Horticulture and Agronomy is a large and diverse field, ranging from crop management and agroecology to more fundamental or applied questions about breeding and postharvest physiological processes. Here is guidance to get started with your application process.
Step 1: Identify what research questions interest you and peruse the GGHA webpage to see the scope of research conducted within the group. Look for faculty that align with your interests, and read one or two of their papers on the topics most compelling to you. What methods are being used to conduct this research? Is it primarily field work, lab work, computational work, social work or a mix? What would you most like to spend your time doing, learning, and contributing to? What skills do you want to leave the program having developed? Which faculty members best fit with your interests and career goals?
Step 2: Check the prerequisite requirements and plan to complete them ahead of your start date. While some prerequisites can be taken while being a graduate student at UCD, it is strongly advised to have no more than two remaining as they will significantly impact your workload and time to finish.
Step 3: Contact professors. Contact faculty well in advance (several months) before submitting your application and start a conversation about your interest in their program. Applications with a faculty sponsor already identified are generally reviewed more favorably. It also allows for that faculty member to start finding resources to financially support you and your research in their team. In contrast, if you just list several faculty that we know are not able to accept more students in their lab and/or are outside your area of interest as you described and/or are not even in our graduate group, that will generally adversely affect the rating of your application. Be direct and concise with your communications; it should be professional, honest, and convey clearly your research interests and ideas. State why you are interested in their research, what you would like to contribute and the relevance of any prior research you have conducted or skills you have developed that will help achieve your shared goals. Conclude by asking if they are currently taking students, if they have funding or whether you would rely on fellowships and TA, and by offering ways to discuss this further. Some Faculty members may take a long time to reply due to multiple commitments. Be persistent but polite. You could also contact their team members to better understand the lab culture and the faculty mentoring style.
Step 4: Develop and submit your paid application to UC Davis electronically. Take some time to polish your application and statements using the guidelines below. You will be able to track the status of your application packet by logging back into the on-line application system to see which materials have been received.
- Step 5: Your application packet will be reviewed by the Horticulture & Agronomy Admissions Committee. We evaluate applicants using holistic review to identify people who are likely to be successful in our program. Criteria considered when reviewing applications include academic preparedness, indication of passion for research and intellectual growth, prior research experience, contribution to diversity, research and long-term goals that fit well with our program, resilience and adaptability, and positive recommendations; also, satisfactory performance on the TOEFL or IELTS (if required).
- Step 6: If the Admissions Committee recommends acceptance, you will be notified via email. You must have a Major Professor who is a member of the GGHA in order to be fully admitted into the program hence the need to reach out early. If no Major Professor is found, your application will be returned to Graduate Studies for denial of admission.
- Step 7: Once a Major Professor is officially identified, your application will be submitted to Graduate Studies, with a recommendation for admission; if they approve, they will send an official offer of admission.
If your plans change at any time during this process, or if you accept admission at another institution, we would appreciate notification so your application can be withdrawn. Application withdrawals should be sent via email to Kelly Paglia (kpaglia@ucdavis.edu)