Students are admitted to UCSC with a "proposed major" in most cases, and later petition to officially declare the major. Admission to UCSC does not guarantee acceptance into a particular major. Students must be declared in a major by the end of the second year (or equivalent), so learning about and preparing for a major is a primary goal for first-year students.
Importance of an early start:
This is a course-intensive and/or sequential program, and students who intend to pursue this major must begin taking classes for the major in their first year at UCSC.
Qualification requirements and/or prerequisites for the major:
Frosh who intend to pursue this major should do the following things prior to the beginning of fall term...
Students with college-level transferable courses must email a copy of an unofficial transcript to Baskin Engineering Undergraduate Advising by July 1, in addition to providing the official transcript to the UCSC Admissions Office.
Complete the Math Preparation and placement process. You can review your math skills for free to prepare you for placement or your next course. It takes up to three business days for ALEKS PPL placement to be posted in your student record. Completing the assessment by August 5 will ensure your placement is posted before enrollment begins for fall.
Students with programming experience who wish to bypass the introductory programming course (CSE 20) should take the online CSE 20 testout exam on July 17 at 6:00pm PDT. This test requires that students register by 5:00pm PDT on July 16. See CSE 20 Testout Exam for more information and to register.
...and should take these courses their first term:
Please do NOT enroll in Math 11A, AMS/Econ 11A. Only MATH 19A, 19B, 23A AND 23B are acceptable calculus requirements for this major.
The option you choose below will depend on your Math placement and programming experience.
Option 1:
MATH 3: Precalculus
CSE 20, Beg. Programming in Python (this course is not required for EE majors but is recommended for students with no prior programming background)
Option 2:
MATH 19A: Calculus for Sci, Eng, Math
CSE 20, Beg. Programming in Python (this course is not required for EE majors but is recommended for students with no prior programming background)
Option 3:
MATH 19B: Calculus for Sci, Eng, & Math
PHYS 5A and 5L: Intro. to Physics I/Lab OR an intro. programming course CSE 20, Beg. Programming in Python (this course is not required for EE majors but is recommended for students with no prior programming background)
Option 4:
AM 10: Math Methods for Engineers I (for students who have completed both Math 19A and Math 19B)
PHYS 5A and 5L: Intro. To Physics I/Lab OR if completed PHYS 5A/L then enroll in PHYS 5C and 5N: Intro. To Physics III/Lab OR CSE 20, Beg. Programming in Python (this course is not required for EE majors but is recommended for students with no prior programming background)
If you only have room in your schedule to take one course in this major then we recommend that you prioritize Math coursework particularly if you have placed into Math 3 or Math 19A.
Special enrollment procedures:
All classes being used for major requirements must be taken for letter grades.
