Admissions

The following information identifies the admission application procedures for the Population Biology Graduate Group.

Admission Application

Admission applications are now completed online. NOTE: Embark will not allow us access to your application until you mark the application as complete and the application fee is paid. If you fail to complete your application by the deadline, the online system will shut you out.

Fellowship Application

To be eligible for fellowship and other forms of program support, you must complete both the Internal Fellowship Application for New Students and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).*

You will be prompted to complete the internal fellowship application as you progress through the online admission application. (Note: Transcripts, GRE, and letters of recommendation submitted as part of your admission application will be used in support of your fellowship application.)

* International students are exempt from filing a FAFSA as international students are not eligible for federal financial aid. As you review the online fellowship application, please note that any citizenship requirements will be clearly notated.

Application Fee

The application fee for domestic applicants is $70.00. The fee for international applicants is $90.00. The fee must be paid before the application will be considered as complete. The application fee must be paid for EACH graduate program you are applying to. You have the choice of paying by credit card or e-check.

Your credit card statement or canceled check is your receipt. The application fee is non-refundable under any circumstances. As noted above, Embark will not release your application for review by our program until the application fee is paid. Please refer to the Office of Graduate Studies web site for further information.

Letters of Recommendation

As part of the new online admission application, letters of recommendation will now be submitted online. Paper copies will not be accepted. You will be prompted to provide contact information for your referees as part of the online admission application. Three letters of recommendation from college instructors are required. Refer to the FAQ's below for additional instruction.

Note: We will accept letters of reference from employers where your service is directly related to your academic pursuits. The remaining letters of reference should come from your major professor(s)/college instructors who can speak directly to your scholarship and graduate school potential.

GRE, TOEFL*, and IELTS*

GRE exams are administered through Education Testing Services (ETS). The ETS website will provide exam date and location information for both the online version of the exam along with instructions for those who may need to take the paper version of the exam.

Pop Bio requires the GRE general aptitude test and STRONGLY recommends the advanced subject test in biology. The majority of applicants have completed the biology subject exam at the time of application. Your application will not be reviewed until we receive your general GRE scores. NOTE: It is important to take the examination as soon as possible. (GRE scores are only valid for 5 years from the date of exam.) Please have your scores sent electronically for faster processing.

GRE Distribution Codes: Please use the Zoology code as there is no Population Biology department code.

Transcripts

A set of official transcripts from all prior colleges and universities you have attended is required. Please wait to submit your transcripts until you have marked your online application as complete. This will allow for more efficient matching of your transcripts to your application(s).

Send official transcripts directly to the graduate program you are applying to. NOTE: In cases where you are applying to multiple UC Davis graduate programs, please send only one set of transcripts to your "first choice" program. Your scanned transcript will be available for view by all the programs you have specifically applied for. You may send your transcripts to:

The Chair of Graduate Admissions
Population Biology Graduate Group
2320 Storer Hall
One Shields Avenue
University of California, Davis
Davis, CA 95616-8554

We can not review your application until your transcripts arrive. Avoid delay - request your transcripts as soon as possible to coordinate with the timing of your online application.

Frequently Asked Questions

At UC-Davis, some graduate degrees are offered by interdepartmental "graduate groups," which unite faculty from across the campus with common research interests. The Population Biology Graduate Group was formed in 1992 by faculty committed to population biology as the broad discipline that blends ecology, evolution, population genetics, and systematics into a unified field.

Yes. The new online admission application will allow you to identify the various programs you wish to apply to. Follow the instructions accordingly. Remember that you will be required to pay an application fee for each program selected. Example: If you are applying Pop Bio and to the Genetics Graduate Group, you will be required to pay $70 for each application for a total of $140 domestic or $90 per application for a total $180 if you are an international student.

Complete applications will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee and relevant faculty. From the applicant pool, a short-list will be created. The students on the short-list will be invited to UC Davis for our recruitment weekend.

Q4: What if my GRE scores, transcripts, or letters of reference don't get to your office by the application deadline?

Applications will not be reviewed by the Admissions Committee until all required materials are received. The key is to plan early. Learn how long it takes for your academic institutions to provide certified transcripts; don't wait until the last minute to order. ETS has specific dates for the GRE exam. Be sure to take the exam as soon as possible to insure timely distribution of your scores to the graduate programs you are applying to. Have ETS notify us electronically of your official test scores for faster processing. Provide early notice to your referees that you will be asking for letters of reference. Inform them of when the letters are due and how each institution may require a different method of letter submittal. Fall quarter can be a busy time for your referees and advance notice is always appreciated. We will send a courtesy e-mail to all applicants identifying materials received or missing shortly after our January 2, 2008 deadline. Please make every effort to submit the required materials on time.

Q5: What are the minimum GPA and GRE requirements for entrance into Pop Bio?

The Office of Graduate Studies has set a minimum requirement of a B grade average (3.00) in prior coursework. Pop Bio has not set any additional GPA entrance requirements.

Pop Bio does not have a set GRE requirement; however, the average scores range as follows: Verbal (660-730 93% - 98%), Quantitative (760-800 83%-92%), Writing (5.5 86%).

The Admissions Committee will review your application without the biology exam test score, but it is important to note that the majority of applicants will have completed this exam at the time of application review.

a one-year course in introductory biology for biology majors
a one-year course in calculus
a course in statistics
an upper-division course in genetics

Yes. The recruitment weekend is by invitation only to those students advancing from the first round of reviews. The recruitment weekend is scheduled for February 13 - 15, 2009. Candidates will have one full day to interview with multiple faculty and current graduate students. During the visit, candidates will lodge with Pop Bio students and visit one of the nearby nature reserves.

Q10: When will I know if I have been accepted or denied admission to the Pop Bio program?

Those students eliminated during the first round of reviews will be notified in the last week of January if not sooner. Students from the second round will be notified of either admission or denial approximately one week after the recruitment weekend. Please track your status using the Embark online application system.

To be eligible for program support (grants and fellowships) and other UC Davis fellowship, you must complete both applications listed below (note separate deadlines).

But what if I don't qualify or I don't want to apply for the internal fellowships outlined in the UC Davis Internal Fellowship for New Students? There are several internal fellowships that are not listed in the application that we may wish to nominate you for. For us to nominate you, we will need your fellowship application on file.

You will be prompted to complete the "UC Davis Internal Fellowship Application for New Students" as you progress through the online admission application.
U.S. citizens, permanent residents or immigrants must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online NO LATER THAN MARCH 2, 2009. (Earlier is better.)

* International students are exampt from filing a FAFSA as international students are not eligible for federal financial aid.

Our graduate group normally offers only the doctoral degree. Exceptions may be made for mid-career applicants in agencies or education who seek a M.S. degree to strengthen their background in population biology. Such applicants will be expected to meet the same admission standards as Ph.D. candidates.

2009-2010 Admissions