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Enrollment & Registration

Enrollment & Registration: Use WebReg to enroll in at least 12 units. Fees will not be assessed to your student account until you enroll. Tuition and fees are automatically covered by the department for eligible PhD students. All tuition and fees must be paid by the Registration fee payment deadline in order to avoid late fees. Please feel free to contact chem-gradadvising@ucsd.edu if your fees haven't been paid by the Registration fee deadline or if you have any billing questions.

See TritonLink's calendar for Enrollment and Registration deadlines

AVOID $100 IN LATE PENALTIES!

If you miss the enrollment deadline, you will be assessed a $50 late enrollment fee, as well as additional $50 late registration fee for missing the registration fee payment deadline. 

What to Take: All Students

  • An individualized course program is designed for each student in conjunction with the advisor. Course work may be prescribed by the First-Year or Thesis Advisor based on results of the Placement Examinations and the student's research concentration. Students should take into account their teaching schedule and duties when planning their course program.
  • Minimum 12 units upper-division courses (numbered 100-199) and graduate level courses (numbered 200+). Lower-division courses do NOT count toward the 12 unit minimum or toward MS or PhD degree requirements; however, grades earned in them DO count in your overall UCSD GPA. If courses or units are dropped, others must be added to maintain the minimum 12 units required to remain in good academic standing.
  • First year students and students who have not advanced to candidacy for the doctorate must take all courses for a letter grade with the exceptions of Chemistry 500, Chemistry 509, Chemistry 299 (or thesis research) and other courses that are offered S/U only.
  • Lecture courses: As chosen in consultation with your faculty advisor.
  • Chem 500 (TEACHING, 4 units): Enroll every quarter you TA.
  • Chem 509 (TEACHING TRAINING, 2 units): Enroll in this weekly TA Training Seminar only the first quarter you TA in our department.
  • Chem 251 (GROUP MEETING, 2 units): Take Chem 251 EVERY quarter AFTER officially joining a group. There are a number of faculty associated with each section ID of Chem 251; the Schedule of Classes shows all the faculty affiliated with each section ID, but WebReg shows only one of the faculty. For this reason, you need to use the Schedule of Classes to determine the correct section ID for your advisor. Email chem-gradadvising@ucsd.edu, if you do not see a section identified for your advisor. Enrolling in the incorrect section can result in administrative penalties impacting your academic record.
  • First-year students should not enroll in more than 4 units of Chem 251 in their first three quarters at UCSD.
  • Chem 299 (THESIS RESEARCH, up to 12 units/quarter). For students who are conducting thesis research in a particular group. First-year students may not enroll in more than 8 units of Chem 299 in their first three quarters at UCSD.
  • Seminar in Your Field (Chem 227 Inorganic, Chem 294 Organic, Chem 295 Biochem, Chem 296 Physical) (2 units each). All seminars may not be offered all quarters. For first-year students, seminar units do not count toward the 12 unit minimum.

Additional Information for First Year Students

  • Check out this tutorial to learn the basics of enrolling in classes.
  • 1st year students enroll in Chem 298 (NON-THESIS RESEARCH ROTATIONS). All students enroll in 4 units for Fall Quarter. Students who are still completing rotations will also enroll in 4 units in Winter. Chem 299 is taken once a group is joined.
  • All first year Phd students are required to TA all three quarters during Year 1. Students should enroll in CHEM 500 with the instructor of the course they are assigned to TA in Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters of Year 1, and CHEM 509 in Fall quarter of Year 1 only.
  • Note: You are not considered to have joined a group until after Council has approved the request. Students interested in joining a lab outside the department must additionally submit an Outside Faculty Agreement Form.