Applicable only to students admitted during the 2023-2024 academic year.

Communication

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Communication offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Communication.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

The M.S. degree is not a stand-alone, terminal degree. Students enrolled in the Ph.D. degree program may be granted a terminal M.S. degree if they do not complete the Ph.D. requirements and exit the program. To be granted the M.S. degree, students must complete all required courses for the Ph.D., and complete the second year research paper, approved by the student’s adviser and two additional ladder faculty members from the Department of Communication. If the student is continuing in the Ph.D. program, this degree is optional.

Advising

Academic advising for graduate students in the department is primarily conducted on an individual basis by a student’s faculty adviser because, beyond basic requirements, each student’s program of study is unique. The department’s graduate adviser is primarily responsible for counseling students in regard to program requirements, policies, and university regulations.

Students will provide their advisor and the Vice Chair a summary of their professional progress each Spring. This progress report will be collectively evaluated annually by all ladder faculty, with an analysis of progress toward the degree, as well as specific areas that require improvement if applicable. A written summary of the faculty discussion will be provided to the student by the primary adviser.

Areas of Study

Communication and Cognition; Political Communication; Computational Communication

Foreign Language Requirement

Not required.

Course Requirements

The expected course load is 12 units per quarter for a minimum of two years. However, if needed, the minimum course load may be adjusted downward by petition with the approval of the student’s committee chair and the department chair. Students must be registered and enrolled at all times unless on an official leave of absence.

Students must complete 11 courses (44 units)—of which at least 9 must be 200-level graduate courses—all taken for a letter grade, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. All students are required to take seven core classes: one communication theory and research course (COMM 200); one research design course (COMM 220); two approved statistics courses, with at least one at the 200 level (e.g., POL200A-D; PSY 250A-C; STAT 101, 102); and three seminars that correspond to the three areas of study (COMM 230; 250; 270). In addition, students are required to take three elective courses from within our department or elsewhere, and a TA training class (COMM 495). Any additional elective courses above the 11 course requirement may be taken for a letter grade or S/U grading. Depending on the student’s area of study and prior academic preparation and study, a student may be advised to take other preparatory courses as determined by the faculty adviser.

Teaching Experience

Most students in the program will serve as a TA beginning in year 2 of the program. Those who receive external fellowships will be expected to complete a minimum of one quarter of teaching during their time in the program.

Capstone Plan

All students must complete original research during their first and second years, in the form of a first year paper and a second year paper. In general, these two papers will be related to one another, but students may elect to pursue two distinct projects. At the end of the spring quarter of their first year, students present their research in a written paper and a brief oral presentation to the department’s faculty and graduate students. If original data has not been collected and analyzed by the end of the first year, the presentation must summarize work to date, including a proposal for data acquisition.

At the end of their second year, students present their cumulative research findings in a talk presented to the department’s faculty and students and in a paper. This second year paper must be approved by the student’s adviser (who will submit a formal grade) and approved by a second reader from the department ladder faculty. The paper should be of publication quality in a top-tier journal in the discipline.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

Students typically receive the master’s degree by the end of their sixth quarter in residence.

Degree	Normative Time to ATC (Quarters)	Normative TTD	Maximum TTD
M.S.	6	6	9

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Academic advising for graduate students in the department is primarily conducted on an individual basis by a student’s faculty adviser because, beyond basic requirements, each student’s program of study is unique. The department’s graduate adviser is primarily responsible for counseling students in regard to program requirements, policies, and university regulations.

Students will provide their advisor and the Vice Chair a summary of their professional progress each Spring. This progress report will be collectively evaluated annually by all ladder faculty, with an analysis of progress toward the degree, as well as specific areas that require improvement if applicable. A written summary of the faculty discussion will be provided to the student by the primary adviser until that student advances to candidacy.

Areas of Study

Communication and Cognition; Political Communication; Computational Communication

Foreign Language Requirement

Not required.

Course Requirements

The expected course load is 12 units per quarter. However, if needed, the minimum course load may be adjusted downward by petition with the approval of the student’s committee chair and the department chair. Students must be registered and enrolled at all times unless on an official leave of absence.

Students must complete 11 courses (44 units)—of which at least 9 must be 200-level graduate courses all taken for a letter grade, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. All students are required to take seven core classes: one communication theory and research course (COMM 200); one research design course (COMM 220); two approved statistics courses, with at least one at the 200 level (e.g., POL200A-D; PSY 250A-C; STAT 101, 102); and three seminars that correspond to the three areas of study (COMM 230; 250; 270). In addition, students are required to take three courses from within our department or elsewhere, and a TA training class (COMM 495). Any additional elective courses above the 11 course requirement may be taken for a letter grade or S/U grading. Depending on the student’s area of study and prior academic preparation and study, a student may be advised to take other preparatory courses as determined by the faculty adviser.

Teaching Experience

All doctoral students must have a minimum of three quarters as a teaching assistant for courses offered within the department. This training need not be in consecutive terms, but it must be satisfied prior to graduation from UCLA.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to university requirements, some graduate programs have other precandidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the new Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

First Year Paper and Second Year Paper. All students must complete original research during their first and second years, in the form of a first year paper and a second year paper. In general, these two papers will be related to one another, but students may elect to pursue two distinct projects. At the end of the spring quarter of their first year, students present their research in a written paper and a brief oral presentation to the department’s faculty and graduate students. If original data has not been collected and analyzed by the end of the first year, the presentation must summarize work to date, including a proposal for data acquisition.

At the end of their second year, students present their cumulative research findings in a talk presented to the department’s faculty and students and in a paper. This second year paper must be approved by the student’s adviser (who will submit a formal grade) and approved by a second reader from the department ladder faculty. The paper should be of publication quality in a top-tier journal in the discipline.

Written Qualifying Examination. Students will complete a written examination in the form of a comprehensive paper, the contents of which must be approved by their adviser and one additional department faculty member that will comprise Qualifying Subcommittee. This paper need not be directly related to the first year paper and second year paper, although a majority of students are likely to maintain continuity in the topic herein. In general this paper should include a substantial review of research in the student’s area of specialization. The written examination is due by the end of the seventh quarter.

Written Dissertation Proposal and Oral Examination. The written dissertation proposal requires a presentation of the student’s proposed dissertation research. The proposal should include the background and significance of the area of research, the project’s goals, and the methods and tests used to address those goals. Prior to the approval of the written proposal, a doctoral committee must be established that will oversee the proposal, and administer the dissertation proposal oral examination (satisfying the requirement of  the University Oral Qualifying Examination). The committee is made up of the faculty advisor, at least one additional department faculty member, a third faculty member either from within or outside the department, and a fourth member that must be from outside the department. The written proposal must be approved by the end of the third year (ninth quarter) by the student’s primary advisor unless an extension is granted by the doctoral committee, and approved by the department chair. The examination committee judges the feasibility and worth of the research project and the student’s ability to undertake it in the form of pass/fail/retake (eligibility for one retake is at the committee’s discretion). The committee also may recommend changes in the research design.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Doctoral Dissertation

Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

A final oral defense of the dissertation is required. A student is not considered to have passed the final oral examination with more than one “not passed” vote, regardless of the size of the committee. In the event that this occurs, the student may schedule a second oral defense of the dissertation.

Time-to-Degree

The normative time to complete the requirements for the doctoral degree is five years (15 quarters). Advancement to candidacy (ATC), including written and oral qualifying examinations, must be completed by the end of the fourth year, with normative time to ATC at 3 years (9 quarters). Maximum time to degree will be seven year (21 quarters)s, with extension granted by petition for an eighth year if necessary.

Degree	Normative Time to ATC (Quarters)	Normative TTD	Maximum TTD
Ph.D.	9	15	21

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for academic disqualification from graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing academic disqualification of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Special departmental or program policy

A recommendation for academic disqualification is made by the chair of the department after a vote of the faculty at the student review each term. Before the recommendation is sent to the Graduate Division, a student is notified in writing and given two weeks to appeal in writing to the chair. The student’s appeal is reviewed by a departmental committee, headed by the vice chair of graduate studies, which makes the final departmental recommendation to the Graduate Division.

UCLA is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and by numerous special agencies. Information regarding the University’s accreditation may be obtained from the Office of Academic Planning and Budget, 2107 Murphy Hall.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Communication

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Communication offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Communication.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

The M.S. degree is not a stand-alone, terminal degree. Students enrolled in the Ph.D. degree program may be granted a terminal M.S. degree if they do not complete the Ph.D. requirements and exit the program. To be granted the M.S. degree, students must complete all required courses for the Ph.D., and complete the second year research paper, approved by the student’s adviser and two additional ladder faculty members from the Department of Communication. If the student is continuing in the Ph.D. program, this degree is optional.

Advising

Academic advising for graduate students in the department is primarily conducted on an individual basis by a student’s faculty adviser because, beyond basic requirements, each student’s program of study is unique. The department’s graduate adviser is primarily responsible for counseling students in regard to program requirements, policies, and university regulations.

Students will provide their advisor and the Vice Chair a summary of their professional progress each Spring. This progress report will be collectively evaluated annually by all ladder faculty, with an analysis of progress toward the degree, as well as specific areas that require improvement if applicable. A written summary of the faculty discussion will be provided to the student by the primary adviser.

Areas of Study

Communication and Cognition; Political Communication; Computational Communication

Foreign Language Requirement

Not required.

Course Requirements

The expected course load is 12 units per quarter for a minimum of two years. However, if needed, the minimum course load may be adjusted downward by petition with the approval of the student’s committee chair and the department chair. Students must be registered and enrolled at all times unless on an official leave of absence.

Students must complete 11 courses (44 units)—of which at least 9 must be 200-level graduate courses—all taken for a letter grade, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. All students are required to take seven core classes: one communication theory and research course (COMM 200); one research design course (COMM 220); two approved statistics courses, with at least one at the 200 level (e.g., POL200A-D; PSY 250A-C; STAT 101, 102); and three seminars that correspond to the three areas of study (COMM 230; 250; 270). In addition, students are required to take three elective courses from within our department or elsewhere, and a TA training class (COMM 495). Any additional elective courses above the 11 course requirement may be taken for a letter grade or S/U grading. Depending on the student’s area of study and prior academic preparation and study, a student may be advised to take other preparatory courses as determined by the faculty adviser.

Teaching Experience

Most students in the program will serve as a TA beginning in year 2 of the program. Those who receive external fellowships will be expected to complete a minimum of one quarter of teaching during their time in the program.

Capstone Plan

All students must complete original research during their first and second years, in the form of a first year paper and a second year paper. In general, these two papers will be related to one another, but students may elect to pursue two distinct projects. At the end of the spring quarter of their first year, students present their research in a written paper and a brief oral presentation to the department’s faculty and graduate students. If original data has not been collected and analyzed by the end of the first year, the presentation must summarize work to date, including a proposal for data acquisition.

At the end of their second year, students present their cumulative research findings in a talk presented to the department’s faculty and students and in a paper. This second year paper must be approved by the student’s adviser (who will submit a formal grade) and approved by a second reader from the department ladder faculty. The paper should be of publication quality in a top-tier journal in the discipline.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

Students typically receive the master’s degree by the end of their sixth quarter in residence.

Degree	Normative Time to ATC (Quarters)	Normative TTD	Maximum TTD
M.S.	6	6	9

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Academic advising for graduate students in the department is primarily conducted on an individual basis by a student’s faculty adviser because, beyond basic requirements, each student’s program of study is unique. The department’s graduate adviser is primarily responsible for counseling students in regard to program requirements, policies, and university regulations.

Students will provide their advisor and the Vice Chair a summary of their professional progress each Spring. This progress report will be collectively evaluated annually by all ladder faculty, with an analysis of progress toward the degree, as well as specific areas that require improvement if applicable. A written summary of the faculty discussion will be provided to the student by the primary adviser until that student advances to candidacy.

Areas of Study

Communication and Cognition; Political Communication; Computational Communication

Foreign Language Requirement

Not required.

Course Requirements

The expected course load is 12 units per quarter. However, if needed, the minimum course load may be adjusted downward by petition with the approval of the student’s committee chair and the department chair. Students must be registered and enrolled at all times unless on an official leave of absence.

Students must complete 11 courses (44 units)—of which at least 9 must be 200-level graduate courses all taken for a letter grade, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. All students are required to take seven core classes: one communication theory and research course (COMM 200); one research design course (COMM 220); two approved statistics courses, with at least one at the 200 level (e.g., POL200A-D; PSY 250A-C; STAT 101, 102); and three seminars that correspond to the three areas of study (COMM 230; 250; 270). In addition, students are required to take three courses from within our department or elsewhere, and a TA training class (COMM 495). Any additional elective courses above the 11 course requirement may be taken for a letter grade or S/U grading. Depending on the student’s area of study and prior academic preparation and study, a student may be advised to take other preparatory courses as determined by the faculty adviser.

Teaching Experience

All doctoral students must have a minimum of three quarters as a teaching assistant for courses offered within the department. This training need not be in consecutive terms, but it must be satisfied prior to graduation from UCLA.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to university requirements, some graduate programs have other precandidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the new Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

First Year Paper and Second Year Paper. All students must complete original research during their first and second years, in the form of a first year paper and a second year paper. In general, these two papers will be related to one another, but students may elect to pursue two distinct projects. At the end of the spring quarter of their first year, students present their research in a written paper and a brief oral presentation to the department’s faculty and graduate students. If original data has not been collected and analyzed by the end of the first year, the presentation must summarize work to date, including a proposal for data acquisition.

At the end of their second year, students present their cumulative research findings in a talk presented to the department’s faculty and students and in a paper. This second year paper must be approved by the student’s adviser (who will submit a formal grade) and approved by a second reader from the department ladder faculty. The paper should be of publication quality in a top-tier journal in the discipline.

Written Qualifying Examination. Students will complete a written examination in the form of a comprehensive paper, the contents of which must be approved by their adviser and one additional department faculty member that will comprise Qualifying Subcommittee. This paper need not be directly related to the first year paper and second year paper, although a majority of students are likely to maintain continuity in the topic herein. In general this paper should include a substantial review of research in the student’s area of specialization. The written examination is due by the end of the seventh quarter.

Written Dissertation Proposal and Oral Examination. The written dissertation proposal requires a presentation of the student’s proposed dissertation research. The proposal should include the background and significance of the area of research, the project’s goals, and the methods and tests used to address those goals. Prior to the approval of the written proposal, a doctoral committee must be established that will oversee the proposal, and administer the dissertation proposal oral examination (satisfying the requirement of  the University Oral Qualifying Examination). The committee is made up of the faculty advisor, at least one additional department faculty member, a third faculty member either from within or outside the department, and a fourth member that must be from outside the department. The written proposal must be approved by the end of the third year (ninth quarter) by the student’s primary advisor unless an extension is granted by the doctoral committee, and approved by the department chair. The examination committee judges the feasibility and worth of the research project and the student’s ability to undertake it in the form of pass/fail/retake (eligibility for one retake is at the committee’s discretion). The committee also may recommend changes in the research design.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Doctoral Dissertation

Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

A final oral defense of the dissertation is required. A student is not considered to have passed the final oral examination with more than one “not passed” vote, regardless of the size of the committee. In the event that this occurs, the student may schedule a second oral defense of the dissertation.

Time-to-Degree

The normative time to complete the requirements for the doctoral degree is five years (15 quarters). Advancement to candidacy (ATC), including written and oral qualifying examinations, must be completed by the end of the fourth year, with normative time to ATC at 3 years (9 quarters). Maximum time to degree will be seven year (21 quarters)s, with extension granted by petition for an eighth year if necessary.

Degree	Normative Time to ATC (Quarters)	Normative TTD	Maximum TTD
Ph.D.	9	15	21

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for academic disqualification from graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing academic disqualification of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Special departmental or program policy

A recommendation for academic disqualification is made by the chair of the department after a vote of the faculty at the student review each term. Before the recommendation is sent to the Graduate Division, a student is notified in writing and given two weeks to appeal in writing to the chair. The student’s appeal is reviewed by a departmental committee, headed by the vice chair of graduate studies, which makes the final departmental recommendation to the Graduate Division.

UCLA is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and by numerous special agencies. Information regarding the University’s accreditation may be obtained from the Office of Academic Planning and Budget, 2107 Murphy Hall.

Program Requirements for students admitted to the Ph.D. in Communication for 2019-2020 will be published here.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Communication

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Communication offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Communication.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

The M.S. degree is not a stand-alone, terminal degree. Students enrolled in the Ph.D. degree program may be granted a terminal M.S. degree if they do not complete the Ph.D. requirements and exit the program. To be granted the M.S. degree, students must complete all required courses for the Ph.D., and complete the second year research paper, approved by the student’s adviser and two additional ladder faculty members from the Department of Communication. If the student is continuing in the Ph.D. program, this degree is optional.

Advising

Academic advising for graduate students in the department is primarily conducted on an individual basis by a student’s faculty adviser because, beyond basic requirements, each student’s program of study is unique. The department’s graduate adviser is primarily responsible for counseling students in regard to program requirements, policies, and university regulations.

Students will provide their advisor and the Vice Chair a summary of their professional progress each Spring. This progress report will be collectively evaluated annually by all ladder faculty, with an analysis of progress toward the degree, as well as specific areas that require improvement if applicable. A written summary of the faculty discussion will be provided to the student by the primary adviser until that student advances to candidacy.

Areas of Study

Communication and Cognition; Political Communication; Computational Communication

Foreign Language Requirement

Not required.

Course Requirements

The expected course load is 12 units per quarter for a minimum of two years. However, the minimum course load may be adjusted downward by petition with the approval of the student’s committee chair and the department chair if needed. Students must be registered and enrolled at all times unless on an official leave of absence.

Students must complete 14 courses (56 units)—of which at least 11 must be 200-level graduate courses—which must be taken for a letter grade, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. All students are required to take seven core classes: one communication theory and research course (COMM 200); one research design course (COMM 220); two approved statistics courses, with at least one at the 200 level (e.g., POL200A-D; PSY 250A-C; STAT 101, 102); and three seminars that correspond to the three areas of study (COMM 230; 250; 270). In addition, students are required to take six elective courses from within our department or elsewhere, and a TA training class (COMM 495). Any additional elective courses above the 14 course requirement may be taken for a letter grade or S/U grading. Depending on the student’s area of study and prior academic preparation and study, a student may be advised to take other preparatory courses as determined by the faculty adviser.

Teaching Experience

Most students in the program will serve as a TA beginning in year 2 of the program. Those who receive external fellowships will be expected to complete a minimum of one quarter of teaching during their time in the program.

Capstone Plan

All students must complete original research during their first and second years, in the form of a first year paper and a second year paper. In general, these two papers will be related to one another, but students may elect to pursue two distinct projects. At the end of the spring quarter of their first year, students present their research in a written paper and a brief oral presentation to the department’s faculty and graduate students. If original data has not been collected and analyzed by the end of the first year, the presentation must summarize work to date, including a proposal for data acquisition.

At the end of their second year, students present their cumulative research findings in a talk presented to the department’s faculty and students and in a paper. This second year paper must be approved by the student’s adviser (who will submit a formal grade) and approved by a second reader from the department ladder faculty, and a third reader from the ladder faculty of the university; and should be of publication quality in a top-tier journal in the discipline.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

Students typically receive the master’s degree by the end of their sixth quarter in residence.

Degree	Normative Time to ATC (Quarters)	Normative TTD	Maximum TTD
M.S.	6	6	9

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Academic advising for graduate students in the department is primarily conducted on an individual basis by a student’s faculty adviser because, beyond basic requirements, each student’s program of study is unique. The department’s graduate adviser is primarily responsible for counseling students in regard to program requirements, policies, and university regulations.

Students will provide their advisor and the Vice Chair a summary of their professional progress each Spring. This progress report will be collectively evaluated annually by all ladder faculty, with an analysis of progress toward the degree, as well as specific areas that require improvement if applicable. A written summary of the faculty discussion will be provided to the student by the primary adviser until that student advances to candidacy.

Areas of Study

Communication and Cognition; Political Communication; Computational Communication

Foreign Language Requirement

Not required.

Course Requirements

The expected course load is 12 units per quarter. However, the minimum course load may be adjusted downward by petition with the approval of the student’s committee chair and the department chair if needed. Students must be registered and enrolled at all times unless on an official leave of absence.

Students must complete 14 courses (56 units)—of which at least 11 must be 200-level graduate courses—which must be taken for a letter grade, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. All students are required to take seven core classes: one communication theory and research course (COMM 200); one research design course (COMM 220); two approved statistics courses, with at least one at the 200 level (e.g., POL200A-D; PSY 250A-C; STAT 101, 102); and three seminars that correspond to the three areas of study (COMM 230; 250; 270). In addition, students are required to take six elective courses from within our department or elsewhere, and a TA training class (COMM 495). Any additional elective courses above the 14 course requirement may be taken for a letter grade or S/U grading. Depending on the student’s area of study and prior academic preparation and study, a student may be advised to take other preparatory courses as determined by the faculty adviser.

Students entering the program with an M.S. or M.A. degree in Communication or a related discipline may potentially waive certain course requirements, with the approval of a committee made up of faculty members in the department.

Teaching Experience

All doctoral students must have a minimum of three quarters as a teaching assistant for courses offered within the department. This training need not be in consecutive terms, but it must be satisfied prior to graduation from UCLA.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to university requirements, some graduate programs have other precandidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the new Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

First Year Paper and Second Year Paper. All students must complete original research during their first and second years, in the form of a first year paper and a second year paper. In general, these two papers will be related to one another, but students may elect to pursue two distinct projects. At the end of the spring quarter of their first year, students present their research in a written paper and a brief oral presentation to the department’s faculty and graduate students. If original data has not been collected and analyzed by the end of the first year, the presentation must summarize work to date, including a proposal for data acquisition.

At the end of their second year, students present their cumulative research findings in a talk presented to the department’s faculty and students and in a paper. This second year paper must be approved by the student’s adviser (who will submit a formal grade) and approved by two additional ladder faculty members from the Department of Communication, and should be of publication quality in a top-tier journal in the discipline.

Written Examination. Students will complete a written examination in the form of a comprehensive paper, the contents of which must be approved by their adviser and the Qualifying Subcommittee of faculty members. This paper need not be directly related to the first year paper and second year paper, although a majority of students are likely to maintain continuity in the topic herein. In general this paper should include a substantial review of research in the student’s area of specialization, and it should be accompanied by an extensive reading list that the subcommittee can presume has been mastered by the student. The written examination is due by the end of the seventh quarter.

Written Dissertation Proposal. The written dissertation proposal requires a presentation of the student’s proposed dissertation research, which may or may not relate directly to their capstone project. The proposal should include the background and significance of the area of research, the project’s goals, and the methods and tests used to address those goals. The written proposal must be approved by the end of the third year (ninth quarter) by the student’s primary advisor unless an extension is granted by the doctoral committee, and approved by the department chair. Prior to the approval of the written proposal, a doctoral committee must be established that will oversee the University Oral Qualifying Examination.

University Oral Qualifying Examination. Students take the University Oral Qualifying Examination after the written qualifying examination and written dissertation proposal are approved. The examination committee judges the feasibility and worth of the research project and the student’s ability to undertake it in the form of pass/fail/retake (eligibility for one retake is at the committee’s discretion). The committee also may recommend changes in the research design.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Doctoral Dissertation

Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

A final oral defense of the dissertation is required. A student is not considered to have passed the final oral examination with more than one “not passed” vote, regardless of the size of the committee. In the event that this occurs, the student may schedule a second oral defense of the dissertation.

Time-to-Degree

The normative time to complete the requirements for the doctoral degree is five years (15 quarters). Advancement to candidacy (ATC), including written and oral qualifying examinations, must be completed by the end of the fourth year, with normative time to ATC at 3 years (9 quarters). Maximum time to degree will be seven year (21 quarters)s, with extension granted by petition for an eighth year if necessary.

Degree	Normative Time to ATC (Quarters)	Normative TTD	Maximum TTD
Ph.D.	9	15	21

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for academic disqualification from graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing academic disqualification of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Special departmental or program policy

A recommendation for academic disqualification is made by the chair of the department after a vote of the faculty at the student review each term. Before the recommendation is sent to the Graduate Division, a student is notified in writing and given two weeks to appeal in writing to the chair. The student’s appeal is reviewed by a departmental committee, headed by the vice chair of graduate studies, which makes the final departmental recommendation to the Graduate Division.

UCLA is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and by numerous special agencies. Information regarding the University’s accreditation may be obtained from the Office of Academic Planning and Budget, 2107 Murphy Hall.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2025-2026 academic year.

Communication

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Communication offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Communication.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

The M.S. degree is not a stand-alone, terminal degree. Students enrolled in the Ph.D. degree program may be granted a terminal M.S. degree if they do not complete the Ph.D. requirements and exit the program. To be granted the M.S. degree, students must complete all required courses for the Ph.D., and complete the second year research paper, approved by the student’s adviser and two additional ladder faculty members from the Department of Communication. If the student is continuing in the Ph.D. program, this degree is optional.

Advising

Academic advising for graduate students in the department is primarily conducted on an individual basis by a student’s faculty adviser because, beyond basic requirements, each student’s program of study is unique. The department’s graduate adviser is primarily responsible for counseling students in regard to program requirements, policies, and university regulations.

Students will provide their advisor and the Vice Chair a summary of their professional progress each Spring. This progress report will be collectively evaluated annually by all ladder faculty, with an analysis of progress toward the degree, as well as specific areas that require improvement if applicable. A written summary of the faculty discussion will be provided to the student by the primary adviser.

Areas of Study

Communication and Cognition; Political Communication; Computational Communication

Foreign Language Requirement

Not required.

Course Requirements

The expected course load is 12 units per quarter for a minimum of two years. However, if needed, the minimum course load may be adjusted downward by petition with the approval of the student’s committee chair and the department chair. Students must be registered and enrolled at all times unless on an official leave of absence.

Students must complete 11 courses (44 units)—of which at least 9 must be 200-level graduate courses—all taken for a letter grade, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. All students are required to take seven core classes: one communication theory and research course (COMM 200); one research design course (COMM 220); two statistics courses (COMM 201A and COMM 201B); and three seminars that correspond to the three areas of study (COMM 230; 250; 270). In addition, students are required to take three elective courses from within our department or elsewhere, and a TA training class (COMM 495). Any additional elective courses above the 11 course requirement may be taken for a letter grade or S/U grading. Depending on the student’s area of study and prior academic preparation and study, a student may be advised to take other preparatory courses as determined by the faculty adviser. Any exceptions to these course requirements require approval of the student’s faculty advisor and the Vice Chair.

Teaching Experience

Most students in the program will serve as a TA beginning in year 2 of the program. Those who receive external fellowships will be expected to complete a minimum of one quarter of teaching during their time in the program.

Capstone Plan

All students must complete original research during their first and second years, in the form of a first year paper and a second year paper. In general, these two papers will be related to one another, but students may elect to pursue two distinct projects. At the end of the spring quarter of their first year, students present their research in a written paper and a brief oral presentation to the department’s faculty and graduate students. If original data has not been collected and analyzed by the end of the first year, the presentation must summarize work to date, including a proposal for data acquisition.

At the end of their second year, students present their cumulative research findings in a talk presented to the department’s faculty and students and in a paper. This second year paper must be approved by the student’s adviser (who will submit a formal grade) and approved by a second reader from the department ladder faculty. The paper should be of publication quality in a top-tier journal in the discipline.

The first year and second year papers should be submitted to the student’s faculty adviser by the last day of spring quarter of the student’s first or second year, respectively. Extensions to this deadline may be granted at the discretion of the faculty advisor if degree progress is deemed satisfactory. Extensions greater than two months require approval of the Vice Chair.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

Students typically receive the master’s degree by the end of their sixth quarter in residence.

Degree	Normative Time to ATC (Quarters)	Normative TTD	Maximum TTD
M.S.	6	6	9

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Academic advising for graduate students in the department is primarily conducted on an individual basis by a student’s faculty adviser because, beyond basic requirements, each student’s program of study is unique. The department’s graduate adviser is primarily responsible for counseling students in regard to program requirements, policies, and university regulations.

Students will provide their advisor and the Vice Chair a summary of their professional progress each Spring. This progress report will be collectively evaluated annually by all ladder faculty, with an analysis of progress toward the degree, as well as specific areas that require improvement if applicable. A written summary of the faculty discussion will be provided to the student by the primary adviser until that student advances to candidacy.

Areas of Study

Communication and Cognition; Political Communication; Computational Communication

Foreign Language Requirement

Not required.

Course Requirements

The expected course load is 12 units per quarter. However, if needed, the minimum course load may be adjusted downward by petition with the approval of the student’s committee chair and the department chair. Students must be registered and enrolled at all times unless on an official leave of absence.

Students must complete 11 courses (44 units)—of which at least 9 must be 200-level graduate courses all taken for a letter grade, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. All students are required to take seven core classes: one communication theory and research course (COMM 200); one research design course (COMM 220); two approved statistics courses, with at least one at the 200 level (e.g., POL200A-D; PSY 250A-C; STAT 101, 102); and three seminars that correspond to the three areas of study (COMM 230; 250; 270). In addition, students are required to take three courses from within our department or elsewhere, and a TA training class (COMM 495). Any additional elective courses above the 11 course requirement may be taken for a letter grade or S/U grading. Depending on the student’s area of study and prior academic preparation and study, a student may be advised to take other preparatory courses as determined by the faculty adviser.

Teaching Experience

All doctoral students must have a minimum of three quarters as a teaching assistant for courses offered within the department. This training need not be in consecutive terms, but it must be satisfied prior to graduation from UCLA.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to university requirements, some graduate programs have other precandidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the new Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

First Year Paper and Second Year Paper. All students must complete original research during their first and second years, in the form of a first year paper and a second year paper. In general, these two papers will be related to one another, but students may elect to pursue two distinct projects. At the end of the spring quarter of their first year, students present their research in a written paper and a brief oral presentation to the department’s faculty and graduate students. If original data has not been collected and analyzed by the end of the first year, the presentation must summarize work to date, including a proposal for data acquisition.

At the end of their second year, students present their cumulative research findings in a talk presented to the department’s faculty and students and in a paper. This second year paper must be approved by the student’s adviser (who will submit a formal grade) and approved by a second reader from the department ladder faculty. The paper should be of publication quality in a top-tier journal in the discipline.

The first year and second year papers should be submitted to the student’s faculty adviser by the last day of spring quarter of the student’s first or second year, respectively. Extensions to this deadline may be granted at the discretion of the faculty advisor if degree progress is deemed satisfactory. Extensions greater than two months require approval of the Vice Chair.

Written Qualifying Examination. Students will complete a written examination in the form of a comprehensive paper, the contents of which must be approved by their adviser and one additional department faculty member that will comprise Qualifying Subcommittee. This paper need not be directly related to the first year paper and second year paper, although a majority of students are likely to maintain continuity in the topic herein. In general this paper should include a substantial review of research in the student’s area of specialization. The written examination is due by the end of the seventh quarter.

Written Dissertation Proposal and Oral Examination. The written dissertation proposal requires a presentation of the student’s proposed dissertation research. The proposal should include the background and significance of the area of research, the project’s goals, and the methods and tests used to address those goals. Prior to the approval of the written proposal, a doctoral committee must be established that will oversee the proposal, and administer the dissertation proposal oral examination (satisfying the requirement of the University Oral Qualifying Examination). The committee is made up of the faculty advisor, at least one additional department faculty member, a third faculty member either from within or outside the department, and a fourth member that must be from outside the department. The written proposal must be approved by the end of the third year (ninth quarter) by the student’s primary advisor unless an extension is granted by the doctoral committee, and approved by the department chair. The examination committee judges the feasibility and worth of the research project and the student’s ability to undertake it in the form of pass/fail/retake (eligibility for one retake is at the committee’s discretion). The committee also may recommend changes in the research design.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Doctoral Dissertation

Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

A final oral defense of the dissertation is required. A student is not considered to have passed the final oral examination with more than one “not passed” vote, regardless of the size of the committee. In the event that this occurs, the student may schedule a second oral defense of the dissertation.

Time-to-Degree

The normative time to complete the requirements for the doctoral degree is five years (15 quarters). Advancement to candidacy (ATC), including written and oral qualifying examinations, must be completed by the end of the fourth year, with normative time to ATC at 3 years (9 quarters). Maximum time to degree will be seven year (21 quarters)s, with extension granted by petition for an eighth year if necessary.

Degree	Normative Time to ATC (Quarters)	Normative TTD	Maximum TTD
Ph.D.	9	15	21

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for academic disqualification from graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing academic disqualification of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Special departmental or program policy

A recommendation for academic disqualification is made by the chair of the department after a vote of the faculty at the student review each term. Before the recommendation is sent to the Graduate Division, a student is notified in writing and given two weeks to appeal in writing to the chair. The student’s appeal is reviewed by a departmental committee, headed by the vice chair of graduate studies, which makes the final departmental recommendation to the Graduate Division.

UCLA is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and by numerous special agencies. Information regarding the University’s accreditation may be obtained from the Office of Academic Planning and Budget, 2107 Murphy Hall.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2019-2020 academic year.

Nursing

School of Nursing

Graduate Degrees

The School of Nursing offers the Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) degree, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) degree, the Master of Science (M.S.) degree, and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Nursing.

Admissions Requirements

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Upon admission and in the first year of the program, students are assigned to the program director who has the responsibility to aid students in developing an academic plan. During the second year, the student will identify an advisor who will serve as their committee chair of their doctoral committee. Together, student, program director, and advisor, will identify academic and personal needs and match them with available school and University resources in order to maximize the student’s ability to reach educational and professional goals. The DNP Scholarly Project chair will meet with the student on a quarterly basis to orally review and document the student’s progress.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

The UCLA School of Nursing (SON) Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program builds on master’s level advanced practice preparation. Students in the DNP Program will integrate competencies for advanced practice nursing roles in clinical practice, leadership, health policy, and education as well as further develop their capacity for clinical scholarship. Areas of clinical practice and organizational focus will vary depending on the career trajectory of the student. Students will be mentored in clinical/organizational roles through residencies with nursing clinical and/or senior medical leaders as well as individuals in senior healthcare management positions. These residencies may take place at or near the student’s work setting or place of residence. The DNP Program faculty will provide mentorship and facilitate the residency processes throughout the student’s program. All graduates will receive the DNP degree.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

61 units (16 separate courses) are required for the DNP program. These units/courses include both didactic and clinical residency hours. Required course work for the DNP degree program satisfies the requirements for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and is shown below.

Core courses for the DNP program include the following:

• Two Nursing theory courses:
  • Scientific Underpinnings for DNP Practice (Nursing 401, 3 units)
  • Clinical Scholarship for Evidence-Based Practice (Nursing 402, 3 units)
• Four Nursing research and clinical practicum courses:
  • DNP Scholarly Project series (Nursing 470A-D, 26 total units)
• Two Statistics courses:
  • Analytical Methods for Evidence-Based Practice (Nursing 404, 3 units)
  • Informatics for DNP Practice (Nursing 411, 2 units)
• Two Professional Development courses:
  • Dissemination & Translation of Clinical Scholarship (Nursing 410, 2 units)
  • Education Practicum for DNP Practice (Nursing 496A, B, C, 3 total units). In Nursing 496C, students will shadow and be mentored by an academic faculty member to gain experience in instruction in the sphere of academia.
• Four Nursing Policy and Leadership courses:
  • Healthcare Policy for Advocacy in Health Care (Nursing 409, 3 units)
  • Organizational Systems Leadership for Quality Improvement (Nursing 403, 3 units)
  • Communication and Ethics (Nursing 405, 2 units)
  • Financial Management and Cost Analysis of Health Care (Nursing 407, 3 units)
• Two Healthcare Safety courses:
  • Clinical Prevention and Population Health (Nursing 406, 3 units)
  • Interprofessional Collaboration for Improving Patient and Population Health Outcomes (Nursing 408, 3 units)
• Written Qualifying Examination (Nursing 597, 2 units)

Field Experience

Students are required to complete 60 hours as part of their Education Practicum for the DNP in Nursing 496A and 496B.

Field Experience: In Nursing 496A, students will identify a patient need in a specific population and develop an educational presentation aimed towards patients. In Nursing 496B, students will identify a staff need in a specific population and develop and educational presentation aimed towards institutional staff.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to university requirements, some graduate programs have other pre-candidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

Written Qualifying Examination. The written qualifying examination must be submitted in the summer of the first year after completion of the DNP core courses. The written examination will be read by three DNP faculty members and graded as “pass” or “no pass”. Only one reexamination is permitted and it must be completed during the summer of the same year as the original examination.

Oral Qualifying Examination. The University Oral Qualifying Examination, taken after completing the course requirements and successfully passing the written qualifying examination, evaluates the student’s DNP Scholarly Project proposal.

The initial step is selection of a doctoral committee from the DNP faculty. Students are responsible for obtaining the consent of four faculty members to serve on the committee. Qualifications of members must be consistent with the student’s area of research and special interests and with the requirements for doctoral committees as stated in the Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA. Additional members, including those from an institution or clinical agency representing the student’s clinical and research interests who meet the requirements for committee membership as stated in the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committees, will be considered for additional membership on the DNP Scholarly Committee. The program director must give approval of members consenting to serve on the doctoral committee before the committee is submitted for the approval of the Graduate Division.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations. Successful completion of the DNP Scholarly Project course series will be necessary in order for the student to plan, implement and evaluate the DNP Scholarly Project. Each member of the committee reports the examination as “passed” or “not passed;” a student may not be advanced to candidacy if more than one member votes “not passed” regardless of the size of the committee as stated in the Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

A DNP Scholarly Project is required for this professional degree program. Students will complete a DNP Residency, DNP Scholarly Proposal, and implementation of this project will take place at the appropriate institution. The DNP Scholarly Project will require students to demonstrate a synthesis of evidence-based practice in a practice area specific to the student’s specialty.

The DNP Scholarly Project requires a synthesis of leadership, policy, quality, management, and clinical learning experience. Each student will collaborate with an agency (ideally their current clinical setting) to address a real-world problem or health issue. The DNP Scholarly Project reflects doctoral preparation in the translation of research and science to improve patient or population outcomes.  Evaluation of the effectiveness of the DNP Scholarly Project takes place in the final quarter of study and is presented to the student’s committee in the form of a final oral examination/defense.

Final Oral Examination (DNP Scholarly Project Presentation)

A final oral defense of the project is required of all DNP students. The entire committee must be in attendance and each member must record a decision of “passed” or “not passed”. A student is not considered to have passed the final oral examination with more than one “not passed” vote, regardless of the size of the committee. The final oral defense will follow the guidelines as stated in the Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Time-to-degree

The normative time from matriculation to degree is seven quarters (21 months) for the DNP degree. From admission to advancement to candidacy (completion of DNP Scholarly Project Proposal), the normative time is five quarters. The maximum time for degree completion is 11 quarters, or three (3) years.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
D.N.P.	5	7	11

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for termination of graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.0) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing termination of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Special Departmental or Program Policy

In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be specifically recommended for academic disqualification for failure of a second attempt of the written or oral qualifying examinations.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Nursing

School of Nursing

Graduate Degrees

The School of Nursing offers the Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) degree, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) degree, the Master of Science (M.S.) degree, and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Nursing.

Admissions Requirements

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Upon admission and in the first year of the program, students are assigned to the program director who has the responsibility to aid students in developing an academic plan. Students are required to meet with the program director at least once per quarter. During the second year, the student will identify an advisor who will serve as their committee chair of their doctoral committee. Together, student, program director, and advisor, will identify academic and personal needs and match them with available school and University resources in order to maximize the student’s ability to reach educational and professional goals. The DNP Scholarly Project chair will meet with the student on a quarterly basis to orally review and document the student’s progress.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

The UCLA School of Nursing (SON) Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program builds on master’s level advanced practice preparation. Students in the DNP Program will integrate competencies for advanced practice nursing roles in clinical practice, leadership, health policy, and education as well as further develop their capacity for clinical scholarship. Areas of clinical practice and organizational focus will vary depending on the career trajectory of the student. Students will be mentored in clinical/organizational roles through residencies with nursing clinical and/or senior medical leaders as well as individuals in senior healthcare management positions. These residencies may take place at or near the student’s work setting or place of residence. The DNP Program faculty will provide mentorship and facilitate the residency processes throughout the student’s program. All graduates will receive the DNP degree.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

61 units (16 separate courses) are required for the DNP program. These units/courses include both didactic and clinical residency hours. Required course work for the DNP degree program satisfies the requirements for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and is shown below.

Core courses for the DNP program include the following:

• Two Nursing theory courses:
  • Scientific Underpinnings for DNP Practice (Nursing 401, 3 units)
  • Clinical Scholarship for Evidence-Based Practice (Nursing 402, 3 units)
• Four Nursing research and clinical practicum courses:
  • DNP Scholarly Project series (Nursing 470A-D, 26 total units)
• Two Statistics courses:
  • Analytical Methods for Evidence-Based Practice (Nursing 404, 3 units)
  • Informatics for DNP Practice (Nursing 411, 2 units)
• Two Professional Development courses:
  • Dissemination & Translation of Clinical Scholarship (Nursing 410, 2 units)
  • Education Practicum for DNP Practice (Nursing 496A, B, C, 3 total units). In Nursing 496C, students will shadow and be mentored by an academic faculty member to gain experience in instruction in the sphere of academia.
• Four Nursing Policy and Leadership courses:
  • Healthcare Policy for Advocacy in Health Care (Nursing 409, 3 units)
  • Organizational Systems Leadership for Quality Improvement (Nursing 403, 3 units)
  • Communication and Ethics (Nursing 405, 2 units)
  • Financial Management and Cost Analysis of Health Care (Nursing 407, 3 units)
• Two Healthcare Safety courses:
  • Clinical Prevention and Population Health (Nursing 406, 3 units)
  • Interprofessional Collaboration for Improving Patient and Population Health Outcomes (Nursing 408, 3 units)
• Written Qualifying Examination (Nursing 597, 2 units)

Field Experience

Students are required to complete 60 hours as part of their Education Practicum for the DNP in Nursing 496A and 496B.

Field Experience: In Nursing 496A, students will identify a patient need in a specific population and develop an educational presentation aimed towards patients. In Nursing 496B, students will identify a staff need in a specific population and develop an educational presentation aimed towards institutional staff.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to university requirements, some graduate programs have other pre-candidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

Written Qualifying Examination. The written qualifying examination must be submitted in the fall of the second year after completion of the DNP core courses. The Written Qualifying Examination tests the ability to use knowledge in the areas of basic concepts of nursing science, nursing theory development, statistics, bioethics and the student’s selected area of study. The purpose of this exam is to assess the student’s ability to synthesize knowledge as demonstrated by the selection and integration of knowledge that is applicable to their DNP Scholarly Project. The written qualifying examination can be used to evaluate strengths and weaknesses in the mastery of content presented in the first year courses. In addition, this will aid in the identification of existing learning needs and facilitate appropriate academic counseling regarding program planning. The exam is in the form the student’s DNP Scholarly Project Proposal. The written examination will be read by and the student’s DNP Scholarly Project Committee graded as “pass” or “no pass”. Only one reexamination is permitted and it must be completed during the fall of the same year as the original examination.

Oral Qualifying Examination. The University Oral Qualifying Examination, taken after completing the course requirements and successfully passing the written qualifying examination, evaluates the student’s DNP Scholarly Project proposal.

The initial step is selection of a doctoral committee from the DNP faculty. Students are responsible for obtaining the consent of four faculty members to serve on the committee. Qualifications of members must be consistent with the student’s area of research and special interests and with the requirements for doctoral committees as stated in the Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA. Additional members, including those from an institution or clinical agency representing the student’s clinical and research interests who meet the requirements for committee membership as stated in the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committees, will be considered for additional membership on the DNP Scholarly Committee. The program director must give approval of members consenting to serve on the doctoral committee before the committee is submitted for the approval of the Graduate Division. Students who fail the oral qualifying examination are given one further opportunity to pass. This reexamination must be completed before the start of winter quarter in the second year.

Successful completion of the DNP Scholarly Project course series will be necessary in order for the student to plan, implement and evaluate the DNP Scholarly Project. Each member of the committee reports the examination as “passed” or “not passed;” a student may not be advanced to candidacy if more than one member votes “not passed” regardless of the size of the committee as stated in the Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

A DNP Scholarly Project is required for this professional degree program. Students will complete a DNP Residency, DNP Scholarly Proposal, and implementation of this project will take place at the appropriate institution. The DNP Scholarly Project will require students to demonstrate a synthesis of evidence-based practice in a practice area specific to the student’s specialty.

The DNP Scholarly Project requires a synthesis of leadership, policy, quality, management, and clinical learning experience. Each student will collaborate with an agency (ideally their current clinical setting) to address a real-world problem or health issue. The DNP Scholarly Project reflects doctoral preparation in the translation of research and science to improve patient or population outcomes. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the DNP Scholarly Project takes place in the final quarter of study. A final oral defense is not required unless deemed by the committee (see below).

Final Oral Examination (DNP Scholarly Project Presentation)

A final oral defense of the project is not required of all students in the DNP program. The decision as to whether a defense is required is made by the committee. If deemed to be carried out, the final oral defense will follow the guidelines as stated in the Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA. In lieu of final oral examination, students will produce deliverables such as abstract presentations, poster presentations, and/or a publishable manuscript.

Time-to-degree

The normative time from matriculation to degree is seven quarters (21 months) for the DNP degree. From admission to advancement to candidacy (completion of DNP Scholarly Project Proposal), the normative time is five quarters. The maximum time for degree completion is 11 quarters, or three (3) years.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
D.N.P.	5	7	11

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for academic disqualification from graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing academic disqualification of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Special Departmental or Program Policy

In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be specifically recommended for academic disqualification for failure of a second attempt of the written or oral qualifying examinations.

*The self-supporting Doctor of Nursing of Practice (D.N.P.) program is discontinued and no longer accepting applications, effective Fall 2025. Prospective 2025-26 D.N.P. applicants should refer to Post-B.S. to D.N.P program page for application, admission requirements, and program requirements information.*

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2025-2026 academic year.

Nursing

School of Nursing

Graduate Degrees

The School of Nursing offers the Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) degree, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) degree, the Master of Science (M.S.) degree, and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Nursing.

Admissions Requirements

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Upon admission and in the first year of the program, students are assigned to the program director who has the responsibility to aid students in developing an academic plan. Students are required to meet with the program director at least once per quarter. During the second year, the student will identify an advisor who will serve as committee chair of their doctoral committee. Together, student, program director, and advisor, will identify academic and personal needs and match them with available school and University resources in order to maximize the student’s ability to reach educational and professional goals. The D.N.P. Scholarly Project chair will meet with the student on a quarterly basis to orally review and document the student’s progress.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

The UCLA School of Nursing (SON) Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) degree program builds on master’s level advanced practice preparation. Students in the D.N.P. Program will integrate competencies for advanced practice nursing roles in clinical practice, leadership, health policy, and education as well as further develop their capacity for clinical scholarship. Areas of clinical practice and organizational focus will vary depending on the career trajectory of the student. Students will be mentored in clinical/organizational roles through residencies with nursing clinical and/or senior medical leaders as well as individuals in senior healthcare management positions. These residencies may take place at or near the student’s work setting or place of residence. The D.N.P. Program faculty will provide mentorship and facilitate the residency processes throughout the student’s program. All graduates will receive the D.N.P. degree.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

A total of 61 units (16 separate courses) are required for the D.N.P. program. These units/courses include both didactic and clinical residency hours. Required coursework for the D.N.P. degree program satisfies the requirements of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and is shown below.

Core courses for the D.N.P. program include the following:

• Two Nursing theory courses:
  • Nursing 401: Scientific Underpinnings for D.N.P. Practice ( 3 units)
  • Nursing 402: Clinical Scholarship for Evidence-Based Practice (3 units)
• Four Nursing research and clinical practicum courses:
  • Nursing 470A-D: D.N.P. Scholarly Project series (26 total units)
• One Analytics Course:
  • Nursing 404: Analytical Methods for Evidence-Based Practice ( 3 units)
• One Informatics/Data Management Course:
  • Nursing 411: Informatics for D.N.P. Practice (2 units)
• Two Professional Development courses:
  • Nursing 410: Dissemination & Translation of Clinical Scholarship (2 units)
  • Nursing 496A, B, C: Education Practicum for D.N.P. Practice (3 total units)
• Four Nursing Policy and Leadership courses:
  • Nursing 409: Healthcare Policy for Advocacy in Health Care (3 units)
  • Nursing 403: Organizational Systems Leadership for Quality Improvement (3 units)
  • Nursing 405: Communication and Ethics (2 units)
  • Nursing 407: Financial Management and Cost Analysis of Health Care (3 units)
• Two Healthcare Safety courses:
  • Nursing 406: Clinical Prevention and Population Health (3 units)
  • Nursing 408: Interprofessional Collaboration for Improving Patient and Population Health Outcomes (3 units)
  • Nursing 597: Written Qualifying Examination (2 units)

Academic Standing

A student is considered in good academic standing when enrolled in at least 8 units each quarter and maintains an overall cumulative GPA of a 3.00 and above. A student is considered to have passed a theory class when a grade of C (74.0%) or higher is earned. A grade of B (84.0%) is required in a clinical course. University policy requires that graduate students must be enrolled in at least 8 units per term to be considered full-time for student loan and financial aid purposes. (12 units are required for Academic Apprentice Personnel appointments and some DGE fellowships) In addition, students would need to be enrolled in at least 8 units per term in order to make timely progress on their degree.

Courses numbered Nursing 401 through Nursing 411 and Nursing 496C are theory courses. Courses numbered N470A through N470D and N496A and N496B are clinical courses.

Students in the nursing program acquire knowledge and skills that build upon one another from quarter to quarter. Therefore, nursing courses follow a defined sequence and are typically offered once annually. Students must pass each required course in order to progress in the program. If a student does not pass a required course, the student will be delayed in their degree completion. Such a student will meet with the academic faculty adviser and the Program Director to create a plan for degree completion. Please note: a student who does not pass a theory or clinical course may be subject to dismissal from the program.

Field Experience

Students are required to complete a total of 60 clinical hours of field experience as part of their Nursing 496A (30 hrs) and 496B (30 hrs): Education Practicum for the D.N.P.

Field experience consists of development and implementation of an educational clinical project aimed for patient(s) or staff.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to university requirements, some graduate programs have other pre-candidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.

All committee nominations and reconstitutions professional (non-Ph.D.) doctoral programs must adhere to the Professional (Non-Ph.D.) Doctoral Committee Policy

Written Qualifying Examination. The written qualifying examination must be submitted in the fall of the second year after completion of the D.N.P. core courses. The Written Qualifying Examination tests the ability to use knowledge in the areas of basic concepts of nursing science, nursing theory development, statistics, bioethics and the student’s selected area of study. The purpose of this exam is to assess the student’s ability to synthesize knowledge as demonstrated by the selection and integration of knowledge that is applicable to their D.N.P. Scholarly Project. The written qualifying examination can be used to evaluate strengths and weaknesses in the mastery of content presented in the first-year courses. In addition, this will aid in the identification of existing learning needs and facilitate appropriate academic counseling regarding program planning. The exam is in the form of the student’s D.N.P. Scholarly Project Proposal. The written examination will be read by the student’s D.N.P. Scholarly Project Committee and graded as “pass” or “no pass”. Only one reexamination is permitted and it must be completed during the fall of the same year as the original examination.

Oral Qualifying Examination. The University Oral Qualifying Examination, taken after completing the course requirements and successfully passing the written qualifying examination, evaluates the student’s D.N.P. Scholarly Project proposal.

The initial step is selection of a doctoral committee from the D.N.P. faculty. Students are responsible for obtaining the consent of at least three members and of them, two must be Senate faculty members (including the chair); the third member may be UCLA non-Senate faculty and instructors (including adjunct professors, health sciences clinical professors, doctorally-prepared lecturers, and academic administrators), or faculty from another accredited institution. Qualifications of members must be consistent with the student’s area of research and special interests and with the requirements for doctoral committees as stated in the Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA. Additional members, including those from an institution or clinical agency representing the student’s clinical and research interests who meet the requirements for committee membership as stated in the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committees, will be considered for additional membership on the D.N.P. Scholarly Committee. The program director must give approval of members consenting to serve on the doctoral committee before the committee is submitted for the approval of the Division of Graduate Education. Students who fail the oral qualifying examination are given one further opportunity to pass. This reexamination must be completed before the start of winter quarter in the second year.

Successful completion of the D.N.P. Scholarly Project course series will be necessary in order for the student to plan, implement and evaluate the D.N.P. Scholarly Project. Each member of the committee reports the examination as “passed” or “not passed;” a student may not be advanced to candidacy if more than one member votes “not passed” regardless of the size of the committee as stated in the Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

A D.N.P. Scholarly Project is required for this professional degree program. Students will complete a D.N.P. Residency, D.N.P. Scholarly Proposal, and implementation of this project will take place at the appropriate institution. The D.N.P. Scholarly Project will require students to demonstrate a synthesis of evidence-based practice in a practice area specific to the student’s specialty.

The D.N.P. Scholarly Project requires a synthesis of leadership, policy, quality, management, and clinical learning experience. Each student will collaborate with an agency (ideally their current clinical setting) to address a real-world problem or health issue. The D.N.P. Scholarly Project reflects doctoral preparation in the translation of research and science to improve patient or population outcomes. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the D.N.P. Scholarly Project takes place in the final quarter of study. A final oral defense is not required unless deemed by the committee (see below).

Final Oral Examination (DNP Scholarly Project Presentation)

A final oral defense of the project is not required of all students in the D.N.P. program. The decision as to whether a defense is required is made by the committee. If deemed to be carried out, the final oral defense will follow the guidelines as stated in the Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA. In lieu of final oral examination, students will produce deliverables such as abstract presentations, poster presentations, and/or a publishable manuscript.

Time-to-degree

The normative time from matriculation to degree is seven quarters (21 months) for the D.N.P. degree. From admission to advancement to candidacy (completion of D.N.P. Scholarly Project Proposal), the normative time is five quarters. The maximum time for degree completion is 11 quarters, or three (3) years.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
D.N.P.	5	7	11

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for academic disqualification from graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing academic disqualification of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Special Departmental or Program Policy

In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be specifically recommended for academic disqualification for failure of a second attempt of the written or oral qualifying examinations.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Nursing

School of Nursing

Graduate Degrees

The School of Nursing offers the Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) degree, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) degree, the Master of Science (M.S.) degree, and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Nursing.

Admissions Requirements

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Upon admission and in the first year of the program, students are assigned to the program director who has the responsibility to aid students in developing an academic plan. Students are required to meet with the program director at least once per quarter. During the second year, the student will identify an advisor who will serve as their committee chair of their doctoral committee. Together, student, program director, and advisor, will identify academic and personal needs and match them with available school and University resources in order to maximize the student’s ability to reach educational and professional goals. The DNP Scholarly Project chair will meet with the student on a quarterly basis to orally review and document the student’s progress.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

The UCLA School of Nursing (SON) Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program builds on master’s level advanced practice preparation. Students in the DNP Program will integrate competencies for advanced practice nursing roles in clinical practice, leadership, health policy, and education as well as further develop their capacity for clinical scholarship. Areas of clinical practice and organizational focus will vary depending on the career trajectory of the student. Students will be mentored in clinical/organizational roles through residencies with nursing clinical and/or senior medical leaders as well as individuals in senior healthcare management positions. These residencies may take place at or near the student’s work setting or place of residence. The DNP Program faculty will provide mentorship and facilitate the residency processes throughout the student’s program. All graduates will receive the DNP degree.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

61 units (16 separate courses) are required for the DNP program. These units/courses include both didactic and clinical residency hours. Required course work for the DNP degree program satisfies the requirements for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and is shown below.

Core courses for the DNP program include the following:

• Two Nursing theory courses:
  • Scientific Underpinnings for DNP Practice (Nursing 401, 3 units)
  • Clinical Scholarship for Evidence-Based Practice (Nursing 402, 3 units)
• Four Nursing research and clinical practicum courses:
  • DNP Scholarly Project series (Nursing 470A-D, 26 total units)
• Two Statistics courses:
  • Analytical Methods for Evidence-Based Practice (Nursing 404, 3 units)
  • Informatics for DNP Practice (Nursing 411, 2 units)
• Two Professional Development courses:
  • Dissemination & Translation of Clinical Scholarship (Nursing 410, 2 units)
  • Education Practicum for DNP Practice (Nursing 496A, B, C, 3 total units). In Nursing 496C, students will shadow and be mentored by an academic faculty member to gain experience in instruction in the sphere of academia.
• Four Nursing Policy and Leadership courses:
  • Healthcare Policy for Advocacy in Health Care (Nursing 409, 3 units)
  • Organizational Systems Leadership for Quality Improvement (Nursing 403, 3 units)
  • Communication and Ethics (Nursing 405, 2 units)
  • Financial Management and Cost Analysis of Health Care (Nursing 407, 3 units)
• Two Healthcare Safety courses:
  • Clinical Prevention and Population Health (Nursing 406, 3 units)
  • Interprofessional Collaboration for Improving Patient and Population Health Outcomes (Nursing 408, 3 units)
• Written Qualifying Examination (Nursing 597, 2 units)

Field Experience

Students are required to complete 60 hours as part of their Education Practicum for the DNP in Nursing 496A and 496B.

Field Experience: In Nursing 496A, students will identify a patient need in a specific population and develop an educational presentation aimed towards patients. In Nursing 496B, students will identify a staff need in a specific population and develop an educational presentation aimed towards institutional staff.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to university requirements, some graduate programs have other pre-candidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

Written Qualifying Examination. The written qualifying examination must be submitted in the fall of the second year after completion of the DNP core courses. The Written Qualifying Examination tests the ability to use knowledge in the areas of basic concepts of nursing science, nursing theory development, statistics, bioethics and the student’s selected area of study. The purpose of this exam is to assess the student’s ability to synthesize knowledge as demonstrated by the selection and integration of knowledge that is applicable to their DNP Scholarly Project. The written qualifying examination can be used to evaluate strengths and weaknesses in the mastery of content presented in the first year courses. In addition, this will aid in the identification of existing learning needs and facilitate appropriate academic counseling regarding program planning. The exam is in the form the student’s DNP Scholarly Project Proposal. The written examination will be read by and the student’s DNP Scholarly Project Committee graded as “pass” or “no pass”. Only one reexamination is permitted and it must be completed during the fall of the same year as the original examination.

Oral Qualifying Examination. The University Oral Qualifying Examination, taken after completing the course requirements and successfully passing the written qualifying examination, evaluates the student’s DNP Scholarly Project proposal.

The initial step is selection of a doctoral committee from the DNP faculty. Students are responsible for obtaining the consent of four faculty members to serve on the committee. Qualifications of members must be consistent with the student’s area of research and special interests and with the requirements for doctoral committees as stated in the Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA. Additional members, including those from an institution or clinical agency representing the student’s clinical and research interests who meet the requirements for committee membership as stated in the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committees, will be considered for additional membership on the DNP Scholarly Committee. The program director must give approval of members consenting to serve on the doctoral committee before the committee is submitted for the approval of the Graduate Division. Students who fail the oral qualifying examination are given one further opportunity to pass. This reexamination must be completed before the start of winter quarter in the second year.

Successful completion of the DNP Scholarly Project course series will be necessary in order for the student to plan, implement and evaluate the DNP Scholarly Project. Each member of the committee reports the examination as “passed” or “not passed;” a student may not be advanced to candidacy if more than one member votes “not passed” regardless of the size of the committee as stated in the Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

A DNP Scholarly Project is required for this professional degree program. Students will complete a DNP Residency, DNP Scholarly Proposal, and implementation of this project will take place at the appropriate institution. The DNP Scholarly Project will require students to demonstrate a synthesis of evidence-based practice in a practice area specific to the student’s specialty.

The DNP Scholarly Project requires a synthesis of leadership, policy, quality, management, and clinical learning experience. Each student will collaborate with an agency (ideally their current clinical setting) to address a real-world problem or health issue. The DNP Scholarly Project reflects doctoral preparation in the translation of research and science to improve patient or population outcomes. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the DNP Scholarly Project takes place in the final quarter of study. A final oral defense is not required unless deemed by the committee (see below).

Final Oral Examination (DNP Scholarly Project Presentation)

A final oral defense of the project is not required of all students in the DNP program. The decision as to whether a defense is required is made by the committee. If deemed to be carried out, the final oral defense will follow the guidelines as stated in the Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA. In lieu of final oral examination, students will produce deliverables such as abstract presentations, poster presentations, and/or a publishable manuscript.

Time-to-degree

The normative time from matriculation to degree is seven quarters (21 months) for the DNP degree. From admission to advancement to candidacy (completion of DNP Scholarly Project Proposal), the normative time is five quarters. The maximum time for degree completion is 11 quarters, or three (3) years.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
D.N.P.	5	7	11

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for academic disqualification from graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing academic disqualification of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Special Departmental or Program Policy

In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be specifically recommended for academic disqualification for failure of a second attempt of the written or oral qualifying examinations.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2018-2019 academic year.

Nursing

School of Nursing

Graduate Degrees

The School of Nursing offers the Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) degree, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) degree, the Master of Science (M.S.) degree, and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Nursing.

Admissions Requirements

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Upon admission and in the first year of the program, students are assigned to the program director who has the responsibility to aid students in developing an academic plan. During the second year, the student will identify an advisor who will serve as their committee chair of their doctoral committee. Together, student, program director, and advisor, will identify academic and personal needs and match them with available school and University resources in order to maximize the student’s ability to reach educational and professional goals. The DNP Scholarly Project chair will meet with the student on a quarterly basis to orally review and document the student’s progress.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

The UCLA School of Nursing (SON) Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program builds on master’s level advanced practice preparation. Students in the DNP Program will integrate competencies for advanced practice nursing roles in clinical practice, leadership, health policy, and education as well as further develop their capacity for clinical scholarship. Areas of clinical practice and organizational focus will vary depending on the career trajectory of the student. Students will be mentored in clinical/organizational roles through residencies with nursing clinical and/or senior medical leaders as well as individuals in senior healthcare management positions. These residencies may take place at or near the student’s work setting or place of residence. The DNP Program faculty will provide mentorship and facilitate the residency processes throughout the student’s program. All graduates will receive the DNP degree.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

61 units (16 separate courses) are required for the DNP program. These units/courses include both didactic and clinical residency hours. Required course work for the DNP degree program satisfies the requirements for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and is shown below.

Core courses for the DNP program include the following:

• Two Nursing theory courses:
  • Scientific Underpinnings for DNP Practice (Nursing 401, 3 units)
  • Clinical Scholarship for Evidence-Based Practice (Nursing 402, 3 units)
• Four Nursing research and clinical practicum courses:
  • DNP Scholarly Project series (Nursing 470A-D, 26 total units)
• Two Statistics courses:
  • Analytical Methods for Evidence-Based Practice (Nursing 404, 3 units)
  • Informatics for DNP Practice (Nursing 411, 2 units)
• Two Professional Development courses:
  • Dissemination & Translation of Clinical Scholarship (Nursing 410, 2 units)
  • Education Practicum for DNP Practice (Nursing 496A, B, C, 3 total units). In Nursing 496C, students will shadow and be mentored by an academic faculty member to gain experience in instruction in the sphere of academia.
• Four Nursing Policy and Leadership courses:
  • Healthcare Policy for Advocacy in Health Care (Nursing 409, 3 units)
  • Organizational Systems Leadership for Quality Improvement (Nursing 403, 3 units)
  • Communication and Ethics (Nursing 405, 2 units)
  • Financial Management and Cost Analysis of Health Care (Nursing 407, 3 units)
• Two Healthcare Safety courses:
  • Clinical Prevention and Population Health (Nursing 406, 3 units)
  • Interprofessional Collaboration for Improving Patient and Population Health Outcomes (Nursing 408, 3 units)
• Written Qualifying Examination (Nursing 597, 2 units)

Field Experience

Students are required to complete 60 hours as part of their Education Practicum for the DNP in Nursing 496A and 496B.

Field Experience: In Nursing 496A, students will identify a patient need in a specific population and develop an educational presentation aimed towards patients. In Nursing 496B, students will identify a staff need in a specific population and develop and educational presentation aimed towards institutional staff.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to university requirements, some graduate programs have other pre-candidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

Written Qualifying Examination. The written qualifying examination must be submitted in the summer of the first year after completion of the DNP core courses. The written examination will be read by three DNP faculty members and graded as “pass” or “no pass”. Only one reexamination is permitted and it must be completed during the summer of the same year as the original examination.

Oral Qualifying Examination. The University Oral Qualifying Examination, taken after completing the course requirements and successfully passing the written qualifying examination, evaluates the student’s DNP Scholarly Project proposal.

The initial step is selection of a doctoral committee from the DNP faculty. Students are responsible for obtaining the consent of four faculty members to serve on the committee. Qualifications of members must be consistent with the student’s area of research and special interests and with the requirements for doctoral committees as stated in the Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA. Additional members, including those from an institution or clinical agency representing the student’s clinical and research interests who meet the requirements for committee membership as stated in the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committees, will be considered for additional membership on the DNP Scholarly Committee. The program director must give approval of members consenting to serve on the doctoral committee before the committee is submitted for the approval of the Graduate Division.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations. Successful completion of the DNP Scholarly Project course series will be necessary in order for the student to plan, implement and evaluate the DNP Scholarly Project. Each member of the committee reports the examination as “passed” or “not passed;” a student may not be advanced to candidacy if more than one member votes “not passed” regardless of the size of the committee as stated in the Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

A DNP Scholarly Project is required for this professional degree program. Students will complete a DNP Residency, DNP Scholarly Proposal, and implementation of this project will take place at the appropriate institution. The DNP Scholarly Project will require students to demonstrate a synthesis of evidence-based practice in a practice area specific to the student’s specialty.

The DNP Scholarly Project requires a synthesis of leadership, policy, quality, management, and clinical learning experience. Each student will collaborate with an agency (ideally their current clinical setting) to address a real-world problem or health issue. The DNP Scholarly Project reflects doctoral preparation in the translation of research and science to improve patient or population outcomes.  Evaluation of the effectiveness of the DNP Scholarly Project takes place in the final quarter of study and is presented to the student’s committee in the form of a final oral examination/defense.

Final Oral Examination (DNP Scholarly Project Presentation)

A final oral defense of the project is required of all DNP students. The entire committee must be in attendance and each member must record a decision of “passed” or “not passed”. A student is not considered to have passed the final oral examination with more than one “not passed” vote, regardless of the size of the committee. The final oral defense will follow the guidelines as stated in the Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Time-to-degree

The normative time from matriculation to degree is seven quarters (21 months) for the DNP degree. From admission to advancement to candidacy (completion of DNP Scholarly Project Proposal), the normative time is five quarters. The maximum time for degree completion is 11 quarters, or three (3) years.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
D.N.P.	5	7	11

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for termination of graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.0) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing termination of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Special Departmental or Program Policy

In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be specifically recommended for academic disqualification for failure of a second attempt of the written or oral qualifying examinations.