HDE FAQs

Advising Office & Appointments

  • What’s going on with the advising office? What are the office hours?
  • Advising appointments are ongoing! The advising office is located at 1303 Hart Hall, M-F 9am-12pm and 1-4pm. In person appointments are available. All the advisors are always accessible via phone or email. You can also come by to the Zoom Ask an Advisor session on Thursdays 9am-12pm for quick questions or a brief drop-in advising! The details for Ask an Advisor, how to make an appointment, and the contact info of the advisors are on the Advising Center page. Peer advisors are available for questions and can be reached at HCDadvising@udavis.edu.
  • What should I do if I just have a quick question and don’t need a whole appointment?
  • Come by to the Ask an Advisor session! See more info on the Advising Center page.
    You can also send an email to HCDadvising@ucdavis.edu, which is how the peer advisors can be reached to answer questions that you have while we’re all social distancing. You can expect a response from them within 48 hours during normal business hours (9AM-5PM), and any questions sent in on the weekends should receive an answer by early the next week. You can also call (530) 752-1805 to reach our advising assistant (and the general office once campus is open) to help direct you to any resources you may need!

Graduation Planning

  • When can I make my graduation plan?

  • Graduation plans can be made once you’ve reached Junior standing (90+ units). The plan can be made with an academic advisor or a peer advisor. However, an academic advisor will need to review and approve your study plan if you make it with a peer advisor.

  • How can I do my degree check when I’m close to graduating (the quarter before)?
  • You’ll need to meet with Galyna to do your degree check and make sure you’ve done everything you need to do before you graduate. You can call Galyna at (530) 752-2244 or email her at gerdman@ucdavis.edu to set up an appointment to complete your degree check. Usually, the quarter before you’re planning on graduating is the best time to do your degree check, especially if you’ve registered for your last classes.

Internship, Practicum & Research

  • Are HDE internship units (92/192) and research units (99/199) being offered?
  • HDE 92 & 192 internship units are being approved on a case-by-case basis.  If interested in receiving HDE 92/192 internship units, click here to view details and contact Rachael Crotty if you need more information.  HDE 99 and 199 units for research are still being accepted, contracts and info can be found here. Email Jana Krezo at skrezo@ucdavis.edu if you have further questions.
  • How do I learn about internship and practicum units?
  • For internship units, please consult the HDE Internship Units page on our website. For practicum units, please consult our HDE Practicum page. 
  • I’m planning on taking my practicum soon.  What must I do to prepare?
  • Practicum request details can be found here. To summarize, you need a current, approved graduation plan when you request a practicum. This means you’ve met with an advisor and planned out your courses through graduation.  The approved graduation plan must be dated within one year from your anticipated practicum's start date.  For example, an approved graduation plan from January 2020 would be sufficient to request a practicum in Winter 2021 Quarter, because that quarter begins in January 2021.  Then, when the internship coordinator emails the practicum request Google Form to the listserv, you can fill it out and wait for the notification email approximately one week later.  The notification email will inform you about your status in the practicum and next steps. Only registered HDE juniors and Seniors can request/take practicums. 
  • Can I do my Practicum over the Summer?
  • No, practicums are only offered during Fall, Winter, and Spring Quarters. 
  • Can I do a second Practicum?
  • No. However, you can continue at your field site in future quarters for HDE 192 internship units. You’ll need to discuss this possibility with your supervisor and our internship coordinator prior to the quarter you wish to request internship units.

Course Planning & Making Your Schedule

  • Can I take my major or minor classes for P/NP?
  • No, all major classes, even with the new changes made to P/NP rulings, must be taken for a letter grade. However, if you are planning on taking any non-major classes (like FST 10, PLS 6, GEL 10, etc.), you can take those classes P/NP and still be able to use them for GE requirements. The deadline to choose P/NP as your grading for classes is the 25th Day of Instruction each quarter - for the specific date by quarter, see the Registrar's Office Calendar for Quarter Dates and Deadlines. But again, all major classes (including restricted electives) need to be taken for a letter grade.
  • Are there any classes I SHOULDN’T take together at the same time?
  • Upper Division UWP (UWP 101, 102, or 104 series), HDE 120, and HDE 117 should NOT be taken together, as they are pretty intensive on their own and would not be fun/easy together. Try to put these classes in their own quarter with other HDE requirements to make a balanced schedule.
  • Should I take multiple science courses together?
  • It is up to you! If you believe that you can handle it, go ahead! However, just be aware that some of the science courses can be quite tricky, so if you know biology isn’t your best subject, it might not be a good idea to take BIS 10 and NPB 10/MCB 10 at the same time. Or if you know that you’re not great at math, taking STA 13 and another science course might not be a good idea. Try to create a balanced schedule with only one science of stats class at a time.
  • I’m Pre-Health, how should I make my schedule?
  • First and foremost, try to make it balanced! Try to put your science classes with HDE Major Requirements in order to have differences between your classes and not overload you with science courses. If you are going to come in for an advising appointment in the Advising Center, make sure you have all the courses that you need as pre-requisites for your intended career before you come into the appointment so we can put those into your schedule. And, most importantly, see HPA! They will be able to answer all your questions regarding pre-requisites, necessary GPA, extracurricular experiences, etc., that we won’t be able to answer. We can help plan out your class schedule, they’ll answer all your other questions regarding your health profession. 
  • How can I find out if/when an HDE class is/will be offered and who is/will be teaching?
  • All the HDE course offerings and their schedules by quarter are posted one quarter ahead on the course schedules page. Courses slated to be offered are posted a year ahead on the annual plan page. Course offerings are subject to change. Updates reflecting any changes are posted within a few days of finalization.
  • What’s the policy on Repeat Units? 
  • Information on repeating classes can be found here.
  • How do I choose a Track for Human Development?
  • Each track is unique, in that it gives you the opportunity to complete your major to your interests. You can choose the Health and Wellbeing track, the Children and Families track, or the General track. These tracks are all unique, so choose what is in your best interest. For instance, if you are pre-health, the Health and Wellbeing track might be best for you! Or, if you are considering becoming a teacher, the Children and Families track would be a good fit. When you have decided, you can let one of your HDE Academic Advisors know in your next appointment which track you are planning to do, and you can start taking those track courses right away!

Major Classes

  • Do my AP test scores transfer as classes for HDE?
  • They can, but you need a specific score on each test in order to get specific course credit to use for the HDE major. 
    AP Psych: 5 for PSC 1 credit
    AP Bio: 3 or higher for BIS 10 credit
    AP Stats: 4 or 5 for STA 13 credit
    AP English: 4 or 5 for ENL 3 & UWP 1 credit (only one class counts for HDE)
    If you’ve taken an AP test and didn’t receive a high enough score for course credit, the corresponding course must be taken for a letter grade for the HDE major requirement.
  • What classes do I need to take before I can switch into the HDE Major?
  • You need to take:
    PSC 1/1Y
    ANT 1/1Y, 2, or 15
    STA 13 or PSC 41
    One of MCB 10, MIC 10, BIS 10, BIS 2A, BIS 101, NPB 10, NPB 12, NPB 101, PSC 101
    More info can be found here.
  • Can I take PSC 41 instead of HDE 120?
  • No. HDE 120 is a required class for the major and cannot be substituted. However, PSC 41 can be used as a prerequisite for HDE 120 and will also fulfill the Lower Division Statistics Requirement.
  • Do hybrid/online courses (PSC 1Y, HDE 100AV, HDE 110V, HDE 133V, etc.) count for the major even though it doesn’t show on MyDegree?
  • Yes they do! Even though MyDegree might not show that you’ve completed the requirement, if you’ve taken the course, you are all good! 
  • Can STA 100 count for the Statistics requirement?
  • Yes! While it might not show up on MyDegree or the Major Evaluation Form, STA 100 is accepted for the Statistics requirement if you have taken it.
  • How do PTAs work for HDE classes?
  • All PTAs require instructor’s approval and are issued by the department’s advising office. After you obtain written permission from the instructor to add their HDE class, forward the instructor’s email to the advising assistant at sialvarez@ucdavis.edu from your UCD email.

GEs & Restricted Electives

  • Where can I get my GE questions answered/get a GE check?
  • If you have any questions regarding GE classes or if you need a GE check, please check in with the Dean’s office at 150 Mrak Hall. Although their physical office is currently closed, appointments can be made through OASIS or through appointments.ucdavis.edu
  • How do Restricted Electives work/What are Restricted Electives?
  • Restricted Electives are classes that you can take to further your learning in a specific area or in multiple disciplines. You are required to take 19-20 units (more is also okay) of Restricted Electives. The approved lists of Restricted Electives can be found here. These lists are based on your track - there is a Restricted Elective list for those on the Health and Wellbeing Track, and another for those on the Children and Families Track. Students on the General Track can take courses from either of the two track's Restricted Electives list. You can also view the eligible track courses via the HDE Major Evaluation Form on OASIS, under the "Degree Worksheets" tab.
    As a note, HDE 198 is also able to be used as a Restricted Elective even though it’s not the list.
  • Can I use any Upper Division HDE Course as a Restricted Elective?
  • Yes! You can use any Upper Division HDE course as a Restricted Elective, as long as it is not being used to fulfill the depth subject matter or Track requirements. For instance, if you are doing the Health and Wellbeing Track, you can take HDE 110 as a Restricted Elective.

More FAQs

FAQs for general campus student resources.