"Earth and Planetary Sciences" text placed on top of a decorative photo collage of the five main UC Davis EPS research disciplines.

MCS Honors, Awards, and Scholarships

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  • Marine and Coastal Science Major Honors at Graduation

  • College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

    Students graduating from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are eligible for Departmental Honors, High Honors, or Highest Honors depending on their GPA. This is calculated automatically and added to students' final transcripts.
     

    College of Biological Sciences

    Students graduating from the College of Biological Sciences are eligible for Departmental Honors, High Honors, or Highest Honors depending on their GPA. This is calculated automatically and added to students’ final transcripts.
     

    College of Letters & Science

    Students graduating from the College of Letters & Science are eligible for Departmental Honors, depending on their GPA and whether or not they complete a Senior Thesis.

    Students who graduate with a GPA in the top percentages of their college will automatically graduate with Honors.

    Students who qualify for Honors at graduation may also be eligible for High Honors or Highest Honors, based upon the quality of their Senior Thesis (course number 194A-194B) or Senior Honors Thesis (course number 194HA-194HB). It is Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences policy that an "A-" grade on the thesis will earn the student High Honors, and an "A" grade will earn the student Highest Honors. Students must have a qualifying GPA to be eligible to enroll in the Senior Honors Thesis. The thesis must span two quarters and be supervised by a faculty member approved in advance by the MCSci Faculty Advisors. A Thesis that is approved in advance can be counted toward the "Internship/Research" requirement for the Marine and Coastal Science major.

    Students interested in obtaining an Honors Cord to wear at commencement may purchase them through the bookstore.

  • Graduating Senior Awards

  • Students graduating between September through June each year may be eligible for awards given specifically to graduating seniors. These prestigious awards are added as a notation to your official transcript upon graduation. Multiple awards may be given out in each category.

    College of Biological Sciences

    • All students with a GPA of 3.7 or more upon graduation will receive a "Departmental Citation".
    • Students with a 3.5 GPA or more in upper division coursework are invited to apply for the "Citation for Outstanding Performance", also known as the "CBS Distinguished Scholar Award". Applications are due in February on the CBS Graduating Senior Awards website.

    College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and College of Letters and Science

    • All students with a GPA of 3.7 or more upon graduation will receive a "Departmental Citation".
    • Students with a 3.5 GPA or more in upper division coursework are invited to apply for the "Citation for Outstanding Performance". Faculty may also nominate students for this award. To apply, send an email to mcs-advisors@ucdavis.edu with your full name, graduation term, overall GPA, upper division GPA (OASIS can help calculate this), and a short paragraph describing your involvement in the Marine and Coastal Science major. These applications are open at the start of Winter quarter and due by March 15th each year. This involvement can be defined as, but is not limited to: leadership in a club associated with the MCS major or CMSI; completing a research project, senior thesis, or internship relating to marine science; service as a BML or departmental Peer Advisor, CMSI mentor, or other type of support to other students; service on a committee within the department or CMSI; or other involvement to the university as a whole.
  • Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences scholarships
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    • Scholarships in Geology and Marine and Coastal Science (GeMS). The UC Davis Earth and Planetary Sciences department has funds from the National Science Foundation (S-STEM Program) for undergraduate scholarships of up to $10,000, potentially renewable for multiple years. Junior College and Community College students planning to apply for admission to UC Davis as Geology or Marine and Coastal Science majors (in the College of Letters & Science) are encouraged to apply.
    • Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Scholarships. Students can apply each Spring for awards given out the following academic year.  Each of these scholarships is free money that does not have to be paid back (as opposed to loans). These scholarships are made possible by the Durrell, Kellogg, Latham, Matthews, Owyang, and Todd families. Awards range from $1,000-2,000 per year. Multiple awards will be given each year.
      • Eligibility: Applications are open to all continuing students at UC Davis and incoming transfer students for Fall 2024. Must be a declared Geology or Marine and Coastal Science major (in the College of Letters and Science only) by the start of Fall 2024. Must be enrolled full-time in the 2024-2025 year. Open to students of all residence statuses.  
      • Applications are due May 15, 2024. Click here for the application for 2024-2025.
      • Timing: Notifications will be sent out in June or in the summer. Awards will be posted as a credit to your student account for the 2024-2025 academic year, paid in equal installments in Fall, Winter, and Spring. These payments will be made after the fee payment deadline in order to allow maximum flexibility in using the award.
  • Bodega Marine Lab
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  • Research Funding
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    • The Undergraduate Research Center lists many internal and external sources of funding for students conducting research projects.
    • The Provost's Undergraduate Fellowship is a prestigious campus-wide fellowship awarded to students pursuing a research project, often a senior thesis, designed to help alleviate research costs.
    • The McNair Scholars Program prepares underrepresented students to enter graduate school for their PhD by providing a paid summer research internship, travel funds, and support programs throughout the year.
    • The UC LEADS program prepares disadvantaged students in STEM students to enter graduate school for their PhD by providing paid research experiences, travel funds, and support programs.
    • The EVE Scholars Program connects UC Davis students with evolution and ecology research opportunities. Applications open in Winter Quarter each year. This programs funds students to do full-time summer research with a faculty member in the Department of Evolution and Ecology or at the Bodega Marine Laboratory, then continue their work with a 1-2 unit course the following Fall Quarter.  Fellowship recipients will receive approximately $6500 for a 10-week internship, and will have housing costs at BML covered in addition to the stipend.
    • If you already are doing research in a faculty member's lab, they might be able to apply for an REU supplement to pay you a stipend if their research is funded by the NSF. They can find more information at https://www.nsf.gov/bio/supp.jsp.
  • UC Davis Funding
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  • External sources of funding
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