Admission Requirements

Click through the tabs below for more information on:

Admissions Criteria,
Application Components and
Application Deadlines

Please also review our information on Program Fees and Financial Aid.

To apply for the Health Informatics Program, please visit the UC Davis Office of Graduate Studies website at https://grad.ucdavis.edu/apply.

UC Davis Criteria

GPA Requirement: A minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent) from the institution where applicant has earned or will earn their bachelor's degree.
Degree Requirement: By the time of enrollment (September), successful applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent that is comparable to a degree from the University of California both in distribution of academic subject matter and in scholarship achievement. In general, regional accreditation for U.S. institutions and authorization by a national higher education authority for international institutions are considered acceptable.
English Language Requirement: Official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo exam scores are required unless applicant has earned or will be earning a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from either:
- A regionally accredited U.S. college or university, OR
- A nationally recognized international institution in which English is the sole language of instruction. UC Davis Graduate Studies will only approve waivers for foreign colleges and universities which list English as the sole language of instruction in the IAU World Higher Education Database. No other documentation will be reviewed or accepted.
Exam Score Requirement: No additional exams, including the GRE, are required for admission.

For more information on the Graduate Studies admission requirements and to begin your application visit https://grad.ucdavis.edu/admissions/admission-requirements.

English Language Requirement

Applicants who do not meet the English Language Requirement must submit one of the below English Language Exam scores during the admissions process. Please note that scores for exams expire after two years. Below are the minimum scores required to be considered for admission to the Health Informatics Program.

TOEFL: Minimum score of 100. Please note that TOEFL MyBest scores are not accepted.
IELTS: Minimum overall band score of 7.0 on a 9-point scale.
Duolingo: Minimum total score of 130*

For more information on the language requirement and submission of scores, please visit the Graduate Studies page on Admission Requirements for International Applicants.

*Due to the lack of availability of English language testing opportunities resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, UC Davis is currently accepting the Duolingo English Test as an alternative to the TOEFL iBT and the IELTS Academic Examination. Details regarding the Duolingo English Test can be found on their website at https://englishtest.duolingo.com/home.

Specific Program Criteria

The Master's degree program seeks to train the next generation of researchers, clinicians and leaders to advance the science of Health Informatics. Successful applicants have backgrounds in health, technology or biology, and are enthused to develop new knowledge using health data and information systems.

Clinicians (M.D., R.N., Pharm.D., others)

Demonstrated through completed baccalaureate or higher level coursework, work experience, or clinical focus:

Successful completion of Clinical Education at the Baccalaureate level or higher
Working knowledge in technology, ideally computer science and programming

Healthcare Information Technology Professionals

Demonstrated through completed coursework or professional experience:

Working experience in Healthcare IT, biotech or similar experience
Knowledge of Human Disease and Conditions
Knowledge of Medical Terminology

Researchers

Demonstrated through completed coursework, baccalaureate or higher degrees, personal research experience:

Applied background (Baccalaureate or higher) in computer science, information science, biology or related field
Domain experience in health information or biology

Prerequisites

For individuals without a healthcare background, a basic knowledge of human diseases and conditions is required. The following UC Davis courses meet this requirement:

BIS 10: Everyday Biology

CHA 101, 200: Anatomy

NPB 101: Systemic Physiology

For individuals without an information technology background, a basic knowledge of object-oriented programming and relational databases is required. The following UC Davis courses meet this requirement:

ECS 032A, or B: Intro to Programming/Data Structures or

ECS 140A, or B: Programming Languages and

ECS 165A, or B: Database Systems

Recommendations about courses or experiences required by applicants to meet these prerequisites will be made on an individual basis by the Admissions Committee.

Questions regarding prerequisites may be directed to the UC Davis Health Informatics program office at 916-734-8710 or healthinformatics@health.ucdavis.edu.

As part of the application process, all applicants to the program must submit the following items in their application:

Letters of Recommendation:

Applicants are required to submit three Letters of Recommendation, preferably from professors in your field(s). However, if this is not possible, it is permissible for employers, supervisors, co-workers and co-associates to write these letters. What is crucial is that you select individuals who can best discuss your academic strengths, as well as speak to your potential of successfully completing a graduate program.

Letters of Recommendation must be submitted via the online application website. Letters of Recommendation in hard copy form received by the Department will not be accepted. In such circumstances, the applicant will be notified and informed to contact the recommender to re-submit the Letter of Recommendation online. There are no exceptions to this requirement.

Statement of Purpose:

Please highlight your academic preparation and motivation; interests, specializations and career goals; and fit for pursuing graduate study at UC Davis.

Preparation and Motivation

May include your academic and research experiences that prepare you for this graduate program (for example: coursework, employment, exhibitions, fieldwork, foreign language proficiency, independent study, internships, laboratory activities, presentations, publications, studio projects, teaching, and travel or study abroad) and motivation or passion for graduate study.

Interests, Specializations, and Career Goals

May include your research interests, disciplinary subfields, area/s of specialization, and professional objectives.

Fit

May include how your preparation, experiences, and interests match the specific resources and characteristics of your graduate program at UC Davis. Please identify specific faculty within your desired graduate program with whom you would like to work and how their interests match your own.

Personal Statement:

While the Statement of Purpose is primarily focused on academic preparation, research interests/concept, and alignment with the graduate program, the Personal Statement is an opportunity to share the unique background, experiences, perspectives, and abilities that you will bring to a graduate program.

Please describe how your background and life experiences shaped your academic and/or professional path and influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree. This may include formative experiences, environment, values, motivations, interactions, decisions, etc.

We encourage you to consider these potential scenarios when developing your Personal Statement:

Commitment to overcoming significant obstacles despite economic disadvantage, challenging social environment, or other specific experiences of hardship.
Unique talents, abilities or skills relevant to personal growth.
Employment experiences, extracurricular activities, or community participation that inspired further education.
Evidence of growth, maturity and commitment to graduate study and/or a major field.

Essay on Research Interests:

The purpose of this essay is for you to address:

Your previous research work and accomplishments,
Describe any projects you are currently working on, and
Identify any research goals or topics you would like to pursue while enrolled in the program.

The thesis is a large component of this master's program and requires extensive independent research and writing under the direction of a research mentor. You should use this essay to showcase your past accomplishments and topics of interest in the field of health informatics.

Resume/CV

All applications are reviewed for a Fall start date. The program does not offer alternative start dates outside of Fall Quarter.

Applications must be completed by the closing date listed below to be reviewed with that batch of applications.

Application Opens: September 2025

Priority Deadline

Submitted Application: January 15, 2026

All Supplemental Materials Submitted (Transcripts and Letters): January 31, 2026

Applicants who complete their applications by this date will be the first to be reviewed. The admissions committee will begin reviewing applications following the priority deadline, and applicants can expect a decision or a request for interview by March 1.

General Deadline

Submitted Application: March 1, 2026

All Supplemental Materials Submitted (Transcripts and Letters): March 15, 2026

Applicants who complete their applications by this date are guaranteed a full review. The admissions committee will begin reviewing applicants who applied between January 15 and March 1, following the general deadline. Applicants can expect a decision or a request for interview by May 1.

Space Available Deadline

Submitted Application: June 1, 2026

All Supplemental Materials Submitted (Transcripts and Letters): June 10, 2026

Applicants who complete their application by this date will only be reviewed if there is still space available in the program after the priority and general deadline applicants have been reviewed. In most years, applicants who meet this deadline will still receive a full review of their application, and can expect a decision by June 30.