Enrollment: 522
Average GMAT: 675.00
GMAT Range (25-75%): 640-710
Average Undergrad GPA: 3.40
Regular Application Deadline: 03/11
Rolling Admission: No
School Type: Public
Average Age: 28.00
Average Work Experience (months): 60
Student Faculty Ratio: 11:1

Part Time Program: Yes
Evening Program: Yes
Executive MBA Program Offered: Yes
Total Faculty: 49

Average Starting Salary: $87,370.00
Hired Consulting: 16%
Hired Finance: 32%
Hired Operations: 0%
Hired Marketing: 29%

Out-of-State Tuition: $12,245.00
Financial Aid Deadline: 03/01
Students Receiving Some Aid: 86%
Average Annual Total Financial Aid: $23,491.00

Greatest Opportunity for Women

School Says - General Information
The UC Davis MBA program encourages students to think creatively and integrate the many disciplines of business management into the Â"big picture.Â" At the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, we offer a supportive, cooperative learning environment that encourages you to stretch intellectually. Your classmates at UC Davis will be a select group of todayÂ's brightest, most energetic students. Classes are small and you will have close interactions with faculty members who are internationally renowned experts. This is an exciting time to be at UC Davis and an opportunity for you to grow at one of the best business schools and universities in the country. Nicole Woolsey Biggart, Dean

School Says - Student Body
The Schoolat a Glance

The UC Davis MBA program encourages students to think creatively and integrate the many disciplines of business management into the Â"big picture.Â" At the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, we offer a supportive, cooperative learning environment that encourages you to stretch intellectually. Your classmates at UC Davis will be a select group of todayÂ's brightest, most energetic students. Classes are small and you will have close interactions with faculty members who are internationally renowned experts. This is an exciting time to be at UC Davis and an opportunity for you to grow at one of the best business schools and universities in the country.

--Nicole Woolsey Biggart, Dean

Students

UC Davis MBA students bring to the School a wide variety of academic and work experiences, and the SchoolÂ's personalized focus and Â"hands-onÂ" teaching approach are augmented by this diversity. Because of the strong emphasis on technology management, the School is very attractive to students with backgrounds in engineering and the sciences as well as those with business and economics degrees. Over 32 percent of the fall 2003 entering class will come from undergraduate majors in the humanities and social sciences. The most recently admitted class represents 49 undergraduate institutions.

The average full-time student is 29 years old and has five years of full-time work experience. Women make up 34 percent of the student population, and international students make up 16 percent.

The School encourages applications from international students. To be eligible for admission to the program, international students must take the TOEFL and earn a score of 250 or better on the computer-based test or 600 or better on the paper-based test. If admitted, international students must provide a Statement of Finances for visa purposes, showing at least $41,650 available to cover tuition and fees for their first year.

School Says - Academics
The UC Davis Graduate School of Management has accomplished what many in academic circles felt was impossible for such a small and young MBA Program; it is being ranked among the top 50 in the nation. Conceived just over 20 years ago, the program is recognized for the high quality of its graduates, its world-class faculty, and the excellence of its overall program.

The UC Davis MBA program cultivates each studentÂ's ability to deal successfully with the challenges of a continually changing, increasingly complex global business environment. The programÂ's strengths come from:

A managerial approach to the basic business disciplines

A student/faculty ratio of 10:1

A curriculum that integrates the technological, social, political, economic, and ethical aspects of business

A variety of teaching methodologies, including case studies, lectures, class discussions, computer simulations, team projects, and Â"real worldÂ" applications The program is comprised of 24 classes (72 quarter units). Joint degrees are available in law (MBA/JD), engineering (MBA/MEng), medicine (MBA/MD), and agricultural management (MBA/MS). All students spend their first year in Â"coreÂ" classes mastering the curriculum, which provides a common foundation of fundamental management knowledge and skill. Elective concentrations available in the full-time day program or in the evening MBA Program for Working Professionals are accounting, corporate environmental management, e-commerce, environmental and natural resource management, finance, health services management, information technology, international management, marketing, not-for-profit management, technology management, and general management. Students can also design a customized concentration.

UC Davis encourages students to take advantage of the many opportunities to participate in exchange programs with universities abroad. The invaluable experience at another university gives students a first-hand look at how companies are affected by fluctuations in the global marketplace. Students emerge from this experience with a comprehensive understanding of the Â"big picture.Â"

As more students of diverse interests and backgrounds engage in MBA education, UC Davis is striving to expand the opportunities for students to study abroad. UC Davis has established student exchange programs with eleven renowned international universities. Students can also take advantage of a Â"one-wayÂ" exchange with a number of other universities abroad. Established student exchange programs include Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Instituto Tenologico Antonomo de Mexico (ITAM); Pontifica Universidad Catolica de Chile in Santiago, Chile; Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Holland; Heinrich Heine Universitat Dusseldorf, Germany; Fundacao Getulio Vargas in Sao Paulo, Brazil; Helsinki School of Economics and Business Administration in Helsinki, Finland; Groupe HEC, Institut Superieur des Affaires (ISA), France; Manchester Business School, England; Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM); and Jonkoping International Business School (JIBS) in Sweden.

To enhance preparation for the job market, the School requires students to participate in a videotaped mock interview with one of several executives drawn from both the public and private sector. This program gives students a unique chance to meet top executives face to face as well as to dramatically improve interviewing skills.

The annual Alumni Day gives current students the Â"inside trackÂ" on up-to-date industry information and career opportunities from alumni and also provides a valuable networking activity.

The School encourages prospective students to take advantage of the Visitation Program. While visiting the School, prospective students are able to talk one on one with current students and professors and can attend a class.

To enhance each studentÂ's learning and networking experience, the School has developed close ties with leaders throughout business and government. They are frequent visitors to campus, serving as guest lecturers in classes, as interviewers in the mock interview program, and as speakers at frequent School-sponsored events. Through these important contacts, students gain access to high-profile companies and establish relationships with potential employers.

The Executive-in-Residence program gives students and faculty members alike a unique opportunity to work closely with a top business leader during the executiveÂ's quarter-long visit to the School.

The DeanÂ's Advisory Council, made up of many of CaliforniaÂ's top business leaders, provides the School with one of its strongest connections to the business community. The SchoolÂ's Business Partnership Program also provides an important avenue for top regional organizations to become involved with UC Davis MBAs. Students are invited to network with these corporate executives at breakfast meetings and special lectures.

School Says - Admissions
Admission to the UC Davis Graduate School of Management is highly selective. Applicants are evaluated on the basis of demonstrated academic achievement, performance on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and interest in professional management. Full-time business experience is considered an asset. No particular area of undergraduate preparation is required, but the University requires the completion of a bachelorÂ's degree from an accredited college or university. The 2003 entering class has an average GMAT score of 679 and an average undergraduate GPA of 3.4.

Fall application deadlines for domestic applicants are December 1, February 1, and April 1. Deadlines for international applicants are December 1 and February 1. The deadline for the MBA Program for Working Professionals is April 1.

Students Say - Academics
With a class size of approximately 60 students, the full-time daytime MBA program at UC, Davis "is the closest thing to a private education, combined with all the resources of the University of California." It's a combination students here appreciate. One student says, "UC Davis Graduate School of Management is based on a team-oriented and collaborative environment. I didn't feel that a school focused on . . . intense competition was truly reflective of the qualities that would serve me well in my post-MBA career. The GSM's emphasis on ideas to action through teamwork has been everything I hoped for."
UC Davis excels in a surprising range of disciplines, given the size of the program. Students describe a "renowned organizational behavior program" and say the school is especially strong in finance. Also, "If you want to be an entrepreneur, there is no other school you should even consider applying to. There are more opportunities for viable startups moving through the UC Davis campus than the GSM can even handle!" The school's Consulting Center "allows students to take on real-life projects for credit," while recent changes to the curriculum have created "a strong and quickly evolving focus area (via classes, concentrations, centers of excellence, student organizations, and dual degrees) in corporate social responsibility and business sustainability."
The Davis business faculty "is top-notch. Their expertise is almost always available for students to draw on. We have a formal student-faculty mentoring program, most professors have an open-door policy, and their offices are in our building. They have been willing to sponsor clubs, teach new courses that students request, aid in job searches, employ students as research and teaching assistants, attend social events, etc." Students love how "The administration eagerly pursues feedback from students and then implements effectual change. We work together to better the school based on changing business and social trends and the goals of the current student body. It is very encouraging to see a suggestion implemented quickly that improves the quality of our educational experience."

Students Say - Admissions
Admissions Officers for the full-time MBA program at UC Davis consider the following factors in assessing candidates: academic potential, professional potential, and personal qualities. Full-time work experience is not required for admission, but most students have at least a few years of work experience. Applicants must submit the following materials: a completed application form (online or hard copy); a current resume; a list of outside activities and honors; three personal essays; official transcripts from each undergraduate and graduate institution attended; two letters of recommendation; and an official GMAT score report. Applicants whose native language is not English must submit an official TOEFL score report or IELTS reflecting a score no more than 2 years old. Applications to the full-time program are accepted for the fall semester only.

Students Say - Campus Life
At the top of Davis MBAs' wish list is a new facility, as the program currently is housed "in a small older building." Ground was broken in December, 2007, and the new building will be ready in fall 2009. When it arrives, the new facility "will include a conference center, restaurant, etc., and will be located across from the famous Mondavi Center [for the performing arts]."
Davis MBAs "are given the opportunity to become involved in a large number of clubs," thanks to the small size of the program. One student writes, "As the leader of the UC Davis chapter of Challenge for Charity, I know that I can literally call 30 to 50 percent of my classmates on the weekend for help with an event or project and they'd be willing to help. I think that would be extremely difficult to find at bigger schools." Extracurricular events "range from career/academic panels to wine appreciation classes to flag football games. We work hard and play hard here, and everyone is included." While "there are no specific activities for partners/spouses, they are always encouraged to join in and come to events."
Davis "is a growing midsize city. It is called 'bike town U.S.A.' because there is no need to own a car (this is rare in California)....There is a diverse mix of restaurants, including Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Czech, Bavarian, French, European, Indian, American fare, and others." The city is located "20 minutes from downtown Sacramento, 90 minutes from San Francisco, and 2 hours from Lake Tahoe." Another student says, "The environment in Davis is awesome. It has high quality of life, elementary schools are great, everybody bikes around, there's no violence," and there's "huge diversity."

Students Say - Careers
Students report that "as a small school, our Career Services resources are more limited than other programs," so "Finding a post-MBA career takes more student initiative than may be required at bigger schools." While the office "is excellent for finding finance jobs," it "leaves a little to be desired in other areas." Also, "Being in the Sacramento area really hurts our ability to recruit companies. Services are improving, though." On another positive note, "While being a small program limits the breadth of alumni contacts, the value of the contacts derived from our small feel far outweighs the downside."
Employers that most frequently recruit Davis MBAs include: AT&T, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, CalPERS, CalSTRS, Clorox, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, eBay, E&J Gallo Winery, Gartner Consulting, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Kaiser Permanente, MRSI Consulting, National Forest Service, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Wells Fargo.

Other School To Consider

University of Californiaâ€"Berkeley
University of Californiaâ€"Irvine

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