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

Neuroscience

Interdepartmental Program
School of Medicine

Graduate Degrees

The Neuroscience Program offers the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Neuroscience.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

None.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The Neuroscience program provides a comprehensive system of advising for students throughout their graduate studies. During orientation, the advising committee and program chair meet with new students to review the first-year requirements in general terms. Throughout the term, students are expected to meet individually with the chair or other members of the advising committee to identify faculty whose research is closest to their own interests and who would be most appropriate for laboratory rotations. At the end of the fall term, the entire advising committee meets informally with the first-year students to field questions that have come up after their initial entry into the program. In subsequent quarters, students’ enrollment and performance in core courses and laboratory rotations are closely monitored and, as the need arises, students are counseled individually by the advising chair. At the end of spring quarter of the first year, students are required to submit a Faculty Mentor Approval Form (co-signed by the mentor) to the advising committee, which meets to consider the choice of mentor and the ability of the faculty to serve in this capacity.

The advising program continues after each student has chosen a faculty research mentor. Every year students receive a memorandum outlining current requirements (for example, course electives, the written and oral qualifying examinations and midstream seminar). The advising committee also meets every year to discuss the progress of all students and identify potential problems. The committee then sends each student a letter that assesses their current progress in the program and makes specific recommendations as needed. An overall assessment of student progress is also made annually to the neuroscience committee. In addition to the formal advising procedures outlined above, students are repeatedly encouraged to seek advice on career development from faculty members in the UCLA neuroscience community. Finally, an annual retreat serves the purpose of allowing informal and organized contacts between faculty and students, which provides further opportunity for advising.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Several subdisciplines are represented by large groups of faculty with common interests who closely interact with each other in a collaborative manner. A number of these clusters of faculty are represented as an area of specialty within the program, which we call a Focused Area of Research (FAR). The FARs currently available in the program are Addiction, Learning & Memory, Neural Development, Degeneration & Repair, Neuroendocrinology, Neurogenetics, Neuroimaging/Cognitive. Synapses, Cells & Circuits, Computational & Systems Neuroscience; and Neurotechnology.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students are required to enroll full-time in a minimum of 12 units each quarter throughout graduate study, attend an annual program retreat and encouraged to attend the Joint Seminars in Neuroscience (JSN).

First-year students are required to complete the following core, literature and methods-based courses: Neuroscience 201, M202, M203, 205, 210ABC and 211A (211A may be taken during the second year). First-year students participate in three research training rotations, represented by enrolling in Neuro 596 in each term. In the first or second year, students take a course in scientific ethics, Neuro 207 or MIMG C234.

After the first-year, students are required to take one biostatistics or biomathematics course and eight units of advanced elective courses related to their research selected from a pre-approved list. Students can petition courses that are not on the pre-approved list. In addition, five graduate seminars in Neuroscience (i.e. Neuro 215) or research related fields. Neuro 215 may be repeated more than once to satisfy this requirement. The remaining units necessary for completion of the degree and to maintain student status are fulfilled through dissertation research (Neuro 599).

Teaching Experience

One quarter of teaching experience is required.  Students who enter the program through the MSTP and STAR Programs may teach but teaching is not a degree requirement.

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.

A written qualifying examination is required following completion of the core requirements, generally before the second year. The objective of this examination is to test the ability to relate knowledge in different neuroscience areas, to locate and interpret literature, and to apply research problems.

After passing the written qualifying examination, and after completion of coursework degree audit students, in consultation with the adviser, choose the doctoral committee to administer the University Oral Qualifying Examination. The doctoral committee members should meet the campus wide minimum standards for doctoral committees (effective Fall 2016).

The Oral Qualifying Examination should be completed no later than the end of the third year.  For the examination, students are expected to write a research proposal and orally present the outline of the proposal to their doctoral committee. This presentation usually takes between one and two hours. The written proposal should be no more than 10-pages and should follow the basic format of an NIH grant proposal focusing on an important question pertinent to the student’s field of study, with well-defined Aims, Significance, Innovation, and Experimental Design sections. Students should not have completed significant portions of the dissertation project at the time of the examination. Instead, the purpose of the exercise is for students to (1) formulate their plans in their own words; (2) become acquainted with the faculty committee; and (3) familiarize the committee with their projects at an early stage. The committee will either accept the proposal or suggest changes.  It is expected that the committee agree that completion of the proposed research will suffice for the conferral of a Ph.D.

Doctoral Committee Meetings

Students are expected to hold doctoral committee meetings each year after the University Oral Qualifying Examination. The yearly doctoral committee meetings provide additional interaction between the committee and the student and serve as an important barometer for the progress of the student’s research proposal since the University Oral Qualifying Examination. Each yearly meeting requires a written progress report (prepared jointly by the doctoral committee chair and the student) to monitor and track the student’s progress in their dissertation research and time-to-degree and to identify the critical experimental and intellectual issues that students need to address prior to their final defense of the dissertation.

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)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

In general, overall progress toward the degree is accomplished with completion of the written qualifying examination by the beginning of the second year. It is recommended that students complete the University Oral Qualifying Examination by the end of spring quarter of the second year, and the examination must be completed no later than spring quarter of the third year. Students must hold doctoral committee meetings each year after the University Oral Qualifying Examination and before the Final Oral Examination (defense of the dissertation). The approved normative time-to-degree is 18 quarters.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	6	18	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 student must receive at least a B- in each core course or repeat the course. A student who receives three B- grades in the core courses, who fails all or part of the written or oral qualifying examinations two times (if the student fails all or part of the written qualifying examination the Written Qualifying Examination Committee determines the form of reexamination), or who fails to maintain minimum progress may be recommended for academic disqualification by vote of the entire interdepartmental degree committee. A student may appeal a recommendation for academic disqualification in writing to the interdepartmental degree committee and may personally present additional or mitigating information to the committee, in person or in writing.

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

Neuroscience

Interdepartmental Program
School of Medicine

Graduate Degrees

The Neuroscience Program offers the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Neuroscience.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

None.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The Neuroscience program (NSIDP) provides a comprehensive system of advising for students throughout their graduate studies. During orientation, the advising committee and program chair meet with new students to review the first-year requirements in general terms. Throughout the term, students are expected to meet individually with the chair or other members of the advising committee to identify faculty whose research is closest to their own interests and who would be most appropriate for laboratory rotations. At the end of the fall term, the entire advising committee meets informally with the first-year students to field questions that have come up after their initial entry into the program. In subsequent quarters, students’ enrollment and performance in core courses and laboratory rotations are closely monitored and, as the need arises, students are counseled individually by the advising chair. At the end of spring quarter of the first year, students are required to submit a Faculty Mentor Approval Form (co-signed by the mentor) to the advising committee, which meets to consider the choice of mentor and the ability of the faculty to serve in this capacity.

The advising program continues after each student has chosen a faculty research mentor. Every year students receive a memorandum outlining current requirements (for example, course electives, the written and oral qualifying examinations and midstream seminar). The advising committee also meets every year to discuss the progress of all students and identify potential problems. The committee then sends each student a letter that assesses their current progress in the program and makes specific recommendations as needed. An overall assessment of student progress is also made annually to the neuroscience committee. In addition to the formal advising procedures outlined above, students are repeatedly encouraged to seek advice on career development from faculty members in the UCLA neuroscience community. Finally, an annual retreat serves the purpose of allowing informal and organized contacts between faculty and students, which provides further opportunity for advising.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Several subdisciplines are represented by large groups of faculty with common interests who closely interact with each other in a collaborative manner. A number of these clusters of faculty are represented as an area of specialty within the program, which we call a Focused Area of Research (FAR). The FARs currently available in the program are Addiction, Learning & Memory, Neural Development, Degeneration & Repair, Neuroendocrinology, Neurogenetics, Neuroimaging/Cognitive. Synapses, Cells & Circuits, Computational & Systems Neuroscience; and Neurotechnology.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students are required to enroll full-time in a minimum of 12 units each quarter throughout graduate study, attend an annual program retreat and encouraged to attend the Joint Seminars in Neuroscience (JSN).

First-year students are required to complete the following core, literature and methods-based courses: Neuroscience 201, M202, M203, 205, 210ABC and 211A (211A may be taken during the second year). In the first  year, students take a course in scientific ethics, Neuro 207 or MIMG C234.

First-year students participate in three research training rotations, represented by enrolling in Neuro 596 in each term. Research training rotation prior to the First-Year (i.e. Summer before) is not counted towards the required three research training rotations.

After the first-year, students are required to take one biostatistics or biomathematics course and eight units of advanced elective courses related to their research selected from a pre-approved list. Students can petition courses that are not on the pre-approved list. In addition, five graduate seminars in Neuroscience (i.e. Neuro 215) or research related fields. Neuro 215 may be repeated more than once to satisfy this requirement. The remaining units necessary for completion of the degree and to maintain student status are fulfilled through dissertation research (Neuro 599).

Students who have completed professional or graduate degrees (e.g. M.D., M.S., M.A.) prior to admission to the program may be exempted from required first-year core course work and subsequent course requirements if they have completed substantially similar courses elsewhere.  Course exemptions and modifications to the first-year curriculum are subject to review and approval with the chair and curriculum committee.

Teaching Experience

One quarter of teaching experience is required.  Students who enter the program through the MSTP and STAR Programs may teach but teaching is not a degree requirement.  New teaching assistants must enroll in the Life Sciences 495 (or equivalent) TA Training course before or during the quarter they receive their first teaching appointment.  495 does not count toward degree requirements.

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.

A written qualifying examination is required following completion of the core requirements, generally before the second year. The objective of this examination is to test the ability to relate knowledge in different neuroscience areas, to locate and interpret literature, and to apply research problems.

After passing the written qualifying examination, and after completion of coursework degree audit students, in consultation with the adviser, choose the doctoral committee to administer the University Oral Qualifying Examination. The doctoral committee members should meet the campus wide minimum standards for doctoral committees (effective Fall 2016).

The Oral Qualifying Examination should be completed no later than the end of the third year.  For the examination, students are expected to write a research proposal and orally present the outline of the proposal to their doctoral committee. This presentation usually takes between one and two hours. The written proposal should be no more than 10-pages and should follow the basic format of an NIH grant proposal focusing on an important question pertinent to the student’s field of study, with well-defined Aims, Significance, Innovation, and Experimental Design sections. Students should not have completed significant portions of the dissertation project at the time of the examination. Instead, the purpose of the exercise is for students to (1) formulate their plans in their own words; (2) become acquainted with the faculty committee; and (3) familiarize the committee with their projects at an early stage. The committee will either accept the proposal or suggest changes.  It is expected that the committee agree that completion of the proposed research will suffice for the conferral of a Ph.D.

Doctoral Committee Meetings

Students are expected to hold doctoral committee meetings each year after the University Oral Qualifying Examination. The yearly doctoral committee meetings provide additional interaction between the committee and the student and serve as an important barometer for the progress of the student’s research proposal since the University Oral Qualifying Examination. Each yearly meeting requires a written progress report (prepared jointly by the doctoral committee chair and the student) to monitor and track the student’s progress in their dissertation research and time-to-degree and to identify the critical experimental and intellectual issues that students need to address prior to their final defense of the dissertation.

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)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

In general, overall progress toward the degree is accomplished with completion of the written qualifying examination by the beginning of the second year. It is recommended that students complete the University Oral Qualifying Examination by the end of spring quarter of the second year, and the examination must be completed no later than spring quarter of the third year. Students must hold doctoral committee meetings each year after the University Oral Qualifying Examination and before the Final Oral Examination (defense of the dissertation). The approved normative time-to-degree is 18 quarters.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	6	18	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 student must receive at least a B- in each core course or repeat the course. A student who receives three B- grades in the core courses, who fails all or part of the written or oral qualifying examinations two times (if the student fails all or part of the written qualifying examination the Written Qualifying Examination Committee determines the form of reexamination), or who fails to maintain minimum progress may be recommended for academic disqualification by vote of the entire interdepartmental degree committee. A student may appeal a recommendation for academic disqualification in writing to the interdepartmental degree committee and may personally present additional or mitigating information to the committee, in person or in writing.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2016-2017 academic year.

Neurobiology

School of Medicine

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

The graduate or faculty adviser monitors progress on a quarterly basis. The graduate adviser discusses progress with the student on an annual basis.

Areas of Study

See under Doctoral Degree.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

The M.S. degree requires a minimum of 40 units of graduate course work. The required courses are the core courses Neurobiology M200A-G (32 units), two advanced topics courses (Neurobiology 298A-298B-298C), one ethics course (Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics C234 or Neuroscience 207), three molecular biology, cell biology, or neuroscience seminar or journal club courses (Neurobiology 296, Molecular Biology 298), and a total of three quarters of  laboratory experience (Neurobiology 596).

Teaching Experience

Not required but recommended.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

Under the capstone plan, students must demonstrate a grasp of the general principles of the required course work, as well as a general understanding of neurobiology. Details can be found in the description of the written qualifying examination under Doctoral Degree.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

The time-to-degree is normally six quarters (two academic years).

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	6	6	6

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The graduate program has a strong commitment to regularly monitor the progress of graduate student academic and scholarly activities, including the completion of dissertation research, in order to facilitate timely progress and completion of the degree within five years of matriculation to graduate study. Advising is done through regular meetings with the student, department graduate student adviser and student affairs officer, and with the student, faculty dissertation adviser, and doctoral committee. First-year students admitted directly to the department are advised by a member of the Graduate Program Committee. At the end of spring quarter of the first year, the student is expected to develop an affiliation with a faculty member who acts as the mentor and research professor. The faculty adviser monitors progress on a quarterly basis. The graduate adviser discusses progress with the student on an annual basis.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Neurobiology faculty offer instruction in fundamental neuroscience and provide advanced neuroscience research training. Fields of emphasis are: (1) synaptic and neuronal communication; (2) neuronal structure, circuitry and connectivity; (3) nervous system function, including vision, sleep, autonomic function, movement, and perception; (4) synaptic and neuronal plasticity, including learning and memory; (5) developmental neurobiology; (6) nervous system disease, neuronal repair and recovery of function; and (7) neuroendocrinology and sexual differentiation. These areas are mainly studied using genetic, cell biological, imaging, neuroanatomical, electrophysiological and behavioral approaches.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

(1) Neurobiology M200A-M200B-M200C-200D-200E-M200F-M200G
(2) The departmental seminar and journal club, Neurobiology 296 and six quarters of the lecture series, Neurobiology 270
(3) Two four-unit elective courses approved by the Graduate Program Committee.
(4) One ethics course, Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics C234 or Neuroscience 207
(5) Three advanced topics courses, Neurobiology 298A-298B-298C
(6) Rotation through three research laboratories during the first year, one quarter per laboratory (Neurobiology 596)

The Department of Neurobiology graduate degree program is an affiliate of the UCLA ACCESS Program, and students are referred to that program for questions about course requirements related to the ACCESS Program.

Teaching Experience

To prepare students to teach at the professional level, they are required to gain teaching experience in two undergraduate Life Science courses. During their second and third years, students normally teach in a Life Science or Neuroscience undergraduate course offered by the College of Letters and Science. Advanced students, with permission of the instructor and the Graduate Program Committee, also have the opportunity to teach in the Neuroscience section of the medical school curriculum in lieu of the second undergraduate teaching experience.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examination

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 new Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

The written qualifying examination is normally taken during spring quarter of the second year of graduate study. The written examination must be completed by August 1 following the second year of graduate study. For this examination students are required to write an in-depth commentary on a significant, recently published original research article (or articles that are highly related) on a topic in neurobiology that is related to the student’s research interests. Students should consult the Preview and Mini-Reviews in Neuron as examples of the scholarly style and format of the commentary. Students choose the research article or articles for the written qualifying examination in consultation with their mentor.

The examination consists of two parts: (a) a review and critique of the historical context, and findings of the article or articles; and (b) a detailed proposal for the next series of studies based on the findings reported in the article or articles. The examination is limited to at least 14 and no more than 16 typewritten (font size 11 or 12), double-spaced pages, two figures, and up to three pages of references.

The written qualifying examination is not administered to a student who: is on academic probation (cumulative gradepoint average below 3.0); receives less than a B- in each of the departmental core courses; fails to satisfy specific academic requirements following conditional entry into the program; or fails to make normal progress in scholarly and research activities. Students who are not eligible to take the examination may be recommended for termination of graduate study on August 1 after the third year in the program.

Students, in consultation with their mentor, choose a three-member faculty committee to grade the examination. The examination committee consists of faculty members from the department. Faculty from outside of the department may serve on the committee only with permission of the Graduate Program Committee. All faculty participating on this committee must be members of the Academic Senate. The student’s mentor may not serve on the examination committee. The examination committee grades the written qualifying examination on a pass or fail basis.

Students who fail the examination are counseled by the graduate adviser and appropriate faculty, and may be placed on academic probation for failure to make normal progress in their scholarly activities. The student will be given a second chance to take the examination within three months of the administration of the original examination. Failure of the examination for a second time usually results in a recommendation of dismissal from the graduate program. However, the examination committee may give a third examination within six months of taking the original examination, if they determine that the student has sufficient promise to finish the doctoral program. A third failure will result in a recommendation for dismissal from the graduate program.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination is normally taken within 12 months of passing the written examination. The oral examination is a presentation of an original research proposal that forms the basis of the doctoral dissertation. The format of the examination involves the presentation of an original dissertation proposal by the student. The student presents the dissertation project in a 30-to 45-minute seminar to all members of the student’s doctoral committee. The doctoral committee also evaluates the student’s general knowledge in neurobiology. The student, in consultation with the faculty adviser, selects the doctoral committee, following published university guidelines, which must be approved by the Graduate Division before administration of the examination. This committee schedules, administers and evaluates the examination. The student will either pass or fail the examination.

Students who fail the University Oral Qualifying Examination are counseled by the student’s faculty dissertation adviser and committee, placed on probation and given a second chance to take the examination within six months of the administration of the original examination. Failure of the examination for a second time usually results in a recommendation for dismissal from the graduate program. However, a third examination may be given at the discretion of the dissertation committee, if the student has shown sufficient promise to finish the doctoral program. The third examination should be scheduled within 12 months of the administration of the original examination. A third failure will result in a recommendation for dismissal from the graduate program.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy and awarded the Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil.) degree 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 the Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

Normal progress is defined in the following:

First year

Students who are admitted directly into the department are required to complete Neurobiology M200A-M200B-M200C-200D-200E-M200F-M200G (core course series). Students are required to receive a grade of Satisfactory for Neurobiology 270 and Neurobiology 296. Students who are admitted through the ACCESS Program are required to complete the ACCESS curriculum. All students must satisfactorily complete the three required laboratory rotations.

Second year

Students complete electives and are required to receive a grade of Satisfactory for Neurobiology 270 and Neurobiology 296. Students should take Neurobiology 298A-298B-298C and other courses essential to their planned research and teaching experience. At the end of the year, students are required to complete the written qualifying examination. Students admitted through the ACCESS Program must finish the Neurobiology M200A-200G series.

Third year

Students continue the activities of the second year as needed. By the end of their third year students are required to successfully complete the University Oral Qualifying Examination and begin dissertation research.

Fourth year

Students complete research, prepare and defend the dissertation. A required public presentation of the results is followed by final questions by the dissertation committee in closed session.

Fifth year

Students complete final preparation of the dissertation. Extension of the student’s program beyond five years is strongly discouraged.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	9	15	15

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 (3.00) 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 termination of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Special Departmental or Program Policy

The departmental graduate student adviser, after consultation with the student’s faculty research or dissertation adviser and the Graduate Program Committee, makes a recommendation for termination of graduate student status to the Dean of the Graduate Division. Students may be recommended for termination of graduate student status if they are on scholastic probation or are judged to be unqualified to meet the academic requirements for the degree. In exceptional circumstances, students in the doctoral program will be given the opportunity to work toward the master’s degree.

In addition to the standard reasons mentioned above under University Policy, students may be placed on departmental probation and subject to a recommendation for termination of graduate student status for:

Failure (repeated) to achieve a grade of Satisfactory in Neurobiology 270 or 296

Failure to match with a Neurobiology faculty member for research training after three 596 laboratory rotations

Failure to satisfy specific academic and scholastic requirements upon conditional entry

Failure to obtain a grade of (S)atisfactory for departmental seminars and advanced topics courses

Failure to complete the written qualifying examination by August 1 following the end of the second year of graduate study

Failure to complete the University Oral Qualifying Examination within 12 months of completing the written qualifying examination

Failure to make normal progress in scholarly and research activities (12 quarters in pre-candidacy and 9 quarters in candidacy)

Students who are placed on probation are counseled by the graduate and faculty advisers concerning the reasons for the probationary status. Students will normally be given: a) one additional rotation opportunity (fourth rotation) to match with a Department of Neurobiology faculty member for their research training; b) one academic year to remove any scholastic deficiencies in their required departmental course work; c) three academic quarters to establish minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.0; and d) one (or in special circumstances two) additional opportunity to pass the master’s comprehensive examination, or the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Students will be immediately recommended for termination of graduate student status for:

Failure to match with a Neurobiology faculty member for research training after four 596 laboratory rotations

Failure to take the written qualifying examination by August 1 after the fourth year of graduate study

Failure to pass the master’s comprehensive examination a third time

Failure to pass either the written or oral qualifying examinations a third time

Failure to improve deficiencies in normal progress of scholarly and research activities

A student also may be recommended for termination based on a demonstrated absence of interest in any of the research specialties in which the department can offer guidance. A student may present an appeal of termination to the department’s Graduate Program Committee.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2017-2018 academic year.

Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

See under Doctoral Degree.

Areas of Study

See under Doctoral Degree.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

The program consists of at least nine courses in graduate standing, of which at least five must be graduate-level (200-series) courses. The remainder may be courses in the 100, 200, or 500 series. No more than two 596 courses (eight units) may be applied toward the nine courses required for the degree; only one 596 course (four units) may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement. Courses graded S/U may be not be applied toward the minimum requirement unless these courses are not offered for a grade. Specific course requirements are established for each student by the guidance committee.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

The departmental written qualifying examination for the Ph.D. degree, or its equivalent as determined by the Graduate Adviser, serves as the comprehensive examination for the M.A. degree.

Thesis Plan

Every master’s degree thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research.

A thesis reporting the results of an original investigation, prepared in accordance with University format requirements available on the Graduate Division website, is presented to and approved by the master’s thesis committee of three faculty members. Before beginning work on the thesis, students must obtain approval of the subject and general plan from the faculty members concerned and from the thesis committee.

Time-to-Degree

The department rarely awards the master’s degree except in instances where the student is unable to complete the requirements for the doctorate.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	5	8	9

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Students are advised by the appropriate Home Area Director. The Cell & Developmental Biology Home Area Director also is available to assist students with university and departmental requirements. All academic affairs for Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology students are coordinated by the Cell & Developmental Biology Home Area Director, who is assisted by the administrative staff of the Molecular Biology IDP Graduate Affairs Office.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Specific fields of emphasis in the department naturally reflect the research foci of the faculty. The research foci of MCDB faculty are reflected through the following Home Areas:

1) Cell and Developmental Biology (Molecular Biology IDP)

2) Gene Regulation (Molecular Biology IDP)

3) Genetics and Genomics (Human Genetics Ph.D. Program)

4) Bioinformatics (Bioinformatics IDP)

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students are required to enroll full time in a minimum of 12 units each quarter. In addition to basic course requirements, all students are required to take Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology 296 and 596 or 599 each quarter. The majority of the didactic course requirements for molecular biology, cell biology, and research ethics are completed during the first year of study. Students, in consultation with their dissertation adviser, may elect to take additional graduate courses or seminars in a particular area of specialization.

All graduate students in the department are required to complete the teaching assistant training courses, Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology 495, either before or during their first quarter as a Teaching Assistant.

Teaching Experience

The department considers teaching experience to be an integral part of the graduate program. Students are expected to complete a minimum of two quarters as a teaching assistant in departmentally approved courses. In general, students serve as teaching assistants for one quarter in the second year and for one quarter in the third year. If students fail to follow this schedule and as a result fall behind in meeting this requirement, the Graduate Adviser may arbitrarily assign them to a course.

Advanced students, such as participants in the STAR or MSTP programs, may be exempted from the teaching requirement.

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.

The written and oral qualifying examinations should be completed and passed by the end of fall quarter of the third year of graduate study. The written qualifying examination must be passed before the University Oral Qualifying Examination can be taken. Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Written qualifying examination. Students must formally constitute and meet with their doctoral committee. The purpose of the meeting is for the committee to evaluate the student’s understanding of the rationale and background for the proposed dissertation research and to provide feedback to the student on its feasibility and experimental strategy. Students prepare a written description of the scientific background of the dissertation research project, the specific aims of the project, preliminary findings, and an experimental plan for addressing the specific aims. This dissertation proposal has a maximum length of 10 pages, excluding references, and is submitted to the students’ doctoral committee in advance of the examination. The examination also consists of an oral presentation of the proposal by the student to the doctoral committee.

University Oral Qualifying Examination. This examination is chaired by an MCDB doctoral committee member other than the student’s adviser, and is conducted by the doctoral committee. The thesis adviser serves on the doctoral committee and votes, but does not participate verbally. The examination focuses on the discussion and defense of an original written research proposal, as well as on general biological questions. The topic of the original research proposal requires advance approval of the student’s doctoral committee, and may not be the anticipated dissertation research topic, or an active or anticipated research project in the laboratory of the student’s adviser. Exclusive of their doctoral committee members, students are free to consult with other individuals in formulating proposed research. The research proposal must be written according to the NIH grant application format, with a maximum length of 10 pages, excluding references. The student’s oral presentation and examination are expected to demonstrate: (1) a scholarly understanding of the background of the research proposal; (2) well-designed and testable aims; (3) a critical understanding of the technical applications to be employed in the proposed research; and (4) an understanding of potential experimental outcomes and their interpretation. This examination is graded Pass, Conditional Pass, or Fail. If the doctoral committee decides that the examination reflects performance below the expected mastery of graduate-level content, the committee may vote to give the student a Conditional Pass. At the committee’s discretion, a student who receives Conditional Pass will be required to modify or rewrite their research proposal, so as to bring it up to required standards.  In the case of a Conditional Pass, the student will be permitted to seek the advice of their committee in modifying or rewriting the proposal. Any required rewrite or modification will be submitted to, and reviewed by the doctoral committee. The signed Report on the Oral Qualifying Examination & Request for Advancement to Candidacy will be retained in the Graduate Student Affairs Office until the student has satisfied the doctoral committee’s request for revision or re-write.

Midstream seminar. The midstream seminar is meant to occur halfway between the University Oral Qualifying Examination and the final oral examination (defense of the dissertation), but in no case later than the beginning of the fifth year of doctoral study. Students who are in the program longer than five years must meet with their committee once each year.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy and awarded the Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil.) degree 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)

Not required for all students in the program. The decision as to whether a defense is required is made by the doctoral committee.

Time-to-Degree

Normal progress from matriculation to conferral of the degree is sixteen academic quarters (and five summer terms). Maximum time-to-degree is eighteen academic quarters (and six summer terms).

Course work, laboratory rotations, and choice of faculty adviser should be completed by the end of the first year.

The written qualifying examination should be completed by June of the second year in graduate study.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination and advancement to candidacy should be completed no later than January 1 of the third year in graduate study. Failure to attain candidacy status at this time without a specific exception granted by the chair of the departmental Graduate Committee will be grounds for the recommendation of termination of the student’s graduate study.

The midstream seminar should be completed in the fourth year of study.

The dissertation and final oral examination (defense of the dissertation) should be completed during the fifth year of study, and no later than the sixth year of study.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	9	21	24

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 (3.00) 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 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 recommended for termination for unsatisfactory performance as determined by the advisory committee, failure to pass all areas of the departmental written qualifying examination, failure to pass the master’s comprehensive examination, failure to maintain a provisional or personal adviser (Ph.D. students) or failure to complete the master’s degree within six terms, or failure to complete the doctoral dissertation within eighteen terms of academic residence (see Time-to-Degree). A student may appeal a recommendation for termination to the appropriate subgroup or the departmental chair.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2017-2018 academic year.

Neurobiology

School of Medicine

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

The graduate or faculty adviser monitors progress on a quarterly basis. The graduate adviser discusses progress with the student on an annual basis.

Areas of Study

See under Doctoral Degree.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

The M.S. degree requires a minimum of 40 units of graduate course work. The required courses are the core courses Neurobiology M200A-G (32 units), two advanced topics courses (Neurobiology 298A-298B-298C), one ethics course (Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics C234 or Neuroscience 207), three molecular biology, cell biology, or neuroscience seminar or journal club courses (Neurobiology 296, Molecular Biology 298), and a total of three quarters of  laboratory experience (Neurobiology 596).

Teaching Experience

Not required but recommended.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

Under the capstone plan, students must demonstrate a grasp of the general principles of the required course work, as well as a general understanding of neurobiology. Details can be found in the description of the written qualifying examination under Doctoral Degree.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

The time-to-degree is normally six quarters (two academic years).

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	6	6	6

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The graduate program has a strong commitment to regularly monitor the progress of graduate student academic and scholarly activities, including the completion of dissertation research, in order to facilitate timely progress and completion of the degree within five years of matriculation to graduate study. Advising is done through regular meetings with the student, department graduate student adviser and student affairs officer, and with the student, faculty dissertation adviser, and doctoral committee. First-year students admitted directly to the department are advised by a member of the Graduate Program Committee. At the end of spring quarter of the first year, the student is expected to develop an affiliation with a faculty member who acts as the mentor and research professor. The faculty adviser monitors progress on a quarterly basis. The graduate adviser discusses progress with the student on an annual basis.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Neurobiology faculty offer instruction in fundamental neuroscience and provide advanced neuroscience research training. Fields of emphasis are: (1) synaptic and neuronal communication; (2) neuronal structure, circuitry and connectivity; (3) nervous system function, including vision, sleep, autonomic function, movement, and perception; (4) synaptic and neuronal plasticity, including learning and memory; (5) developmental neurobiology; (6) nervous system disease, neuronal repair and recovery of function; and (7) neuroendocrinology and sexual differentiation. These areas are mainly studied using genetic, cell biological, imaging, neuroanatomical, electrophysiological and behavioral approaches.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

(1) Neurobiology M200A-M200B-M200C-200D-200E-M200F-M200G
(2) The departmental seminar and journal club, Neurobiology 296 and six quarters of the lecture series, Neurobiology 270
(3) Two four-unit elective courses approved by the Graduate Program Committee.
(4) One ethics course, Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics C234 or Neuroscience 207
(5) Three advanced topics courses, Neurobiology 298A-298B-298C
(6) Rotation through three research laboratories during the first year, one quarter per laboratory (Neurobiology 596)

The Department of Neurobiology graduate degree program is an affiliate of the UCLA ACCESS Program, and students are referred to that program for questions about course requirements related to the ACCESS Program.

Teaching Experience

To prepare students to teach at the professional level, they are required to gain teaching experience in two undergraduate Life Science courses. During their second and third years, students normally teach in a Life Science or Neuroscience undergraduate course offered by the College of Letters and Science. Advanced students, with permission of the instructor and the Graduate Program Committee, also have the opportunity to teach in the Neuroscience section of the medical school curriculum in lieu of the second undergraduate teaching experience.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examination

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.

The written qualifying examination is normally taken during spring quarter of the second year of graduate study. The written examination must be completed by August 1 following the second year of graduate study. For this examination students are required to write an in-depth commentary on a significant, recently published original research article (or articles that are highly related) on a topic in neurobiology that is related to the student’s research interests. Students should consult the Preview and Mini-Reviews in Neuron as examples of the scholarly style and format of the commentary. Students choose the research article or articles for the written qualifying examination in consultation with their mentor.

The examination consists of two parts: (a) a review and critique of the historical context, and findings of the article or articles; and (b) a detailed proposal for the next series of studies based on the findings reported in the article or articles. The examination is limited to at least 14 and no more than 16 typewritten (font size 11 or 12), double-spaced pages, two figures, and up to three pages of references.

The written qualifying examination is not administered to a student who: is on academic probation (cumulative gradepoint average below 3.0); receives less than a B- in each of the departmental core courses; fails to satisfy specific academic requirements following conditional entry into the program; or fails to make normal progress in scholarly and research activities. Students who are not eligible to take the examination may be recommended for termination of graduate study on August 1 after the third year in the program.

Students, in consultation with their mentor, choose a three-member faculty committee to grade the examination. The examination committee consists of faculty members from the department. Faculty from outside of the department may serve on the committee only with permission of the Graduate Program Committee. All faculty participating on this committee must be members of the Academic Senate. The student’s mentor may not serve on the examination committee. The examination committee grades the written qualifying examination on a pass or fail basis.

Students who fail the examination are counseled by the graduate adviser and appropriate faculty, and may be placed on academic probation for failure to make normal progress in their scholarly activities. The student will be given a second chance to take the examination within three months of the administration of the original examination. Failure of the examination for a second time usually results in a recommendation of dismissal from the graduate program. However, the examination committee may give a third examination within six months of taking the original examination, if they determine that the student has sufficient promise to finish the doctoral program. A third failure will result in a recommendation for dismissal from the graduate program.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination is normally taken within 12 months of passing the written examination. The oral examination is a presentation of an original research proposal that forms the basis of the doctoral dissertation. The format of the examination involves the presentation of an original dissertation proposal by the student. The student presents the dissertation project in a 30-to 45-minute seminar to all members of the student’s doctoral committee. The doctoral committee also evaluates the student’s general knowledge in neurobiology. The student, in consultation with the faculty adviser, selects the doctoral committee, following published university guidelines, which must be approved by the Graduate Division before administration of the examination. This committee schedules, administers and evaluates the examination. The student will either pass or fail the examination.

Students who fail the University Oral Qualifying Examination are counseled by the student’s faculty dissertation adviser and committee, placed on probation and given a second chance to take the examination within six months of the administration of the original examination. Failure of the examination for a second time usually results in a recommendation for dismissal from the graduate program. However, a third examination may be given at the discretion of the dissertation committee, if the student has shown sufficient promise to finish the doctoral program. The third examination should be scheduled within 12 months of the administration of the original examination. A third failure will result in a recommendation for dismissal from the graduate program.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy and awarded the Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil.) degree 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 the Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

Normal progress is defined in the following:

First year

Students who are admitted directly into the department are required to complete Neurobiology M200A-M200B-M200C-200D-200E-M200F-M200G (core course series). Students are required to receive a grade of Satisfactory for Neurobiology 270 and Neurobiology 296. Students who are admitted through the ACCESS Program are required to complete the ACCESS curriculum. All students must satisfactorily complete the three required laboratory rotations.

Second year

Students complete electives and are required to receive a grade of Satisfactory for Neurobiology 270 and Neurobiology 296. Students should take Neurobiology 298A-298B-298C and other courses essential to their planned research and teaching experience. At the end of the year, students are required to complete the written qualifying examination. Students admitted through the ACCESS Program must finish the Neurobiology M200A-200G series.

Third year

Students continue the activities of the second year as needed. By the end of their third year students are required to successfully complete the University Oral Qualifying Examination and begin dissertation research.

Fourth year

Students complete research, prepare and defend the dissertation. A required public presentation of the results is followed by final questions by the dissertation committee in closed session.

Fifth year

Students complete final preparation of the dissertation. Extension of the student’s program beyond five years is strongly discouraged.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	9	15	15

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 (3.00) 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 termination of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Special Departmental or Program Policy

The departmental graduate student adviser, after consultation with the student’s faculty research or dissertation adviser and the Graduate Program Committee, makes a recommendation for termination of graduate student status to the Dean of the Graduate Division. Students may be recommended for termination of graduate student status if they are on scholastic probation or are judged to be unqualified to meet the academic requirements for the degree. In exceptional circumstances, students in the doctoral program will be given the opportunity to work toward the master’s degree.

In addition to the standard reasons mentioned above under University Policy, students may be placed on departmental probation and subject to a recommendation for termination of graduate student status for:

Failure (repeated) to achieve a grade of Satisfactory in Neurobiology 270 or 296

Failure to match with a Neurobiology faculty member for research training after three 596 laboratory rotations

Failure to satisfy specific academic and scholastic requirements upon conditional entry

Failure to obtain a grade of (S)atisfactory for departmental seminars and advanced topics courses

Failure to complete the written qualifying examination by August 1 following the end of the second year of graduate study

Failure to complete the University Oral Qualifying Examination within 12 months of completing the written qualifying examination

Failure to make normal progress in scholarly and research activities (12 quarters in pre-candidacy and 9 quarters in candidacy)

Students who are placed on probation are counseled by the graduate and faculty advisers concerning the reasons for the probationary status. Students will normally be given: a) one additional rotation opportunity (fourth rotation) to match with a Department of Neurobiology faculty member for their research training; b) one academic year to remove any scholastic deficiencies in their required departmental course work; c) three academic quarters to establish minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.0; and d) one (or in special circumstances two) additional opportunity to pass the master’s comprehensive examination, or the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Students will be immediately recommended for termination of graduate student status for:

Failure to match with a Neurobiology faculty member for research training after four 596 laboratory rotations

Failure to take the written qualifying examination by August 1 after the fourth year of graduate study

Failure to pass the master’s comprehensive examination a third time

Failure to pass either the written or oral qualifying examinations a third time

Failure to improve deficiencies in normal progress of scholarly and research activities

A student also may be recommended for termination based on a demonstrated absence of interest in any of the research specialties in which the department can offer guidance. A student may present an appeal of termination to the department’s Graduate Program Committee.

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

Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

See under Doctoral Degree.

Areas of Study

See under Doctoral Degree.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

The program consists of at least nine courses in graduate standing, of which at least five must be graduate-level (200-series) courses. The remainder may be courses in the 100, 200, or 500 series. No more than two 596 courses (eight units) may be applied toward the nine courses required for the degree; only one 596 course (four units) may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement. Courses graded S/U may be not be applied toward the minimum requirement unless these courses are not offered for a grade. Specific course requirements are established for each student by the guidance committee.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

The departmental written qualifying examination for the Ph.D. degree, or its equivalent as determined by the Graduate Adviser, serves as the comprehensive examination for the M.A. degree.

Thesis Plan

Every master’s degree thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research.

A thesis reporting the results of an original investigation, prepared in accordance with University format requirements available on the Graduate Division website, is presented to and approved by the master’s thesis committee of three faculty members. Before beginning work on the thesis, students must obtain approval of the subject and general plan from the faculty members concerned and from the thesis committee.

Time-to-Degree

The department rarely awards the master’s degree except in instances where the student is unable to complete the requirements for the doctorate.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	5	8	9

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Students are advised by the appropriate Home Area Director. The Cell & Developmental Biology Home Area Director also is available to assist students with university and departmental requirements. All academic affairs for Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology students are coordinated by the Cell & Developmental Biology Home Area Director, who is assisted by the administrative staff of the Molecular Biology IDP Graduate Affairs Office.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Specific fields of emphasis in the department naturally reflect the research foci of the faculty. The research foci of MCDB faculty are reflected through the following Home Areas:

1) Cell and Developmental Biology (Molecular Biology IDP)

2) Gene Regulation (Molecular Biology IDP)

3) Genetics and Genomics (Human Genetics Ph.D. Program)

4) Bioinformatics (Bioinformatics IDP)

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students are required to enroll full time in a minimum of 12 units each quarter. In addition to basic course requirements, all students are required to take Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology 296 and 596 or 599 each quarter. The majority of the didactic course requirements for molecular biology, cell biology, and research ethics are completed during the first year of study. Students, in consultation with their dissertation adviser, may elect to take additional graduate courses or seminars in a particular area of specialization.

All graduate students in the department are required to complete the teaching assistant training courses, Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology 495, either before or during their first quarter as a Teaching Assistant.

Teaching Experience

The department considers teaching experience to be an integral part of the graduate program. Students are expected to complete a minimum of two quarters as a teaching assistant in departmentally approved courses. In general, students serve as teaching assistants for one quarter in the second year and for one quarter in the third year. If students fail to follow this schedule and as a result fall behind in meeting this requirement, the Graduate Adviser may arbitrarily assign them to a course.

Advanced students, such as participants in the STAR or MSTP programs, may be exempted from the teaching requirement.

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.

The written and oral qualifying examinations should be completed and passed by the end of fall quarter of the third year of graduate study. The written qualifying examination must be passed before the University Oral Qualifying Examination can be taken. Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Written qualifying examination. Students must formally constitute and meet with their doctoral committee. The purpose of the meeting is for the committee to evaluate the student’s understanding of the rationale and background for the proposed dissertation research and to provide feedback to the student on its feasibility and experimental strategy. Students prepare a written description of the scientific background of the dissertation research project, the specific aims of the project, preliminary findings, and an experimental plan for addressing the specific aims. This dissertation proposal has a maximum length of 10 pages, excluding references, and is submitted to the students’ doctoral committee in advance of the examination. The examination also consists of an oral presentation of the proposal by the student to the doctoral committee.

University Oral Qualifying Examination. This examination is chaired by an MCDB doctoral committee member other than the student’s adviser, and is conducted by the doctoral committee. The thesis adviser serves on the doctoral committee and votes, but does not participate verbally. The examination focuses on the discussion and defense of an original written research proposal, as well as on general biological questions. The topic of the original research proposal requires advance approval of the student’s doctoral committee, and may not be the anticipated dissertation research topic, or an active or anticipated research project in the laboratory of the student’s adviser. Exclusive of their doctoral committee members, students are free to consult with other individuals in formulating proposed research. The research proposal must be written according to the NIH grant application format, with a maximum length of 10 pages, excluding references. The student’s oral presentation and examination are expected to demonstrate: (1) a scholarly understanding of the background of the research proposal; (2) well-designed and testable aims; (3) a critical understanding of the technical applications to be employed in the proposed research; and (4) an understanding of potential experimental outcomes and their interpretation. This examination is graded Pass, Conditional Pass, or Fail. If the doctoral committee decides that the examination reflects performance below the expected mastery of graduate-level content, the committee may vote to give the student a Conditional Pass. At the committee’s discretion, a student who receives Conditional Pass will be required to modify or rewrite their research proposal, so as to bring it up to required standards.  In the case of a Conditional Pass, the student will be permitted to seek the advice of their committee in modifying or rewriting the proposal. Any required rewrite or modification will be submitted to, and reviewed by the doctoral committee. The signed Report on the Oral Qualifying Examination & Request for Advancement to Candidacy will be retained in the Graduate Student Affairs Office until the student has satisfied the doctoral committee’s request for revision or re-write.

Midstream seminar. The midstream seminar is meant to occur halfway between the University Oral Qualifying Examination and the final oral examination (defense of the dissertation), but in no case later than the beginning of the fifth year of doctoral study. Students who are in the program longer than five years must meet with their committee once each year.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy and awarded the Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil.) degree 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)

Not required for all students in the program. The decision as to whether a defense is required is made by the doctoral committee.

Time-to-Degree

Normal progress from matriculation to conferral of the degree is sixteen academic quarters (and five summer terms). Maximum time-to-degree is eighteen academic quarters (and six summer terms).

Course work, laboratory rotations, and choice of faculty adviser should be completed by the end of the first year.

The written qualifying examination should be completed by June of the second year in graduate study.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination and advancement to candidacy should be completed no later than January 1 of the third year in graduate study. Failure to attain candidacy status at this time without a specific exception granted by the chair of the departmental Graduate Committee will be grounds for the recommendation of termination of the student’s graduate study.

The midstream seminar should be completed in the fourth year of study.

The dissertation and final oral examination (defense of the dissertation) should be completed during the fifth year of study, and no later than the sixth year of study.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	9	21	24

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 (3.00) 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 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 recommended for termination for unsatisfactory performance as determined by the advisory committee, failure to pass all areas of the departmental written qualifying examination, failure to pass the master’s comprehensive examination, failure to maintain a provisional or personal adviser (Ph.D. students) or failure to complete the master’s degree within six terms, or failure to complete the doctoral dissertation within eighteen terms of academic residence (see Time-to-Degree). A student may appeal a recommendation for termination to the appropriate subgroup or the departmental chair.

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

Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

See under Doctoral Degree.

Areas of Study

See under Doctoral Degree.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

The program consists of at least nine courses in graduate standing, of which at least five must be graduate-level (200-series) courses. The remainder may be courses in the 100, 200, or 500 series. No more than two 596 courses (eight units) may be applied toward the nine courses required for the degree; only one 596 course (four units) may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement. Courses graded S/U may be not be applied toward the minimum requirement unless these courses are not offered for a grade. Specific course requirements are established for each student by the guidance committee.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

The departmental written qualifying examination for the Ph.D. degree, or its equivalent as determined by the Graduate Adviser, serves as the comprehensive examination for the M.A. degree.

Thesis Plan

Every master’s degree thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research.

A thesis reporting the results of an original investigation, prepared in accordance with University format requirements available on the Graduate Division website, is presented to and approved by the master’s thesis committee of three faculty members. Before beginning work on the thesis, students must obtain approval of the subject and general plan from the faculty members concerned and from the thesis committee.

Time-to-Degree

The department rarely awards the master’s degree except in instances where the student is unable to complete the requirements for the doctorate.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	5	8	9

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Students are advised by the appropriate Home Area Director. The Cell & Developmental Biology Home Area Director also is available to assist students with university and departmental requirements. All academic affairs for Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology students are coordinated by the Cell & Developmental Biology Home Area Director, who is assisted by the administrative staff of the Molecular Biology IDP Graduate Affairs Office.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Specific fields of emphasis in the department naturally reflect the research foci of the faculty. The research foci of MCDB faculty are reflected through the following Home Areas:

1) Cell and Developmental Biology (Molecular Biology IDP)

2) Gene Regulation (Molecular Biology IDP)

3) Genetics and Genomics (Human Genetics Ph.D. Program)

4) Bioinformatics (Bioinformatics IDP)

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students are required to enroll full time in a minimum of 12 units each quarter. In addition to basic course requirements, all students are required to take Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology 296 and 596 or 599 each quarter. The majority of the didactic course requirements for molecular biology, cell biology, and research ethics are completed during the first year of study. Students, in consultation with their dissertation adviser, may elect to take additional graduate courses or seminars in a particular area of specialization.

All graduate students in the department are required to complete the teaching assistant training courses, Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology 495, either before or during their first quarter as a Teaching Assistant.

Teaching Experience

The department considers teaching experience to be an integral part of the graduate program. Students are expected to complete a minimum of two quarters as a teaching assistant in departmentally approved courses. In general, students serve as teaching assistants for one quarter in the second year and for one quarter in the third year. If students fail to follow this schedule and as a result fall behind in meeting this requirement, the Graduate Adviser may arbitrarily assign them to a course.

Advanced students, such as participants in the STAR or MSTP programs, may be exempted from the teaching requirement.

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.

The written and oral qualifying examinations should be completed and passed by the end of fall quarter of the third year of graduate study. The written qualifying examination must be passed before the University Oral Qualifying Examination can be taken. Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Written qualifying examination. Students must formally constitute and meet with their doctoral committee. The purpose of the meeting is for the committee to evaluate the student’s understanding of the rationale and background for the proposed dissertation research and to provide feedback to the student on its feasibility and experimental strategy. Students prepare a written description of the scientific background of the dissertation research project, the specific aims of the project, preliminary findings, and an experimental plan for addressing the specific aims. This dissertation proposal has a maximum length of 10 pages, excluding references, and is submitted to the students’ doctoral committee in advance of the examination. The examination also consists of an oral presentation of the proposal by the student to the doctoral committee.

University Oral Qualifying Examination. This examination is chaired by an MCDB doctoral committee member other than the student’s adviser, and is conducted by the doctoral committee. The thesis adviser serves on the doctoral committee and votes, but does not participate verbally. The examination focuses on the discussion and defense of an original written research proposal, as well as on general biological questions. The topic of the original research proposal requires advance approval of the student’s doctoral committee, and may not be the anticipated dissertation research topic, or an active or anticipated research project in the laboratory of the student’s adviser. Exclusive of their doctoral committee members, students are free to consult with other individuals in formulating proposed research. The research proposal must be written according to the NIH grant application format, with a maximum length of 10 pages, excluding references. The student’s oral presentation and examination are expected to demonstrate: (1) a scholarly understanding of the background of the research proposal; (2) well-designed and testable aims; (3) a critical understanding of the technical applications to be employed in the proposed research; and (4) an understanding of potential experimental outcomes and their interpretation. This examination is graded Pass, Conditional Pass, or Fail. If the doctoral committee decides that the examination reflects performance below the expected mastery of graduate-level content, the committee may vote to give the student a Conditional Pass. At the committee’s discretion, a student who receives Conditional Pass will be required to modify or rewrite their research proposal, so as to bring it up to required standards.  In the case of a Conditional Pass, the student will be permitted to seek the advice of their committee in modifying or rewriting the proposal. Any required rewrite or modification will be submitted to, and reviewed by the doctoral committee. The signed Report on the Oral Qualifying Examination & Request for Advancement to Candidacy will be retained in the Graduate Student Affairs Office until the student has satisfied the doctoral committee’s request for revision or re-write.

Midstream seminar. The midstream seminar is meant to occur halfway between the University Oral Qualifying Examination and the final oral examination (defense of the dissertation), but in no case later than the beginning of the fifth year of doctoral study. Students who are in the program longer than five years must meet with their committee once each year.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy and awarded the Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil.) degree 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)

Not required for all students in the program. The decision as to whether a defense is required is made by the doctoral committee.

Time-to-Degree

Normal progress from matriculation to conferral of the degree is sixteen academic quarters (and five summer terms). Maximum time-to-degree is eighteen academic quarters (and six summer terms).

Course work, laboratory rotations, and choice of faculty adviser should be completed by the end of the first year.

The written qualifying examination should be completed by June of the second year in graduate study.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination and advancement to candidacy should be completed no later than January 1 of the third year in graduate study. Failure to attain candidacy status at this time without a specific exception granted by the chair of the departmental Graduate Committee will be grounds for the recommendation of termination of the student’s graduate study.

The midstream seminar should be completed in the fourth year of study.

The dissertation and final oral examination (defense of the dissertation) should be completed during the fifth year of study, and no later than the sixth year of study.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	9	21	24

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 (3.00) 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 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 recommended for termination for unsatisfactory performance as determined by the advisory committee, failure to pass all areas of the departmental written qualifying examination, failure to pass the master’s comprehensive examination, failure to maintain a provisional or personal adviser (Ph.D. students) or failure to complete the master’s degree within six terms, or failure to complete the doctoral dissertation within eighteen terms of academic residence (see Time-to-Degree). A student may appeal a recommendation for termination to the appropriate subgroup or the departmental chair.

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

Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

See under Doctoral Degree.

Areas of Study

See under Doctoral Degree.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

The program consists of at least nine courses in graduate standing, of which at least five must be graduate-level (200-series) courses. The remainder may be courses in the 100, 200, or 500 series. No more than two 596 courses (eight units) may be applied toward the nine courses required for the degree; only one 596 course (four units) may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement. Courses graded S/U may be not be applied toward the minimum requirement unless these courses are not offered for a grade. Specific course requirements are established for each student by the guidance committee.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

The departmental written qualifying examination for the Ph.D. degree, or its equivalent as determined by the Graduate Adviser, serves as the comprehensive examination for the M.A. degree.

Thesis Plan

Every master’s degree thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research.

A thesis reporting the results of an original investigation, prepared in accordance with University format requirements available on the Graduate Division website, is presented to and approved by the master’s thesis committee of three faculty members. Before beginning work on the thesis, students must obtain approval of the subject and general plan from the faculty members concerned and from the thesis committee.

Time-to-Degree

The department rarely awards the master’s degree except in instances where the student is unable to complete the requirements for the doctorate.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	5	8	9

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Students are advised by the appropriate Home Area Director. The Cell & Developmental Biology Home Area Director also is available to assist students with university and departmental requirements. All academic affairs for Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology students are coordinated by the Cell & Developmental Biology Home Area Director, who is assisted by the administrative staff of the Molecular Biology IDP Graduate Affairs Office.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Specific fields of emphasis in the department naturally reflect the research foci of the faculty. The research foci of MCDB faculty are reflected through the following Home Areas:

1) Cell and Developmental Biology (Molecular Biology IDP)

2) Gene Regulation (Molecular Biology IDP)

3) Genetics and Genomics (Human Genetics Ph.D. Program)

4) Bioinformatics (Bioinformatics IDP)

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students are required to enroll full time in a minimum of 12 units each quarter. In addition to basic course requirements, all students are required to take Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology 296 and 596 or 599 each quarter. The majority of the didactic course requirements for molecular biology, cell biology, and research ethics are completed during the first year of study. Students, in consultation with their dissertation adviser, may elect to take additional graduate courses or seminars in a particular area of specialization.

All graduate students in the department are required to complete the teaching assistant training courses, Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology 495, either before or during their first quarter as a Teaching Assistant.

Teaching Experience

The department considers teaching experience to be an integral part of the graduate program. Students are expected to complete a minimum of two quarters as a teaching assistant in departmentally approved courses. In general, students serve as teaching assistants for one quarter in the second year and for one quarter in the third year. If students fail to follow this schedule and as a result fall behind in meeting this requirement, the Graduate Adviser may arbitrarily assign them to a course.

Advanced students, such as participants in the STAR or MSTP programs, may be exempted from the teaching requirement.

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.

The written and oral qualifying examinations should be completed and passed by the end of fall quarter of the third year of graduate study. The written qualifying examination must be passed before the University Oral Qualifying Examination can be taken. Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Written qualifying examination. Students must formally constitute and meet with their doctoral committee. The purpose of the meeting is for the committee to evaluate the student’s understanding of the rationale and background for the proposed dissertation research and to provide feedback to the student on its feasibility and experimental strategy. Students prepare a written description of the scientific background of the dissertation research project, the specific aims of the project, preliminary findings, and an experimental plan for addressing the specific aims. This dissertation proposal has a maximum length of 10 pages, excluding references, and is submitted to the students’ doctoral committee in advance of the examination. The examination also consists of an oral presentation of the proposal by the student to the doctoral committee.

University Oral Qualifying Examination. This examination is chaired by an MCDB doctoral committee member other than the student’s adviser, and is conducted by the doctoral committee. The thesis adviser serves on the doctoral committee and votes, but does not participate verbally. The examination focuses on the discussion and defense of an original written research proposal, as well as on general biological questions. The topic of the original research proposal requires advance approval of the student’s doctoral committee, and may not be the anticipated dissertation research topic, or an active or anticipated research project in the laboratory of the student’s adviser. Exclusive of their doctoral committee members, students are free to consult with other individuals in formulating proposed research. The research proposal must be written according to the NIH grant application format, with a maximum length of 10 pages, excluding references. The student’s oral presentation and examination are expected to demonstrate: (1) a scholarly understanding of the background of the research proposal; (2) well-designed and testable aims; (3) a critical understanding of the technical applications to be employed in the proposed research; and (4) an understanding of potential experimental outcomes and their interpretation. This examination is graded Pass, Conditional Pass, or Fail. If the doctoral committee decides that the examination reflects performance below the expected mastery of graduate-level content, the committee may vote to give the student a Conditional Pass. At the committee’s discretion, a student who receives Conditional Pass will be required to modify or rewrite their research proposal, so as to bring it up to required standards.  In the case of a Conditional Pass, the student will be permitted to seek the advice of their committee in modifying or rewriting the proposal. Any required rewrite or modification will be submitted to, and reviewed by the doctoral committee. The signed Report on the Oral Qualifying Examination & Request for Advancement to Candidacy will be retained in the Graduate Student Affairs Office until the student has satisfied the doctoral committee’s request for revision or re-write.

Midstream seminar. The midstream seminar is meant to occur halfway between the University Oral Qualifying Examination and the final oral examination (defense of the dissertation), but in no case later than the beginning of the fifth year of doctoral study. Students who are in the program longer than five years must meet with their committee once each year.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy and awarded the Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil.) degree 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)

Not required for all students in the program. The decision as to whether a defense is required is made by the doctoral committee.

Time-to-Degree

Normal progress from matriculation to conferral of the degree is sixteen academic quarters (and five summer terms). Maximum time-to-degree is eighteen academic quarters (and six summer terms).

Course work, laboratory rotations, and choice of faculty adviser should be completed by the end of the first year.

The written qualifying examination should be completed by June of the second year in graduate study.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination and advancement to candidacy should be completed no later than January 1 of the third year in graduate study. Failure to attain candidacy status at this time without a specific exception granted by the chair of the departmental Graduate Committee will be grounds for the recommendation of academic disqualification of the student’s graduate study.

The midstream seminar should be completed in the fourth year of study.

The dissertation and final oral examination (defense of the dissertation) should be completed during the fifth year of study, and no later than the sixth year of study.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	9	21	24

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 recommended for academic disqualification for unsatisfactory performance as determined by the advisory committee, failure to pass all areas of the departmental written qualifying examination, failure to pass the master’s comprehensive examination, failure to maintain a provisional or personal adviser (Ph.D. students) or failure to complete the master’s degree within six terms, or failure to complete the doctoral dissertation within eighteen terms of academic residence (see Time-to-Degree). A student may appeal a recommendation for academic disqualification to the appropriate subgroup or the departmental chair.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

See under Doctoral Degree.

Areas of Study

See under Doctoral Degree.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

The program consists of at least nine courses in graduate standing, of which at least five must be graduate-level (200-series) courses. The remainder may be courses in the 100, 200, or 500 series. No more than two 596 courses (eight units) may be applied toward the nine courses required for the degree; only one 596 course (four units) may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement. Courses graded S/U may be not be applied toward the minimum requirement unless these courses are not offered for a grade. Specific course requirements are established for each student by the guidance committee.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

The departmental written qualifying examination for the Ph.D. degree, or its equivalent as determined by the Graduate Adviser, serves as the comprehensive examination for the M.A. degree.

Thesis Plan

Every master’s degree thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research.

A thesis reporting the results of an original investigation, prepared in accordance with University format requirements available on the Graduate Division website, is presented to and approved by the master’s thesis committee of three faculty members. Before beginning work on the thesis, students must obtain approval of the subject and general plan from the faculty members concerned and from the thesis committee.

Time-to-Degree

The department rarely awards the master’s degree except in instances where the student is unable to complete the requirements for the doctorate.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	5	8	9

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Students are advised by the appropriate Home Area Director. The Cell & Developmental Biology Home Area Director also is available to assist students with university and departmental requirements. All academic affairs for Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology students are coordinated by the Cell & Developmental Biology Home Area Director, who is assisted by the administrative staff of the Molecular Biology IDP Graduate Affairs Office.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Specific fields of emphasis in the department naturally reflect the research foci of the faculty. The research foci of MCDB faculty are reflected through the following Home Areas:

1) Cell and Developmental Biology (Molecular Biology IDP)

2) Gene Regulation (Molecular Biology IDP)

3) Genetics and Genomics (Human Genetics Ph.D. Program)

4) Bioinformatics (Bioinformatics IDP)

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students are required to enroll full time in a minimum of 12 units each quarter. In addition to basic course requirements, all students are required to take Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology 296 and 596 or 599 each quarter. The majority of the didactic course requirements for molecular biology, cell biology, and research ethics are completed during the first year of study. Students, in consultation with their dissertation adviser, may elect to take additional graduate courses or seminars in a particular area of specialization.

All graduate students in the department are required to complete the teaching assistant training courses, Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology 495, either before or during their first quarter as a Teaching Assistant.

Teaching Experience

The department considers teaching experience to be an integral part of the graduate program. Students are expected to complete a minimum of two quarters as a teaching assistant in departmentally approved courses. In general, students serve as teaching assistants for one quarter in the second year and for one quarter in the third year. If students fail to follow this schedule and as a result fall behind in meeting this requirement, the Graduate Adviser may arbitrarily assign them to a course.

Advanced students, such as participants in the STAR or MSTP programs, may be exempted from the teaching requirement.

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.

The written and oral qualifying examinations should be completed and passed by the end of fall quarter of the third year of graduate study. The written qualifying examination must be passed before the University Oral Qualifying Examination can be taken. Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Written qualifying examination. Students must formally constitute and meet with their doctoral committee. The purpose of the meeting is for the committee to evaluate the student’s understanding of the rationale and background for the proposed dissertation research and to provide feedback to the student on its feasibility and experimental strategy. Students prepare a written description of the scientific background of the dissertation research project, the specific aims of the project, preliminary findings, and an experimental plan for addressing the specific aims. This dissertation proposal has a maximum length of 10 pages, excluding references, and is submitted to the students’ doctoral committee in advance of the examination. The examination also consists of an oral presentation of the proposal by the student to the doctoral committee.

University Oral Qualifying Examination. This examination is chaired by an MCDB doctoral committee member other than the student’s adviser, and is conducted by the doctoral committee. The thesis adviser serves on the doctoral committee and votes, but does not participate verbally. The examination focuses on the discussion and defense of an original written research proposal, as well as on general biological questions. The topic of the original research proposal requires advance approval of the student’s doctoral committee, and may not be the anticipated dissertation research topic, or an active or anticipated research project in the laboratory of the student’s adviser. Exclusive of their doctoral committee members, students are free to consult with other individuals in formulating proposed research. The research proposal must be written according to the NIH grant application format, with a maximum length of 10 pages, excluding references. The student’s oral presentation and examination are expected to demonstrate: (1) a scholarly understanding of the background of the research proposal; (2) well-designed and testable aims; (3) a critical understanding of the technical applications to be employed in the proposed research; and (4) an understanding of potential experimental outcomes and their interpretation. This examination is graded Pass, Conditional Pass, or Fail. If the doctoral committee decides that the examination reflects performance below the expected mastery of graduate-level content, the committee may vote to give the student a Conditional Pass. At the committee’s discretion, a student who receives Conditional Pass will be required to modify or rewrite their research proposal, so as to bring it up to required standards.  In the case of a Conditional Pass, the student will be permitted to seek the advice of their committee in modifying or rewriting the proposal. Any required rewrite or modification will be submitted to, and reviewed by the doctoral committee. The signed Report on the Oral Qualifying Examination & Request for Advancement to Candidacy will be retained in the Graduate Student Affairs Office until the student has satisfied the doctoral committee’s request for revision or re-write.

Midstream seminar. The midstream seminar is meant to occur halfway between the University Oral Qualifying Examination and the final oral examination (defense of the dissertation), but in no case later than the beginning of the fifth year of doctoral study. Students who are in the program longer than five years must meet with their committee once each year.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy and awarded the Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil.) degree 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)

Not required for all students in the program. The decision as to whether a defense is required is made by the doctoral committee.

Time-to-Degree

Normal progress from matriculation to conferral of the degree is sixteen academic quarters (and five summer terms). Maximum time-to-degree is eighteen academic quarters (and six summer terms).

Course work, laboratory rotations, and choice of faculty adviser should be completed by the end of the first year.

The written qualifying examination should be completed by June of the second year in graduate study.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination and advancement to candidacy should be completed no later than January 1 of the third year in graduate study. Failure to attain candidacy status at this time without a specific exception granted by the chair of the departmental Graduate Committee will be grounds for the recommendation of academic disqualification of the student’s graduate study.

The midstream seminar should be completed in the fourth year of study.

The dissertation and final oral examination (defense of the dissertation) should be completed during the fifth year of study, and no later than the sixth year of study.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	9	21	24

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 recommended for academic disqualification for unsatisfactory performance as determined by the advisory committee, failure to pass all areas of the departmental written qualifying examination, failure to pass the master’s comprehensive examination, failure to maintain a provisional or personal adviser (Ph.D. students) or failure to complete the master’s degree within six terms, or failure to complete the doctoral dissertation within eighteen terms of academic residence (see Time-to-Degree). A student may appeal a recommendation for academic disqualification to the appropriate subgroup or the departmental chair.

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

Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

See under Doctoral Degree.

Areas of Study

See under Doctoral Degree.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

The program consists of at least nine courses in graduate standing, of which at least five must be graduate-level (200-series) courses. The remainder may be courses in the 100, 200, or 500 series. No more than two 596 courses (eight units) may be applied toward the nine courses required for the degree; only one 596 course (four units) may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement. Courses graded S/U may be not be applied toward the minimum requirement unless these courses are not offered for a grade. Specific course requirements are established for each student by the guidance committee.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

The departmental written qualifying examination for the Ph.D. degree, or its equivalent as determined by the Graduate Adviser, serves as the comprehensive examination for the M.A. degree.

Thesis Plan

Every master’s degree thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research.

A thesis reporting the results of an original investigation, prepared in accordance with University format requirements available on the Graduate Division website, is presented to and approved by the master’s thesis committee of three faculty members. Before beginning work on the thesis, students must obtain approval of the subject and general plan from the faculty members concerned and from the thesis committee.

Time-to-Degree

The department rarely awards the master’s degree except in instances where the student is unable to complete the requirements for the doctorate.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	5	8	9

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Students are advised by the appropriate Home Area Director. The Cell & Developmental Biology Home Area Director also is available to assist students with university and departmental requirements. All academic affairs for Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology students are coordinated by the Cell & Developmental Biology Home Area Director, who is assisted by the administrative staff of the Molecular Biology IDP Graduate Affairs Office.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Specific fields of emphasis in the department naturally reflect the research foci of the faculty. The research foci of MCDB faculty are reflected through the following Home Areas:

1) Cell and Developmental Biology (Molecular Biology IDP)

2) Gene Regulation (Molecular Biology IDP)

3) Genetics and Genomics (Human Genetics Ph.D. Program)

4) Bioinformatics (Bioinformatics IDP)

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students are required to enroll full time in a minimum of 12 units each quarter. In addition to basic course requirements, all students are required to take Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology 296 and 596 or 599 each quarter. The majority of the didactic course requirements for molecular biology, cell biology, and research ethics are completed during the first year of study. Students, in consultation with their dissertation adviser, may elect to take additional graduate courses or seminars in a particular area of specialization.

All graduate students in the department are required to complete the teaching assistant training courses, Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology 495, either before or during their first quarter as a Teaching Assistant.

Teaching Experience

The department considers teaching experience to be an integral part of the graduate program. Students are expected to complete a minimum of two quarters as a teaching assistant in departmentally approved courses. In general, students serve as teaching assistants for one quarter in the second year and for one quarter in the third year. If students fail to follow this schedule and as a result fall behind in meeting this requirement, the Graduate Adviser may arbitrarily assign them to a course.

Advanced students, such as participants in the STAR or MSTP programs, may be exempted from the teaching requirement.

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.

The written and oral qualifying examinations should be completed and passed by the end of fall quarter of the third year of graduate study. The written qualifying examination must be passed before the University Oral Qualifying Examination can be taken. Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Written qualifying examination. Students must formally constitute and meet with their doctoral committee. The purpose of the meeting is for the committee to evaluate the student’s understanding of the rationale and background for the proposed dissertation research and to provide feedback to the student on its feasibility and experimental strategy. Students prepare a written description of the scientific background of the dissertation research project, the specific aims of the project, preliminary findings, and an experimental plan for addressing the specific aims. This dissertation proposal has a maximum length of 10 pages, excluding references, and is submitted to the students’ doctoral committee in advance of the examination. The examination also consists of an oral presentation of the proposal by the student to the doctoral committee.

University Oral Qualifying Examination. This examination is chaired by an MCDB doctoral committee member other than the student’s adviser, and is conducted by the doctoral committee. The thesis adviser serves on the doctoral committee and votes, but does not participate verbally. The examination focuses on the discussion and defense of an original written research proposal, as well as on general biological questions. The topic of the original research proposal requires advance approval of the student’s doctoral committee, and may not be the anticipated dissertation research topic, or an active or anticipated research project in the laboratory of the student’s adviser. Exclusive of their doctoral committee members, students are free to consult with other individuals in formulating proposed research. The research proposal must be written according to the NIH grant application format, with a maximum length of 10 pages, excluding references. The student’s oral presentation and examination are expected to demonstrate: (1) a scholarly understanding of the background of the research proposal; (2) well-designed and testable aims; (3) a critical understanding of the technical applications to be employed in the proposed research; and (4) an understanding of potential experimental outcomes and their interpretation. This examination is graded Pass, Conditional Pass, or Fail. If the doctoral committee decides that the examination reflects performance below the expected mastery of graduate-level content, the committee may vote to give the student a Conditional Pass. At the committee’s discretion, a student who receives Conditional Pass will be required to modify or rewrite their research proposal, so as to bring it up to required standards.  In the case of a Conditional Pass, the student will be permitted to seek the advice of their committee in modifying or rewriting the proposal. Any required rewrite or modification will be submitted to, and reviewed by the doctoral committee. The signed Report on the Oral Qualifying Examination & Request for Advancement to Candidacy will be retained in the Graduate Student Affairs Office until the student has satisfied the doctoral committee’s request for revision or re-write.

Midstream seminar. The midstream seminar is meant to occur halfway between the University Oral Qualifying Examination and the final oral examination (defense of the dissertation), but in no case later than the beginning of the fifth year of doctoral study. Students who are in the program longer than five years must meet with their committee once each year.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy and awarded the Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil.) degree 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)

Not required for all students in the program. The decision as to whether a defense is required is made by the doctoral committee.

Time-to-Degree

Normal progress from matriculation to conferral of the degree is sixteen academic quarters (and five summer terms). Maximum time-to-degree is eighteen academic quarters (and six summer terms).

Course work, laboratory rotations, and choice of faculty adviser should be completed by the end of the first year.

The written qualifying examination should be completed by June of the second year in graduate study.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination and advancement to candidacy should be completed no later than January 1 of the third year in graduate study. Failure to attain candidacy status at this time without a specific exception granted by the chair of the departmental Graduate Committee will be grounds for the recommendation of academic disqualification of the student’s graduate study.

The midstream seminar should be completed in the fourth year of study.

The dissertation and final oral examination (defense of the dissertation) should be completed during the fifth year of study, and no later than the sixth year of study.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	9	21	24

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 recommended for academic disqualification for unsatisfactory performance as determined by the advisory committee, failure to pass all areas of the departmental written qualifying examination, failure to pass the master’s comprehensive examination, failure to maintain a provisional or personal adviser (Ph.D. students) or failure to complete the master’s degree within six terms, or failure to complete the doctoral dissertation within eighteen terms of academic residence (see Time-to-Degree). A student may appeal a recommendation for academic disqualification to the appropriate subgroup or the departmental chair.