Registration and Courses

Transportation Technology and Policy Courses

Fall Registration

The Student Information System on the Web (SISWEB) is used to enroll in classes, adjust class schedules, view and print class schedules, notify the University of a change of address, view financial aid status, etc. To access the SISWEB system you will need your UC Davis LoginID and Kerberos password, as well as your student identification number and PAC (Personal Access Code).

Full time graduate student status is 12 units per quarter. Note: Students will not be paid their fellowships or employment stipends unless they are registered for at least 12 units. Graduate students are not assigned registration appointment times; they are able to register for classes during Pass 1 (the day that registration begins).  International students will not be able to register until they have checked in with SISS (Services for International Students & Scholars), located at 100 University House.

Your Fall quarter registration should include:

  • The two ITS-Davis seminars (1 unit each): our weekly Friday seminar series (TTP 281) and the first-year orientation seminar (TTP 282).
  • One unit of TTP 290C every quarter, under the CRN associated with your faculty advisor. The “Graduate Research Conference” TTP 290C is basically a bookkeeping device, intended to link faculty advisors with their advisees. It is more or less a phantom unit – counts toward the 12, but with no assignments specifically expected for it (just “satisfactory progress” in general). You should always register for a unit of TTP 290C each quarter, even if you already have 12 units otherwise.
  • You can receive unit credit for your research activities through enrolling in TTP 299, under the CRN of your faculty advisor. The amount of credit can vary from 0 to 12 units a quarter. If you are a full-time student, make sure you register for at least 12 units each quarter, using TTP 299 units as needed to complete the 12.

Beyond the two seminar courses and the research courses, most students — especially those with research assistant or teaching assistant appointments — only take two “real” courses (if you do not have such an appointment, it would be fine to take three courses; we’d advise against taking more than three, at least for your first quarter, unless you are exceptionally well-prepared).

The specific two real courses you register for should be determined with the guidance of your major professor (preferable). If you lack prerequisites, it is a good idea to take one or more per quarter until you have completed all five. Some courses incoming students commonly take are TTP 210 , ECI 256, ECI 163 (offered even years) and ECI 165 (offered odd years). However, many other courses are available, and your selection should be based on your interests and/or the research needs of your major professor if you are funded to do research.

If you are funded as a 50%-time teaching assistant (TA) or 49%-time graduate student researcher (GSR), taking two “real” courses (i.e. besides seminars, 290C, and 299) in a quarter is typical. However, consult with your faculty advisor. In some cases, faculty expect less research and more coursework at the beginning of your studies, so that you can quickly learn enough in classes to be useful to them in research. So your advisor might want you to take three real courses for the first quarter or two, and accordingly cut back on the amount of time s/he expects from you on research. If you are not working, and especially if you are trying to finish your coursework as quickly as possible, taking 3 or 4 courses can be reasonable. But we definitely do not advise taking that many real courses if you are working as well.

Thank you for your interest in the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies. Subscribe today to keep up with the latest ITS news and happenings.

Join Our Mailing List