Mission Statement

The mission of the Office of Graduate Studies is to advocate on behalf of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, to support the faculty and staff engaged in delivering graduate education, and to administer academic and administrative policies affecting graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in ways that foster a culturally and intellectually diverse environment characterized by high academic standards.

Graduate Education at UC Davis

Graduate Studies at UC Davis includes a diverse and interactive student body from around the world. Known for their state-of-the-art research facilities, productive laboratories and progressive spirit – UC Davis offers collaborative and interdisciplinary curricula through graduate groups and designated emphasis options – with nearly 90 dynamic degree programs.

UC Davis master’s and doctoral graduates become leaders in their fields – researchers, teachers, politicians, mentors, and entrepreneurs. Graduates go on to guide, define and enhance the creation of our social, cultural and scientific fabric and well being.

The Davis Campus

UC Davis, set in a small traditional college town, is justly famous for its outstanding and high-ranking programs in ecology, biology, engineering, and agricultural sciences. In addition, its programs in the social sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, and the arts and humanities are also popular and highly prestigious.

There are over 30,000 students, of whom around 8,000 are in graduate and professional programs. UC Davis faculty and graduate programs attract highly qualified U.S. and international students from diverse educational, social, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. It is this global mix that contributes to the character of both the campus and the city of Davis. The campus has a tradition of close association between students and faculty, and the style is one of informality and congeniality.

The campus itself is 5,300 acres – the largest of any UC campus – and includes hundreds of beautiful old shade trees and an arboretum on the banks of Putah Creek running through the campus. Architecturally, the campus has a wonderful mix of the century-old wooden buildings remaining from the University Farm days, the modern and sleak glass fronted buildings, and traditional brick and concrete facilities. The campus core is closed to vehicular traffic as walking, skateboarding and the bicycle are the preferred mode of transportation.

UC Davis is near the Sacramento, San Francisco, Napa, and Tahoe areas with many of California’s main attractions close by. By taking a short drive in any direction you could be: visiting the zoo, strolling through the state capitol, dining at a special restaurant, walking through a museum, touring the wine country, building sandcastles, milking a cow, skiing on water or snow, climbing a mountain, and more! Yet, the City of Davis is quaint, geared toward students, and incredibly bike and pedestrian-friendly. Plus, the campus and Davis community host frequent concerts, art exhibits, lectures, films, and theatrical performances.

Jeffery C. Gibeling, Dean of Graduate Studies

Jeffery C. Gibeling has been Dean of Graduate Studies since August 2002. A 24-year local resident, Gibeling holds a faculty appointment in the chemical engineering and materials science department, where he still runs his lab.

When asked about the path that led him to Graduate Studies, he says it all started when he checked the "Graduate Council" box on the annual call for volunteers from the Academic Senate Committee on Committees more than a decade ago. He spent nearly five years on the Graduate Council, including over one year as its chair. He then served as executive associate dean of Graduate Studies. During that period, when a former dean of Graduate Studies left to become a chancellor of another campus, he served as "de facto" dean and had substantial responsibility for the daily business of Graduate Studies. He has also served as chair of the Academic Senate, which oversees all aspects of academic life at UC Davis, and of which the Graduate Council is a standing committee.

"While all of these experiences are important," says Gibeling, "What’s more important is that they reflect my abiding commitment to the importance of graduate education at UC Davis."

The University System

The University of California has 10 campuses throughout the state – Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz – each with its own distinctive character and setting. All are recognized nationally and internationally as among the largest and most distinguished centers of higher learning and research in the world.