Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science

The Graduate Group in Computer Science offers programs of study leading to M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science. The diverse expertise of the faculty brings a wide variety of research interests to the program. Research strengths lie in algorithms, artificial intelligence, computational biology, computer architecture, computer graphics and visualization, computer vision, computer science education, computer security and cryptography, computer networks, data science, database systems, machine learning, molecular computing, nanotechnology, natural language processing, network science, parallel and distributed systems, program specifications and verification, programming languages and compilers, quantum computing, scientific computation, social and ethical issues of computing, and software engineering. Interdisciplinary research in computer science is encouraged.

Our GGCS doctoral degree prepares you to solve complex, long-term research problems. You can expect to graduate in four to five years and to work on a large research project, culminating in a dissertation. Our doctoral graduates join industries or go on to careers in academia, either as postdoctoral researchers or assistant professors. Students gain advanced knowledge of algorithms, computational biology, computer architecture, computer graphics and visualization, computer systems design, database systems, computer security, computer networks, program specifications and verification, programming languages and compilers, parallel and distributed systems, operating systems, performance evaluation, scientific computation, and software engineering. Students graduate with the qualitative and quantitative skills necessary for professional research and teaching in computer science.

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. If your transcripts are not in English, Graduate Studies requires official translations of all transcripts.
UC Davis Graduate Studies requires that each applicant has the equivalent of a 3.0 minimum GPA, on the 4.0 scale used within the United States.
Three letters of recommendation are required.
Statement of Purpose
Personal History and Diversity Statement
CV (Curriculum Vitae) or Resume
TOEFL iBT - Minimum Score: 80
IELTS - Minimum Score 7.0 on a 9-point scale