
Summer Sessions broadens, expands offerings for 2025
With more virtual and hybrid classes, new courses and expanded support, UC Davis 2025 Summer Sessions helps students graduate early, stay on track and get ahead.
“There truly is something for everyone at Summer Sessions, whether you need to focus on that one tough chemistry class, learn a new language or complete a minor,” said Omega Lee, Summer Sessions executive director. “It’s possible to make that happen at UC Davis,”
The Course Lists page includes details about additional classes in impacted areas (see Sunny’s summer staples), new offerings to complete minors and supportive programming with the Summer Scholars Writing Academy.
Enroll soon for Summer Sessions
Summer Sessions enrollment continues to climb in response to these increased opportunities. Summer Sessions I begins June 23.
Current students register through Schedule Builder for Sessions I, II and Special Session. New incoming students, students from other campuses or universities and the community may apply and register on the website.
Expanded virtual courses
Virtual course offerings expanded from 33 online courses in 2024 to 59 online courses in 2025. Additionally, 30 hybrid class options are currently available to students.
Lee said a survey conducted in 2024 indicated a need for more virtual and hybrid options and the colleges responded to that need. The feedback led to more robust course lists for virtual and hybrid classes for this summer, both in terms of the number of courses offered and the breadth of subjects.
Access popular or new classes with fewer students
“Lower summer enrollments ensure more access to faculty and provide students increased opportunities to get the attention often only afforded in upper division classes,” Lee said. “A highlight of Summer Sessions is students can access popular classes that often fill up during the academic year.”
The most popular class at UC Davis? Design of Coffee — An Introduction to Chemical Engineering. This class typically exceeds 750-800 student enrollments annually and in the summer it’s around 50 students.
Business is the newest (and now most popular) major at UC Davis. During the summer, current students can take accounting, finance and management courses, even if they are not enrolled in that major.
Complete a minor
Three different departments offer courses toward summer completion of a minor.
The Graduate School of Management provides courses that fulfill two of its most popular minors: technology management and accounting. These business courses are open to all students and fulfill requirements for the new business major and the four specializations offered within the program.
Video Games Theory and Research, Digital Technology and Social Change and 12 other courses round out the Department of Communications summer courses. Most classes satisfying portions of the communications minor and General Education requirements.
The School of Education offers four summer courses required for the education minor. Two of those courses fulfill some of the required minor courses and the other classes are popular General Education options for most majors.
Your summer home for an Aggie community
Summer is often quieter on campus, but resources and opportunities to connect abound for students. The Summer Sessions team offers movie nights, lunchtime programming, finals study breaks and game nights. Their website lists events offered throughout the summer.
The Writing Center and Summer Sessions collaborated on a new free program for students looking to level up their writing skills this summer. The Summer Scholars Writing Academy includes six 1-hour sessions on a wide range of topics and focuses on improving writing skills for UC Davis students in any major.
“Strong writing skills are a foundation in virtually every field of study,” said Erica Cirillo McCarthy, Writing Center director. “The goal behind launching the writing academy is to build up and strengthen students’ writing skills and improve their overall skill sets both at Davis and in their future careers.”
The Writing Center is open regular hours in summer and offers appointments and one-on-one writing consultations for students.
Registration closes June 27 for Summer Session I and Aug. 8 for Session II. Visit the Summer Sessions website to explore and enroll now. Summer Sessions is a unit of UC Davis Undergraduate Education.