Testing Requirements

As you prepare for graduate school, you will want to allow for plenty of time to take the appropriate tests required for admissions. At UC Davis, those admissions tests are generally the Graduate Record Examination and any English Language Examinations for international students. 

It Can Take a Month for UC Davis to Receive Exam Scores

Not only should you schedule plenty of time to prepare for these exams, but you should also consider taking them well in advance of the admissions deadline. Generally, it can take up to a month after the test date for UC Davis to receive your scores from the exam administrator.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

Some graduate programs require the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test and some also require the subject test. The university does not have a required minimum GRE score, but some graduate programs may post minimum or average scores on their website. 

Visit Test Score Requirements Page

English Language Testing Requirements

Applicants are exempt from the English language examination requirement if they have earned or will be earning a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from either: 

  • A regionally accredited U.S. college or university where English is the sole language of instruction, or
  • A foreign college or university which provides instruction solely in English. UC Davis Graduate Studies will only approve waivers for foreign colleges and universities which list English as the sole language of instruction in the IAU World Higher Education Database (WHED). If English is not the sole language of instruction listed (or if no language is listed at all), the waiver does not apply. No other documentation (e.g. letters, language certificates, school websites) will be reviewed or accepted.

Applicants who do not meet one of the criteria above are required to submit English language test scores. UC Davis accepts the TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic and Indicator exam, and the Duolingo English Test. Visit our English Language Testing Requirements page to learn more.

View English Language Testing Requirements