Welcome to UC Davis and to the Graduate Group in Epidemiology (GGE)!

Although academic life is not new to you, we would like to help you become familiar with the UC Davis environment. 

Where is Davis?

Davis is a centrally located, small northern California city with a small-town feel. It has a population of ~68,000, so you are likely to run into someone you know while buying fresh bread, fruits, and vegetables at the twice-weekly farmer’s market, riding your bicycle around town, or participating in one of the numerous intellectual and cultural activities offered by the city and the University. The climate in the central valley is fairly temperate—summers are hot, sunny, and dry; winters are generally mild and rainy, but can occasionally be chilly (especially at night). Davis is 15 miles from Sacramento (the state capital), a 1.5 hour drive from the excitement and culture of San Francisco, and 2.5 hours from the snow and camping of beautiful Lake Tahoe.           

Airport Information

Davis is 20 miles from the Sacramento International Airport (SMF) and 90 miles from the San Francisco International Airport (SFO). It is easier to fly into Sacramento, since transportation into Davis is less expensive and more straightforward.  A taxi/rideshare from the Sacramento airport will cost about $35, or you can make arrangements with the less-expensive Davis Airporter Service to have them meet you and take you to the address in Davis that you request.  Contact them at least a day in advance before your arrival at (530) 756-6715 or (800) 565-5153.

Even less expensive than the Davis Airporter is the Yolobus service. Yolobus lines #42 A and B both run a loop that stops at the airport and the UC Davis Memorial Union. 42A does the loop clockwise, and 42B does the loop counter-clockwise. One-way fare is $2.25, and daily/monthly passes can be purchased.

Go to:                                  Davis Airporter

                                                YoloBus

In addition to the Sacramento International Airport, there are two airports in the Bay Area.  Oakland International Airport is located 77 miles from Davis and San Francisco International Airport is located 85 miles from Davis.  Less expensive flights may be found flying in and out of these two airports.

Go to:                                   Sacramento International Airport (SMF)

                                        Oakland International Airport (OAK)

                                                San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

Housing

This can be one of the biggest headaches for a new graduate student who is unfamiliar with Davis or lives far away.  The vacancy rate in Davis can be low, so competition for the best houses/apartments/duplexes/etc. is stiff and housing prices are expensive. The UC Davis Student Housing Office (530) 752-2033 will provide you with on-campus living and married/family student housing information.  The Associated Students of UC Davis (ASUCD) maintains a Community Housing Listing database of all off-campus housing for the Davis community.  Call them at (530) 752-1990 or check out their website (see below).  Especially if you are an international student, be sure to organize housing as soon as possible.  

Go to:                                  ASUCD Community Housing Listing

Many students also look for housing on social media. There are student housing groups on Facebook, and the ecology-social mailing list often posts housing opportunities. The local newspaper, the Davis Enterprise, Craig’s List Sacramento, and daviswiki.com are additional housing resources.

Go to:                                  Davis Grad Student Housing Facebook Group

Davis Enterprise

                                         Craigslist Sacramento

UC Davis mailing lists service (search for ecology-social)

                                       Davis Wiki

Housing in Davis typically follows the academic calendar and leases are typically 12 months at a time. Most returning students begin looking in March or April for places to live in the fall.  However, don’t worry if you don’t decide to come to UC Davis until later in the spring or even the summer.  People are always looking for someone to fill a vacancy in a house or apartment.  

Initial Costs

Covering tuition, fees, and expenses is the responsibility of each student, but resources do exist to help you with some of these costs.  If you have been offered a research (GSR) or teaching assistantship (TA), these will cover your tuition and fees as well as pay you a stipend. Keep in mind that you will not get your first paycheck until about five weeks after you begin work (usually November 1; this is because you must work an entire monthly paycheck cycle before being paid, and paychecks are only issued once per month, so you need to budget wisely).  If you have been awarded a fellowship which includes a monthly stipend, you will typically not get your first check until November 1 as well. For any payments you make to the university, credit card and electronic check payments are accepted. Credit card payments require a 2.85% fee in addition to the account balance.  If you are not being offered any funding, you will need to cover your own living and tuition/fee expenses.

Tuition and fees for 2025-26 full-time students (including health insurance) is approximately $7,861 per quarter for California residents and approximately $12,895 per quarter for non-residents and international students. These costs are always subject to change by the California Legislature.  It is recommended to have at least $900 to $1200 per month set aside for monthly living expenses.  Also, if you rent an apartment you will need to pay in advance, possibly for the first and last month’s rent, and a security deposit.  This is customary in the United States.  Most places for rent are not furnished so you will need additional funds to outfit an apartment with furnishings and kitchen necessities. 

Check out the links below for the most up-to-date tuition and fee costs, information about the new document fee for new students admitted, and how to apply for California residency to reduce your tuition costs after at least a year living in the state.

Go to:                  Tuition and Fees 2025-26

Document Fee

California Residence for Purposes of Tuition 

Getting around town

Bikes, bikes, and more bikes.  They’re everywhere!  Davis is sometimes referred to as “The Bicycle Capital of the United States” because of the large numbers of people who use the bicycle as their main form of transportation.  The city is ideal for bike riding with its flat terrain and its wide bike lanes which can be found all over town and on campus.  Davis has many bicycle shops to buy new bicycles and used bicycles can be found in the local newspaper (the Davis Enterprise) and on bulletin boards on campus and throughout the town.  Bicycles are known to be stolen fairly frequently if not locked, so be sure to invest in a good U-lock and try not to leave your bicycle overnight on campus.  One more bike tip:  buy fenders.  They go over the wheels and prevent water on the ground from creating what is known affectionately as the “Freshmen Stripe” on your back.  Bicycling is the most efficient and least expensive way to get around campus. If you choose to drive a car to campus you should become familiar with the parking lot restrictions and costs for student parking permits and be prepared to walk from the lots to the inner campus.

The other major form of transportation is the bus.  Unitrans is the student-run bus line that runs throughout the city.  Buses leave directly from the Memorial Union (MU) or the Silo on campus and go to most parts of town. If you board at the MU or Silo to leave campus, it’s free, but boarding elsewhere requires paying a fare. One-way fare is $1.25, but longer term passes are available online. Yolobus serves Yolo County and links Davis to downtown Sacramento and to Woodland.

Go to:                                  UC Davis Unitrans

YoloBus

Davis Bike Collective – A Community Bicycle Organization

UC Davis Bike Barn

Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS)

Are you going to bring a car to UC Davis and are you going to drive it to campus?  Then, you have to buy a parking permit and TAPS is the place to do this. Prices for parking permits vary depending on the type and are typically based on a monthly rate. Rates are generally lower for carpools/multi-passenger cars and higher for single-occupancy vehicles. The prices could increase at any time.  The other main function of TAPS is to issue bicycle licenses.  The permits are $12 for a two-year period ($6 to renew), your bike will be registered and, if stolen, you’ll have a much better chance of retrieving it. TAPS also runs the GoClub program, which encourages alternative forms of commuting and offers rewards for those who walk, bike, or carpool to campus.

Go to:                         Transportation Services

GoClub | Transportation Services

COVID-19 Information

Information related to COVID-19 in Davis, including rules and resources can be found on the City of Davis website. For information specific to UC Davis, visit the campus pages linked below.

Go to:                                  Coronavirus Campus Information

COVID-19 FAQ for Students | Student Affairs

COVID-19 / Novel Coronavirus Information

Many of these services and activities may be limited or unavailable during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recreation

Davis has too many recreation choices to list. Be sure to check out the UC Davis website for information on the Memorial Union Games Area, the Craft Center, Experimental College, Outdoor Adventures and the brand new Activities and Recreation Center on campus.  This facility contains state of the art exercise equipment, weight lifting equipment, racquetball, squash, exercises classes, pool, etc.  Also check out the City of Davis website and the Davis Community Network website for information on the Farmer’s Market, local pools and parks, the indoor sports arena, Putah Creek, and much more.  You should also consult campus recreation services.

Go to:                         Campus Recreation

                                       ASUCD | Building Tomorrow, Together.

City of Davis, CA | Home

Davis is located within driving distance of Tahoe National Forest and Yosemite National Park where you can enjoy swimming, skiing, mountain biking, horseback riding, fishing, hiking, camping, etc.  You can enjoy the beautiful beaches of the Bay Area at Stinson Beach (85 miles) and Santa Cruz (140 miles).

Go to:                          Tahoe National Forest

Yosemite National Park (US National Park Service)

                                        Visit Santa Cruz County: Home

Stinson Beach

The Post Office

The Davis main post office is located at 2020 5th Street (at the corner of Pole Line Road) and is open Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., and Saturdays, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.  The Post Office offers a variety of services, including post box rentals, insurance, parcel post, postal money orders, and registered and certified mail. In addition to the main post office, Davis has a few minimum service branches that provide basic services, such as selling stamps and mailing packages and letters within the United States.  One of these is located in the UC Davis Memorial Union on campus and another is located on Third Street between C and D Streets.

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)

This is the place to go for driver’s licenses (required for driving in California), ID card processing, driving tests, and anything else related to your vehicle. The DMV is located at 505 Pole Line Road (corner of 5th and Pole Line Road), and is closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and certain holidays. It is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays and from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. For general information, call (800) 777-0133. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some transactions have been shifted online. Be sure to check whether your needs require going in person or can be taken care of virtually.

Go to:                                  DMV Davis Office

DMV Virtual Office

Groceries and Shopping

Davis Shopping:

Davis has many businesses to fulfill all your shopping needs including Cost Plus World Market and ACE Hardware. Popular grocery stores include Safeway, Grocery Outlet, Save Mart, and Trader Joe’s.  For a full list of the businesses in Davis, visit the Davis Chamber of Commerce website, directory of businesses.

Go to:                                  Davis Chamber of Commerce

Davis Farmers Market

Featured in national magazines and frequently voted "best thing to do in Davis," the Davis Farmers Market is open year round – rain or shine.  You'll find a wide range of fruits and vegetables, including certified organic produce, as well as fresh baked goods, flowers and plants.  Everything sold in the market is either grown by or made by the seller.

Go to:                         Davis Farmers Market: Home

Woodland County Fair Mall

The only regional mall in Yolo County features a number of shops and restaurants and department stores, including Target, a large store with a variety of household supplies at reasonable prices. The mall is located at the corner of East Gibson Road and East Street in Woodland.  Access is simplest by automobile, but Yolobus also stops here.

Vacaville Premium Outlets:

The Vacaville Outlets are located about 20 minutes from Davis and offer a variety of shopping options.

Go to:                             Vacaville Outlets

Arden Fair Mall-Sacramento

The Arden Fair Mall is another of Sacramento’s larger malls.  It is approximately a 25 minute drive from Davis.

Go to:                         Arden Fair

Old Sacramento

This area, authentically restored to its Gold Rush-era style, houses more than 130 specialty and tourist shops and restaurants and features three museums. Many festivals and special events are held here annually.

Go to:                                  Old Sacramento Waterfront

Winters, California

The Palms Playhouse in Winters is within biking distance and has a variety of live music performances and nearby restaurants and cafes with reasonable prices.

Go to:                         The Palms Playhouse

                                         Buckhorn Steakhouse

                                    Home - Putah Creek Cafe

There you have it!  This should get you started on how to navigate the program, the campus, and the town.

This information may be out of date, since the guidelines are always changing. For the most up-to-date details about program requirements, see the Graduate Group in Epidemiology Degree Requirements document here.

Registration

It is best that you plan out your class schedule as soon as possible and be prepared to register for fall quarter by late August/early September.  In addition to the classes offered by the Graduate Group, many elective classes are offered outside of the GGE as well. The best resource for the variety of classes offered at the University is the course catalog.  You can purchase hard copies or you may view books online through the library, which also has books on reserve for some classes.

You can use Schedule Builder for course registration, which is available through the myucdavis website. Class registration numbers (CRN) can be found on the GGE website and are sent via email each quarter. To be registered as a full time student, you MUST sign-up for a minimum of 12 units per quarter. Be sure to register for the EPI290 seminars each quarter before you pass your qualifying exam!

Go to:                                  myucdavis

Office of the University Registrar (OUR)

UC Davis Library

Graduate Advisor

A Graduate Advisor will be assigned to you in the GGE, based on your area of interest; either in human medicine, veterinary medicine, or another area.  Graduate Advisors are available to help you find elective courses and track your progress throughout the program.  If you have any questions about the course work, electives, examination and thesis/dissertation research contact your Graduate Advisor.  It is recommended to meet with your Graduate Adviser at least once a quarter for the first few quarters of your graduate program. At the end of each academic year, you will complete a student progress assessment that is reviewed by your Graduate Adviser and your Major Professor.  If you do not have a Major Professor yet by the time a progress assessment is due, you will complete the assessment with just your Graduate Adviser.

Peer Advisor

The Epidemiology Graduate Group Students (EGGS) Board implemented a peer advisor program a few years ago to pair current and incoming students for additional mentorship within the program. The purpose of the peer advisor program is to provide each new GGE graduate student another resource person to approach with questions. Once a prospective student has accepted admission to the GGE, they will be paired up with a current GGE graduate student.  Your peer advisor, in addition to your Graduate Advisor and guidance committee, can help you select classes and refer you to appropriate faculty with similar research interests. Your peer advisor can also help you with questions regarding the campus, the city, and anything a person new to the area might need to know.

Major Professor

You should find a major professor as soon as possible.  Think about the areas of interest you have and contact faculty in those areas before the fall quarter begins.  Faculty members in the Graduate Group can be found through the GGE website.  The website briefly outlines their activities on campus and their research interests.  The role of the major professor is very important.  They will guide you throughout the program and into your research project.  They will also act as the chair of your guidance committee and are crucial in securing funding for your dissertation project.  Remember, you are interviewing the professor; the professor is not interviewing you.  Finding a major professor that fits your needs as soon as possible will ensure that you meet goals within the targeted timeline.  Also, do not feel the need to apologize for making an appointment to meet with your major professor or any other professor at UCD.  Professors are here to help graduate students with their studies and research.   

Funding

Also see the Funding page on this website.

Current graduate students have tapped into several main sources of funding.  They include serving as a Teaching Assistant (TA) or Graduate Student Researcher (GSR), being awarded a fellowship, and writing your own grant(s).  By far the most common route is the TA/GSR, especially in the first two years.  Your major professor is the best resource to use to find a position as a GSR. For GSR positions, if you are appointed for at least 25% time, your tuition and fees are covered in full, including non-resident tuition. For academic appointments, such as TA, if you are appointed at 25% or more, only some tuition and fees are covered: for non-California residents, the non-resident tuition is not covered, and the fees covered are for student services and health insurance. With some exceptions, the maximum appointment a graduate student may take is 50%. The Office of Graduate Studies website is an excellent site to visit for more information.  As these positions are competitive, be sure to apply by June for positions in the fall.  In addition, the GGE awards block grants for first year students and the Office of Graduate Studies website contains a list of fellowships offered to new and continuing students every year.  Criteria for fellowships vary for each specific fellowship, and applications are due January 15th of each year. 

Go to:                                  UC Davis Grad Studies

Tuition and Fee Remission

Course Information

Prerequisite Coursework:

If you have not previously taken any courses in calculus or statistics, these courses are recommended in order to meet the prerequisite requirements. If you have, your previous coursework is expected to be equivalent to the following UC Davis courses:

MAT16A and B: Short Calculus, 3 units each, or

MAT21A and B: Calculus, 4 units each

and either

STA102: Introduction to Probability Modeling and Statistical Inference, 4 units;

STA106: Applied Statistical Methods: Analysis of Variance/ANOVA, 4 units;

STA108:Applied Statistical Methods: Regression Analysis. 4 units

or

MPM402 and MPM403: Medical Statistics I and II, 4 units each

Course Requirements: Core, Elective and Seminar:

Core Courses:

Core courses are made up of the epidemiology series (205-208) and statistics series (202-204). The series may be taken concurrently in the first year or separately in two years. EPI208 is taken following completion of the other courses, either in the second or third year.

EPI202: Quantitative Epidemiology I: Probability, 5 units

EPI203: Quantitative Epidemiology II: Statistical Inference, 4 units

EPI204:  Quantitative Epidemiology III: Statistical Models, 4 units

EPI205: Principles of Epidemiology, 4 units

EPI206: Epidemiologic Study Design, 4 units

EPI207: Advanced Epidemiologic Methodology, 4 units

EPI208: Analysis and Interpretation of Epidemiologic Data, 3 units

Elective Courses:

Electives should be selected based on the student’s chosen Area of Emphasis (nine units) plus, for doctoral students and master’s students doing a thesis, three additional units from among graduate courses in epidemiology and statistics. Some courses are pre-approved as electives. For any that are not, you can send the syllabus and course information to your Graduate Advisor for approval to count the credits toward your electives.  Areas of Emphasis include infectious disease epidemiology; health services and health economics, epidemiologic methods and biostatistics, occupational and environmental epidemiology, nutritional epidemiology, wildlife epidemiology, zoonotic and vector borne diseases; reproductive, perinatal, developmental and pediatric epidemiology; social and behavioral epidemiology.

See the current list of Approved Electives here. On the same page is a survey to petition for any classes that are not on the list to be approved for your AOI.

Seminars in Epidemiology:

A seminar is offered every other week each quarter (0.5 units per quarter).  Students are required to enroll in the seminar until advancement to candidacy (usually three quarters for master’s students, six for doctoral students).

Examinations

M.S. Comprehensive Examination (Plan II):  The comprehensive examination is the last requirement for plan II and is taken when the student has been advanced to candidacy, usually during the fourth to sixth quarter of enrollment.  It is both written and oral and designed to assess the student’s mastery and working knowledge of subjects presented in the required courses.  Details are described in the Degree Requirements which are posted on the GGE website.

Ph.D. Pre-Qualifying Written Examination:  The Pre-Qualifying Exam is designed to assess the student’s mastery and working knowledge of subjects presented in the required courses as well as his/her ability to evaluate methods, analyze and logically interpret data.  The examination consists of three sections: basic epidemiology, advanced epidemiology and statistics. The exam is given once a year during the first week of September. Any student unable to take the exam on the selected dates must take the exam the following year, thus delaying Advancement to Candidacy. For more details see the Degree Requirements.

Ph.D. Qualifying Oral Examination:  Students must pass the Pre-Qualifying Written Examination before taking the Oral Qualifying Exam. Passing the Qualifying Oral Examination makes the student eligible for advancement to candidacy and is ordinarily taken by the ninth quarter of the student’s enrollment.  The purpose of the examination is to assess whether the student is capable of critical and independent thinking related to epidemiology, statistics, his/her Area of Emphasis, and selected topic and to assess whether the student is qualified to proceed with his/her dissertation research.  For details see the Degree Requirements.

Thesis/Dissertation Research:

M.S. Thesis (Plan I):  The thesis must be an original contribution to knowledge and demonstrate creative and independent work.  The topic must be approved by a student’s Guidance Committee, usually by the third quarter of the student’s enrollment.  If course prerequisites are met, the thesis should ordinarily be completed by the fourth to sixth quarter.  All aspects of the thesis must be defensible and demonstrate the student’s knowledge of relevant literature and research methods.  For further detail, see the Degree Requirements.

Ph.D. Dissertation:  The dissertation must be an original contribution to knowledge in epidemiology and demonstrate creative and independent work that is publishable in a peer-reviewed journal.  All aspects of the dissertation must be defensible including hypotheses, data quality, methods, results and interpretation.  The format of the dissertation typically will include an introduction, critical review of the literature, at least three chapters, each representing a publishable paper in a journal-ready format and a summary.  Upon completion, there is a required exit seminar to present a summary of the dissertation. A defense might be required, dependent on the dissertation committee. Typically a committee will request a defense if no papers have been published, or the dissertation is not in the form of a publishable manuscript.

Office of Graduate Studies

The Office of Graduate Studies, commonly referred to as simply “Grad Studies,” is located at 250 Mrak Hall.  Grad Studies has a wealth of information on their website.  If you have a question about anything and can’t find someone to ask, check out the website.  It contains information on fees, funding, living in Davis, deadlines, degree requirements, forms, teaching assistant (TA)/Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) positions, residency status, and more.

The GGE contact in the Office of Graduate Studies is: Rachel De Los Reyes, radeloreyes@ucdavis.edu.

Go to:                                  Office of Graduate Studies: Epidemiology

International Students

The office of Services for International Students & Scholars assists international students in their pre-arrival preparation and provides immigration advice, financial information, general advising and counseling, and a variety of cross-cultural activities. Graduate Studies also has resources for questions related to international student status, passport, visas, and related concerns.

Go to:                                  Graduate Studies Resources

                                             Services for International Students and Scholars

Campus Libraries

The main library on campus is the Shields University Library and you should take time to become familiar with it because it provides great services and resources. The Shields Library is home to one of the many computer labs on campus and also houses IT Express. IT Express offers a software catalog and IT assistance. As epidemiology students, you will mostly likely utilize the Carlson Health Science Library as well.  It is located on the medical and veterinary school campus.

Free printing is also available at the Shields Library as well as printers throughout the Veterinary Medicine buildings to enrolled graduate students. Contact the UC Davis Veterinary Medicine IT Department to set up your account, which involves installing and configuring the program PaperCut. Students are allotted approximately 1500 pages a year for academic purposes. UC Davis VetMed IT is located in the Vet Medicine Student Services and Administrative Center, right next to Scrubs Cafe on Garrod Drive.

Go to:                                  UC Davis Library

                                       IT Express

English Resources

UC Davis offers a number of resources to assist multilingual students in perfecting their English speaking and writing skills through the International and Academic English (IAE) programs. These include workshops, language coaching, grammar resources, and administration of the Test of Oral English Proficiency (TOEP) for the language proficiency requirement to work as a Teaching Assistant (TA).

Go to:                                  IAE Graduate Student Programs & Resources

Graduate Student Association (GSA)

The UC Davis Graduate Student Association (GSA) is a student-driven representative organization, linking students of the diverse graduate programs.  Funded by graduate student fees, GSA provides services to graduate students and protects and promotes their interests at all levels of University administration.  Regularly enrolled graduate students, professional students in the Graduate School of Management, and professional students in the teaching credential program are automatically GSA members.  The GSA offers coffee and donuts every Friday from 9 am to noon, holds social events throughout the school year, and offers travel awards to graduate students.  The GSA office/lounge is located at 253 South Silo.

Go to:                                  Graduate Student Association

Association of Student Employees

UAW Local 2865 is the union representing Academic Student Employees (ASE) at the University of California. All graduate students are eligible to join, though the union specifically represents ASE positions such as teaching assistants and associate instructors.

Go to:                                  UAW 2865 – UAW Local 2865 – 19,000 Student workers strong

Student Health and Counseling Services

Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) is located at the Student Health and Wellness Center (SHWC, at the corner of La Rue Road and Orchard Road) offers primary health care for students, including general and specialty clinics.  Services and facilities include X-ray, laboratory, pharmacy, physical therapy, reproductive and sexual health care, counseling, immunizations, and intervention support.  You can also obtain referrals for care from other clinics. General information: (530) 752-2300; advice nurse: (530) 752-2349; appointments: (530) 752-2349, insurance services: (530) 752-6055. You can use the online Health e-Messaging service to schedule appointments and communicate with your providers.

All students are required to have health insurance. Students are automatically enrolled in the university health insurance plan, UC SHIP. If you already have insurance coverage, you can apply for a waiver each year before the beginning of fall quarter. You can cancel the waiver at any time if you want to enroll in UC SHIP. UC SHIP covers medical and mental health care and also has benefits for dental and vision care. SHCS accepts UC SHIP but is limited to general business hours. There are clinics in the area that are considered in-network and accept UC SHIP such as Sutter Davis Urgent Care and Davis Urgent Care. Be sure to read about your coverage to figure out what your needs are as well as any associated costs, such as co-pays, and whether the provider you want to visit will accept UC SHIP.

For students with families (spouses and children), restrictions exist for family members to be included in the graduate student’s health care policy.  These restrictions differ for domestic and international students.  If you require health care for your family, be sure to get information from UC SHIP directly.

Go to:                         Student Health and Counseling Services: Home

UC SHIP Benefits Information

Health-e-Messaging - UC Davis

SHCS: New Students

Counseling Services

Counseling Services:  Professionals are available to help manage mental health, depression, stress management, etc. through SHCS. Some of these costs are covered under UC SHIP. You can make appointments by phone or using Health e-Messaging. Counseling Services tends to have a long wait-time for appointments, so if you intend to seek mental health care (such as a referral to an outside provider), try to make an appointment as soon as possible. Emergency services are not available through SHCS.  

In case of emergencies, call 9-1-1 immediately or for an After-Hours Crisis Counseling Services Consultation call 530-752-2349. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, call 9-8-8.

Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center

Aggie Compass provides resources for UC Davis students who need help with food, finances, housing, wellness, and crisis support. Aggie Compass can connect you with organizations for mental health, tips for budgeting and finding housing, and sources for free or low-cost groceries. The Pantry provides free produce, non-perishable items, and some toiletries - all you need to do is show your student ID. More information and links for resources are available on their website, and they can be reached by phone (530) 752-9254 or email compass@ucdavis.edu.

Go to:                                  Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center

                                             The Pantry – From Our Pantry To Yours

Student Disability Center 

UC Davis is committed to ensuring equal educational opportunities for students with disabilities. An integral part of that commitment is the coordination of specialized academic support services through the Student Disability Center (SDC).

The philosophy of the SDC is to promote independence and integrated participation in campus life for students with disabilities. The SDC is staffed by professional Disability Specialists who specialize in different areas of disability: learning, vision, hearing, medical, psychological, and mobility. These professionals each work with an assigned caseload of students, determining their eligibility for academic accommodation and ensuring the provision of accommodations necessary to allow the students to participate meaningfully in educational opportunities on campus. 

Go to: sdc.ucdavis.edu 

Cross Cultural Center 

The Cross Cultural Center provides community spaces that foster identity development and collective innovation. They offer a variety of resources and workshops to support students from various populations, such as MENSA, A&PI, Chicanx/Latinx, Indigenous, and Black/African Diaspora. 

Go to: ccc.ucdavis.edu