Applicable only to students admitted during the 2015-2016 academic year.

Physics and Astronomy

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Astronomy, the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Astronomy, the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Physics, and the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Physics.

Astronomy

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degrees

Master of Science

Advising

Entering students or those who have not been admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree should consult with the Faculty Graduate Adviser for Astronomy at the beginning of Fall Quarter to determine a program for the year. Graduate students should continue to meet at least once per year with the Faculty Graduate Adviser for advising and program review.

Areas of Study

Consult the department.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Requirements for the master’s degree include the following seven core courses: Astronomy 270, Astronomy 271A, Astronomy 271B, Astronomy 272, Astronomy 273, Astronomy 274, Astronomy 281.

In addition to the core courses, students must take two elective courses from the following course options: Astronomy 275, Astronomy 276, Astronomy 282, Astronomy 283, and Astronomy 286. Students must achieve a grade point average of at least 3.00, averaged over all core and elective courses. Students must satisfactorily complete the two-quarter second-year research project (Astronomy 277A-277B), culminating in a written report of the methods and the results of the research performed. Before undertaking the second-year research project, students must identify a faculty adviser who is willing to oversee their work on the project.

Courses taken in the 300 or 500 series may not be applied toward these course requirements.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

The comprehensive examination consists of satisfactory completion of the second-year research project, culminating in a written report of the methods used and results obtained, and the oral portion of the comprehensive examination at the master’s level. The oral portion is described in more detail under the description of the written and oral qualifying examinations for the doctoral degree.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

Full-time students with no deficiencies at admission should normally be able to finish the master’s degree in five quarters.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
MS	5	5	5

Master of Arts in Teaching

Advising

The M.A.T. adviser oversees all stages of progress toward the M.A.T. degree. Students are required to see the adviser at the beginning of each quarter through the completion of the degree.

Areas of Study

It is not required to designate an area of specialization for the M.A.T. degree.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Nine courses are required for the academic portion of the M.A.T. program. They must include at least five graduate courses in Astronomy, Mathematics, or Physics, or 100- or 200-series courses in Education required for the instructional credential. Although it does not count for degree credit, Physics M370A is also required. Courses taken in the 300 or 500 series may not be applied toward the total course requirement or the graduate course requirement. In order to obtain a secondary credential with the M.A.T. in Astronomy, additional courses in Education, including supervised teaching, must be taken.

Teaching Experience

Consult the department.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

The comprehensive examination plan is the same as for the M.S. degree.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

The average period of time-to-degree is two years (six quarters) from graduate admission to conferral of degree.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
MAT	6	6	6

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Entering students or those who have not been admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. should consult with the chair of graduate admissions at the beginning of Fall Quarter to determine a program for the year. Graduate students are advised by the Faculty Graduate Adviser for Astronomy, with whom they should meet at least once per year.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Consult the department.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Requirements for the Ph.D. degree include the following seven core courses: Astronomy 270, Astronomy 271A, Astronomy 271B, Astronomy 272, Astronomy 273, Astronomy 274, Astronomy 281.

In addition to the core courses, students must take two elective courses from the following course options: Astronomy 275, Astronomy 276, Astronomy 282, Astronomy 283, and Astronomy 286. Exceptions or substitutions can be made by petition only and must be arranged in advance or, for students transferring from another institution, during or before the first quarter of residence. Students must achieve a grade point average of at least 3.00, averaged over all core and elective courses.

Teaching Experience

Before receiving a Ph.D. degree, students are required to spend at least three quarters as a teaching assistant at UCLA, preferably completed in the first two years of study. All teaching assistants must enroll in Astronomy 375 for each quarter they hold such an appointment.

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.

Since the primary goal of the graduate program in astronomy is to train students to do research at the Ph.D. level, the purpose of the master’s comprehensive/doctoral qualifying examination is (1) to assess students’ general knowledge of astronomy and physics at the graduate level; and (2) to assess students’ capacity to perform fundamental research, and thus to become successful research scientists. The structure of the comprehensive examination is designed accordingly. The master’s comprehensive/doctoral qualifying examination and the requirements leading up to it are administered by a graduate evaluation committee, appointed by the vice chair, and consisting of three members. The graduate evaluation committee evaluates all second-year students every Spring Quarter.

All second-year students are assessed by the graduate evaluation committee for their performance on the qualifying examination on the basis of the following:

(1) A collective assessment of the written report on the second-year research project, which constitutes the written qualifying examination.

(2) Performance on the oral portion of the comprehensive examination, administered by the comprehensive examination committee at the beginning of Spring Quarter of the student’s second year. During this oral portion of the comprehensive examination, students present the results of their second-year research project and are expected to be able to respond to questions and to solve basic problems from all core areas of astrophysics in which they have had the opportunity to take the course following the normal schedule of classes.

The graduate evaluation committee notifies students of the committee’s assessment of their performance on the examination within a week following the end of the comprehensive examination. The examination is based primarily on the combination of the oral examination plus the written report on the second-year research project. In addition, the committee reviews the instructors’ written narratives and the file of the student’s final examinations in all graduate courses taken in order to place the student’s performance on the oral examination into a maximally broad context. The potential outcomes of the assessment are

(1) Pass — with immediate eligibility to proceed to the University Oral Qualifying Examination.

(2) No pass — with the possibility of reassessment by an agreed upon date during the following year on the basis of a specific written list of requirements supplied by the graduate evaluation committee. (This option is meant to be used sparingly for students with a single, identifiable and presumably correctable weakness, but who are otherwise above the passing threshold.) The no-pass option can only be used once for any particular student.

(3) Terminal master’s pass — allowing the student only to finish any outstanding course requirements for the master’s degree, if any.

(4) Fail — resulting in an immediate recommendation for termination of the student’s affiliation with the department.

After the scope of the Ph.D. dissertation research has been clearly defined and in consultation with the student’s dissertation adviser, a doctoral committee is nominated, approved by the department chair, and finally appointed by the Graduate Division. This committee, generally consisting of three members from the department and one member from another department, conducts the University Oral Qualifying Examination. The main purpose of this examination is to discuss and evaluate the student’s proposed dissertation problem, but at the discretion of the committee, questions may be asked with regard to other material in the student’s field of specialization and related matters. The committee members guide, read, approve, and certify the dissertation. At least two members from the department and at least one outside member must serve as certifying members for the dissertation. The oral qualifying examination is taken no later than the tenth quarter in residence.

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 the Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

The normative time-to-degree is fifteen quarters. Full-time students with no deficiencies are expected to submit their Ph.D. dissertations within the normative time-to-degree. Normal progress towards the Ph.D. degree has been established as follows:

(1) The requirements for the comprehensive examination should be completed during the sixth quarter in residence.

(2) The sequence of 596 courses begun by the seventh quarter in residence with a faculty adviser chosen then or before.

(3) The oral qualifying examination (and advancement to candidacy) should be completed no later than ninth quarter.

(4) The dissertation and final oral be finished by the end of the 15th quarter.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
PhD	9	15	21

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

A student’s progress is evaluated during each Spring Quarter by a committee of departmental faculty. A student is advised of the faculty’s evaluation either informally or in writing.

A student may appeal a recommendation for termination in writing to the faculty adviser who then reconvenes the entire departmental faculty to reconsider the recommendation.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2015-2016 academic year.

Management

John E. Anderson School of Management

Graduate Degrees

The John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctoral of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Management, the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree, and the Master of Financial Engineering (M.F.E.) degree. In addition, there are a number of degree programs, offered in cooperation with other graduate and professional degree programs on campus, that lead to the M.B.A. and another degree. The school also offers the Executive M.B.A. Program (EMBA) and the M.B.A. for the Fully Employed (FEMBA).

Master of Financial Engineering

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

The faculty director of the MFE program is in charge of student advising.

Areas of Study

Financial Engineering.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

52 units of coursework are required for the degree. All courses must be at the graduate level. In exceptional circumstances a maximum of four units of 500-series coursework may be applied to the course requirements. The curriculum consists of four components: (1) core courses; (2) financial institution seminars/career development workshops; (3) a summer internship; and (4) an applied finance project. The core courses, which consist of 48 units from Management 237 category, provide the skills, theoretical and applied, that students need to work in the area of quantitative finance. The financial institution seminars present finance practitioners who discuss such topics as the opportunities available to graduates of the program, the skills needed to succeed in financial engineering, and emerging changes in the financial world. The four-unit summer internship, Management 237L, provides students with either research or practical experience applying their financial engineering knowledge in a real-world setting, strengthening their competitive position in the marketplace upon graduation. The fieldwork course (Management 237L) does not apply toward the 52-unit requirement. The four-unit applied finance project, Management 237N, is designed to provide in-depth exposure to at least one major task that graduates will be expected to perform in the workplace.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Summer internship required.

M.F.E. students are required to do an internship with a company in their proposed area of study (financial engineering). The summer quarter is the primary time to satisfy this requirement; however, internships may be pursued during the Spring or Fall terms. Students should expect to devote at least 120 hours during the term to their internship, and should be prepared to provide regular activity reports to their faculty advisor. Students considering research positions may also discuss their plans with the M.F.E. program faculty director in order to develop alternative research/ special projects opportunities to meet this requirement. M.F.E. students will have their field experiences evaluated by their faculty advisor through enrollment in MGMT 237L. Evaluation may consist of any combination of written or oral presentations.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

The comprehensive examination requirement is fulfilled by successful completion of the applied finance project. This project is designed to provide an in-depth exposure to at least one major task students will be expected to fulfill in the workplace. The project will develop or utilize existing quantitative finance tools and techniques. The faculty member who supervises the project and two other faculty members appointed by the faculty program director are responsible for evaluating the project.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

Approximately 13 months from graduate admission to award of the degree, including a summer internship.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
MFE	5	5	10

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.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2015-2016 academic year.

Atmospheric and Oceanic Science

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

Students who enter the program without an academic adviser should consult with a graduate adviser when planning their graduate study. Before the first year of graduate study is completed, students choose a principal academic adviser. This adviser assists the students in creating a program of study that satisfies departmental and University requirements. The adviser also serves as the chair for the student’s departmental guidance committee, members of which are selected by the student in consultation with the principal adviser. If the student chooses the thesis plan, the guidance committee serves as the master’s thesis committee and evaluates the thesis. If the student chooses the comprehensive examination plan, this committee administers the examination.

Evaluations of the academic progress of each student are made each September when the graduate advisers, sitting as a committee, review student records, formally apprise students of their progress, and assist them in making future plans. The graduate advisers are also available throughout the year to meet with students as required.

Areas of Study

Dynamic and synoptic meteorology; oceanography; atmospheric physics and chemistry; upper atmosphere and space physics.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Course requirements for the master’s degree are satisfied by completion of a departmentally approved program of study. Each program of study must consist of at least nine courses (36 units), six (24 units) of which must be entry level graduate courses drawn from a list maintained by the department and chosen to ensure proper breadth and preparation. The minimum of 12 additional units of coursework are chosen, from the 200-series, to develop a specialization. The advanced course requirements also may be partially satisfied by: (1) 200-series courses taken for a grade outside of the department; (2) directed studies courses (596) within the department; and, in case of thesis plan students, (3) research courses (598) within the department. Only one 500-series course (four units) may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement for the master’s degree. Each student submits their program of study to the department prior to the beginning of their second year. Subject to the approval of the student’s guidance committee, the program of study may be amended, repeatedly and at any time, based on course offerings and evolving interests. The final program of study will be the basis for the departmental oral comprehensive examination. Satisfactory completion of the program of study requires an S grade for all S/U graded courses and a B average in all letter-graded courses that are part of the program of study.

In addition to the program of study, all students in the master’s program are required to enroll in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences 270 for S/U grading every quarter in which they are registered.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

The master’s comprehensive examination is an oral examination that is administered by the student’s departmental guidance committee after the successful completion of their program of study. The examination is graded fail, master’s level pass, or Ph.D. level pass. The material within the student’s program of study, especially within the chosen specialization, serves as the basis for this examination. Students are permitted two attempts to obtain a grade of pass, either for termination with award of the M.S. degree or for award of the M.S. degree and continuation for the Ph.D. degree. Students must receive a grade of pass (master’s or Ph.D. level) to satisfy the master’s comprehensive examination requirement. Students must receive a grade of Ph.D. level pass on this examination and have their entire record deemed acceptable for doctoral study by the guidance committee in order to be eligible to continue for the Ph.D. 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.

Students may receive the master’s degree by writing an original thesis as an alternative to the comprehensive examination. The thesis is graded in the same manner as is the comprehensive examination: fail, master’s level pass, or Ph.D. level pass. A Ph.D. level pass is considered to be sufficient to satisfy the written qualifying examination requirement for the Ph.D. degree (see below). The thesis is graded on the basis of critical, creative and independent thought.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to conferral of degree, normal progress is six academic quarters (and two summer terms). The maximum allowable time limit for the degree is nine academic quarters (and three summer terms).

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
MS	6	8	12

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Students who enter the program without an academic adviser should consult with a graduate adviser when planning their graduate study. Before the first year of graduate study is completed, students choose a principal academic adviser. This adviser assists the students in creating a program of study that satisfies departmental and University requirements. The adviser also serves as the chair for the student’s departmental guidance committee, members of which are selected by the student in consultation with the principal adviser. The departmental guidance committee is responsible for administering the oral component of the comprehensive examination and, in the case of students who fulfill the written component of the comprehensive examination with a master’s thesis or first authored paper, as evaluators of the thesis or paper. Normally the departmental guidance committee forms the core of the student’s doctoral committee.

Evaluations of the academic progress of each student are made each September when the graduate advisers, sitting as a committee, review student records, formally apprise students of their progress, and assist them in making future plans. The graduate advisers are also available throughout the year to meet with students as required.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Dynamic and synoptic meteorology; oceanography; atmospheric physics and chemistry; upper atmosphere and space physics.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Course requirements for the doctoral degree are satisfied by completion of a departmentally approved program of study. Each program of study must consist of at least nine courses (36 units), six (24 units) of which must be entry level graduate courses drawn from a list maintained by the department and chosen to ensure proper breadth and preparation. The minimum of 12 additional units of coursework are chosen, from the 200-series, to develop a specialization. The advanced course requirements also may be partially satisfied by: (1) 200-series courses taken for a grade outside of the department; (2) directed studies courses (596) within the department; and, in case of thesis plan students, (3) research courses (598) within the department. Each student submits their program of study to the department prior to the beginning of their second year. Subject to the approval of the student’s guidance committee, the program of study may be amended, repeatedly and at any time, based on course offerings and evolving interests. The final program of study will be the basis for the departmental oral comprehensive examination. Satisfactory completion of the program of study requires an S grade for all S/U grades courses and a B average in all letter-graded courses that are part of the program of study, and a grade-point average of 3.5 or greater in five of six entry level courses that form the core of the program of study, and the overall program of study.

Students are required to present a graded departmental seminar based on their original series as part of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences 270. The grade for this seminar is based on the seminar presentation and is given by the faculty as a whole. A grade of B or better is required for the doctoral degree. Prior to the quarter in which the seminar is presented for a letter grade, students in the doctoral program are required to enroll in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences 270 for S/U grading every quarter in which they are registered. Subsequent to receiving a B or better for their seminar presentation, doctoral students are encouraged but not required to continue to enroll in Atmospheric and Oceanic Science 270.

Regardless of the status of their program of study, full-time students must be enrolled in at least one (three or more units) 200-series course per year prior to receiving the doctoral degree.

Teaching Experience

All students are required to teach (be employed as a teaching assistant within this department) at least two quarters.

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.

Students are required to complete three examinations before advancement to candidacy for the doctoral degree: the master’s comprehensive examination, which is an oral examination; a written qualifying examination; and the University Oral Qualifying Examination.

Students are required to complete the master’s comprehensive examination at the Ph.D. level as described above for the master’s degree. This examination is an oral examination based on the student’s program of study, especially within the chosen specialization.

Written Qualifying Examination

All doctoral students are required to pass a written qualifying examination that demonstrates their ability to critically summarize and synthesize literature on a research topic. Normally this ability is demonstrated by satisfactory performance on an examination that is offered once a year, usually at the end of Spring Quarter. The examination consists of a written paper in which students present a critical summary and synthesis of a research topic chosen for them with their specific research interests in mind. A more specific time line and evaluation criteria for each year’s examination are made available to students at least two months prior to the examination.  This examination may be taken twice and is administered by a committee of the faculty chosen on a yearly basis for the purpose of administering and grading this examination. The examination is graded pass or not pass. Students who do not pass the examination will receive one of three recommendations: (1) retake the examination the following year; (2) write a master’s thesis and be reconsidered for eligibility to continue for the Ph.D. degree depending on the grade on the thesis; or (3) complete any outstanding requirements for the master’s degree and leave the program.

For students who complete the master’s thesis plan, a Ph.D. level pass on the master’s thesis is considered sufficient to satisfy the written qualifying examination for the Ph.D. degree. On the recommendation of their principal adviser, a student may petition to substitute a first authored paper submitted for publication in a refereed journal for the written qualifying examination. The student’s departmental guidance committee makes the decision on the petition.

University Oral Qualifying Examination

This examination is conducted by the student’s doctoral committee. The committee conducts an in-depth oral examination of the student’s written proposal of the dissertation research topic. The proposal is made available to the committee at least one week prior to the examination. The examination is graded based on the student’s ability to articulate a coherent and feasible plan of original and creative research.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations. The Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil.) degree is awarded for the quarter in which students are advanced to candidacy.

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

Normative Time-to-Degree is 17 academic quarters (and five summer terms). Maximum Time-to-Degree is 24 academic quarters (and eight summer terms).

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
PhD	12	22	32

Students are expected to:

A. Pass the written component of the departmental comprehensive examination at the conclusion of their first year and to take the oral component of this examination either during the summer at the end of their second year or at the beginning of their third year.

B. Take the University Oral qualifying Examination at the end of their third year (nine academic quarters and three summer terms) or at the beginning of their fourth year.

To remain in good standing students must meet the coursework requirements and pass the departmental comprehensive examination (or satisfy equivalent requirements) prior to the end of their tenth academic quarter; pass the University Oral Qualifying Examination prior to the end of their thirteenth academic quarter; and the dissertation and final oral defense examination should be completed prior to the end of their eighteenth quarter. Exceptions to these policies may be granted based on extenuating circumstances or based on students being allowed to enroll part-time. In such cases, student progress is judged in relation to a time line determined by the graduate advisers in consultation with students and their principal advisers.

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

A student who fails to maintain a 3.00 grade point average for two consecutive terms or for a total of three terms, or who fails to pass the University Oral Qualifying Examination after two attempts, or who fails to remain in good standing for two consecutive or three total quarters (see definition of good standing under Time-To-Degree) will be recommended for termination. A student may appeal a recommendation for termination to the departmental chair.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2015-2016 academic year.

Environmental Science and Engineering

Institute of the Environment and Sustainability

Graduate Degrees

The Institute of the Environment and Sustainability offers the Doctor of Environmental Science and Engineering (D.Env.) degree.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

None. Students must have a Master’s Degree to apply (see Admissions Requirements).

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Students are advised in general terms by the program graduate adviser, but a specific program is planned in consultation with each student’s individual faculty adviser. Students should meet with those individuals several times a year to plan their programs. Ongoing evaluations of academic progress are made at the end of each quarter in courses completed toward degree requirements, grades in all coursework, performance in the examination sequence, and performance in the Problems Courses. The primary assessment is by program faculty with review and assistance as needed by the student’s adviser and the Environmental Science and Engineering Faculty Advisory Committee.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Specialties within the program include (but are not limited to) the assessment and management of hazardous substances in the air, soil, and water environments; migration of contaminants in surface and groundwater; health risks of toxic substances; mitigation of adverse effects on the biological environment; restoration ecology; and environmental economics. Also, students may balance their work with a greater emphasis on either the science/engineering or science/policy side of their specialty.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Course requirements consist of core courses, elective courses, environmental science and engineering seminars, a technical writing course and problems courses.

Core Courses. Eleven core course requirements must be satisfied. All core courses must be taken on a letter grading basis (not for S/U grading). Courses must be taken from the following categories:

Environmental Science (four courses). Courses that describe the characteristics of terrestrial, air, and water environments; the biota; the geological, biological, chemical, hydrological, and atmospheric processes of the environment; and the interrelationships between these compartments. Required courses are as follows: Environmental Health Sciences 212, C225, C240, C264.

Environmental Engineering (three courses). Courses in engineering, mathematics, and the applied physical and life sciences covering topics such as modeling of environmental systems, fate and effects of environmental contaminants, design and evaluation of pollution control systems, plus courses that describe the tools and methods needed to address environmental problems, such as field and laboratory analytical methods, statistics, computer science, and advanced applied mathematics. Required courses are as follows: Civil and Environmental Engineering 153, 155 and one elective engineering course to be approved by the program faculty.

Environmental Management, Law, and Policy (two courses). Courses that relate to the social and institutional factors relevant to environmental problem solving such as the development and implementation of regulations, dynamics of public participation, and socioeconomic analysis of current and historical trends in environmental and energy policy. Required courses are as follows: Environment M134, Urban Planning M264A/B (same as Law 290).

Analytical Tools and Methods (two courses). Courses that introduce students to the tools and methods required for interdisciplinary research such as probability and statistics, decision analysis, geographical information systems (GIS), numerical analysis and experiment and survey design. Two courses approved by the program faculty. Suggested courses are: Biostats 100A/B, 110A, CEE 103, 110, Econ 203A/B/C, EEB C219, ENV 159, 260, Management 217A, Political Science 200A/B/C, 204A/B/C, 209, Public Policy 203, Stats 100A/B, 101A, Urban Planning M206A/B.

Elective Courses. Four courses selected to provide depth in one area for students whose previous degrees emphasized disciplinary breadth or to provide additional courses in an area related to a student’s goals within environmental science and engineering. Elective courses will be selected in consultation with the student’s academic advisor and must be approved by the program faculty. All elective courses must be taken on a letter-grading basis (not for S/U grading).

Credit for Prior Work. Entering environmental science and engineering students may already have completed some of the required coursework in their undergraduate and graduate work. Three of the 11 core courses can be waived based on prior coursework. Any other course requirement satisfied by previous work must be replaced with an elective in any field of environmental science and engineering that is pertinent to the goals of the student. Thus, a minimum of 12 core and elective courses must be completed after admission to the program. A minimum of 10 core and elective courses must be taken at UCLA or another University of California campus.

Environmental Science and Engineering Seminar. While completing core and elective requirements, full-time students must attend the equivalent of two quarters of weekly seminars in the general area of environmental science and engineering, either by enrolling in a seminar course or attending 16 separate departmental seminars each year.

Effective Technical Writing Course. All students must enroll in Environment M412 during the first or second year.

Problems Courses. Problems courses constitute intensive multidisciplinary applied research directed toward the solution of current environmental problems. Students are required to quantify and measure necessary parameters, perform critical evaluations, edit and process technical and socioeconomic information, meet deadlines, and communicate through a final report to the competent lay person as well as to the technical specialist. Sometimes two or three faculty from different academic disciplines oversee a team of student researchers. Before proceeding to the problems courses, students must have completed eight of the required core courses, successfully passed all core and elective courses taken (B- grade or better), and maintained a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 for all classes taken after entering the Environmental Science and Engineering Program. Twenty-four quarter units of Environment 400 must be completed during the three quarters prior to advancement to candidacy. The requirement may be met by completing three consecutive quarters (eight units per quarter) on a single theme; or as a minimum, at least two consecutive quarters devoted to a single theme plus one quarter participation or activity approved by the faculty. Enrollment in more than one problems course per quarter is not allowed. No more than eight units of other coursework may be taken when enrolled in a problems course.

Problems Course Workshops. All students must enroll in Environment M413, M414, and M415 before advancing to candidacy.

Normally, problems course credit is only earned from courses offered through the Environmental Science and Engineering Program. However, students may petition the faculty for permission to earn problems course credit through multidisciplinary environmental projects offered in other departments at UCLA.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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

A two-tiered examination sequence, consisting of written and oral examinations, is required for advancement to candidacy to the D.Env. degree. The examinations must be successfully completed before the internship can begin. The purpose of the examinations is to test the student’s understanding of the core and breadth areas, the master’s field, current issues in the environmental field, and subjects covered in students’ problems course experience. The written examination is administered by the program faculty. The written examination may be repeated once. The University Oral Qualifying Examination is administered by the doctoral committee, a four-person faculty committee that guides the student through the remainder of the program. Generally, the doctoral committee is appointed during the second year of the student’s tenure at UCLA. The oral examination may be repeated once.

Internship. After advancement to candidacy (see below), students begin an internship in their field of interest at an outside institution. Arrangements for the internship are the students’ responsibility but program faculty will assist. The institution and the nature of the appointment must be approved by the doctoral committee and the Chair of the Environmental Science and Engineering Faculty Advisory Committee. Supervision during the field training experience will be by the doctoral committee and the field program supervisor. A letter of agreement between UCLA and the institution is required. During each long session quarter of internship the student must register at UCLA for eight units of Environment 599.

No later than nine months after advancement to candidacy, at the beginning of the internship, the candidate is required to present a written prospectus of the dissertation and defend it before the doctoral committee.

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 the Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

Well-prepared students who hold strong baccalaureate and master’s degrees should be able to complete the requirements for the D.Env. degree in 13 to 15 quarters, including the internship period.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
DEV	6	15	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

A recommendation for termination for student who is not advanced to candidacy is made by the program faculty. A recommendation for termination for a student who is advanced to candidacy is made by the doctoral committee. A student may appeal a recommendation for termination to the Environmental Science and Engineering Faculty Advisory Committee. In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for termination based on the inability to communicate (in writing or orally) as required for success in the program area.

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

Management

John E. Anderson School of Management

Graduate Degrees

The John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctoral of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Management, the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree, and the Master of Financial Engineering (M.F.E.) degree. In addition, there are a number of degree programs, offered in cooperation with other graduate and professional degree programs on campus, that lead to the M.B.A. and another degree. The school also offers the Executive M.B.A. Program (EMBA) and the M.B.A. for the Fully Employed (FEMBA).

Master of Financial Engineering

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

The faculty director of the M.F.E. program is in charge of student advising.

Areas of Study

Financial Engineering.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

52 units of course work are required for the degree. All courses must be at the graduate level. In exceptional circumstances a maximum of four units of 500-series course work may be applied to the course requirements. The curriculum consists of four components: (1) core courses; (2) financial institution seminars/career development workshops; (3) a summer internship; and (4) an applied finance project. The core courses, which consist of 40 units from Management 237 category, provide the skills, theoretical and applied, that students need to work in the area of quantitative finance. The financial institution seminars present finance practitioners who discuss such topics as the opportunities available to graduates of the program, the skills needed to succeed in financial engineering, and emerging changes in the financial world. The four-unit summer internship, Management 237L, provides students with either research or practical experience applying their financial engineering knowledge in a real-world setting, strengthening their competitive position in the marketplace upon graduation. The fieldwork course (Management 237L) does not apply toward the 52-unit requirement. The four-unit applied finance project, Management 237N, is designed to provide in-depth exposure to at least one major task that graduates will be expected to perform in the workplace.

Teaching Experience

Not Required.

Field Experience

Summer internship required.

M.F.E. students are required to do an internship with a company in their proposed area of study (financial engineering). The summer quarter is the primary time to satisfy this requirement; however, internships may be pursued during the Spring or Fall terms. Students should expect to devote at least 120 hours during the term to their internship, and should be prepared to provide regular activity reports to their faculty advisor. Students considering research positions may also discuss their plans with the M.F.E. program faculty director in order to develop alternative research/ special projects opportunities to meet this requirement. M.F.E. students will have their field experiences evaluated by their faculty advisor through enrollment in MGMT 237L. Evaluation may consist of any combination of written or oral presentations.

Capstone Plan

The capstone plan requirement is fulfilled by successful completion of the Applied Finance Project (MGMT 237N) course with grade of “B” or better. Teams of students complete an original applied research project that will develop or utilize existing quantitative finance tools and techniques. The project is designed to provide an in depth exposure to at least one major task students will be expected to fulfill in the workplace. Students are individually evaluated by three UCLA faculty members who supervise the project to ensure that the students’ work and contributions adhere to the rigorous academic requirements of the program.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

Approximately 13 months from graduate admission to award of the degree, including a summer internship.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.F.E.	5	5	10

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.

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

East Asian Studies

Interdepartmental Program
College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The East Asian Studies Program offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in East Asian Studies.

Admissions Requirements

Master of Arts

Advising

Advising is a cooperative effort between the student affairs officer and the student’s principal faculty academic adviser.

Areas of Study

Students are expected to concentrate on one cultural area (China, Japan, or Korea), or to combine areas for a cross-cultural program.

Foreign Language Requirement

Students must complete the third-year level of course work in either modern spoken Chinese, Japanese, or Korean or demonstrate and document the equivalent level of ability by taking a language placement exam.

Course Requirements

Nine courses (36 units) are required for the degree, at least five of which (20 units) must be graduate courses. Of the nine courses, at least five must be in the student’s area of concentration, including one survey course approved by the program chair. No more than two courses in the 500 series may apply toward the nine courses and only one of these courses may be counted toward the minimum of five graduate courses required for the degree. All students are expected to take at least one course either in a different cultural area, if they concentrate in one cultural area, or otherwise outside the specific parameters of their cross-cultural program.

Except for 500-series courses, students may not apply courses taken on an S/U grading basis toward the master’s degree, as stipulated by university regulations for interdepartmental degree programs.

Courses used to meet the language requirement do not apply toward the total course requirements.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

The capstone plan consists of a comprehensive examination, which involves the submission of three research papers (at least one seminar and two upper division papers). These papers are evaluated by the ad hoc committee, comprised of three faculty members and chaired by the student’s principal adviser. Students have to submit their papers during the last quarter in residence. If the comprehensive examination is failed, it may be retaken only once via the resubmission of qualifying papers by the end of the next academic quarter.

Thesis Plan

The thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research. The thesis option is available by permission of the graduate adviser. Upon obtaining permission, the student, in consultation with the graduate adviser, selects a three-member faculty committee to supervise and assess the thesis. The thesis committee works closely with the student in the development, writing, and revision of the thesis, and is responsible for reading, evaluating, and approving the drafts and final version of the thesis, ensuring thereby that it meets the University standards of scholarship. Once the final version is approved, the thesis committee recommends the award of the M.A. degree.

Time-to-Degree

Upon admission, full-time students are expected to complete all requirements, except those for the language requirement, within six quarters. Students with no language background may require an extra three regular quarters or one term of intensive summer school study.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	6	6	9

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.

 

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

East Asian Studies

Interdepartmental Program
College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The East Asian Studies Program offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in East Asian Studies.

Admissions Requirements

Master of Arts

Advising

Advising is a cooperative effort between the student affairs officer and the student’s principal faculty academic adviser.

Areas of Study

Students are expected to concentrate on one cultural area (China, Japan, or Korea), or to combine areas for a cross-cultural program.

Foreign Language Requirement

Students must complete the third-year level of course work in either modern spoken Chinese, Japanese, or Korean or demonstrate and document the equivalent level of ability by taking a language placement exam.

Course Requirements

Nine courses (36 units) are required for the degree, at least five of which (20 units) must be graduate courses. Of the nine courses, at least five must be in the student’s area of concentration, including one survey course approved by the program chair. No more than two courses in the 500 series may apply toward the nine courses and only one of these courses may be counted toward the minimum of five graduate courses required for the degree. All students are expected to take at least one course either in a different cultural area, if they concentrate in one cultural area, or otherwise outside the specific parameters of their cross-cultural program.

Except for 500-series courses, students may not apply courses taken on an S/U grading basis toward the master’s degree, as stipulated by university regulations for interdepartmental degree programs.

Courses used to meet the language requirement do not apply toward the total course requirements.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

The capstone plan consists of a comprehensive examination, which involves the submission of three research papers (at least one seminar and two upper division papers). These papers are evaluated by the ad hoc committee, comprised of three faculty members and chaired by the student’s principal adviser. Students have to submit their papers during the last quarter in residence. If the comprehensive examination is failed, it may be retaken only once via the resubmission of qualifying papers by the end of the next academic quarter.

Thesis Plan

The thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research. The thesis option is available by permission of the graduate adviser. Upon obtaining permission, the student, in consultation with the graduate adviser, selects a three-member faculty committee to supervise and assess the thesis. The thesis committee works closely with the student in the development, writing, and revision of the thesis, and is responsible for reading, evaluating, and approving the drafts and final version of the thesis, ensuring thereby that it meets the University standards of scholarship. Once the final version is approved, the thesis committee recommends the award of the M.A. degree.

Time-to-Degree

Upon admission, full-time students are expected to complete all requirements, except those for the language requirement, within six quarters. Students with no language background may require an extra three regular quarters or one term of intensive summer school study.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	6	6	9

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.

 

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

East Asian Studies

Interdepartmental Program
College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The East Asian Studies Program offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in East Asian Studies.

Admissions Requirements

Master of Arts

Advising

Advising is a cooperative effort between the student affairs officer and the student’s principal faculty academic adviser.

Areas of Study

Students are expected to concentrate on one cultural area (China, Japan, or Korea), or to combine areas for a cross-cultural program.

Foreign Language Requirement

Students must complete the third-year level of course work in either modern spoken Chinese, Japanese, or Korean or demonstrate and document the equivalent level of ability by taking a language placement exam.

Course Requirements

Nine courses (36 units) are required for the degree, at least five of which (20 units) must be graduate courses. Of the nine courses, at least five must be in the student’s area of concentration, including one survey course approved by the program chair. No more than two courses in the 500 series may apply toward the nine courses and only one of these courses may be counted toward the minimum of five graduate courses required for the degree. All students are expected to take at least one course either in a different cultural area, if they concentrate in one cultural area, or otherwise outside the specific parameters of their cross-cultural program.

Except for 500-series courses, students may not apply courses taken on an S/U grading basis toward the master’s degree, as stipulated by university regulations for interdepartmental degree programs.

Courses used to meet the language requirement do not apply toward the total course requirements.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

The capstone plan consists of a comprehensive examination, which involves the submission of three research papers (at least one seminar and two upper division papers). These papers are evaluated by the ad hoc committee, comprised of three faculty members and chaired by the student’s principal adviser. Students have to submit their papers during the last quarter in residence. If the comprehensive examination is failed, it may be retaken only once via the resubmission of qualifying papers by the end of the next academic quarter.

Thesis Plan

The thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research. The thesis option is available by permission of the graduate adviser. Upon obtaining permission, the student, in consultation with the graduate adviser, selects a three-member faculty committee to supervise and assess the thesis. The thesis committee works closely with the student in the development, writing, and revision of the thesis, and is responsible for reading, evaluating, and approving the drafts and final version of the thesis, ensuring thereby that it meets the University standards of scholarship. Once the final version is approved, the thesis committee recommends the award of the M.A. degree.

Time-to-Degree

Upon admission, full-time students are expected to complete all requirements, except those for the language requirement, within six quarters. Students with no language background may require an extra three regular quarters or one term of intensive summer school study.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	6	6	9

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.

 

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

East Asian Studies

Interdepartmental Program
College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The East Asian Studies Program offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in East Asian Studies.

Admissions Requirements

Master of Arts

Advising

Advising is a cooperative effort between the student affairs officer and the student’s principal faculty academic adviser.

Areas of Study

Students are expected to concentrate on one cultural area (China, Japan, or Korea), or to combine areas for a cross-cultural program.

Foreign Language Requirement

Students must complete the third-year level of course work in either modern spoken Chinese, Japanese, or Korean or demonstrate and document the equivalent level of ability by taking a language placement exam.

Course Requirements

Nine courses (36 units) are required for the degree, at least five of which (20 units) must be graduate courses. Of the nine courses, at least five must be in the student’s area of concentration, including one survey course approved by the program chair. No more than two courses in the 500 series may apply toward the nine courses and only one of these courses may be counted toward the minimum of five graduate courses required for the degree. All students are expected to take at least one course either in a different cultural area, if they concentrate in one cultural area, or otherwise outside the specific parameters of their cross-cultural program.

Except for 500-series courses, students may not apply courses taken on an S/U grading basis toward the master’s degree, as stipulated by university regulations for interdepartmental degree programs.

Courses used to meet the language requirement do not apply toward the total course requirements.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

The capstone plan consists of a comprehensive examination, which involves the submission of three research papers (at least one seminar and two upper division papers). These papers are evaluated by the ad hoc committee, comprised of three faculty members and chaired by the student’s principal adviser. Students have to submit their papers during the last quarter in residence. If the comprehensive examination is failed, it may be retaken only once via the resubmission of qualifying papers by the end of the next academic quarter.

Thesis Plan

The thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research. The thesis option is available by permission of the graduate adviser. Upon obtaining permission, the student, in consultation with the graduate adviser, selects a three-member faculty committee to supervise and assess the thesis. The thesis committee works closely with the student in the development, writing, and revision of the thesis, and is responsible for reading, evaluating, and approving the drafts and final version of the thesis, ensuring thereby that it meets the University standards of scholarship. Once the final version is approved, the thesis committee recommends the award of the M.A. degree.

Time-to-Degree

Upon admission, full-time students are expected to complete all requirements, except those for the language requirement, within six quarters. Students with no language background may require an extra three regular quarters or one term of intensive summer school study.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	6	6	9

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.

 

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

East Asian Studies

Interdepartmental Program
College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The East Asian Studies Program offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in East Asian Studies.

Admissions Requirements

Master of Arts

Advising

Advising is a cooperative effort between the student affairs officer and the student’s principal faculty academic adviser.

Areas of Study

Students are expected to concentrate on one cultural area (China, Japan, or Korea), or to combine areas for a cross-cultural program.

Foreign Language Requirement

Students must complete the third-year level of course work in either modern spoken Chinese, Japanese, or Korean or demonstrate and document the equivalent level of ability by taking a language placement exam.

Course Requirements

Nine courses (36 units) are required for the degree, at least five of which (20 units) must be graduate courses. Of the nine courses, at least five must be in the student’s area of concentration. EA STDS M265 may count as one of those five courses, or as one of the nine. No more than two courses (8 units) in the 500 series may apply toward the nine courses and only one of these courses (4 units) may be counted toward the minimum of five graduate courses required for the degree. All students are expected to take at least one course either in a different cultural area, if they concentrate in one cultural area, or otherwise outside the specific parameters of their cross-cultural program.

Except for 500-series courses, students may not apply courses taken on an S/U grading basis toward the master’s degree, as stipulated by university regulations for interdepartmental degree programs.

Courses used to meet the language requirement do not apply toward the total course requirements.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

The capstone plan consists of a comprehensive examination, which involves the submission of three research papers (at least one seminar and two upper division papers). These papers are evaluated by the ad hoc committee, comprised of three faculty members and chaired by the student’s principal adviser. Students have to submit their papers during the last quarter in residence. If the comprehensive examination is failed, it may be retaken only once via the resubmission of qualifying papers by the end of the next academic quarter.

Thesis Plan

The thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research. The thesis option is available by permission of the graduate adviser. Upon obtaining permission, the student, in consultation with the graduate adviser, selects a three-member faculty committee to supervise and assess the thesis. The thesis committee works closely with the student in the development, writing, and revision of the thesis, and is responsible for reading, evaluating, and approving the drafts and final version of the thesis, ensuring thereby that it meets the University standards of scholarship. Once the final version is approved, the thesis committee recommends the award of the M.A. degree.

Time-to-Degree

Upon admission, full-time students are expected to complete all requirements, except those for the language requirement, within six quarters. Students with no language background may require an extra three regular quarters or one term of intensive summer school study.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	6	6	9

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.