Courses
Students in the Summer Start program have access to a wide variety of UC Davis courses to help gain a competitive edge on their college education. Participants take 8 to 10 units, which typically corresponds to 3 to 4 classes. Summer Start students also have access to unique courses not offered in the academic year.
Summer course registration takes place in June, making it possible to complete placement exams in May and have results before registration. Summer Start participants build a summer course schedule from the options below.
Required Course:
Academic Skills: How to Succeed as a U.S. College Student (1 unit)
All students in the program take this required orientation course. Learn what professors expect, master essential skills to navigate the UC Davis system, and discover resources to help you succeed.
Additional Course Options:
Entry Level Writing Requirement Course Series:
UWP 21: Introduction to Academic Reading and Writing (4 units)
Provides undergraduate students whose native language is not English with intensive work in reading and in writing organized, coherent and grammatically correct paragraphs and short academic essays. Intensive practice writing short responses in a timed, test-like setting. (P/NP grading only). Students will be placed in this course based on their ELPE score.
UWP 22: Intermediate Academic Reading and Writing (4 units)
This course provides undergraduate students whose native language is not English with experience in writing essays in recognized rhetorical modes. Students will also read to develop fluency and critical thinking skills and will study grammar needed for academic writing. (P/NP grading only). Students will be placed in this course based on their ELPE score.
UWP 23: Advanced Academic Reading & Writing (4 units)
This course provides undergraduate students whose native language is not English with experience writing persuasive essays related to reading passages. Students will also read for tone, style, context and assumptions and will study advanced grammar needed for persuasive essays. (P/NP grading only). Students will be placed in this course based on their ELPE score.
Oral English Course:
UWP 20 (formerly LIN 20): Oral English (3 units)
Take advantage of this summer-only offering to strengthen oral English skills. Not available in the academic year. Intensive practice in oral English for advanced ESL students. Students will learn to identify and modify features of their pronunciation that limit their ability to communicate clearly. Students will also learn and practice strategies for effective participation and leadership in academic tasks. Open to students in UWP 23, WLD 57 and UWP 1 only. (P/NP grading only)
Math Course Series:
MAT 12: Pre-Calculus (3 units)
Prerequisite: two years of high school algebra, plane geometry, plane trigonometry; and obtaining required score on the Precalculus Diagnostic Examination. Topics selected for their use in calculus, including functions and their graphs, slope, zeroes of polynomials, exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric functions, sketching surfaces and solids.
MAT 16A: Short Calculus (3 units)
Limits; differentiation of algebraic functions; analytic geometry; applications, in particular to maxima and minima problems. Prerequisite: two years of high school algebra, plane geometry, plane trigonometry, and satisfying the Mathematics Placement Requirement. Note: Math 16A may count toward your mathematics requirements. Consult your college major adviser for specific advice.
MAT 21A: Calculus (4 units)
Functions, limits, continuity. Slope and derivative. Differentiation of algebraic and transcendental functions. Applications to motion, natural growth, graphing, extrema of a function. Differentials. L’Hopital’s rule, and satisfying the Mathematics Placement Requirement.
First Year Seminars:
What is a First-Year Seminar? They are for-credit courses (1-2 units), offered for letter or pass/no pass grading, limited to 19 students or less, and taught by faculty committed to student success.
FRS 002-01: Better Pronunciation through Games
FRS 003-01: Creating Podcasts to Master Speaking Skills
FRS 002-02: Communication in University: Language, Culture & Pragmatics
ECH 1: Design of Coffee (3 units)
ECH 1, The Design of Coffee, is intended to serve as a non-mathematical introduction to how engineers approach and solve problems, as illustrated by the process of roasting and brewing coffee. Students will learn the principles and practice of brewing a truly excellent cup of coffee while earning course credit and gaining an introduction to chemical engineering.
FST 10: Food, Folklore and Health (3 units)
Ancient and modern food folklore in relation to health and well-being. Food safety, organic food, herbalism, food preservation and nutritional enhancement. GE Credit: Science and Engineering or Social Sciences. Limited space available.
NUT 10: Discovery and Concepts in Nutrition (3 units)
Nutrition as a science; historical development of nutrition concepts; properties of nutrients and foods. GE Credit: Science and Engineering. Limited space available.