Changing the grading option (from grade to P/NP or vice versa) Changing the number of units for variable unit classes Important to Note: Dean's signature is required after the second week for changes in grade option or variable units and after the sixth week for adds and drops. Instructor's signatures are valid for 10 working days, including the date signed; dean’s signatures are valid for 3 working days, including the date signed. The instructor's signature is always required on ADC cards, even for zero-unit discussion, quiz, and lab classes. Per Academic Senate Policy, all classes dropped with the Registrar's Office after the sixth week will be recorded with a "W" grade (withdrawal) on your transcript. "W" grades carry no gradepoints and are not calculated in your UCI GPA. Only students who are not failing the course, or subject to disqualification, may drop the course after 6th week, and only with the permission of the instructor and the dean (or equivalent) of the appropriate school (academic unit). Permission to drop may be given only if such action would be to the educational benefit of the student or of the class as a whole, or both. Detailed Instructions from the Registrar’s Office for Completing Add/Drop/Change Cards: Use care in completing these cards. They will be used to update your records directly, so accuracy is very important. 1. There is room for changing two classes on each ADC card. 2. The same card is used to make several types of changes in your class enrollment. 1. "Add" indicates a class you want to add to your official enrollment. 2. "Drop" indicates a class you want to remove from your official enrollment. 3. "Change" indicates you want to change the grading option (P/NP to grade or vice versa) or the number of units of a variable-unit class (e.g., from two to twelve units). 3. Use a black lead number 2 pencil. Make all marks distinct and clear. 4. Mark only within the "mark sense" spaces provided. The machine cannot distinguish between good marks and bad ones. 5. Use a new card if you cannot erase mistakes completely. 6. Print the information requested in the extreme right section and sign and date the card. Then enter your student ID number, the date, and the course code numbers of classes you want to add/drop/change in the spaces provided across the top of the card. 7. Blacken the "mark sense" spaces corresponding to your student number, the date, and course code numbers of classes you want to change. Then blacken "quarter"; "add," "drop," or "change," for each class; and if applicable, "grade," "pass/not pass," or "variable units." 8. Secure required signatures. (See signature section above.) 9. Submit your Add/Drop/Change card(s) to the Registrar's Office in person observing the signature policy stated above. 10. Carefully check the printed receipt which lists your name, date, transactions completed with the current submission, and your updated class enrollment. If any errors are found you may correct and immediately resubmit your card(s) and receive, in return, an updated receipt as explained above. Always retain your receipt to resolve any future problems or questions concerning your class enrollment. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What happens with my AP credit? Students who earn scores of 3, 4, or 5 on the College Board AP examinations will receive credit toward graduation at UCI. The unit and subject credit allowed toward degree requirements assigned to each test are shown in the accompanying chart (download here). The following outlines the specifics of credit allowed for subjects in the Physical Sciences: If you took the AP Environmental Science Exam:
If you took the AP Chemistry Exam:
*Note from Chemistry: If you have a score of 4 or 5 on the College Board Advanced Placement Chemistry Exam, you do not need to take the Chemistry Placement Exam. The Chemistry Department will allow students who have earned Chem 1A credit via AP to enroll in SUMMER offerings of Chem 1A and Chem 1LA at UCI in order to fulfill professional school admission requirements. NO CREDIT will be given for grades and units earned in this course. Please fax or bring a copy of your AP scores to the Chemistry Undergraduate Office once summer session starts. You are ineligible for enrollment in Chem 1A during the academic year. Students with AP credit exempting them from Chem 1A will have the choice of beginning with Chem 1B (Winter quarter) or taking Chem H2A, Honors General Chemistry (Fall quarter). Have a score of 3 or lower? You are required to take the Chemistry Placement Exam before enrolling in Chem 1A. If you took the AP Physics Exam:
If you took the AP Mathematics Exam:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Are ESS 1 (The Physical Environment), ESS 25 (Intro to Earth and Environmental Sciences), and University Studies 13A (Environmental Studies I) the same class? While these classes are not exactly the same, they are very similar in nature and have thus been deemed by the faculty as overlapping. The current course catalogue outlines that ESS 1 and ESS 25 cannot both be taken for credit. Therefore, if you have taken ESS 1 but then become an ESS major, you can speak to your academic counselor about substituting ESS 1 for your ESS 25 major requirement. University Studies 13A (Environmental Studies) can also be substituted for the ESS 25 major requirement. Once again, please see your academic counselor about the substitution. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Do I have to enroll in discussion sections? Our discussion sections are deemed mandatory or voluntary on a class by class basis. We recommend enrolling in these sections upon enrolling in your classes for the quarter. It is much easier to drop a class than having to wait to enroll in the section you are most interested in. To find out how the discussion sections for your particular class will be handled, please contact the instructor listed. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What courses will you be offering in the upcoming year? We list our course for the upcoming year on our website at http://www.ess.uci.edu/academics/courses/course.descriptions.php. While we try to keep this information as up to date as possible, please realize that these classes are subject to change and may not be offered in the quarter listed. See the online Schedule of Classes for the most up-to-date information on our course offerings. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Is the Schedule of Classes subject to change? YES! Be sure to check back often. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What if I’m not an Earth and Environmental Sciences major yet but would like to become one? What do I need to do? Visit http://www.changeofmajor.uci.edu/CoM_PhySci.html to see what is needed for a student to change to our major. After reading that, it is best to visit with your academic counselor to look at your options. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What should I do if I want to take a course at another school to satisfy a prerequisite? It is your responsibility to find out if the course is a UCI equivalent. Contact academic counselors in the Physical Sciences Student Affairs Office. You can also look on www.assist.org for the equivalency, but it is best for you to verify with your counselor that the specific course you are wanting to will indeed transfer before you take the class. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What should I do if I want to take an ESS class that is restricted to majors but I am not an ESS major? Don’t fret! The restriction will be lifted during the adjustment period (usually about a week before classes begin for the quarter). At that time, you should be able to register, unless the class is already full. If that is the case, you need to speak with the instructor directly to see if he/she will be taking more students. For specific dates of the adjustment period for 2008-2009, visit http://www.reg.uci.edu/registrar/soc/quartercalendar08-09.html |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What if I have questions about physics labs? Go to a this page run by the Physics Department: http://www.physics.uci.edu/NEW/affairs.shtml What if I have questions about chemistry labs? Go to this page run by the Chemistry Department: http://chem.ps.uci.edu/%7Eupo/#important |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Can I satisfy ESS pre-requisite and coursework while studying abroad? Yes. ESS encourages students to fulfill part of their requirements while studying abroad. Go to this page run by the UCI Center for International Education (CIE) for detailed ESS study-abroad options, procedures, and timetables. http://www.cie.uci.edu/academics/physci.html |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Where can I talk to someone about ESS? The Department of Earth System Science is located in: 3200 Croul Hall (Building 417 on UCI Map) Someone is usually at the front desk during the hours of 9:00am to 5:00pm. Feel free to call ahead to make sure someone will be here to help you. Call (949) 824-8794 or (949) 824-3876. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| For all academic-related questions, feel free to contact the Physical Sciences Student Affairs office at any time. Contact them at: (949) 824-6507 Fax: (949) 824-2257 134 Rowland Hall Office hours: Mon.-Fri. 8:00am - 4:30pm http://ps.uci.edu/~stuaff/ |