Registration and Courses

Teaching Assistant (TA) Information
Quarterly Course Offerings

Graduate Courses in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering offers a wide range of graduate courses. See the links below to review suggested core courses, sample plans of study and course descriptions.

Announcements  

  •  The MAE Graduate Course Schedule can be accessed here.
If you plan to go on a Planned Educational Leave (PELP) or go on Filing Fee status, contact your graduate program coordinator to complete the necessary paperwork and do not register for units. 

Registration

All full-time students should be enrolled in 12 units each quarter to ensure eligibility for employment and access to university services.

Please read the MAE degree requirements thoroughly. It is your responsibility to ensure all degree requirements are met, so it is important that you know what is required of you.

Students will typically register for two courses, one seminar and research units with their faculty advisor (more on research units below) each quarter while completing coursework. Each student and their faculty advisor should discuss and decide which courses should be taken. An example schedule is below:

  • MAE 2XX (4 units).
  • MAE 2XX (4 units).
  • MAE 297 – seminar (1 unit).
  • MAE 290C – grad research conference (1 unit).
  • MAE 299 – research (2 units).

Once students complete their coursework, they will register for research units with their faculty advisor while working on completing their comprehensive exam, thesis or dissertation.
 

(Quarterly Enrollment Required) Registering for Research Units (MAE 290C/299)

Every MAE faculty member is assigned individual 290C and 299 CRNs each quarter, and these courses are always taken concurrently. MAE 290C represents meeting with your faculty advisor and is 1 unit. MAE 299 represents the time you spend conducting research. It defaults to 1 unit, but students may increase the variable units as needed to reach the 12 unit full-time status. 

Enrollment into MAE 290C and MAE 299 must be completed prior to the end of Week 2 of the quarter of enrollment.

TO OBTAIN THE CRN FOR YOUR SPECIFIC MAE 290C and MAE 299, MAE GRADUATE STUDENTS MUST SPEAK WITH THEIR CURRENT FACULTY ADVISOR.

NOTE: ​​​​CRNS WILL NOT BE ISSUED TO STUDENTS BY THE GRADUATE PROGRAM COORDINATOR.

Quarterly MAE 299 Agreements are required for enrollment: PDF can be found here
Completed and Signed MAE 299 Agreements can be submitted here: Box Link

After receiving the CRNs for these courses, students must use the CRN to search for their specific section on ScheduleBuilder to enroll.


Frequently Asked Questions

  • I am in my first quarter as a graduate student at UC Davis. Do I register for MAE 290C and 299 units?
  • Yes, in your first quarter you will register for MAE 290C and 299 units. All incoming students are assigned an initial faculty advisor prior to the start of the quarter with whom they will register for MAE 290C and 299. The students will be notified of their faculty advisor assignment via email from the Graduate Program Coordinator. Though your initially assigned faculty advisor may not be who you ultimately end up doing your research with, you should spend the first quarter meeting with them to discuss your interests and potential permanent advisors. 
  • What are MAE 298 courses and how can I register for them?
  • MAE 298 courses are new courses that don’t yet have a permanent course number, but they can count towards your degree as long as they are letter-graded. Announcements about MAE 298 courses are sent to MAE graduate students via email and include information such as the course’s instructor, subject, grading, units and CRN. If you are registering for a MAE 298 course, you will need to use the CRN sent in the announcement email and adjust the units to the appropriate number for the course. The CRN and units will not be posted on Schedule Builder.
  • Can I be a part-time student?
  • Part-time status is only available to graduate students who are unable to pursue their studies full-time under the following circumstances:

    -- Employment (30 hours or more worked per week).
    -- Health conditions.
    -- Accommodation for disability.
    -- Primary care responsibilities.

    Doctoral students who have passed the Qualifying Examination are not eligible for part-time status.

    Learn more about part-time status and how to apply for it by reviewing the Office of the University Registrar’s webpage. 

    For additional information about this process, you may also review the Graduate Studies Website.