While the completion of a degree program at an international university such as UC Davis is a valuable experience for any student, there are many reasons why this is not an ideal approach to education in all instances. To address these issues and to help develop a more effective mechanism for collaborative training, the University of California, Davis has developed the Co-supervised Masters or Ph.D. Program.

The process is as follows:

A student from an international country wishing to obtain a higher degree will enroll in a university in his/her home country. Simultaneously, the student or his/her supervisor contacts a faculty member at UC Davis or the CA&ES International Programs Office for identification of a UC Davis faculty member willing to participate as a co-supervisor of the student's international degree.

Once identified, the faculty member is involved as a full partner in developing the student's education and research program. This involves specific and frequent communication for review of the student's progress, proposals and plans. There is an expectation that the faculty member, the international supervisor and the student will undertake periodic reciprocal visits to discuss progress and plan future activities. Both the UC Davis and the international faculty member is expected to contribute to the academic activities of the partner university through presentation of a seminar or short training course during their visit to the international partner.

The international student will be eligible to spend a period of time at UC Davis to obtain advanced training or to conduct collaborative research. Upon completion, the student receives a degree from the international institution, which reflects the collaborative contribution of UC Davis.

This Co-supervised degree program overcomes many of the limitations of programs undertaken solely at UC Davis and greatly enhances the exchange of information between UC Davis and international institutions. It is expected that this program will result in the establishment of long-term collaboration between UC Davis and the international university.