To be considered for financial aid, applications must be submitted by December 15. Later applications will be considered until May 1. Students are admitted fall quarter only.

As it generally takes several weeks to complete an application, it is strongly recommended that applicants prepare their materials early to ensure completion by the deadline.

The 2023–24 Graduation Application Process is Open.

Online application components

• An Application for Admission, with application fee of $105 (U.S. applicants) or $125 (international applicants), which can be paid by credit card or e-check. The fee must be paid before the application will be considered complete, and the fee must be paid for each application submitted.
• Statement of Purpose submitted online (4000 characters including spaces);
• Personal History Statement submitted online (4000 characters including spaces);
• Three Letters of Recommendation must be submitted online with application. No hard copies accepted. (Letters sent via Interfolio or other Letter Service not accepted.)
• UC Davis requires academic records from each college-level institution you have attended. You will be instructed to upload scanned copies of your transcripts after you have submitted your online application. For more details visit https://gradstudies.ucdavis.edu/submit-transcripts.
• One research or term paper submitted online. The writing sample is a 10 to 20-page scholarly paper that demonstrates originality of ideas, familiarity with the conventions of academic research, and writing proficiency.
• GRE scores (General exam only). Please use the following codes to ensure your GRE scores are sent to the correct location: Institution code for UC Davis  is 4834. Department code is: 2301. GRE scores are good for 5 years. NOTE: There is no required minimum GRE score for applications. In practice, most of our successful applicants have verbal and analytic GRE scores in the upper 90th percentiles. The most important element of the application is the writing sample. An outstanding writing sample and overall strong application do in some cases lead us to overlook GRE scores that do not reflect the quality of the application as a whole.
• TOEFL Score (minimum score of 90 with 26 or above in speaking) or IELTS Score (minimum score of 8) –  for international only.
• Fellowship Application submitted online for M.A. applicants applying for fellowship (include with Admissions Application).

Applicants are responsible for making certain the Graduate Program receives all application supporting documents (transcripts, GRE scores and TOEFL, if required) no later than the December 15 deadline.  View admissions information and apply online here.

Notification

The Art History Program’s Graduate Admissions Advisory Committee will submit its recommendations to the dean; final admissions decisions rest with the Dean of Graduate Studies. Official notification of admission or denial will be sent electronically by Graduate Admissions. The processing time takes an average of 12 weeks. No decision can be given out over the telephone. This approval procedure applies to all applicants, including those admitted to UC Davis from another UC campus.

International Student Information

The minimum score required for the TOEFL examination is 90 (with 26 or above in speaking); minimum score required for the IELTS is 8 on a 9 point scale.

Once admitted, University policy requires international graduate students to take the English as a Second Language (ESL) test and the SPEAK test of oral English proficiency before they begin duties as teaching assistants or associate-ins. All international TAs and AIs must meet this requirement and they must pre-register in person at the Center for Excellence in Teaching, 1350 Surge III, in order to take the exam. Click here for more information on the ESL test; see the CETL site for information on the SPEAK test.