University of California-Davis Reviews

"Pros: Great administrative staff and faculty make you feel very supported. Interactions with top-notch researchers Cons: Some classes taught by professors who don't care about the material"

"The dapartment has many faculty with good academic reputation and research ability. But the teaching quality of most of the course are not quite good. Beside, the load of TA job is too heavy."

"Excellent faculty and advisors. The access and availability with quality research tools and equipment is great. I would like to see UCD encourage and require the use of computer software in courses to prepare students for these tools in their careers. Overall wonderful experience!"

"This graduate program is a general sociology program which means there is a broad array of possible class choices for grad students. This can be beneficial for people who are unsure of their interests, but is challenging for those of us with specific interests. Also, because graduate students only take classes for the first two-three years of the program, a lot of people "get lost" when they are on their own. There is not as much faculty involvement/collaboration as I would like to see but that may change as I progress in the program. Overall, this program has many benefits, I would just like to see a little more rigid guidance and clearly stated and monitored expectations."

"Great law school that definitely focuses more on certain types of practice areas than others (like trial practice). One of my favorite things about this school is that you receive a really great legal education in a really warm and welcoming environment (which is not the typical environment as many law schools). Sadly, the regents just voted to raise our tuition again, and the price is already incredibly high- even for in-state students. Make sure to inquire about financial aid."

"For CW students, the program is what you make of it. You can easily coast if that's what you want, but if you want to grow as a writer, if you want to discuss the current politics of the industry, and if you want to learn how to make better art, the resources are here. The benefit of living in Davis is that there are no distractions here either."

"The pro of the program is you get access to all the faculties very easily. The con of the program is sometimes is hard for students to travel back and through between Sacramento campus and Davis campus if the lab locates in Sacramento campus."

"Pros: Interdisciplinary support not only from diverse departments inside the campus but also from other campuses."

"Pros: great location, especially if working with agriculture. faculty diverse in expertise Cons: little interaction between grad students in different labs within entomology"

"Pros: The interdisciplinary aspect of the research is amazing. There is also a broad scope when it comes to the type of research you would like to do as a graduate student. Cons: At times, it can be difficult to find available courses that match your interests. The available courses can differ from year-to-year."

"Chose Davis for a number of personal reasons and less for the specific program. Love the town and the school can be as great as you make it. You just have to be especially self sufficient and make extra effort to seek out resources."

"There are some very good things about UCD. The university strongly encourages its students to pursue their own research and get published as quickly and often as possible; however, in many ways they make this incredibly difficult. I have received the full support (through TA, fellowships, etc.) that I was promised, but I have noticed over time that some students are consistently given TA assignments that require 1 hr/week of work every quarter while others constantly have to teach labs or grade papers, which typically require the full 20 hrs/week of work. I have always fallen in the second group, which wouldn't be such a problem if the professors and administrators would admit to themselves that those that have heavy TAing responsibilities are not able to get as much done on their own work each quarter compared with those that have next to no classroom demands. Unfortunately, they refuse to do so. Furthermore, my concerns about the stench of raw sewage and termites living in my office was given no attention for more than 2 years till the head of the department accidentally stumbled into my office when showing prospective grad students around and was shocked to see the disastrous surroundings that some students have to work in. The town of Davis is very small and full of either undergraduates or married adults with children. Making friends here is incredibly difficult for those of us in the middle, and this is the main complaint that I hear from other grad students. The one advantage, however, is that it is very easy to get around here, and you don't need to own a car."

"The best part of this program is the collegiality. This is supported by the department's commitment to rationalize and dept. equalize funding across the board. It makes a world of difference. It is difficult to live in Davis on the standard funding package. I have made it work by applying for outside funding and hustling to TA/teach every quarter."

"Lots of social activities available within and without the program. More clear guidelines with regard to graduation progress would be great."

"Thus far, my graduate program at UC Davis has been everything I expected. The workload is fair, the professors are knowledgeable and accessible, and the resources are plentiful."

"Pros: Interdisciplinary support from multiple campuses. Cons: too many people, too expensive, and not much in ways of social life"

"UC Davis has a great balance between the competitive nature of academia and the collaborate culture of a healthy community. I know I am getting a great education, but without the cost of my mental health."

"The program provides great access to cutting edge technology, financial support, and contact with expert faculty both within and outside a student's sub-field. Davis is a nice town fairly close to many northern California attractions (San Francisco, Tahoe, Redwoods, Napa, Yosemite, etc), so students can find things to do apart from school. A couple of classes seemed a bit superfluous to me, but instructors are changing so it may be different in future years. The focus is on research, however, and not on coursework. Overall, it's a great grad program and I'm glad I made the choice to come here."

"Great group of memory researchers to work for and with!"

"The program I am attending is amazing and a worthwhile investment. That being said, it is part of a larger UC campus with its own administrative issues. The Master's in Professional Accountancy program is worth 10 stars all around, but the program is expensive and the UC makes things inconvenient for grad students."