Advising Index

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Program
387 Thimann Laboratories
UC Santa Cruz,
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Phone: 831.459.4143
Fax: 831.459.1568
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GETTING STARTED: First year advising

You have been admitted, now what?

Attend an orientation. We offer orientaion presentations during the summer and again at the start of fall quarter. Dates for orientation are listed on our Biocalendar.

Have you submitted your AP scores to Admissions? If you have, the credit should appear on your academic record. You can access that information via your MyUCSC Portal. If you have AP credit for Math you do NOT have to take the placement exam.

If you do not have AP Credit, you MUST take placement exam to enroll in any Math courses (even if you wish to begin with the first course UCSC offers in that subject). It's best to take the placement exam at or before orientation so you can plan out your first academic year early. You will be enrollng in Math in your first quarter, therefore, your first priority is to take the Mathematics Placement Exam.

Check your exam score. Use your placement exam scores and these first year sample schedules to determine which courses to enroll in for fall, winter and spring of your first year.

Your First Quarter
All Biological Sciences students should take Math (algebra, precalculus, or calculus, depending on placement) in their first quarter. Depending on your Math placement and/or your high school Chemistry preparation, you will begin general Chemistry with Chem 1A in either the fall or winter quarter of your first year at UCSC. See the first year sample schedules for suggestions. You will also enroll in your college core course your first quarter at UCSC.

Take your academic performance seriously. You can be disqualified from the Biological Sciences if you do not pass all your introductory courses, see our disqualification policy for details.

We recommend taking the optional Biology self-assessment exam before Fall quarter begins so you can determine where to begin in your Biology coursework and plan for the rest of your academic year.

Students intending to pursue a Health Sciences degree should take the Spanish Placement Exam and enroll in Spanish as soon as possible. The Health Sciences major requires proficiency in Spanish and a course in medical Spanish.

If you are interested in a career in the health sciences - medical school, nursing, dental, pharmacy, physical therapy, etc - we encourage you to visit our Health Careers Resource Specialist.

Enrollment for winter courses comes up quick! Instructions on how to enroll, a searchable schedule of courses, and other general information about signing up for classes can be found on the Registrar's Office Schedule of Classes site. Be sure to check your priority enrollment date on your MyUCSC Portal. Introductory courses for the Biological Science (chemistry, math, and biology) fill up fast. We recommend planning out your upcoming quarter's schedule prior to your enrollment appointment and enrolling in classes as soon as your enrollment appointment begins to ensure a spot in the classes required for your major.

Use your placement exam scores and these first year sample schedules to determine which courses to enroll in for winter. Forgot your score?Check your exam score.

Has your proposed major changed? If you no longer intend to major in what you proposed when applying to UCSC, stop by your college office and have them change your proposed major. Departments often use the proposed major status to email students important announcements about the degree programs. If you are not proposed the major you intend to pursue you may miss out on important information. Check your proposed major status from your MyUCSC Portal.

Your Second Quarter
It is your responsibility to make sure you are enrolled in the courses you are attending. We recommend you verify all enrollment transactions by viewing your schedule on the MyUCSC Portal at the beginning of the quarter.

Go to the Career Center and start investigating possible career, graduate and professional school options available in your discipline. Make plans to spend the summer doing an internship, volunteer, or fieldwork. Experience gained in summer can enhance your academic study and help you get a job or into graduate school after graduation.

Enrollment for spring courses comes up quick! Instructions on how to enroll, a searchable schedule of courses, and other general information about signing up for classes can be found on the Registrar's Office Schedule of Classes site. Be sure to check your priority enrollment date on your MyUCSC Portal. Introductory courses for the Biological Science (chemistry, math, and biology) fill up fast. We recommend planning out your upcoming quarter's schedule prior to your enrollment appointment and enrolling in classes as soon as your enrollment appointment begins to ensure a spot in the classes required for your major.

Use your placement exam scores and these first year sample schedules to determine which courses to enroll in for spring. Forgot your score?Check your exam score.

Your Third Quarter
It is your responsibility to make sure you are enrolled in the courses you are attending. We recommend you verify all enrollment transactions by viewing your schedule on the MyUCSC Portal at the beginning of the quarter.

If you haven't already, you should think about choosing a Biological Sciences major. In the first year your coursework is basically the same for all of our degree programs, but by your second year the coursework varies depending on the degree program you are pursuing. Check the second year sample schedules to compare various plans for each major. If you need assistance choosing a major, the Career Center has information and tools for helping you choose a program of study.

Enrollment for fall courses will come up quick! Instructions on how to enroll, a searchable schedule of courses, and other general information about signing up for classes can be found on the Registrar's Office Schedule of Classes site. Be sure to check your priority enrollment date on your MyUCSC Portal. Introductory courses for the Biological Science (chemistry, math, and biology) fill up fast. We recommend planning out your upcoming quarter's schedule prior to your enrollment appointment and enrolling in classes as soon as your enrollment appointment begins to ensure a spot in the classes required for your major.

Students can make academic plans less rigorous by taking courses over the summer. Courses during the summer can be taken through UCSC Summer Session or at another institution.

QUESTIONS: Contact BioAdvising