University of California-Davis

University of California-Davis Academics

Just over a century old, the University of California-Davis is one of the ten major campuses in the University of California education system. UC Davis was originally founded as an outpost of its northern neighbor, UC Berkeley, and became a separate entity in 1908. While its origins lie in its establishment as an education center for farming, today the university offers a complete schedule of academic pursuits.

University of California-Davis is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and is supervised by the California Board of Regents, headed by none other than former Terminator and current Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger.

UC Davis offers more than 100 undergraduate majors in a far-flung array of academics-a number greater than any other university in the California higher education system. With world-class faculty and an impressive research budget, University of California-Davis continues to improve its standing on the national academic stage. Specific degree-granting institutions within the University include the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the College of Engineering, and the College of Letters and Sciences. UC Davis also has a number of professional schools designed to ready students for the work force, including the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, the School of Veterinary Medicine, and the School of Education.

UC Davis has an endowment of more than 650 million dollars, and receives annual gifts totaling more than 200 million dollars. Dedicated to research, the school supplies ample funding to valuable endeavors, totaling nearly 600 million dollars in 2007-08. As an example of the innovation constantly occurring on the UC Davis campus, one has to look only as far as the new Winery, Brewery, and Food Science Laboratory: while the research is progressive, the building its being conducted in is revolutionary, as its construction conforms to strict LEEDS environmental standards.

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University of California-Davis Admissions

The UC Davis deadline for applications for the fall semester is November 30th. Students applying to other schools in the University of California education system should note that only one application is needed.

Admissions requirements differ for applicants from in-state and out-of-state.

In-State

California residents take a set of required classes and exams to determine eligibility. Additionally, the top four percent of each graduating high school class is automatically designated as UC-eligible. This is referred to as “eligibility in the local context”, or ELC.

Out-of-State

Applicants from outside the state of California must attain a 3.40 GPA, as well as achievement on a sliding scale of SAT and ACT scores.

UC Davis also makes special exceptions for students that come from “the road less traveled”, including children who have been home-schooled.

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University of California-Davis Financial Aid

University of California-Davis offers several scholarship and financial aid opportunities to students. One of the most helpful and popular is the Blue and Gold student program.

Participants adhere to the following requirements:

• Undergraduate in the first four years of attendance
• Maintain California residency
• Total family earnings of less than 60,000$
• An Expected Family Contribution that equals less than Estimated Cost of Attendance
• Adherence to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards

If all of these conditions are met, the applicant is admitted as a Blue and Gold student, guaranteeing enough grants and scholarships to cover the total cost of education and registration.

Regents Scholarships are available to the most elite applicants. Students with above a 3.8 GPA qualify for the application process. If awarded the scholarship, funds are available from 7,500 dollars each year.

The majority of these scholarships are awarded in the late spring and early summer.

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University of California-Davis Students

UC Davis has an active student population, with close to 90% of freshman residing on campus. As a major research institution, UC Davis has students of all stripes, including older folks returning back to school after time off, or even for the first time.

The UC Davis campus is the largest in the University of California system, covering close to 6,000 acres. The school is virtually self-sufficient, with an airport, fire department, and even a nuclear lab. Students enjoy the unique campus, which is home to an arboretum, as well as five unique “Egghead” statues created by a former art instructor.

Students commute to class almost entirely by bicycle, and the city of Davis actually holds the distinction of having the most bikes per capita of any city in the United States. The campus itself is famous for the Unitrans bus system, which incorporates vintage London double decker buses. Unitrans is run by students, and transportation is free for enrolled students.

A substantial number of students participate in Greek life, with approximately 8 percent of undergraduates wearing letters. In fact, the sorority Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi was the subject of the MTV reality show “Sorority Life.” Other Greek organizations include:

• Delta Phi Beta
• Lamda Phi Epsilon
• Sigma Chi
• Delta Gamma
• Kappa Kappa Gamma

There are a wide variety of activities and offerings to keep students busy, especially when it comes to the arts. In particular, the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts boasts both internal performances and performances by world-class dancers, musicians, and theater productions. There are also a number of museums on-campus, including the Richard L. Nelson Gallery and Fine Arts Collection, the Design Museum, and the Craft Center Gallery, which displays pieces by local area artists.

One particular highlight on the calendar is the annual Whole Earth Festival, which recently celebrated its 40th year of “Sustainalovability”. Every May, students, faculty, and the local community come together to throw a celebration of peace, non-violence, and activism on the main Quad. Even the food at this festival is home-grown. Take this quote, which describes one of the temporary buildings erected: “The Karma Dome is the proverbial cerebral cortex of the super-organism known as the Whole Earth Festival (WEF) located opposite of Quad Stage on the East Quad.” That should give you an idea of what to expect from this wild 3-day fest.

Public service is also a big part of life at UC Davis. The entire university is active in the community, with outreach programs that seek to connect students with the local population. A great example is the UC Davis Children’s Garden Program, through which thousands of area elementary school students are brought onto campus each year to learn about gardening and biology.

Don’t forget about student radio: KDVS broadcasts around the clock, and streams radio over the Internet as well. An impressively broad diversity of music can include Dubstep reggae, Latin American lullabies, and Goa PsyTrance (we’re wondering about that last one ourselves) in any given week.

When the sun sets, the fun begins for UC Davis students. There is plenty to do in the town of Davis, and locals advise heading to the Streets of London Pub if you’re interested in European soccer action. Indeed, the club Faces actually has a swimming pool inside of the bar—-not something you would expect in a smaller college town. If yearning for the big city strikes, Sacramento is only about half an hour away, and both Los Angeles and San Francisco are within driving distance.

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University of California-Davis Athletics

The UC Davis Aggies participate in a number of different athletic conferences. The football team is a member of the Great West Conference, the gymnastics and lacrosse teams participate in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, and the wrestling team has standing as an associate member of the PAC 10.

In total, 26 teams are proud to wear the UC Davis blue and gold.

Each year, UC Davis plays Cal Poly in the Battle for the Golden Horseshoe, with the winner being awarded the namesake trophy. Another major rivalry is held with the Stanford Cardinal, and UC Davis managed to string together a few victories both on the football field as well as the basketball hard court.

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Carnegie Foundation Classification

Research Universities (very high research activity)

General Characteristics

Highest offering	Doctoral degree
Calendar System	Quarter
Years of college work required	N/A
Variable Tuition

Special Learning Opportunities

Distance Learning
ROTC — Army / Navy / Air Force	— / /
Study Abroad
Weekend College
Teacher Certification