Current Students

On this page you will find the academic requirements, forms, timelines, funding information, and program resources you need throughout your HSGG degree. Use the resources below to plan your coursework, track degree milestones, understand funding and employment, and navigate HSGG and UC Davis policies.

Who's Who in HSGG and Graduate Studies

HSGG students work with several faculty, staff, and committees throughout their degree. Learn who is responsible for academic advising, research mentoring, program administration, governance, and university-level graduate policies, and where to go when you need help.

Student Advising

• Major Professor (Faculty Advisor/Principal Investigator)

• For PhD and MS Plan I (thesis) students, the Major Professor is the student’s primary research mentor and faculty advisor. Major Professors guide research development, provide feedback on scholarly work, support academic and professional development, and help students identify funding and research resources.

  Major Professors usually supervise the student’s thesis or dissertation and chair the Thesis or Dissertation Committee. Students considering a change of Major Professor should consult the Graduate Program Coordinator or Graduate Advisor because a change may affect research direction, funding, and degree progress.

• Graduate Advisor

• Graduate Advisors help students understand degree requirements, develop and review their coursework plans, monitor academic progress, and navigate academic policies or concerns. Each student is assigned one of three Graduate Advisor upon entering the program.

  Graduate Advisors also review academic forms and petitions and serve as a liaison among the student, HSGG, and Graduate Studies. Students should meet with their graduate advisor every fall quarter to check on overall academic progress and get their course worksheets updated and signed. They should also contact their Graduate Advisor when they have questions about coursework, degree progress, candidacy, examinations, academic standing, or changes to their program of study.

HSGG Faculty Leadership and Governance

• HSGG Governance
• HSGG is governed by bylaws first adopted in 1991 and most recently revised on December 16, 2011. Administration of the Group is vested in the Group Chair and the Executive Committee, supported by the Graduate Advisers and the Graduate Admissions Adviser. HSGG's standing committees include the Executive Committee, Admissions Committee, Scholarship Committee, and Seminar Committee.
• Graduate Group Chair

• The Graduate Group Chair provides academic and administrative leadership for HSGG. The Chair oversees program policies, curriculum, student progress, faculty participation, committee appointments, and coordination with Graduate Studies.

  The Chair also presides over meetings of the graduate group and Executive Committee, appoints faculty to program committees, nominates Graduate Advisors, represents HSGG to university leadership, and helps ensure that official program information is accurate and current.

• Executive Committee
• The Executive Committee oversees the administration and governance of the graduate group. Responsibilities include guiding curriculum and policy development, overseeing mentoring practices, maintaining membership records, appointing committees, and supporting the overall operation and direction of the program.
• Admissions Committee
• The Admissions Committee reviews and evaluates M.S. and Ph.D. applications and makes admissions recommendations for prospective students. The Admissions Committee consists of the Group Chair, the Admissions Adviser, the Scholarship Committee Chair, and the staff graduate coordinator (ex-officio and non-voting).
• Scholarship Committee
• The Scholarship Committee oversees scholarship and fellowship opportunities administered or coordinated by HSGG. Responsibilities include announcing opportunities, reviewing and ranking applications, recommending students for program and university awards, and reporting funding outcomes to the graduate group.
• Seminar Committee
• The Seminar Committee organizes the HSGG seminar series, including selecting and inviting speakers, coordinating the seminar schedule and logistics, and promoting engagement among students, faculty, and invited guests.

HSGG Student Leadership

• Social Chairs (Graduate Students)
• The HSGG Social Chairs help build community among graduate students by organizing social events, informal gatherings, and other opportunities for students to connect outside of coursework and research. Social Chairs may coordinate events throughout the academic year, welcome new students, and help maintain an inclusive and supportive graduate student community.
• Graduate Student Association (GSA) Representatives (Graduate Students)
• HSGG’s Graduate Student Association (GSA) Representatives serve as a link between HSGG students and the UC Davis Graduate Student Association. Representatives attend GSA meetings, share information about campus-wide graduate student issues and resources with HSGG students, and bring concerns or priorities from HSGG students to the broader graduate student government.
• Executive Committee Student Representative (Graduate Student)
• One graduate student, appointed by the Group Chair, serves as a non-voting member of the Executive Committee for a two-year term (renewable). The Student Representative attends the HSGG annual meeting and is excused from Executive Committee discussions involving other students, faculty personnel or disciplinary matters, or student funding decisions.

Program Administration and University Support

• Graduate Program Coordinator

• The Graduate Program Coordinator is the primary administrative contact for HSGG students. The coordinator helps students navigate program procedures, forms, petitions, registration questions, funding and appointment processes, and referrals to other university offices.

  Forms requiring program review should generally be submitted through GradSphere or sent to the Graduate Program Coordinator, depending on the form. The coordinator routes forms to the appropriate Graduate Advisor, Graduate Group Chair, or university office.

• Graduate Studies and University Resources

• UC Davis Graduate Studies establishes university-wide policies and procedures for graduate education. HSGG degree requirements operate within these broader university policies.

  Students should use Graduate Studies resources for official forms, candidacy and examination procedures, degree filing, academic progress, leave and registration statuses, employment guidance, and campus-wide graduate student support.

  Graduate Studies Policies
  Find policies related to academic progress, candidacy, qualifying examinations, committee nominations, filing, leave status, and degree completion.

  GradSphere
  Submit and track many graduate forms, including candidacy, examination, and committee requests.

  Graduate Studies Form Information
  Find forms for candidacy, fellowships, filing your thesis, and more.

  Graduate Student Resource Guide
  Explore academic, financial, wellness, professional development, family, and campus-support resources available to graduate students.

Student Handbook

The HSGG Student Handbook provides practical guidance for navigating graduate study in HSGG, including advising and mentoring, registration, funding, academic progress, leave options, research practices, student support, and university policies.

Download the 2025–2026 HSGG Student Handbook