Jan Plan Selection: Instructions for Students

Select one of these Jan Plan options (see details for each, below), using the ‘Jan Plan Election’ page, October 23rd – 31st:

1. January Course
2. Independent Study (including Honors Project)
3. Internship
4. Transfer Course *
5. No Jan Plan *

* Options 4 and 5 are not available to first-years. Please note also:

• As always, you need to be cleared by your academic advisor before you can select courses.
• This is not a first-come, first-served system; over-enrolled courses will be pruned according to the course ‘Rules’ after October 31st.
• Jan Plan submissions can be changed from October 23rd until midnight on October 31st; simply return to the ‘Jan Plan Election’ page.
• In November, courses will be confirmed and Jan Plan ‘Add-Drop’ will open.
• To be eligible to participate in intercollegiate athletics, campus organizations, or other co-curricular campus events during January, you must be enrolled in a Jan Plan course, independent study, or internship.
• Students planning to be on campus during January should be registered for an approved activity (course, independent study, or local internship) by December 15th.  Otherwise, you risk the inconvenience of not having access to the residence halls or dining services until you have registered.

(Note: the steps below apply to initial selection in October. Once Add-drop opens in November, any course changes must be attempted through “Add-Drop (Jan Plan)”.)

1. Query for a course
2. If successful, click on a ‘Choice #’ link to specify the course’s priority (1 = highest, 4 = lowest) and to Add the choice or see why it could not be added (missing prerequisites, etc.).
3. To add another or change an existing choice, use the ‘Add/Change Course’ link.
4. Your current selections can be viewed via the ‘Selections’ link from within ‘Jan Plan Election’ or via ‘My Selections’.

Where possible, one of your choices will be confirmed in November. We cannot guarantee you’ll get one of your choices, especially if all your choices are over-enrolled.

The ‘Reg’ number in the curriculum is the count of students who have selected a course as their first choice, so far, and is updated every 15 minutes. Use this to gauge interest in each course and adjust your choices accordingly.

We recommend that you specify four different courses, unless you have already been admitted into one of the ‘trip’ Jan Plans (EN237, ES358, FR127J, GE279, GO297, GO338, GS245J, IT153, SP132) or one of the other Jan Plans that requires special permission (JP003, JP006, or JP007).

Selecting only one course or selecting the same course multiple times will not improve your chances of admission, and may actually work against you.

Special Course Notes:

• JP003 – Premed Academy: Application required. Upload résumé, unofficial academic record including courses in progress, and cover letter describing your learning goals and the relevance of the course to your professional plans in Handshake on the DavisConnects site.
• JP006 – Furniture Making: Early application required. FMI or to inquire about a waiting list, email Daniel Camann.
• JP007 – Blacksmithing: Early application required. FMI or to inquire about a waiting list, email Steve Murdock
• MU091 – Music lessons for Jan Plan credit only: Choose MU091 as one of your four courses and fill out an application with Jennifer Phillips in the Music Department.  (Extra-curricular music lessons are the only exception to the rule that you can only enroll in one Jan Plan at a time.)
• Off-Campus (aka ‘Trip’) Jan Plans:  Courses indicated as trips (Exam code of OCIN or OCUS) require special application. Selection confirmed only if name appears on list furnished to Registrar by instructor/coordinator or, where deposit required, Student Financial Services.

1. Use the Independent Study or Honors Application (required) to apply for the independent study or, if you are a qualified senior, honors project.  The application deadline is October 31st for first-years; for all others the deadline is December 15, but applications should be made by November 10, to secure access to campus housing and dining services.
2. and Submit Option 2 as your choice, indicating whether you plan to live on or off campus.

Note: As noted in the Catalogue, “projects ordinarily involve the preparation of an extensive paper or other suitable indication of the student’s independent research or artistic efforts”, regardless of the number of academic credits. Proposals that involve studying for, preparing for, or otherwise completing work for a standardized exam (e.g., MCAT, GRE, LSAT) will not be accepted.

1. Use the Internship Application (required) to actually apply for an internship. The application deadline is October 31st for first-years; for all others the deadline is December 15, but applications should be submitted by November 10 to secure access to campus housing and dining services.
2. and Submit Option 3 as your choice, indicating whether you expect to live on or off campus.

Notes:

• Credit for an internship appears as a notation on your academic transcript.
• In addition, you can apply to receive one academic credit hour by completing additional work.
• An internship can earn Jan Plan credit, whether it is paid or unpaid, and whether or not it earns an academic credit hour.
• Internships require a minimum of 100 hours on site and the following submissions to the project sponsor:
  • a daily journal
  • a final project (if pursuing optional credit hour)
  • a letter from the site supervisor, evaluating performance and confirming hours worked

1. File the Application for Transfer of Credit form (required) with the Registrar’s Office before taking the course.
2. and Submit Option 4 to indicate your plan to take a course at another institution, in the U.S. or abroad.

Note: This is not an option for first-years.

Submit Option 5 to indicate that you will not be participating in the January Program this year. Please note:

• This is not an option for first-years.
• Remember that to be eligible for graduation, you must complete three Jan Plans if you are in residence for seven or more semesters, or two if in residence for six or fewer semesters.
• Some Off-Campus Study programs qualify for a Jan Plan exemption. For more information see the “Jan Plan Credit” section of Key Academic Policies on Off-Campus Study.
• To be eligible to participate in intercollegiate athletics, campus organizations, or other co-curricular campus events during January, you must be enrolled in a Jan Plan course, independent study, or internship.
• If you are not planning to enroll in a Jan Plan, you need special permission to live on campus and must file a  Request to Live On Campus During Jan Plan by November 10.