New Students

Welcome Newly Admitted EPM Students

Congratulations on your acceptance! See below for information pertaining to admitted students. If you have any questions, please contact the Program Coordinator. 

2024 Timeline

AprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptember
Wednesday, April 3, 2024: EPM Admitted Student Open HouseMonday, May 13th: Registration beginsUCD email address added to our slack channel and weekly newsletterJuly 1: all communications are sent to your UCD email addressSummer Gathering (in Davis)Start of September: Fellowship awards will be visible on myucdavis; advisor matching 
   Online meet & greetNew Student Survey: helps the program learn how to best prepare for your arrivalEPM Orientation; Grad Studies Resource Fair

Account Set Up

  • Computing Account
  • Instructions to set up your UCD computing account can be found here. If you need assistance setting up your computing account and email, contact IT Express: http://itexpress.ucdavis.edu/. All university-related communications will be sent to your UCD email, so it’s important that you check it on a regular basis. You can also redirect your UCD email.

    Duo is a multi-factor authentication system which will better protect your UC Davis accounts. Enroll now.
  • My UC Davis
  • My.ucdavis.edu is a portal you can use to access your email, your schedule, your bill, and has links to all sorts of resources. Once you log in, you can edit the tiles on the main screen to have easy access to the things that are important to you. I would recommend using myAccounting, mySchedule, and myQuicklinks. 
  • AggieCard- Student ID
  • All students will receive a student ID card called an AggieCard. Find out more here.
  • Official Transcripts
  • All students must submit their official transcripts to the Office of Graduate Studies. If you submitted your final transcripts before you graduated, you will need to order a final transcript with your degree posted, and resubmit your official transcript. The final transcript(s) should be sent directly to the Office of Graduate Studies. Find out more here.
  • Statement of Legal Residence 
  • The Office of the University Registrar will be contacting you regarding filling out a Statement of Legal Residence form. This form is online and the deadline to complete it is July 1, 2021. If you do not meet this deadline, you will be classified as a nonresident and will be assessed the Nonresident Supplemental Tuition. Find out more here.
  • UC Davis Health Requirements (UC SHIP & COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement)

  • UC SHIP- Health Insurance

    All registered UC Davis Students are automatically enrolled in the UC Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP) in order to meet the UC Regents mandate that all UC students have health insurance coverage as a non- academic condition of enrollment. However, if you are already covered by a health insurance plan, and do not wish to be enrolled in UC SHIP, you can waive enrollment by submitting a waiver application prior to the start of each new academic year. Waiver applications need to be submitted each academic year so that we have the most up to date information regarding your insurance coverage.  

    Submit the waiver online

    The deadline to submit the waiver for 2023-2024 online is around September 1.
     

    COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement

    The University of California COVID-19 Vaccine Policy requires all employees and students to be fully vaccinated or hold an approved exception by September 8, 2021. 

    Get vaccinated! (Click to schedule your appointment today).

    Please continue to check the Campus Ready site for updates or the SISS Fall Planning page for International Students. 

Registration

See more info here.

12-Month Track

The Environmental Policy and Management Graduate Program is typically completed in 2 academic years, though we also offer a 12-month option. Students who are interested in applying for the 12-month track must do so before Fall Quarter of their first year. The application can be found here.

New Student Orientation

Graduate Studies Resource Fair September 16, 2024.

Graduate Studies is the administrative office overseeing all of UCD's 100+ graduate programs.  They set policy, approve & process paperwork relating to your milestones such as candidacy, comprehensive exams & filing for graduation.  They have fantastic resources relating to mentoring (& being a mentee), employment, professional development, mental health, disability, and more.  Their resource fair will have a lot of information directly related to your experience as a graduate student!  Grad Studies is now located in a newly renovated building, Walker Hall, that has space for grad students to study and meet (with or without children in tow) so you'll get to see this new space as well.

EPM's new student orientation will be held on September 23rd. More details will be provided over summer. 

TA Orientation

If you plan to TA during any quarter while in the program, you are required to attend the UC Davis TA orientation. The TA orientation is usually only offered ONCE per year in September. If you do not attend the TA orientation in September, you will not be eligible to be employed as a TA for that academic year. We highly recommend that you attend the orientation even if you have not lined up employment as a TA yet. For more information and to register, please visit the CEE's website. 

Funding

Each year, a competitive subset of students are selected to receive funding based on academic history and professional experience. If you have been awarded a fellowships, it will post to your student account in the beginning of September. You can see more about types of funding here. If you are interested in Academic Student Employment, you can see more information here. 

Faculty Advising

Faculty Advisors serve as the program’s representative to the Office of Graduate Studies. As such, all forms and petitions pertaining to your graduate career are signed by a Graduate Faculty Advisor. Your Advisors will also give you guidance on selecting courses, feedback on the elements of your Comprehensive Exam as well as assist you in networking with local professionals based on your interests. You can see a complete list of Graduate Advisors here. Over the summer, the program will send out a survey to all admitted students to gauge field-of-study interests in order to assign advisors. 

Housing

Most leases in Davis will be for the full academic year, so be sure to do your research before signing a lease.

UC Davis-affiliated resources:
Non-UC Davis affiliated:

Other Helpful Resources

  • Graduate Studies
  • Graduate Studies is the office that oversees policy & administration for all UCD graduate programs. 
    Their site has a wealth of info you'll access throughout your time as a grad student (for forms and deadlines, etc). 

    On their Newly Admitted Student page, you'll find important information about setting up your Computing Account and registering for classes.
  • Student Handbook
  • This handbook covers the rules that will govern the EPM Program and the granting of your degree and is a reference for things you should know about the program, the campus and the city of Davis. Please keep a copy of this handy as a reference. If you cannot find the answers to your questions here, contact the EPM Program Coordinator. You can see the Student Handbook here. We also recommend looking at the EPM Resource Document, which has collated resources for students both on and off campus.
  • Domestic Students: Establishing CA Residency for Tuition Purposes

  • You must take steps to establish California residence at least one full year before the start of the quarter in which you wish to be classified as a resident and the sooner the better.  

    In other words, take care of all of the things bulleted below by the end of your first Fall quarter!! 

    For tuition purposes, physical presence and intent must be demonstrated for more than one year. Intent includes, but is not limited to:
        - having a California driver’s license or ID card (even if you don't own a vehicle)
        - registering your vehicle with CA DMV (vehicles must be registered in California within 20 days of arrival)
        - registering to vote and voting 
        - using a California permanent address on all records
        - paying state income tax as a resident

    Start your petition during the quarter preceding the one for which you seek reclassification (so, Spring before your 2nd year). Return the completed petition at least two weeks before the start of the quarter (Fall of your second year).

    Feel free to email the Residence Deputy at residencedeputy@ucdavis.edu with any questions or confirmations. 

    TIP: Go to the DMV and get a CA ID asap (even if you don't drive here!) and change all other addresses to your CA address.

    READ Info in these two links:

    https://grad.ucdavis.edu/admissions/newly-admitted-students/ca-residence-tuition-fees
    https://www.ucop.edu/uc-legal/_files/ed-affairs/uc-residence-policy.pdf 

  • International Students: Visa/Travel Resources
  • Services for International Students & Scholars (SISS) is your best resource for all visa and immigration documents, issues and questions as well as a welcoming place with events and community connection.

    International Student Pre-Arrival Checklist

    If you are applying for a new student visa, check the status of visa services at your nearest embassy or consulate; you may be automatically eligible to be considered for a National Interest Exception (NIE) to travel.
  • International Students: English Language Requirements

  • All graduate students must take an English language course during their first academic year, unless:
    >The student has an undergraduate or graduate degree from an approved English-medium institution, or as confirmed with the UC Davis Office of Graduate Studies or
    >The student has a TOEFL (iBT) score of 105 or higher or IELTS score of 7.5 or higher; or
    >The student scored 24 or higher on the TOEFL (iBT) writing and 23 or higher on the TOEFL (iBT) speaking. 

    Courses that meet this requirement are UWP 225, UWP 226 or another equivalent course. This course will NOT count toward your degree requirements, but it will count towards the 12 units needed to be a full time student in any given quarter. More information regarding this policy can be found here.

    For international students who would like to serve as a TA, there are additional Language Proficiency Requirements that can be found here.

    English Language Requirement
  • Other Program Resources
  • Other resources for prospective students, orientation, and involvement.