University of California, Davis

One of the ten campuses of UCal’s public education system, UCD is ranked #44 in America by US News and World Report and #85 worldwide by the London-based QS  – Summiya Yasmeen

Founded in 1905, the University of California, Davis (UCD) is consistently ranked among the Top 50 universities in the US and Top 100 worldwide. One of ten campuses of the University of California’s public education system, the 111-year-old varsity is ranked #44 by US News and World Report in its rankings of America’s Best Colleges 2016, while the QS World University Rankings 2016 ranks it #85. However, some of its study programmes are top-ranked. For instance, the QS World University Rankings 2016 rates UCD #1 worldwide for veterinary science, #2 for agriculture and forestry and #34 in earth and marine sciences.

Currently, the university’s four colleges — agricultural and environmental sciences, biological sciences, engineering and college of letters and science — offer 104 undergraduate majors while the six postgraduate professional schools (medicine, nursing, law, management, education and veterinary science) offer 96 programmes to 35,415 students. The UCD faculty includes 23 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 25 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 17 of the American Law Institute, 14 of the Institute of Medicine and 14 of the National Academy of Engineering.

UCD has the third-highest student enrollment in the UC system after UC Los Angeles and UC Berkeley and is acknowledged as a ‘Public Ivy’ — a publicly funded university providing education comparable with Ivy League varsities.

Davis. Sited 15 miles west of Sacramento, the state’s administrative capital and 72 miles east of San Francisco and the Bay Area, Davis is a vibrant college town (pop. 68,000) offering high-quality living. The city streets are lined with large shade trees and offer over 95 miles of bike paths, community pools, tennis courts, playing fields, and parks. Downtown Davis hosts numerous restaurants, pubs and shops while the city and university offer a host of entertainment options including theatre, dance, and music performances.

The Sonoma and Napa Valley wineries are about an hour’s drive to the northwest; Lake Tahoe and the ski slopes of the Sierra Nevada are two hours east, and the Sacramento International Airport a mere 20 minutes’ drive. Numerous recreational options such as golf, boating, fishing, swimming, skiing, hiking, tennis and equestrian sports are on offer and the typically California climate is mild, with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters.

Campus facilities. UCD’s 5,300-acre campus offers state-of-the-art academic, sports, recreational and residential facilities. The Quad, a large rectangular field, is the centre of campus life, anchored to the north by the Memorial Union (student union), to the south by Shields Library and to the west and south-east by Wellman and Olson Halls respectively. On the northeast side of the campus is the labyrinthine Social Sciences and Humanities building, popularly referred to as the ‘Death Star’ for its angular, metallic design. Another campus landmark is the 100-acre UC Davis Arboretum with 3.5 miles of paved paths, 4,000 specimen trees, Putah Creek and Lake Spafford.

The university’s Shields Library, physical sciences & engineering, Carlson health sciences and Blaisdell medical libraries together offer access to 10 million items, including books, journals, databases, music, maps and photos, among other resources in print and digital formats.

Sports facilities are extensive and include the 105,000 sq. ft Aggie Stadium (football and lacrosse), Dobbins Baseball Stadium, Pavilion (basketball, athletics and largest events venue on campus), seven well-maintained grass fields, Activities and Recreation Centre (climbing wall, group classes in martial arts, fitness, etc), Hickey Pool (seven 25-yard lanes), Hickey Gym, Recreation Pool and the Schaal Aquatic Center (competitive swimming, diving, and aquatic sports), and the 25-acre Equestrian Centre. Moreover, students have access to 800 student clubs including academic groups, 70 fraternities and sororities, student government, and ethnic and cultural organisations.

The university’s health education system (medical, nursing, veterinary science) is headquartered in Sacramento.
Admission. The minimum eligibility criteria for admission into UCD’s undergrad programmes are successful completion of class XII and English language proficiency. Overseas students are required to submit TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores (minimum 213 on the computer-based test or 80 on the internet-based TOEFL), or a minimum score of 7 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Additionally, all applicants must submit scores of approved tests of mathematics, language arts and writing — either the ACT with writing or the SAT with essay examinations. The completed application form must include standardised test results, certified copies of academic records from all secondary and post-secondary schools attended, a personal essay, proof of participation in extracurricular activities, and letters of recommendations from teachers/counselors together with an application fee of $80 (Rs.5,361). Applications should be made online at www.ucdavis.edu. The admission deadline is November 30 for term beginning next September.

For further information, contact Undergraduate Admissions, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616-8507. Ph: 001 530 752 2971; e-mail: [email protected]; website: www.ucdavis.edu.

Accommodation. Freshmen are guaranteed accommodation in university halls of residence and have free access to numerous resources, including computer labs, academic advisory centres, and employment opportunities in residence hall communities. All residence hall contracts include dining with commons meal plans. Sophomore and graduate students live in campus apartments equipped with private kitchens and en suite bathrooms.

Degree programmes. UCD offers 104 undergrad majors and 96 graduate programmes (see box).