Expected Level of Study

The following guidelines indicate the level of study expected of applicants prior to graduate enrollment at UC Davis.

System	Required Level of Study
British patterned	B.A. Hons., or a bachelor's degree requiring at least three years
French patterned	Diplôme, Maîtrise, or Ingénieur
Canada	A bachelor's degree with honors, or a bachelor's degree requiring at least four years (three years from Quebec)
Germany	Vordiplom alone not acceptable
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal	BS. Agr., BS. Hort., B.Tech., B.Engr., B.Med., B.Vet. Med., B.Arch., BFA; master's degree in other fields.
Latin American countries	Completion of degree requirements including thesis or professional exam.
Mexico	Egres. Pasante is not acceptable.

Successful applicants generally rank high in their graduating classes and have excellent test scores. Not all well-qualified applicants may be offered admission due to the limited number of spaces available in highly competitive programs. Official offers of admission are made only by the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Applying for Admission

Application for admission to graduate study at UC Davis includes a completed online Application for Admission for International Students, a $90 application fee, transcripts of all college work, a Statement of Purpose, and a Personal History Statement. Some programs have additional requirements such as Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, examples of written work, or résumé. Some programs have earlier deadlines than that of Graduate Studies. In these cases, your application must be received no later than the date specified by the program concerned. Consult the complete listing of all graduate degree programs offered at UC Davis for information about specific deadlines and requirements.

It is your responsibility to ensure your application meets published deadlines, which are available on the online application or from the Graduate Studies Web page Programs of Study.

The UC Davis General Catalog is now available online, or for purchase through the Office of the Registrar.

Transcripts

An official transcript from each institution you attended is required; a summary of credit transferred from another institution is not acceptable. EXCEPTION: If you have attended the University of California as an undergraduate for at least two years, you need not submit a transcript for prior lower division course work taken elsewhere, unless it is required by your major program.

UC Davis undergraduates must also order their Davis transcripts; Graduate Studies does NOT have access to your records.

All documents submitted are the property of UC Davis and may not be borrowed, photocopied, returned to you, or sent elsewhere. If you are admitted, you should have a complete set of transcripts in your possession when you meet with the graduate adviser.

Official records are defined as original documents issued by the institution which bear the actual signature of the registrar and the seal of the issuing institution. In the case of non-U.S. institutions, do not send the original of an academic record that cannot be replaced; obtain a properly certified copy instead. True copies, facsimiles, or photocopies of academic records will be accepted only if the photocopies themselves have been personally signed by an academic official who has certified that they are exact copies of original documents. Certifying signatures should be in blue, or colored ink. Black ink will be interpreted as a photocopied signature, which is not acceptable. Each certified copy must also bear the seal and title of the authorizing official. Uncertified photocopies are not acceptable.

Documents should be no larger than 8-1/2" x 11" or A4. They must include a description of the institutional grading scale, with maximum and minimum marks indicated. Grades must be shown exactly as assigned by your university; numerical or verbal marks should not be converted to the U.S. system of grading. Unless academic records and diplomas are issued in English by your institution, the official records in their original language must be submitted with the authorized, complete and exact English translations.

Transcripts must show dates of enrollment, subjects taken, and grades awarded each year of attendance to date. If your university does not include grades on the transcript, or if a Pass/Fail system is used, you must have three people familiar with your academic work provide three letters of recommendation (sent through an online application process) indicating your scholastic abilities and your potential for successfully completing a graduate program. Rank in class should be supplied whenever possible. A certified photocopy of your university diploma, showing title of the degree and date of conferral, must also be submitted.

When reference is made to the degree awarded, the term used by the institution (such as Licence, Ingénieur, Vordiplom, etc.) must be specified; do not attempt to translate these terms into U.S. degree names.

The countries listed below generally issue transcripts that are significantly different from U.S. transcripts. The following documents are required for evaluation:

INDIA, PAKISTAN, BANGLADESH, BURMA, NEPAL: Mark Certificates for each annual exam taken during university level studies, showing date of the exam, subjects taken, marks awarded in each, maximum possible marks, and level of pass. Photocopies must be certified. Three-year first degrees do not qualify for graduate admission.

UNITED KINGDOM AND IRELAND: Subject and grade records if available. If your university does not issue such documents, submit three letters of recommendation as outlined above. The letters should include statements estimating the class or division in which your degree will be awarded. Submit a certified copy of your diploma to the proposed graduate program or Graduate Admissions Office as soon as possible.

FRANCE: Grade reports (marks, mentions, notes) for all exams taken during the first and second cycles at university level and for any subsequent studies; a certified copy of the Licence, Maîtrise, and other university diplomas, listing the subject and date the degree was awarded.

GERMANY: Official copies of all exam records (such as Vorprüfung, Hauptprüfung, Staatsexamen, etc.) and seminar reports (Seminarschein) showing subjects taken and grades awarded for all exams taken at university level and the diplomas showing the result of final written and oral comprehensive exams. If no grades other than Pass/Fail a Pass/Fail system is used, you must have three people familiar with your academic work provide three letters of recommendation (sent through an online application process) indicating your scholastic abilities and your potential for successfully completing a graduate program.

IRAN: If your university has changed its name in the past 10 years, show the current name with the former name in parentheses.

English Language Requirement.

Applicants whose native language or language of instruction is not English must take the TOEFL or IELTS.

TOEFL Scores. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is given by Educational Testing Service (ETS). Their address is:

Educational Testing Service (ETS)
P.O. Box 6151
Princeton, NJ 08541-6151 USA

You may contact ETS via phone: (877) 863-3546 (from the U.S. and Canada) or 1-609-771-7100 (outside the U.S. and Canada). Official score reports must be sent from ETS electronically to UC Davis. In addition, applicants may send a paper version of the report directly to the graduate program. There is no conditional admission. The score report is required before application processing begins.

Graduate Studies requires the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) if your native language is not English or your instruction has not been in English. The minimum score required for admission to graduate study at UC Davis is 550 for the paper test, 213 for the computer-based test, and 68 for the Internet-based test. Information and an application for the TOEFL can be obtained at most US Consulates or at the ETS address listed above.

TOEFL scores expire after two years. Scores that are two years old or more will not be accepted by Graduate Admissions.

IELTS Scores. As an alternative, you may submit scores from the Academic Modules of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) designed by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate and administered by the British Council worldwide. You are responsible for providing us with an official Test Report Form (TRF) of your IELTS. Remember to order the TRF when you register to take the test.

IELTS scores expire after two years. Scores that are two years old or more will not be accepted by Graduate Admissions. Your most recent overall BAND score must be at least 7 on a 9-point scale.

To register for the IELTS, consult the IELTS Web site or contact them via mail at:

IELTS Subject Officer
University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate
1 Hills Road
Cambridge, CB1 2EU, United Kingdom

If admitted, you will be required to take an examination in English at UC Davis prior to your first registration. If your score indicates a weakness in the language, your program may include special courses in English.

International Student Services

The office of Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) assists international students in their pre-arrival preparation and provides immigration advice, financial information, general advising and counseling, and a variety of cross-cultural activities. If admitted to graduate studies at UC Davis, you will receive a registration packet from SISS.

For more information useful for our international students, consult the Internship and Career Center's International Resources.

Student Visas

To apply for a visa, take your passport and Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20 or DS-2019, usually issued by UC Davis Services for International Students and Scholars after you are admitted by Graduate Studies), plus proof of adequate financial resources for your studies and living expenses to a U.S. Consulate or Embassy. The types of visas available to you are the F-1 student visa and the J-1 Exchange Visitor visa.

The F-1 student visa is the one ordinarily given to individuals qualified to pursue a full course of study at an academic institution like UC Davis, which is authorized to admit international students. The J-1 visa is sometimes given to students who are supported substantially by funding from any source other than personal or family funds, for example the U.S. Government, the students home government or an international organization. The US Consul will advise you on the appropriate visa for you.

Graduate students in F-1 or J-1 status must carry a minimum of 12 units or the equivalent of a full course of study as certified by the Dean of Graduate Studies. Non-immigrant students are not permitted to work outside the University without work authorization from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. They are only allowed to work within the University on a part-time basis.

Before a U.S. Consul will grant a visa, you must prove that you will have sufficient money to meet all your expenses while studying in the United States. You must show documented evidence of the source of your funds and guarantee that you will receive them while at UC Davis. Unless you show written evidence of having resources for your entire degree program, you will not be granted a student visa.

Financial Facts

International students are eligible for certain fellowships, scholarships, or grants during their first year at UC Davis. Please check the Student Financial Support section for details. There is no waiver of nonresident tuition or fees. However, graduate programs may offer merit-based Nonresident Tuition Fellowships to international students. Graduate programs may offer academic research or teaching appointments to graduate students their first year; however, there is no certainty that such appointments will be available in subsequent years. Unless you receive a definite offer of appointment or support in writing from the University, you must plan to pay your own expenses for the entire length of your degree program. Students who arrive in Davis without adequate financial resources may be unable to complete their degree programs.

International students who receive a Nonresident Tuition Fellowship should read carefully the new policy on reduction of nonresident tuition for doctoral graduate students who have advanced to candidacy.

Teaching and Research Assistantships. To apply for appointment as a teaching or research assistant, contact the department in which you wish to study or work at the same time you apply for admission to UC Davis. An application for an assistantship is separate and in addition to the application for admission. Earnings from assistantship appointments are subject to United States and California income taxes. Students appointed to assistantships should be aware that their first paychecks would be received five weeks after the beginning of the quarter. Therefore, plans should be made to pay initial expenses, including nonresident tuition, from your own resources.

Living Expenses. Graduate Student expenses are detailed at the Financial Aid site. Travel expenses to and from the University are NOT included in these costs. It is critically important that you obtain an adequate, reliable, continuing source of funding before you come to the U.S. to study.

Total expenses typically increase 5%-10% per year and are subject to change without notice.

Every student is responsible for having sufficient funds for initial expenses. You will need the amount of your tuition and fees, plus the initial down payment for housing (landlords often ask for the first and last month's rent plus a security deposit), books, etc. Students should have with them at least $5,000 in traveler’s checks (with $500 in small denominations) rather than in a bank draft. Davis banks will hold your bank draft for up to two weeks before the money is released for your use. An alternative, and cheaper, method is to use an automated teller machine (ATM), but students should check compatibility and maximum daily allowances before relying solely on this method of retrieving funds.

Health Insurance

Health insurance is a mandatory UC Davis enrollment requirement, and upon registration, students are automatically enrolled into the UC Davis Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP).

SHIP is a major medical insurance plan administered by the Cowell Student Health Center (CSHC) on campus. Primary care services at CSHC complement the healthcare resources of SHIP for SHIP enrollees. SHIP also includes dental coverage provided by Delta Dental.

You may opt out of SHIP if you have comparable health insurance coverage. You may complete or download the waiver application online. Please note that you must file a waiver application each year.

Cowell Student Health Center services are supported by student fees to provide low student rates for primary healthcare services independent of SHIP. All registered students may use Cowell healthcare services whether or not they waive SHIP enrollment.

Housing

The UC Davis Student Housing Office has information about on-campus housing. The Community Housing Listing can assist you in locating off-campus housing.

Community housing cannot be reserved in advance of your arrival. You are advised to arrive in Davis two to four weeks before the quarter begins in order to find off-campus housing. Housing on campus is limited. If you wish to apply for on-campus housing, request an application from the UC Davis Student Housing Office, and be certain to observe the deadline dates.