Why Choose UC Davis?
The City of Davis
The City of Davis is located in California’s fertile central valley, 12 miles west of the capital city of Sacramento and 75 miles east of the San Francisco Bay Area. The wineries of Sonoma and the Napa Valley are about an hour’s drive to the northwest; Lake Tahoe and the ski slopes of the Sierra Nevada are two hours to the east, and the seacoast towns of Mendocino and Santa Cruz are about 150 miles to the north or south, respectively.
The City of Davis is known for its attention to the quality of college town life; the environment, controlled growth, and innovative housing. The weather is usually mild, with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. There are community pools, tennis courts, playing fields, parks and jogging paths throughout the city. And sometimes the city is referred to as “The Bicycle Capital of the U.S.” because of the high rate of bicycle use and its long history of providing a “cyclist-friendly” environment. Overall, Davis is a most pleasant place to live, study and work.
School of Education History
Education on this campus dates back to 1918, shortly after opening, with a training program to prepare teachers to provide instruction in raising crops and animals commercially.
The School of Education, formed in 2002 as a reconstitution of a long-standing division within the College of Letters and Sciences, is built on a legacy that began with the first teacher-training program on the Davis campus 85 years ago. This was an exciting and ambitious step, one that reflects the importance that UC Davis and the entire University of California place on serving all of California’s learners and on strengthening education in our state and nation.
Since its founding in 2002 , the School has doubled the number of faculty. The teaching credential program has grown by 50 percent, and we have added a new EdD program in educational leadership. Faculty grants have doubled and financial support from alumni and friends continues to grow.
Our Mission & Guiding Principles
As a land-grant university, UC Davis has a major part to play in training teachers and education leaders, providing policy analysis and recommendations, conducting research to improve instruction, and increasing the public’s awareness and knowledge of education issues.
The School has many strengths that are aligned with the needs of the State. Efforts in faculty hiring, program development and partnership building focus on those needs: English learners; math, science and technology; neurodevelopment and education; literacy; and policy. We are also expanding our work with practicing educators through professional development programs and graduate degree programs designed especially for veteran educators.
