Are you interested in pursuing a master's degree in International Agricultural Development but not sure where to start?
Watch our informational admissions webinar, where we cover:
IAD Program Overview
Admissions Process and requirements
Funding Opportunities
Career Opportunities
Q+A
Informational Admissions Webinar:
https://video.ucdavis.edu/media/International+Agricultural+Development+Admissions+Webinar/1_sfn5lzlx
Click Here to Apply
Key Dates
- Priority Admission Deadline/Internal Graduate Fellowship Deadline: December 15
- General Admission Deadline: April 15
- Space Available Deadline: May 15
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Deadline: March 2
Note: If you are applying for admission and internal fellowships, the final deadline is December 15. If you are applying only for admission, the preferred deadline is December 15 and the general deadline is April 15. Applications will be accepted until May 15, but, if our quota of students has been reached, those applications will not be reviewed. We welcome your application and encourage you to apply as early as possible.
Admissions Process
To apply for the International Agricultural Development (IAD) Graduate Program, please complete the steps listed below:
1. Complete and submit an Application for Admission (online) through the Office of Graduate Studies. The priority deadline is December 15; the general deadline is April 15. Three essays are required in the admission application.
a. Research or Professional Interest (4,000 character limit, including spaces): Describe your area of specialization or research interest
b. Statement of Purpose (4,000 character limit including spaces): Describe your motivation, academic preparation, and aptitude for graduate study at UC Davis; academic plans, specialization within your academic field, research experiences and career goals. Also, describe fit for pursuing graduate study at UC Davis.
- Preparation and Motivation: may include your academic and research experiences that prepare you for this graduate program (for example coursework, employment, exhibitions, fieldwork, foreign language proficiency, independent study, internships, laboratory activities, presentations, publications, studio projects, teaching, and travel or study abroad) and motivation or passion for graduate study.
- Interests, Specializations, and Career Goals: may include your research interests, disciplinary subfields, area/s of specialization, and professional objectives.
- Fit: may include how your preparation, experiences, and interests match the specific resources and characteristics of your graduate program at UC Davis. Please identify specific faculty within your desired graduate program with whom you would like to work and how their interests match your own.
c. Personal History Statement and Diversity Statement (4,000 character limit including spaces): Discuss the personal background that informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Include any educational, familial, cultural, economic, or social experiences, challenges, or opportunities relevant to your academic journey. Include how your life experiences contribute to the social, intellectual, or cultural diversity within your chosen field; and/or how you might serve educationally underrepresented segments of society with your degree. This essay should complement but not duplicate the content in the Statement of Purpose.
The University of California Davis, a public institution, is committed to supporting the diversity of the graduate student body and promoting equal opportunity in higher education. This commitment furthers the educational mission to serve the increasingly diverse population and educational needs of California and the nation. Both the Vice Provost of Graduate Education/Dean of Graduate Studies and the University of California affirm that diversity is critical to promoting lively intellectual exchange and the variety of ideas and perspectives essential to advancing higher education and research. Our graduate students contribute to the global pool of future scholars and academic leaders, thus high value is placed on achieving a diverse graduate student body to support the University of California’s academic excellence. We invite you to include in this statement how you may contribute to the
diversification of graduate education and the UC Davis community.
2. Pay the application fee. The fee must be paid before the application will be considered as complete. A fee must be paid for each application submitted. Information about the application fee is on the Graduate Studies website.
3. Submit the following materials and information as instructed.
a. Transcripts – UC Davis requires academic records from each college-level institution you have attended. You will be instructed to upload scanned copies of your transcripts after you have submitted your online application. For more details visit the Graduate Studies website.
b. Graduate Record Exam (GRE): Not Required
c. Three (3) letters of recommendation, which must be submitted electronically. Your online application will automatically notify your referees (via e-mail) and provide them with instructions on how to submit letters.
d. International student applicants must submit scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Use the identifying code 4834 to request the TOEFL scores be sent electronically to UC Davis. Please allow six weeks for your scores to be received by UC Davis. Note UC Davis Graduate Studies will not accept TOEFL MyBest™ scores. The minimum overall TOEFL score required for admission to graduate study at UC Davis is an 80 on the TOEFL internet-based test (iBT). The IELTS minimum overall band score required for admission to graduate study at UC Davis is 7.0 on a 9-point scale. More admissions info for international applicants is available on the Grad Studies website.
In addition, applicants are expected to have the equivalent of the following UC Davis prerequisite courses:
ARE 100A - Intermediate Microeconomics (4 units)
PLS 120 - Applied Statistics in Agricultural Science (4 units)
PLS 111 [formerly 110A - Principles of Agronomic Crop Production in Temperate and
Tropical Systems (3 units); and PLS 110L - Principles of Agronomy Laboratory (1 unit)]
or PLS 110 [formerly PLS 110C - Crop Management Systems for Vegetable Production) (4 units)]
Students who have a large number of prerequisites missing will not be as competitive as other candidates and are less likely to be admitted. In that case, we recommend completing your missing prerequisites and then applying to IAD. Students who are admitted into the program with one or two missing prerequisites may take these courses the Summer before entering the program. If not possible, coursework deficiencies should be made up by the end of the first academic year following initial enrollment by earning a letter grade of “B” or better. Please note that our course in intermediate microeconomics (ARE 100A) has its own prerequisites that you may also need to complete (one year of calculus and introductory microeconomics and macroeconomics). Also, our course in crop production (PLS 110/PLS 111) has its own prerequisite in plant biology/botany.
Quick Links for Admissions Information
Application for Admission
Application Checksheet
International Applicants
Contact Us
For additional information regarding admissions, contact:
Honora Knopp (she,her) Hmknopp@ucdavis.edu
IAD Graduate Program Coordinator