University of California - Davis - Academics

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

With more than 100 undergraduate fields of study, Davis has the greatest academic diversity of all the UC campuses. Students have the chance to take classes that interest them, and the majority seem to appreciate the opportunities. However, large lecture halls intimidate some and make it hard to develop personal relationships with professors. If you want professors to know you, they will be more than willing to do so, you just have to take the initiative. Still, there’s something to be said for anonymity when you can sneak out the back door of a lecture without the professor knowing.

Despite the challenges encountered by some, most seem satisfied with their courses. They commended professors and appreciate their willingness to offer further explanations of course material. Most students express a genuine interest in classes, recognize the professors’ expertise, and value their friendliness. However, some express frustration in dealing with the some TAs' thick accents and challenging course material. On the other hand, challenging course material is only expected at an institute of higher learning. You will definitely have to be more independent and work harder.

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Students Speak Out

dino says: University of California - Davis 2016 Engineering

Davis is a pretty good place for... Davis is a pretty good place for engineering, and classes here are pretty challenging. You have to know to how to balance your studies and parties, otherwise you might get bad grades. It's sometimes hard to get some classes that you want because most of the good professors are taken by athletes and honors students. The library and study lounge is the best place for to study; you can also study in Silo and eat delicious food. 12345 Academics: May 11, 2009 Report

Anonymous says:

Profs are most helpful if you talk... Profs are most helpful if you talk to them one on one, especially after class on your own time or their office hours. Outside of class, it’s really easy to get to know them. 12345 Academics Report

Anonymous says:

I was a little intimidated by the... I was a little intimidated by the 500-person lecture hall. Chem 194 seemed like a stadium. I didn’t know how my professor would ever get to know me. Luckily, I had an amazing chem professor. He made himself available outside of class for office hours, e-mailed me answers to my panicked 4 a.m. study-session questions, and he actually knew my name by the third week of the quarter. 12345 Academics Report

Anonymous says:

The teachers here are generally... The teachers here are generally pretty laid-back and very approachable, I’ve noticed. They usually really encourage their students to come in during their office hours, which is very helpful. You always hear those horror stories of professors being these imposing devilish figures complete with horns, and well, that’s not the case here. Some professors are strict, yes, but almost all are willing to help their students. 12345 Academics Report

Anonymous says:

I’m sure that most of the teachers... I’m sure that most of the teachers are really smart and educated in their fields, but sometimes, the thick accents make it hard to understand them. The material is hard enough to understand without the added difficulty of deciphering every word they say. However, I have always found that they’re willing to work individually with me after class, and that has been really helpful. 12345 Academics Report

Facts

Did You Know?

UC Davis is on the leading edge of stem cell research, as one of only two centers in the country funded by the National Institutes of Health to translate human stem cell research into therapies.

With nearly 100 faculty members engaged in research and academic programs, UC Davis is a leader in energy research. the faculty is looking at renewable energy, alternative vehicle fuels (biogas, hydrogen, electricity), and lighting technology.

?UC Davis offerd more than 100 academic majors and 86 graduate programs. It is the only UC campus with schools of law, medicine, education, management, and veterinary medicine.

UC Davis has been ranked No. 1 in the nation for its programs in veterinary medicine, plant biology, and genetics by the Gourman Report. The University is also the national leader for PhD graduates of biological sciences.

Two UC Davis centers—Fuel Cell Vehicles and Hybrid Drivetrains—have been named as U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Centers within the DOE’s Centers of Automotive Technology Excellence program. Their research goal is to develop advanced vehicle power systems. These power systems will spur U.S. automotive research and manufacturing and help solve pressing air-pollution and global-warming problems.

A particle accelerator developed by Tom Cahill, a UC Davis professor of atmospheric science, is being used to track air quality at more than 50 national parks, monuments, and wilderness areas. The technology has already helped reduce smog in the Grand Canyon and has been applied in California to measure air quality problems and find solutions to smog in the Lake Tahoe Basin and the Central Valley.

Statistician David Rocke, professor in the Graduate School of Management and the School of Medicine’s department of epidemiology and preventive medicine, is helping the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to improve the accuracy of very low-level measurements of water pollutants and to develop computer software to conduct the measurements. The project, funded by the EPA, has created a breakthrough model adopted nationally as a voluntary standard for examining water and wastewater.

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