Requests to deviate from a major requirement using a course that is not automatically allowed or required or requests for ECE course equivalencies for courses taken at other US 4 year universities or study abroad must be approved by a petition process. To receive credit for a C Programming or circuits course completed prior to transferring to UC San Diego, transfer students must take and pass the ECE 15 or 35 Waiver Exam. C Programming and circuits courses taken outside of UC San Diego are not eligible for course equivalencies.

COMPLETING A PETITION

1. Log into the Online Petition Tool.

2. Click “[Add new petition]”

3. Select the ECE department and the type of petition.

• Pre-Approval: used to receive credit from courses NOT YET completed.
• Course Substitutions: used to receive credit from courses ALREADY completed or for major exceptions.

4. Complete the Petition Request:

• Choose the course you wish to receive credit for. Be sure to scroll all the way down if you do not see your course. Select “Other” and fill in the course information.
• Complete the Petition Reason section by copying and pasting the appropriate template from the table below. 

5. Upload PDF files ONLY of supporting documents including the course syllabus, websites, descriptions, or any other documents you wish to have reviewed. Students requesting pre-approval course equivalencies must provide a syllabus from the current academic year. Students requesting course equivalencies for courses already completed must provide a syllabus from the term they were enrolled in the course or the academic year they were enrolled in the course. For example, if you took the course in WI19, a syllabus from FA18, WI19 or SP19 must be submitted.

Petitions without any supporting documentation are considered incomplete and will be returned to the student.

6. Submit the petition.

POLICIES:

• Petition review can take up to 1-4 weeks and course equivalency petitions may take 2-4 weeks. Results will be sent to the student through the VAC.
• Courses must be taken in person to be considered for course equivalency. Online, hybrid, or remote courses are not eligible.
• When petitioning to replace a Depth course, the replacement course must be another upper division ECE course related to the Depth.

Study Abroad Courses

Students are allowed up to two ECE Breadth or Depth courses taken through EAP/OAP (study abroad).

There is no limit to the amount of electives (Professional or Technical or CSE/ECE Electives or CSE Technical Elective) students can take through EAP/OAP (study abroad).

Elective courses taken through study EAP/OAP (study abroad) must be at least 4 units, upper division, taken for a letter grade and passed with a C- or better.

Courses taken at another 4 year University

The department will accept up to two upper division major requirements (core UD courses, Breadth, Depth, or Electives) taken by continuing students at another 4 year university. Courses must be classified at the same level for course equivalency petitions (eg. UCR EE upper division course = UCSD ECE upper division course).  Petitions requesting one ECE course equivalency from multiple universities will not be considered.

Community College Courses

Course equivalency petitions for courses taken at community college or 2 year institution, prior to attending UC San Diego, with the following topics will be considered by the department:  Boolean algebra, combination and sequential logic, gates and their implementation in digital circuits OR representation of information, computer organization and design, assembly and microprogramming, current technology in logic design. 

Lower division electrical engineering courses taken at community college by continuing students are not eligible for course equivalency (with the exception of courses already articulated through assist.org).

ECE 15/35

To receive credit for a C Programming or circuits course completed prior to transferring to UC San Diego, transfer students can take the ECE 15 or 35 Waiver Exam and pass the exam. C Programming or circuits courses taken outside of UC San Diego are not eligible for course equivalencies.

University Exceptions

Undergraduate Student Petition
Email the petition form to ece-ugadvising@ucsd.edu. Make sure to include your PID in the body of the email. We can assist with obtaining the instructor and Department Chair/Vice Chair signatures.

Have a question about petitions that is not addressed above? Please contact the Staff Undergraduate Advisors through the Virtual Advising Center.

ALL courses used towards major requirements must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a C- or better. Exceptions are Special Studies course (197-199) which are designed to be P/NP.