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Summer Abroad Iceland - Courses

Thermodynamics in the Land of Fire and Ice

On this Summer Abroad program, you can
  • Earn 8 quarter units in 4 weeks.
  • Enroll in UC Davis courses to fulfill degree, major, minor, or GE requirements as listed in the General Catalog.
  • Experience academic coursework enriched by both the program’s location(s) and activities.

Note to Non-UC Davis Students

  • Students from other campuses should consult with their home campus to determine whether courses may be used to fulfill their specific academic requirements. 
  • Semester students who will apply for Summer Financial Aid can get an additional unit to meet unit minimums for financial aid eligibility. Please contact Summer Abroad for additional information.

Syllabus

Engineering (ENG) 105 and 198 - Syllabus (PDF)

The program syllabus and schedule, including the daily itinerary and planned activities, are subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.

Class Format

  • Your classroom experience will be a combination of traditional class sessions held in a communal space within your accommodations and lessons taught while visiting unique geological and geographical sites around Iceland.
  • Past participants describe this program as very active. You can look forward to hikes, a lot of walking and other outdoor experiences while on this program.
Earn GE credit! Some courses on this program offer GE credit. Expand the sections below to view course descriptions and type of credit offered.

Courses

You will enroll in the course set below. Auditing is not an option. UC Davis programs are academic programs so participants should expect a substantial amount of course work.

  • Engineering (ENG) 105. Thermodynamics (4 units)
  • Fundamentals of thermodynamics: heat energy and work, properties of pure substances, First and Second Law for closed and open systems, reversibility, entropy, thermodynamic temperature scales. Applications of thermodynamics to engineering systems. GE credit: SciEng

  • Engineering (ENG) 198. Directed Group Study/Special Topics (4 units, P/NP grading only)
  • This course includes participation on excursions and tours and attendance to guest lectures. Students are often asked to write reflective pieces. Assignment topics vary by program.

Prerequisites

Along with the general eligibility requirements, Study Abroad will be enforcing the completion of the following prerequisites. For non-UC Davis students, the equivalent at your campus: PHY 9B and MAT 22B (or campus equivalent) before departure.

Physics 9B*

Lecture—3 hours; laboratory—2.5 hours; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite: course 9A, Mathematics 21C, 21D (may be taken concurrently). Continuation of course 9A. Fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, wave phenomena, optics. Only 2 units of credit to students who have completed course 7A. GE credit: SciEng | SE

Mathematics 22B*

Differential Equations (3) Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: courses 21C; 22A or 67. Solutions of elementary differential equations. GE credit: SciEng | QL, SE

*Both PHY 9B and MAT 22B require a C- or better in order to fulfill prerequisite requirements.

  • UC Davis students: Prerequisites can only be waived by the instructor—please contact the instructor if you wish to discuss this option. Please note that you will be required to submit proof of prerequisites waived when submitting your enrollment.
  • Non-UC Davis students: Prerequisites can only be waived by the instructor—please contact the instructor if you wish to discuss this option. Please note that you will be required to submit proof of prerequisites waived when submitting your enrollment. If you plan to take these courses to satisfy a requirement at your home campus, please meet with your academic advisor to make sure waiving the prerequisites does not impact that requirement.
  • Failure to complete unwaived prerequisites prior to program departure can result in administrative withdrawal and fees owed accordingly.