Program Overview
Start Date: August 1, 2024 End Date: September 14, 2024
Summer Start is a six-week academic and cultural preparation program for incoming first-year international undergraduate students that runs from August 1 to September 14. Participants have access to a carefully selected menu of courses that allow them to get ahead on their degrees and adjust to life at UC Davis with the help of experienced staff, student learning assistants and advisors. As part of a friendly, welcoming community built on collaboration and support, students can enter the fall quarter with the relationships and intercultural communication skills required to succeed at a top-rated research institution.
Courses
Summer Start students have access to unique UC Davis courses not typically offered in the academic and with smaller instructor-to-student ratios. Participants select 2-4 courses designed to help them gain a competitive edge in their university education.
Summer Start staff and academic advisors assist participants in their first course registration experience by providing training tools, selecting a list of courses that fit international student needs, and performing schedule checks to be sure all registered courses are appropriate and will count towards degree completion.
- Summer Start Core Course
EDU 98 - Academic Skills: Navigating the Research Institution (2 units)
All students in the program take this required academic course to learn how to succeed at a top-tier research institution. Learn what professors expect, master essential skills to navigate the UC Davis system, and discover resources to help you succeed.
Entry Level Writing Requirement Course Series
- All University of California students are required to satisfy the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) before the given deadline. Because they start early, Summer Start students have the advantage of being able to have an additional quarter. Incoming first-year students who have not satisfied the ELWR will need to complete writing placement before selecting a writing course. Summer Start students have early access to writing placement results so that they can receive their results in time to register for summer courses.
UWP 21 - Introduction to Academic Reading and Writing for Multilingual Students (4 units)
UWP 21 is limited to 18 students per section and is taught by highly experienced instructors who specialize in working with the writing of multilingual students. This course focuses on developing critical thinking and academic reading and writing skills necessary to analyze information. Students gain an awareness of their strengths and needs for writing clearly in academic English.
UWP 22 - Intermediate Academic Reading and Writing for Multilingual Students (4 units)
UWP 22 is limited to 18 students per section and is taught by highly experienced instructors who specialize in working with the writing of multilingual students. This course helps students develop reading and writing strategies to understand and work with sources across genres. Students practice writing in various contexts with increasing complexity and clarity.
UWP 7M - Entry Level Writing: Practices in College Reading & Writing for Multilingual Writers (4 units)
UWP 7M is an ELWR-fulfilling course that focuses on the development of multilingual writers' composition and English language skills across genres and disciplines. Writing in UWP 7M integrates college-level reading, critical thinking, and written communication, using texts from across the curriculum. Students must take the course for a letter grade and receive a C or higher to fulfill ELWR.
English Composition (Lower Division) Writing Requirement Course
UWP 001: Introduction to Academic Literacies (4 units)
UWP 1 provides an introduction to reading and composing processes and key rhetorical concepts for academic literacies. Students produce multiple drafts of composing projects in a variety of genres and modes with feedback from peers and the instructor.*
*Only those who have satisfied the Entry Level Writing Requirement are eligible to register for this course.Math Course Series
- All students who register for MAT 12 or 21A are required to take the Math Placement Exam. See more details about Math Placement.
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 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.
General Education & Elective Courses
- More General Education and Elective Courses will be listed as they become available.
NUT 010V - Discoveries & Concepts in Nutrition (3 Units General Ed.)
Nutrition as a science; historical development of nutrition concepts; properties of nutrients and foods. GE credit: SE, SL
LIN 001Y - Introduction to Linguistics (4 Units General Ed.)
Introduction to the study of language; its nature, diversity, and structure. GE credit: AH, SS.
EAP 90x - Becoming a Global Collaborator: Innovative and Inclusive Ways to Address Global Challenges (1 Unit Elective course)
One-unit elective seminar encouraging students to connect their courses of study with global challenges and solutions, consider how many different societal challenges are interconnected and explore ways to make a difference in their careers, communities, and personal lives.
Activities and Trips
Explore California through optional group trips available only to Summer Start students. Destinations include downtown Sacramento, Lake Tahoe and white water rafting on the American River.
For those interested in personal travel, Davis is conveniently located near Sacramento International Airport (SMF), Davis Amtrak train station and regional and university buses.
Program Dates and Timeline
| SUMMER START 2024 | DATES |
|---|---|
| Summer Start registration opens | March 8 |
| Deadline to submit Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) | May 15 |
| Priority deadline to submit Summer Start registration | May 30 |
| Final deadline to submit Summer Start registration | June 3 |
| Summer Start course registration begins | June 3 |
| Recommended date to remit payment for Summer Sessions tuition and campus-based fee | July 8 |
| Deadline for Summer Sessions tuition and campus-based fee | July 15 |
| Summer Start picks up students arriving at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) | August 1 |
| First day of Summer Start classes | August 5 |
| Summer Final Exams | September 9-13 |
| Last day of Summer Start | September 14 |
| Interim period between Summer and Fall | September 14-23 |
| Fall quarter begins | September 23 |
| Fall quarter instruction begins | September 25 |
Program Costs
- Program Fee: $1,211
- Includes language coaching, academic support, conversation partner program, social activities, early academic advising and writing testing, and staff support.
- Campus-Based Fee: $388.81
- Covers campus facilities and services.
- Equitable Access Fee: $75
- Covers course books and other materials; students may opt out.
- Summer Tuition: $279/unit
- All students, resident and non-resident, pay the same tuition rate during summer.
- Please note: During the academic year, international students pay the out-of-state student tuition rate, which is approximately $722/per unit (calculated for 15 units in 2023-24).
- Students must take a minimum of 6 units of coursework to meet visa requirements.
- Estimated Housing Costs: $2,904
- Cost estimate based on double occupancy rooms and includes two meals a day for 44 nights in on-campus housing.
Estimated total for 6 units: $6,252.81 | Estimated total for 10 units: $7,368.81
UC Davis SHIP (Student Health Insurance Program): approx. $459
UC SHIP: All UC Davis students are required to have health insurance. In order to satisfy this requirement, all registered students are automatically enrolled in the University of California Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP). If students have comparable insurance and do not want to be enrolled in UC SHIP, they must apply for a UC SHIP waiver by the date specified for their college or school. Learn more about UC SHIP, including costs, coverage and other insurance details.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Will there be transportation from the airport to UC Davis?
- Yes, Summer Start will provide transportation from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on August 1, 2024.
- Can I take courses that aren’t on the Summer Start list?
- With so many different departments, majors, and classes available at UC Davis, it is possible that you will want to take a class that is not on the Summer Start recommended list. If the course fits into your schedule and you have met the prerequisites, you may be able to enroll in the class. In Summer Start, we have a process that connects students with their academic advisors to get expert advice on whether the course you have selected is the best option for you.
- How do I find out which courses are best to take and how do I create an academic plan?
- One of the benefits of Summer Start is that you will have early access to a group of peers, instructors, advisors and staff. It is possible to create or change your academic plan, and we can help you connect to your academic advisor through this early access.
- Will on-campus housing be provided during Summer Start?
- All students who enroll in Summer Start are guaranteed a place in a campus residence hall and meals in the dining commons. Move-in is available starting on our program Arrival Day (Thursday, August 1, 2024). Note that this is actually a few days earlier than continuing students can move in for the summer term.
- Will I live in the same residence hall and room that I will in the Fall?
- Typically, Summer Start students live together in rooms in the same residence hall. This is not the same hall and room you will live in when the fall quarter begins, so in the period between the end of Summer Start and the regular Fall move-in, you will move to a new room. Some students use this opportunity to travel with friends or family!
- How do I register for housing during Summer Start?
- The required application for Summer Start housing is separate from the Summer Session and first-year Fall housing application. The Summer Start application will be available sometime after the June 3 Summer Start registration deadline, and we will keep all Summer Start students updated and help guide them to this application at the appropriate time.
Please note: The Summer Start housing application is different from the Student Housing and Dining Services "Application Instructions for Summer Session Students." Only the Summer Start housing application allows our students to arrive and move in early. - Can I participate in the Summer Start program online?
- No, Summer Start is designed as an in-person program where students live and take classes on the UC Davis campus, explore the city of Davis, and take guided trips on the weekends. This is both an important and fun aspect of Summer Start!
- Can I join Summer Start if I won’t be in Davis for the entire time?
- Students typically get the most out of Summer Start when they are present and engaged for the duration of the term. However, we understand there may be exceptions and are happy to discuss them on a case-by-case basis.
- Can I choose my roommate?
- Yes. Before room assignments are finalized, you will be asked to complete a form asking if you already know who you would like to room with and asking for their confirmation.
More Information
Dawn Takaoglu
Director, International and Academic English
Global Affairs
530-752-1291
dmtakaoglu@ucdavis.edu
Visit the Global Affairs People Directory to find the full International and Academic English staff listings. The main offices for International and Academic English are located on the first floor of the UC Davis International Center in Davis.
- Email: summerstart@ucdavis.edu