GBSE Application Requirements

The application period for each academic year opens in September of the preceding year — we recommend submitting early whenever possible. All application materials (e.g., GRE scores, letters of recommendation) must be received by February 1 to guarantee full consideration.

While we continue to accept applications until the space-available deadline, admission after the general deadline is not guaranteed.

Applications are submitted through the UC Davis Graduate Studies online application. The application fee is required for all applicants, and no fee waivers are available at the department level. However, fee waivers may be available to students who participate in a recognized graduate preparation program. More information about fee waivers can be found on our FAQs for the graduate program.

To ensure equity across applications, we cannot accept applications or additional application materials outside of the application system. 

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There are six main components of the application:

  • 1. GPA and Transcripts
  • The minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) required for admission to the University of California, Davis is a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale from the undergraduate degree granting institution. If you have a GPA from a foreign university or a university that does not have a 4.0 scale, your GPA will be converted to the 4.0 scale by graduate program staff. We find that the most successful applicants to our program have a 3.25 or better from the last institution they attended. After submitting the application, you will be asked to digitally upload copies of your transcripts for review, which can be done through UC Davis Graduate Studies. Please remember to upload both sides of the transcript, even if it’s blank!
  • 2. Standardized Testing (GRE, TOEFL, IELTS, etc.)

  • GRE Testing:
    The GRE is no longer required and will not be reviewed or included in admissions decision if included in your application.

    English Language Testing:
    Applicants must submit official TOEFL or IELTS examination scores unless they have earned or will be earning a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from either: 

    1. A regionally accredited U.S. college or university where English is the sole language of instruction, or

    2. A foreign college or university which provides instruction solely in English. UC Davis Graduate Studies will only approve waivers for foreign colleges and universities which list English as the sole language of instruction in the IAU World Higher Education Database (WHED). If English is not the sole language of instruction listed (or if no language is listed at all), or if the institution does not appear on the WHED website, the waiver will not be approved. No other documentation (e.g. letters, language certificates, school websites) will be reviewed or accepted.

    UC Davis does not offer conditional admission for applicants who have not earned a passing TOEFL/IELTS score. The score report is required before application processing can be completed. Contact us if you have questions.

    Additionally, we recommend that applicants have a TOEFL Speaking Subset score of at least 26 in order to avoid additional English proficiency testing once you have arrived on campus. Students who do not meet the English as a second language requirements as outlined by Graduate Council will be required to take two English language courses in their first year.

    Review language requirements on UC Davis Graduate Studies

  • 3. Letters of Recommendation
  • Applicants are required to obtain three letters of recommendation. Once you have started an application, you will be asked to provide the names and contact information (including email) for your letter of recommendation writers. The system will then send an automated email to the recommender prompting them to submit their letter. Unfortunately, due to the additional questions required of recommenders, we do not allow letters of recommendation to come from letter of recommendation systems, such as Interfolio. We recommend that you select letter writers that can speak to not only your ability to perform in the classroom, but that also showcase your research abilities, if applicable. Please note, letters of recommendation must be written in English.
  • 4. Statement of Purpose
  • The statement of purpose is an important aspect of the application for you to convey to us your research aims, future goals, and overall fit for our program. The directions for the statement of purpose are available year-round on the Graduate Studies website. It’s important to note that this section is limited to 4000 characters, including spaces. Our #1 tip for a successful statement of purpose – be sure to proofread!
  • 5. Personal History and Diversity Statement
  • This statement should complement and not duplicate what you have written in the statement of purpose. It serves as your opportunity to tell us more about you as an individual and how you will contribute to the overall diversity of our program. Like the personal statement, the essay directions are available year-round through UC Davis Graduate Studies and is limited to 4000 characters, including spaces.
  • CV/Resume
  • Resources for formatting your CV are available from the UC Davis Internship and Career Center. Your CV must be submitted electronically through the online application. CVs will not be accepted by mail or e-mail.

Fellowship Application

As part of your admission application, you will also complete an incoming student fellowship application. This is an important aspect of your application. If you are admitted, you may be reviewed for university fellowships, such as the prestigious Dean’s Distinguished Graduate Fellowship. Additionally, you may receive a separate application from our College of Engineering to apply for our Towards Outstanding Postgraduate Success (TOPS) fellowship or our Preparing Engineering Graduate Students for the 21st Century (PEGS21) fellowship. We highly recommend that you apply for both fellowships if you receive the call.

Applying Without a Bachelor's degree in engineering 

Students without a background in engineering are welcome to apply to our program, but there are additional requirements that must be met in the form or prerequisite courses and deficiency courses. These additional requirements are in place to ensure that you are well prepared for lasting success in the program. The courses provide you with foundational knowledge that will serve you in the program and beyond. The prerequisites will need to be completed before applying and deficiencies can be completed after admission. Please see the Additional Requirements (PDF) for more information. 

  • Prerequisites
  • Prerequisites are courses that must be completed in order to apply. Reviewers will be looking for satisfactory completion of a full year of physics, chemistry and engineering-level math, including linear algebra and differential equations, having passed each with a letter grade. The equivalent UC Davis courses can be found through the university's course catalog:
    1. MAT 21A-D.
    2. MAT 22A-B.
    3. PHY 9A-C.
    4. CHE 2A-B.
  • Deficiencies
  • Deficiencies are courses that must be passed before graduation, but do not need to have been passed in order to apply. Students who do not have an undergraduate degree in engineering must pass with a letter grade any missing UC Davis equivalent engineering core specified by Graduate Advisor. In addition, students must take upper division engineering courses during their graduate program to meet the following requirement.

    1. Students must take the four (4) courses listed below:
    - Statics: ENG 35 on UC Davis' course catalog 
    - Circuits: ENG 17 or ENG 100 on UC Davis' course catalog
    - Fluid Mechanics: ENG 103 on UC Davis' course catalog
    - Thermodynamics: ENG 105 on UC Davis' course catalog

    2. In addition, students must take three (3) courses from the courses listed below:
    - Circuits: ENG100 on UC Davis' course catalog
    - Dynamics: ENG102 on UC Davis' course catalog
    - Mechanics of Materials: ENG104 on UC Davis' course catalog
    - Heat Transfer: EBS125 on UC Davis' course catalog
    - Kinetics and Mass Transfer: EBS127 on UC Davis' course catalog
    - Modeling of Biological Systems: EBS130 on UC Davis' course catalog
    - Bioinstrumentation and Control: EBS165 on UC Davis' course catalog
  • Researching Course Equivalencies

  • If you have completed or plan to complete courses at another institution, several resources can help you determine UC Davis course equivalencies:

    Mathematics: Check historically approved course equivalencies from other institutions via the Math Department course equivalency list. If your course is not listed, you may submit a syllabus for review.

    Physics: The Physics Department accepts course equivalency requests through a Google form. While the historical equivalency list is no longer active, reviewing the PHYS 9 series course descriptions linked above is a good starting point.

    Chemistry: Chemistry equivalencies can be reviewed and requested through the department's website.

    California Community Colleges (ASSIST): Use ASSIST, the official articulation database for California public colleges and universities, to determine equivalencies between California Community Colleges and UC Davis.

    Transfer Equivalency System (TES): For community colleges outside California, or other non-community colleges within California, use the Transfer Evaluation System (TES) tool from CollegeSource to look up faculty-approved course equivalencies with UC Davis.

    Note: If you do not find your institution or course listed, you can compare your course descriptions to those at UC Davis or another UC campus to estimate transferability. Course descriptions can be found in the institution’s academic catalog. After you apply, our admission advisors will evaluate your transcripts to make a final determination.

International Applicants

The University of California, Davis, welcomes applications from students with strong academic credentials. Students with U.S. bachelor's degrees or equivalent degrees from institutions of recognized standing in other countries may apply for admission to Graduate Studies. Assessment of a foreign degree is based on the characteristics of the national system of education, the type of institution attended, and the level of studies completed.

All international applicants must complete the same application requirements as U.S. applicants. The information below is intended to provide additional guidance on specific topics to our international applicants.

More information for international applicants can be found through UC Davis Graduate Studies. 

  • Expected Level of Study
  • Visit UC Davis Graduate Studies' Expected Level of Study resource to see the minimum level of study expected of international applicants prior to graduate enrollment at UC Davis. 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.
  • International Academic Records

  • UC Davis graduate programs are no longer accepting paper transcripts as a part of the application process. Instead, all applicants must upload PDF versions of their transcripts or academic records directly to our system. For details about that process and what documents are required for applicants who have attended international colleges and universities, visit UC Davis Graduate Studies' resource submitting your transcripts and academic records

    If you are selected for admission to a graduate program at UC Davis, you will be required to submit official paper academic records to Graduate Studies. 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 and, if your original documents are not in English, accompanied by certified English translations. You will receive additional instructions for providing these documents if you are selected for admission.

  • 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 ordinarily given to individuals qualified to pursue a full course of study at an academic institution 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. UC Davis Services for International Student and Scholars (SISS) can 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. Consulate will grant a visa, you must prove that you will have sufficient financial resources 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.

Check out the links below for more information regarding applying:

Apply now on UC Davis Graduate Studies!

For more information or assistance, contact us at [email protected].