About PhD Program,
The Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC Davis offers one of the world’s top graduate programs in agricultural economics, development economics, and environmental and resource economics. Students in our program complete a rigorous plan of study in microeconomic theory, econometrics, and field courses, and benefit from close collaboration and hands-on advising with faculty. We welcome students from a wide range of backgrounds and places, and value the diversity they bring to our program.
In these pages you will find key information about our program, including the program philosophy, application procedure, financial aid, and course offerings. Our graduate handbook provides you with all the relevant information about expectations, procedures, and requirements to be met as you make your way toward your degree objective.
If you have any questions after reading these pages, please send an e-mail to aregradassist@ucdavis.edu.
We also offer a post-graduate certificate program, for students currently enrolled in a graduate program abroad who seek to enhance their training in applied economics at UC Davis.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA
A minimum GPA of 3.3 is required for admissions.Our admissions criteria places an emphasis on performance in economics and mathematics courses. For international students, we recommend you include an official explanation of the grading system and details on course content.
Given the quantitative nature of the first-year courses, either an undergraduate degree focused on quantitative analysis−such as Economics, Applied Economics, Agricultural and Resource Economics, Mathematics, or Statistics−or an M.S. degree in similar fields is recommended for ARE Ph.D. students, but is not required.
Prior to enrollment, students are expected to have completed the equivalent of (UC Davis courses):
- Calculus-based Intermediate Microeconomics (ARE 100A & 100B)
- Statistics (STA 103, STA 103A or STA 103B)
- Econometrics (ARE 106)
- One year of Calculus, including the study of partial derivatives (MAT 21A, 21B,21C)
- One course in Linear Algebra (MAT 22A)
Additionalupper-divisioncoursesinEconomics,AppliedEconomics,or Agricultural and Resource Economics, as well as Mathematics and Statistics are strongly encouraged.
For exceptional students who lack a strong economics background, we offer the opportunity to spread the core Ph.D. required courses over two years. A typical pattern is to take our M.S. sequence in microeconomic theory along with Ph.D. econometrics in the first year and the rest of the Ph.D. core in the second year. By “splitting the core” in this way students gain a deeper understanding of core economic principles, which better prepares them for dissertation research.
The Graduate Program in Agricultural & Resource Economics reviews each application for leadership potential in diversity. As a Graduate Program, we are committed to the University’s mission of diversity and equality in higher education. Along with other admission criteria, we take into account applicants’ potential to contribute to diversity in our program and field in our admission decision. We encourage applicants to reflect their leadership potential in diversity in the Personal History and/or the Statement of Purpose portion of their application.
For more information on graduate studies, please visit the Office of Graduate Studies
PhD Funding Coverage,
The ARE program is committed to supporting our students both academically and financially. We offer full funding to our PhD students for a minimum of five years. This occurs through a combination of fellowships, readerships, teaching assistant positions, and research assistant positions. Position descriptions can be found here.
Students will have tuition and fees covered (including non-resident tuition) and receive a monthly stipend during the nine-month academic year. Most students also receive summer support through research assistant, teaching assistant, and associate instructor positions.
International and out-of-state students will have non-resident tuition covered for a defined period. Domestic students who are not California residents are expected to obtain California residency by the end of their first year. International students are expected to advance to candidacy before the beginning of their fourth year. Students who do not meet these deadlines will be responsible for the non-resident tuition.
Graduate Studies administers several internal fellowship programs. Applications are submitted at the same time as the admission application and are due January 5. There are a number of external fellowship opportunities that provide funding for students to attend UC Davis.
Application Requirement,
Every graduate program at UC Davis requires the following components as part of their application:
- A completed UC Davis online application
- An application fee
- $135 for U.S. applicants
- $155 for international applicants
- Letters of recommendation (please check your graduate program requirements!)
- Admissions Essays:
- Personal history and diversity statement
- Statement of purpose
- Academic transcripts from all prior institutions (see note below)
It is possible your graduate program could require additional application materials, such as portfolio samples, writing samples, CV upload, or have supplemental questions on the application. Please view your program’s specific admissions requirements page for a complete list of requirements and instructions on how they should be submitted. Do not submit any application materials that are not required by the program. Be sure to read all instructions carefully – most application materials must be submitted as a part of the online application process.
Requesting and receiving letters of recommendation can be a lengthy process. We recommend you begin this process early in your application process. UC Davis only accepts electronic letters of recommendations via the admissions applicant portal.
Transcripts are required from all college-level institutions. You may use unofficial transcripts uploaded as .pdfs for your UC Davis application. Official transcripts are only required if you are an admitted student. You must list every college-level institution you have attended in the online application, including all community colleges, study abroad coursework, etc. If your college or institution does not use the 4.0 scale, do not attempt to convert your GPA. On the application, enter your GPA just as it is on your transcript.
Application Deadline,
PhD applicants should submit by the priority deadline, January 15. 2025.
Application Fee,
The application fee is $135 for the domestic application and $155 for the international. Click here for information on fee waivers.
