Information for Prospective Students

General information

The UC Davis Plant Pathology graduate program is one of the most highly ranked and respected Plant Pathology graduate programs in the world. We have excellent placement rates for our graduates in a variety of fields. There are multiple opportunities to interact with faculty members and other scientists in classes and at our Departmental Retreat, Graduate Student Retreat, and departmental social activities throughout the year.

We receive many qualified applicants each year and are a selective program. PhD applicants now have the option of rotating in prospective faculty research groups. MS students are directly admitted into a research group. We encourage all prospective students to contact potential faculty members in advance of the application deadline (Oct-Dec ). We encourage prospective students to research and apply for fellowship support. Receipt of a fellowship to cover at least part of the cost of graduate school will demonstrate your competitiveness and make it easier for a faculty member to accept you into their laboratory.

Underrepresented Students & Diversity

The department welcomes applications from academically strong individuals who are first generation college students, are underrepresented minorities, or who belong to socially or economically disadvantaged groups. Students trained through the McNair's, BUSP, UC LEADS, UC-HBCU Initiatives or similar programs at your undergraduate institute are especially welcomed.

Application Deadline

The deadline for applications is January 5th.
The online application form is found here .

This is what is needed:

Official transcripts
Three letters of recommendation
Statement of purpose
Personal History
TOEFL, or IELTS for international students

Incomplete applications may not be reviewed, so be sure to include all of the required materials!

Prerequisite courses

The courses described below are suggested prerequisite courses that a graduate applicant to the MS or Ph.D. graduate program in Plant Pathology should have completed before applying for admission. Some of the courses that applications have not completed may be taken as a graduate student in our program; however, it is difficult to make up more than three prerequisite deficiencies while working on an advanced degree.

General Microbiology or Bacteriology
Introductory Biology
General Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Analytical Geometry or Calculus
Introductory Statistics
Molecular Biology
Plant Physiology

How Applications are Evaluated

Your application will be evaluated by a committee of faculty. Good academic grads and solid research experience are important, as they can indicate your scholastic aptitude and potential for scientific research. However, the Admissions Committee considers all parts of your application when making a decision. The Admissions Committee is especially interested in applicants with a clear interest in Plant Pathology. Applicants and are encouraged to contact prospective faculty members in advance..

Applicants are expected to have a GPA of at least 3.0 for consideration. For international applicants, a TOEFL internet-based test of at least 80 or an IELTS score of 7 or higher is required.

Financial Aid

Resident and Nonresident Tuition & Fees | Financial Aid

Funding for graduate students comes primarily in the form of a Graduate Student Research position, which provides full fee remission and annual stipend. Teaching Assistantships are also available within and outside of the department.