A student smiles in conversation.

UCEAP Reciprocity Students

UC Davis is one of ten University of California campuses located in Northern California - 70 miles from San Francisco and the Pacific Ocean beaches, and 100 miles from the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains and Lake Tahoe, and 180 miles from Yosemite National Park. Students enjoy the college town feel of Davis, while still being able to quickly travel to many of California's greatest cities, beaches, ski slopes, and tourist destinations.

UC Davis welcomes students and international scholars from 100+ countries around the world! As a reciprocity student, you will have the opportunity to work with renowned professors, scholars and leading scientists on key global issues in science, agriculture, medicine, the economy, society and the arts. 

As an incoming UCEAP Reciprocity student, one of your first stops on campus should be at the UC Davis International Center, where you will attend the UCEAP Orientation. Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) is located on the 3rd floor in Suite 3140. If you need to meet with a SISS Advisor, in-person and virtual appointments can be scheduled online.

Support for Reciprocity Students

UC Davis provides support and services to help you transition easily into campus life and prepare you for a successful academic career abroad.

Tips for Reciprocity Students on J-1 Visas

  • J-1 status information and travel
  • Email Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) at siss@ucdavis.edu with questions about travel documents (i.e. visa, DS-2019), staying in status, Academic Training, travel outside the U.S., etc.

    Finances and fees
    – Please view the “Financial Information” section on the “Before You Arrive at UC Davis” page on the UCEAP website.

    Student Health or Health Insurance 
    – Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS)
    – Please view the “Health Insurance and Requirements” section on the “Before You Arrive at UC Davis” page on the UCEAP website for information on COVID-19, TB screening, and other health requirements
    – UCSHIP or applying for a waiver

    Orientation
    - Please view the UCEAP Orientation webpage for additional information.

    Other questions
    –  Jess Fareri, Experiential & Intercultural Programs Coordinator, jmfareri@ucdavis.edu
  • Campus life and getting involved
  • Global Ambassadors Mentorship Program: The Global Ambassador Mentorship Program is designed to help new first-year and transfer undergraduate international students (including exchange students!) successfully adjust to life at UC Davis. We match new international students with current students based on similar interests to connect them with a community of support and friends. Apply today to be matched with a peer mentor.

    Student organizations: UC Davis has hundreds of different student organizations. To explore clubs according to your interests, visit AggieLife. You can find professional, social, sport, religious clubs, and more.

    Utilize campus resources: UC Davis is a large university and has many resources for you to access. There are resources for every need you can anticipate, including resources for academic success advising, exercising, and opportunities to explore your professional, academic, and personal interests. Most of the time you must be proactive to search for these resources (on the web, newsletters, ask friends, classmates, professors and TAs, etc.). Some resources include International House Davis and joining a student community

    Get Active: Join a sports club, take a dance class, join marching band, or visit the ARC and explore the services provided by the facility. To check out the options offered this year, be sure to check out the website for Campus Recreation

    Participate in conducting research: Visit the Undergraduate Research Center for resources
  • Work on campus
  • To access resources for finding an on-campus job, check out the Internship and Career Center

    Remember to request and obtain work authorization from SISS before starting any employment. Question about student employment? Email siss@ucdavis.edu with questions.
  • How to register for classes
  • Please view the “Course Enrollment” section on the “Before You Arrive at UC Davis” page on the UCEAP website.

    What courses to take:
    – Contact a Major Advisor or International Academic Advisor.
    – College and departmental advisers are the experts on enrolling in courses, so ask them about that if you have questions before or during the first week of the quarter.
    – College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
    – College of Biological Sciences
    – College of Engineering
    – College of Letters & Sciences Advising
    – If you’re unsure about what college you belong to, you can search for your major here
  • Tips for academic success (from real students!)
  • When choosing courses, pay attention to the final exam schedule so you do not have too many finals the same day. You can find the final exam schedule on Schedule Builder when you save classes.

    Read the syllabus for all your courses. Many professors do not post their syllabus until the day before or day of the start of class. If you can access the syllabus on Canvas before then, look at the expectations and workload for the course and to help you determine if you should keep or drop the course. We suggest finding an easier course to balance difficult courses that you MUST take to satisfy requirements for your home university.

    Make use of the Academic and Assistance Tutoring Centers (AATC)! The AATC has a variety of resources in addition to tutoring. The AATC hosts support for academic writing and workshops geared towards academic success. The AATC has several options for students including in-person and virtual assistance and can provide both individual appointments and regular drop-in tutoring.

    Balance academics with leisure time and social life. Work hard right from the beginning so you do not get behind. It’s difficult to catch up if you get behind! At the same time, pursue your non-academic interests early on to be sure you have time for them as well. To explore clubs according to your interests, visit AggieLife.

    Stay organized. One strategy is to use Google Calendar. Once you have received all your syllabi, go to your Google Calendar (you will have access via your UCD email) and enter your class times, quizzes, mid-terms, finals, papers, projects, and reading assignments due for all your courses so that you can see what you will be expected to accomplish every week of the quarter. Then, you can plan to work on projects early, even if they are not due until later so that you will balance out the workload over the course of the entire quarter. Do this right away so you can switch to an easier course if you realize you will not be able to handle all the work for all the courses you have chosen initially.

    Don’t take all your courses in your major department. UC Davis students usually try to take a course or two in other departments every quarter. For example, if you are humanities major, most of your classes will be very reading and writing intensive, so you should take a course which is less intensive in those respects and opt to take classes such as astronomy or a dance class to fulfill your general education requirements. To explore a selection of unique classes offered at UC Davis, check out this article. It would be recommended to take a lighter course load while you are here to avoid complications, such as dropping a class, which may affect your student-visa status.

    Be sure to participate in class discussions. This is an expectation in American academic culture and class participation factors into your grade.

    Visit your instructors during office hours. Drop-in hours allow you to talk with your instructors in person about anything you want to ask related to the course or academics in general. Office hours are typically posted in the syllabus. For example, you can ask your instructor how to make citations correctly in your papers so you avoid unintentional plagiarism (copying), which is a serious offense in American academic culture.

Reciprocity and Exchange Student FAQs

  • Where is my UCEAP Reciprocity Advisor located?
  • Your UCEAP Reciprocity advisor is Jessica Fareri. You can email her at jmfareri@ucdavis.edu or call her at (530) 752-4785. The Reciprocity advisor is located within the Global Learning Hub. Both the Global Learning Hub and Services for International Students and Scholars are located inside the International Center, on the corner of Russell Blvd and California Ave on the Davis campus.

    For questions concerning immigration or work authorization specifically, please contact your SISS advisor or make an appointment.
  • If I have questions about courses concerning UCEAP, who should I contact?
  • If you have any questions regarding UCEAP or need help with any issue before you arrive or while in Davis, please contact the UCEAP Reciprocity advisor. They can redirect any question you have to the appropriate authority. You can also reference the UCEAP Reciprocity website.
  • Where is the Office of the University Registrar?
  • Website: https://registrar.ucdavis.edu/
    3100 Dutton Hall; Campus Map
  • When and where do I set up my email account?

  • All incoming Aggies will need their student ID number before they can create a UC Davis Computing Account. Your student ID number is created and distributed by the Office of the University Registrar around Week 6 of the quarter.

    While many of you will establish your account prior to arrival, everyone is able to get help connecting to the university’s server, or just for troubleshooting your technology challenges at:

    IT Express

  • Where do I get my student ID card?
  • You can request your student ID card online on the AggieCard office website or visit their office in person at 253 Memorial Union, Monday–Friday from 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
  • Who should I contact with questions about applying for a UCSHIP waiver?
  • Contact Student Health and Counseling Services at insurance@shcs.ucdavis.edu or at (530) 752-6055 with questions about obtaining a UCSHIP waiver.
  • How can I get around town?

  • The City of Davis is known as the Bicycle Capital of North America, and it has a renowned system of bike paths and bike lanes. Thus, you can get around town easily with your bike.

    If riding a bicycle is a challenge for you, it is not something to worry about. UC Davis also has an extensive bus system called Unitrans [http://unitrans..ucdavis.edu/], and everything in downtown Davis is within walking distance.

  • How can I get a bike?
  • The UC Davis Bike Barn sells both new and used bicycles at very reasonable rates.  They also provide bike repair and tools to repair your own bike.  

    You can also get a new bike at a reasonable price at Target. There are several bike shops in Davis (prices vary). You can also find decent used bikes for sale throughout town by checking Facebook, NextDoor, Craigslist, The Davis Enterprise listings, etc. 

    UC Davis now also hosts the Spin Shared Micromobility Program, which allows students to rent bikes on a pay-per-use basis. This is a great option for students who do not want to purchase a bicycle or be responsible for storing it overnight.
  • How do I get my bike registered?
  • All bikes on the UC Davis campus must have a current California Bicycle License. Bicycle Licenses are available through Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) at a cost of $12. Having a license makes it much easier for police to identify stolen property and return it to owners. 
  • How do I get from Davis to Sacramento, Woodland or the airport?
  • Read more about airport transportation, driving in the U.S. and campus and community transportation.
  • Can I work in the U.S. as a J-1 student?
  • J-1 students must obtain authorization before beginning any employment. Authorization can be requested in iGlobal afterstarting your program. Learn more about working on or off campus as a J-1 student and set up a meeting with your SISS advisor if you have questions.