University of California, Davis

• Essays (one required, one optional)Required

  One required essay and one optional essay. Prompts and length limits are not published on the public pages.

• Current résuméRequired

  Preferably chronological, no longer than 2 pages, in PDF format; include a list of outside activities, awards and honors.

• Unofficial transcriptsRequired

  Unofficial transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate programs attended or in progress may be submitted with the application. Official transcripts are required upon admission (sealed, or sent electronically by the institution to gsm-msba-applicant@ucdavis.edu, or via Parchment). Non-U.S. records: upload scans with degree certificates (no provisional certificates), English translations and grading scale; admitted applicants must provide original official records within one week of the decision (international page).

• Recommendations2 letters

  Professional, academic, or a combination of both. Titles matter less than how well the recommender knows you.

  Two recommendations (application checklist in the GSM admissions blog). The admissions page doesn't state a number.

• GMAT (not considered)Not accepted

  The Graduate School of Management does not consider GMAT or GRE scores for admission or scholarship decisions (admissions page). The scholarships page nevertheless lists GMAT/GRE among merit-scholarship criteria.

• GRE (not considered)Not accepted

  The Graduate School of Management does not consider GMAT or GRE scores for admission or scholarship decisions (admissions page). The scholarships page nevertheless lists GMAT/GRE among merit-scholarship criteria.

• Duolingo English Test, IELTS Academic or IELTS Indicator or TOEFL iBTIf your degree wasn't taught in EnglishRequired

  Duolingo English Test: Minimum 130. UC Davis strongly recommends TOEFL iBT or IELTS and says to submit Duolingo only if the other exams are unavailable. Applicants admitted with Duolingo as their sole English test must take the UC Davis Test of Oral English Proficiency (TOEP). Scores are valid two years and must be valid through September 1 of the start year. Admitted students below the minimum must complete additional English testing or English courses after enrolling.

  IELTS Academic or IELTS Indicator: Minimum band score 7.5. IELTS Academic (in person) and IELTS Indicator (online) accepted; section scores from the IELTS One Skills retake accepted. Scores are valid two years and must be valid through September 1 of the start year. Admitted students below the minimum must complete additional English testing or English courses after enrolling.

  TOEFL iBT: Minimum score 5.5 or 105. In-person or at-home iBT; institution code 4834. TOEFL MyBest scores, TOEFL ITP Plus and TOEFL Essentials are not accepted. Scores are valid two years and must be valid through September 1 of the start year. Admitted students below the minimum must complete additional English testing or English courses after enrolling.

  Waiver / exemption: Not required if you have earned or will earn a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, or from a foreign college or university that lists English as the sole language of instruction in the IAU World Higher Education Database. If English is not the sole language listed (or none is listed), the waiver does not apply; no other documentation is accepted.

• PTE Academic (not listed)If your degree wasn't taught in EnglishNot accepted

  Not listed: the international page names only three accepted tests (TOEFL iBT, IELTS, Duolingo English Test).

• Virtual interview (by invitation only)

  After an initial application review, candidates may be invited to a live virtual Zoom interview with the Admissions Committee. An invitation does not guarantee admission.

Who can apply

• Bachelor's degree (16 years of education)Required

  A bachelor's degree equivalent to a four-year U.S. bachelor's degree (16 total years of education), or a three-year undergraduate degree with a one-year postgraduate diploma or other graduate degree. International applicants should check the UC Davis Graduate Studies expected level of study.

• Computing (required coursework)Required

  Principles and use of programming; basic knowledge of Python or R; data structures, flow of control, iteration and functions. Additional Python support is provided on arrival. Prerequisites may be in progress when applying but must be completed before the program begins (FAQ).

• Differential calculus (recommended)Optional

  Recommended, not required: functions, limits, continuity, derivatives; differentiation of algebraic and transcendental functions. The calculus and linear algebra prerequisites were removed.

• Integral calculus (recommended)Optional

  Recommended, not required: techniques of integration; application to area, volume, arc length, average of a function.

• Linear algebra (recommended)Optional

  Recommended, not required: matrices, determinants, eigenvalues, eigenvectors.

• Statistics (required coursework)Required

  Basic probability, densities and distributions, ordinary least squares, multiple regression. Prerequisites may be in progress when applying but must be completed before the program begins (FAQ).