Changing Majors

Change Your Major to Mechanical and/or Aerospace Engineering

Important Notes

• The MAE department will not review change of major petitions until all eligibility criteria are fully met.
• Petition to Add (PTA) numbers are not issued for major-restricted courses. Please refer to the enrollment policies page for details.
• No exceptions are granted for the change of major process. ALL required GPA minimums must be met and ALL required engineering coursework must be completed.

First-Year Admits (Started at UC Davis)

To change your major to Mechanical and/or Aerospace Engineering from a major in any college (including the College of Engineering), you must meet the requirements below.

General Requirements

• Be a registered UC Davis student who has completed at least one quarter (12 units)
• Be in good academic standing and meet minimum progress requirements
• Earn a letter grade of C- or better in all courses required for the engineering degree

GPA Requirements

You must meet the following minimum GPAs:

• UC GPA: 2.80+
  • Includes all courses taken at any UC
• MAT/CHE/PHY GPA: 2.80+
  • Includes only the MAT, CHE and PHY courses required by the major
• Engineering GPA: 2.80+
  • Includes the required major courses EXCEPT the MAT, CHE and PHY courses 

Required Courses (Minimum to Apply)

You must complete the following with C- or better:

📌 Tip: You may complete additional MAT, CHE and PHY courses to improve your GPA before applying.

Transfer Students

Step 1: Admission GPA Requirement

Before anything else, you must meet the College of Engineering admission GPA of 3.20, which applies to all required transfer coursework completed prior to UC Davis.

Step 2: General Requirements

• Complete at least one UC Davis quarter (12 units)
• Be in good academic standing
• Earn C- or better in all required courses

GPA Requirements (Post-Transfer)

• UC GPA: 2.80+
  • Includes all courses taken at any UC
• MAT/CHE/PHY GPA: 2.80+
  • Includes only the MAT, CHE and PHY courses required by the major
• Engineering GPA: 2.80+
  • Includes the required major courses EXCEPT the MAT, CHE and PHY courses 

Required Courses

All of the following must be completed with C- or better: