The purpose of Graduate Program Review is to promote excellence in graduate programs at UC Davis. The review, conducted by the Graduate Council of the Academic Senate, is an opportunity for programs to evaluate past achievements, current status, and future directions related to graduate education.

Approximately 10 programs are reviewed each year, with the expectation that each graduate program be reviewed every seven years. Occasionally, a program may be reviewed more frequently by administrative request or where problems have arisen that require Graduate Council’s (GC) consideration. Where opportunity for improvement is identified, the review will give guidance to the program and to administrators about how such opportunities may be pursued. Where programs are inadequate, the review will suggest concrete steps to rectify weaknesses and enable a return to an acceptable standard. In some cases, Graduate Council may recommend closure of a program. For those programs that are excellent, the review process will endorse this excellence.

The Program Review Committee (PRC), a standing committee of the Graduate Council, conducts the Graduate Program Review. The Program Review Committee consists of 12 to 15 Academic Senate members, one Academic Federation representative, one graduate student representative, the Graduate Dean (or at his/her delegation, the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs who serves ex officio), and a staff analyst.