Admissions
The University offers fellowships and programs specifically designed to eliminate the barriers that prevent underrepresented students from successfully entering and completing graduate school and the group strongly supports this effort. We encourage underrepresented students to apply to the GGE and to participate in programs, such as Envision UC Davis, the McNair Scholars Program and UC LEADS Scholars.
DECEMBER 15 - PRIORITY DEADLINE
All materials must be submitted by the priority deadline for PhD applicants to be considered for financial support. Applications will not be reviewed until all components are received. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure their applications are complete and all materials received by the program deadline. To apply for the GGE Application Fee Fellowship, submit your abstract via email to [email protected] no later than December 1, 2026.
FEBRUARY 15 - GENERAL DEADLINE
PhD applicants who apply by this deadline WILL NOT be considered for financial support.
Admission to the Graduate Group in Epidemiology (GGE) is competitive. Students are expected to have a strong quantitative inclination prior to matriculation. Methods, philosophy, and mechanics of epidemiological data analysis are stressed. Minimum requirements for admission are the same for both M.S. and Ph.D. applicants. Applicants should have an undergraduate Grade Point Average of 3.25 or higher. A graduate GPA, if applicable, must be 3.0 or higher.
Your quantitative background and admissions:
Students will do best in their required courses in the GGE if they have a strong quantitative background. For this reason, admissions decisions are influenced strongly by prior grades in calculus and statistics coursework. If you have not had any college-level calculus or statistics courses, we will have difficulty assessing your application for admission. To improve your chances for admission, you should address such issues in your personal statement or take one or more classes in calculus and statistics at a local college, online for credit, or in some other fashion that allows us to see how well you performed.
Calculus, introductory statistics, and linear regression requirements prior to first year coursework:
Although calculus and statistics are not per se prerequisites for admission, they are prerequisites for our required classes at UC Davis. Calculus and an introductory statistics class are required to enroll in EPI 202. Additionally, STA 108 - Applied Statistical Methods: Regression Analysis, is required to enroll in EPI 203 and EPI 204 (can be taken simultaneously with EPI 202). Before enrolling in required statistics classes for your PhD or MS in Epidemiology, you must have taken at least 2 quarters or 2 semesters of differential and integral calculus, and a course in introductory statistics. If your calculus coursework is recent, please refresh your knowledge of it to ensure you are up-to-speed and discuss with an adviser any concerns you have.
If you took calculus for college credit (including AP course credit from high school) and it was more than 5 years ago, we will ask that you refresh your knowledge of calculus. Completion of your refresher calculus work is done on the honor system and doesn't need to receive course credit as long as you take this responsibility seriously and make sure you master the material.
If you took calculus in high school and have never received college credit for calculus, you either need to take calculus (2 quarters minimum) for college credit, or petition us in writing. The advisers may consider accepting the records of students who took calculus in high school, at their discretion, but only if the student demonstrates proficiency in more advanced courses, and can demonstrate their mastery of calculus to one of the statistics advisers whom we will assign to this task.
If you didn't receive A or B grades in college-level calculus, we strongly suggest (and may require, depending on the rest of your record) that you retake calculus.
We aim to provide on this webpage soon a set of self-study recommendations and a link to a pre-test students may take to determine for themselves how much additional calculus preparation they need to do.
Prior to enrolling in the first course of the GGE statistics series, EPI 202 - Quantitative Epidemiology I: Probability, all students must have, on their college record, a course in introductory statistics or equivalent.
For both calculus and statistics, if you have not had these courses and do not take them prior to starting at UC Davis, you may take them in your first year here, along with electives, and start the required statistics series in year 2. If you took both calculus and introductory statistics but did not take a course focused on linear regression, you may take STA 108 in your first quarter at UC Davis, simultaneously with EPI 202.
The linear regression requirement
Linear regression (STA 108) is a prerequisite for the required statistics courses. If you take the statistics sequence in year 2, you may register for linear regression in Fall, Winter, or Spring quarter in year 1. If all other prerequisites are completed, and you are taking the statistics sequence in year 1, you may take linear regression in the Fall quarter at the same time as you take EPI 202 (the first required statistics class). Only in exceptional cases may we allow a generalized linear model class to substitute STA 108, but it depends on both the course content and its degree of difficulty and is at the discretion of the instructors of record for EPI 203 and EPI 204. The decision to allow a substitute course will be based on evaluating whether the substitution course is equivalent to STA 108 and the rest of your academic record.
English Requirements
There is no foreign language requirement for the Graduate Group in Epidemiology (GGE). Applicants who do not qualify for an English-language proficiency exemption under UC Davis Graduate Studies policies must submit an approved English-language test score.
Minimum accepted scores are:
- TOEFL iBT: 80 for tests taken before January 21, 2026, or 4.5 on the 6-point scale for tests taken on or after that date.
- IELTS Academic: 7.0
- Duolingo English Test: 115
TOEFL scores are valid for two years after the test date. The UC Davis institution code for TOEFL is 4834.
Applicants should refer to UC Davis Graduate Studies for information regarding English-language proficiency exemptions, accepted tests, and score reporting requirements.
How to Apply
In general, an excellent scholastic record and strong letters of recommendation are important considerations for admission.
The M.S. and Ph.D. programs share the same first-year curriculum, and both degrees have the same minimum admission requirements. Applicants to the Ph.D. program who are not selected for doctoral admission may be offered admission to the M.S. program instead. No separate application is required, and applicants may decline the offer. In rare cases, exceptionally qualified M.S. applicants may be offered admission to the Ph.D. program.
Applications are accepted for fall quarter admission only and should be submitted as early as possible. Applications with all supporting documentation must be received by December 15, 2026, for priority consideration and funding opportunities.
To apply, complete the UC Davis Graduate Admissions Application.
All applicants for admission to graduate study in the Graduate Group in Epidemiology must first meet the standards of UC Davis Graduate Studies.
Three letters of recommendation must be submitted electronically through the online application. Letters submitted in hard copy will not be reviewed.
Applicants must provide academic records from every college-level institution attended. Unofficial transcripts may be uploaded as PDFs during the application process. Official transcripts are required only for admitted students.
The Statement of Purpose is required and must include: (a) your background, interests, and professional goals as they relate to epidemiology; (b) the specific area of study you have in mind, if any, for your thesis; (c) any honors or grants you have received; and (d) the name of the GGE faculty member with whom you have communicated or whom you wish to be your thesis advisor, if known. The Statement of Purpose must be uploaded directly into your application.
Applicants who do not qualify for an English-language proficiency exemption must submit an approved English-language test score. Please refer to the English Requirements section and UC Davis Graduate Studies for accepted tests, minimum scores, and exemptions. The TOEFL institution code is 4834.
The GRE is not required or accepted for the 2027–28 Epidemiology admissions cycle.
Application Fee
The application fee is $135 for U.S. applicants and $155 for international applicants. The fee may be paid by credit card or e-check, must be paid before the application is considered complete, and must be paid for each application submitted. Fees are subject to change; please refer to UC Davis Graduate Studies for current amounts.
Internal transfers do not pay an application fee. Please refer to the Internal Transfers to GGE section for additional information.
Fee Waivers
UC Davis Graduate Studies offers application fee waivers to eligible domestic applicants who have participated in certain graduate preparation programs, such as McNair Scholars or UC LEADS. Please review the Graduate Studies fee waiver requirements for the full list of eligible programs and qualifications.
Applicants who qualify for a Graduate Studies application fee waiver do not need, and are not eligible for, the GGE Application Fee Fellowship.
GGE Application Fee Fellowship
The Graduate Group in Epidemiology (GGE) provides a limited number of competitive application fee fellowships to recruit outstanding and diverse applicants.
Applicants who do not qualify for a Graduate Studies application fee waiver may apply for a single GGE Application Fee Fellowship for Fall 2027 admission, subject to GGE eligibility requirements.
To apply, submit an abstract of 150 words or fewer addressing the following prompt:
Prompt: Provide clear examples of how your previous experiences and/or future studies contribute to and promote diversity in epidemiology. Examples include overcoming educational, economic, or social disadvantages; providing service to advance underserved populations (e.g., tutoring or mentoring); or pursuing research that benefits underserved communities.
Abstracts exceeding 150 words will not be reviewed. Applicants will be notified whether they have been selected to receive an application fee fellowship.
Application Deadline: December 1, 2026
Email your abstract to Dr. Chris Barker ([email protected]) by the deadline above.
Applicants selected for the GGE Application Fee Fellowship should submit their graduate application without paying the associated application fee and notify GGE once the application has been submitted. GGE will coordinate payment of the application fee on their behalf.