Special Studies Course (CENG 199/NANO 199)

CENG 199 and NANO 199: Independent Study for Undergraduates

CENG 199 or NANO 199, Independent Study for Undergraduates, offers qualified and motivated students the opportunity to work closely with faculty and graduate students to gain first hand experience in conducting research. Students may take CENG 199 (for CENG majors) or NANO 199 (for NANO majors) only under the guidance of a faculty member in the Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering.

  • CENG 199. Independent Study for Undergraduates (4 & 4) Research project as equivalent to a "senior thesis" can be approved for two Technical Elective courses (eight units total). This course is taken as an elective on a P/NP basis. It must be done in consecutive quarters and the student must find a faculty member who will oversee the research project. Eligible students must have completed at least 90 units and must have a UC San Diego cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. Detailed policy and procedures may be obtained from the Student Affairs Office. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.
  • NANO 199. Independent Study for Undergraduates (4 & 4) Research project as equivalent to a "senior thesis" can be approved for two NanoEngineering Elective courses (eight units total). This course is taken as an elective on a P/NP basis. It must be done in consecutive quarters and the student must find a faculty member who will oversee the research project. Eligible students must have completed at least 90 units and must have a UC San Diego cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. Detailed policy and procedures may be obtained from the Student Affairs Office. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.

Using special studies courses as technical electives:

If a student would like to use their 199 credit towards their elective requirements for their major, they must enroll in two consecutive quarters of 199 courses for a total of 8 units. All special studies courses are taken as P/NP, however to be considered for technical elective credit, the final report must be assigned a letter grade by the overseeing faculty advisor. After completion of the second 199 course, the graded report is then submitted by a course substitution petition for technical elective credit.

HOW TO ENROLL IN CENG 199 or NANO 199

First Quarter
1. The student identifies an area of interest and approaches a potential faculty advisor in the Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering to inquire if there are research opportunities available in a given quarter. (In order for students to receive technical elective credit, they will need to enroll in two consecutive quarters of independent study with the same faculty advisor)
2. The student obtains a CENG 199 Contract or NANO 199 Contract from our website, and discusses with the faculty advisor the nature of the project, frequency of contact, prerequisite knowledge needed, and the means of evaluation, which is a graded final report. Faculty advisor approval and signature is required before the contract can be submitted. 
3. The student submits an EASy request for enrollment through the Enrollment Authorization System with the completed 199 contract attached.  (The 199 contract must be uploaded and attached in the "Supporting Documents" field in EASy)
4. The student affairs office and the UAC chair will review the EASy request for approval. Once approved, the registrar's office will create a section ID specific to each faculty advisor for enrollment.
5. The student must enroll themselves in the 199 course through WebReg. Enrollment is not automatic, so the student must check their schedule and confirm their enrollment in the 199 course.

Second Quarter (must be consecutive)
1. Prior to the start of the second quarter, the student submits a CENG/NANO 199 enrollment request through EASy. 
2. After the request is approved by the department, the EASy system will pre-authorize the student to enroll in the 199 course. The student will be notified through email.
3. The student must enroll themself in the 199 course through WebReg. Enrollment is not automatic, so the student must check their schedule and confirm their enrollment in the 199 course.
4. As discussed previously with the faculty advisor, a required final report must be submitted at the completion of the second quarter. The 199 course is graded on a P/NP basis. In order for 199 credit to be used as a technical elective, the instructor will assign a letter grade on the final report.
5. After completion of the second quarter, the student will then submit a course substitution petition through the online petitions portal with the final, graded report attached, requesting credit for two technical electives.
6. The petition and final report will be reviewed by the Undergraduate Affairs Committee Chair. If the petition and final report are approved, the student's degree audit will be updated accordingly.

Additional Information
If students enroll in their first 199 course in spring quarter, they can enroll in their second consecutive course in either summer or fall quarter.

If a student would like to work with a faculty advisor outside of the department, they must submit an undergraduate petition to receive chair approval and find a co-advisor within the Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering. The purpose of the co-advisor will be to confirm that the project scope is pertinent to either Chemical Engineering or NanoEngineering. It is the responsibility of the student to approach the faculty member about undergraduate research opportunities in their lab.

The academic senate regulations pertaining to special studies courses can be found here: 
https://senate.ucsd.edu/Operating-Procedures/Senate-Manual/Regulations/520

Quick links to websites and forms: