Program Requirements for Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology

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Program Requirements for Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2014-2015 academic year.

Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology

College of Letters and Science
Interdepartmental Program

Graduate Degrees

The Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology Program offers the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

None.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

First year students are advised by a faculty adviser who is appointed by the Graduate Program Committee representing one of the three program subdisciplines (biophysics, cellular and molecular physiology, or integrative/comparative physiology). First-year advisers counsel students on laboratory rotations, choice of research mentors, and coursework.

By the end of Spring Quarter of the second year, students are expected to form an advisory committee. The advisory committee consists of a minimum of four faculty, including the student’s anticipated dissertation adviser, who are qualified in the student’s selected subdiscipline. The duties of the advisory committee are to evaluate the feasibility and adequacy of the planned dissertation project for satisfying the requirements for the doctoral degree. The advisory committee should also be attentive to the professional development of the student, and be available to serve a professional advisory role throughout the student’s training.

The student’s advisory committee usually becomes the doctoral committee, although the student or committee members may elect to change the committee composition to best reflect the expertise required for advising and analysis of the dissertation. The doctoral committee should be selected by the Winter Quarter of the third year. In addition to the general advisory role of the doctoral committee, its duty is to administer the University Oral Qualifying Examination, the midstream oral presentation, and the final oral examination (defense of the dissertation), as well as to read, approve, and certify the dissertation.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Biophysics, Cellular and Molecular Physiology, and Integrative/Comparative Physiology.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students are required to complete approved graduate coursework in molecular biology, cellular biology, research ethics, and physiology during their first year. Students who have completed professional or graduate degrees (e.g., M.D., D.D.S., M.S.) prior to admission to the program may be exempted from required first-year coursework if they have completed substantially similar courses elsewhere. Students also are required to complete one seminar each quarter of their first year of enrollment.

During the second year students are required to complete one didactic course in their subdiscipline. The second-year course must be related to the student’s research interest and must be approved by the student’s adviser and the Graduate Program Committee. In addition, each student must take a total of three seminar courses during the second and third years. At least one of these three seminars must be taken during the second year. The remaining units necessary for completion of the degree are fulfilled through research training (596), preparation for qualifying examinations (597), and dissertation research (599).

Teaching Experience

Students are expected to complete a minimum of two quarters as a teaching assistant in coursework approved by the Graduate Program Committee. Advanced students, such as participants in the STAR or MSTP programs, or students who already hold the M.S. degree, may be exempted from the teaching requirement. The teaching requirement ordinarily will be completed in the second and third years of graduate study.

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.

The written qualifying examination must be completed by the end of Winter Quarter of the second year. Students are required to write a National Institute of Health (NIH)-style grant proposal that is approximately one-half of the length of a standard NIH proposal. Each student independently selects the topic of the research proposal, designs the hypotheses to be tested and formulates the experimental approach. The topic of the proposal requires approval in advance by the student’s advisory committee and by the IDP Steering Committee. Although the topic and hypotheses are to be selected by the student, the student is free to consult with other individuals in formulating the experimental approach. The topic for the proposal may not be the anticipated dissertation research topic, and may not be an active or anticipated research project in the laboratory of the student’s mentor. The examination is graded pass/fail by the IDP Steering Committee. Students who do not pass the examination are permitted one re-examination by the same committee in the same examination format on a date no later than the end of Spring Quarter of the second year.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination must be completed before the end of Fall Quarter of the third year. Students prepare a written description of the scientific background of the dissertation research project, the specific aims of the project, a description of preliminary findings and an experimental plan for addressing the specific aims. The dissertation proposal is then submitted to the student’s doctoral committee in advance of the examination. The examination consists of an oral presentation of the proposal by the student to the committee. The student’s oral presentation and examination are expected to demonstrate: (1) a scholarly understanding of the background of the dissertation proposal; (2) well-designed and testable aims; (3) a critical understanding of the technical applications to be employed in the dissertation; and (4) an understanding of potential experimental outcomes and their interpretation.

No later than 12 months following the University Oral Qualifying Examination, students are required to give a midstream oral presentation of their dissertation research progress to their doctoral committee. The purpose of the presentation is to monitor the student’s progress, identify difficulties that may occur in progressing toward successful completion of the dissertation and, if necessary, to approve changes in the dissertation project. The presentation is not an examination. The student’s dissertation adviser is required to summarize the committee recommendation in writing for inclusion in the student’s file.

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

Normative time-do-degree is specified as five years for those students entering with a bachelor’s degree only. Students who enter with an M.D. or M.S. degree in a relevant discipline are expected to complete the degree in three years.

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

None.

Program Requirements for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2014-2015 academic year.

Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

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 quarters. The maximum allowable time limit for the degree is nine quarters.

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.

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

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

Students are expected to 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. Students are expected to take the University Oral qualifying Examination at the end of their third year 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

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.

Program Requirements for Education (Education)

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2014-2015 academic year.

Education

Graduate School of Education and Information Studies

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Education offers the Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree, the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree, the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Education, and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Special Education (with California State University, Los Angeles).

Education

Admissions Requirements

Master of Arts

Advising

When admitted the student is assigned a faculty adviser within the selected field. The assigned faculty adviser, assisted by the administrative staff of the Office of Student Services, directs all academic affairs for graduate students in the department.

Areas of Study

The M.A. emphases in divisions 2 through 5 are the following:

Human Development and Psychology. Developmental studies in education and learning, and instruction.

Higher Education and Organizational Change. Education training, public policy analysis, research in higher education, and teaching in higher education.

Social Research Methodology. Applied statistics and psychometrics, quantitative and qualitative research, evaluation methodology, and economic analysis.

Social Sciences and Comparative Education. Philosophical/historical studies in education, cultural studies in education, race and ethnic studies in education, comparative/international studies in education.

Curricular Divisions. Students contact the Office of Student Services regarding faculty member(s) to be consulted with respect to enrollment and research opportunities and/or course sequencing in each division or emphasis field.

Division 1: Urban Schooling. Education 220A, 229, 237, 242, 246A, 262B, 262H, 262J, 264, 272, 275, 276, 277, 279, 284, 290.

Division 2: Human Development and Psychology. Education 205, 212A, 212B, 217A, 217B, 217D, 433A, 433B.

Division 3: Higher Education and Organizational Change. Education C209A, 209C, 209D, 221, 234, 235, 238, 239, 249B, 250A, 250B, 250C, 259A, 261F, 263.

Division 4: Social Research Methodology. Education 202, 211A, 211B, 218, 222A, 222B, 222C, 222D, 226, 230A, 230B, 230C, 231A, M231B, 231C, 231D, M231E, 233, 255A, 255B, 255C, 411.

Division 5: Social Sciences and Comparative Education. Education 200A, 204A, 204B, 204C, 204D, 204E, 206A, 208A, 208C, 252B, M253A, 253B, 253C, 253E, 253G, M266, 268, 270, 274, 282, 283.

Academic Interinstitutional Programs. Formal discontinuance pending.

Special Studies. Education 288, 296A, 296B, 296C, 299A, 299B, 299C, 375, 498A, 498B, 498C, 499A, 499B, 499C, 596, 597, 598, 599.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

A minimum of nine upper division and graduate courses (36 units) must be completed in graduate standing although no specific upper division courses are necessary. Six courses (24 units) must be taken in the Education 200 and 500 series; no more than two 500-series courses (eight units) may be applied toward the divisional course minimum and toward the graduate course minimum.

Two research methods courses approved by the faculty adviser must be selected. Additional courses to complete the 36-unit requirement may be selected from offerings in Education and/or other departments with consent of the assigned faculty adviser and consent of division head. Courses must be completed with a grade of C or better and with an overall grade point average of at least 3.0.

Students contact the Office of Student Services regarding faculty member(s) to be consulted with respect to enrollment and research opportunities and/or course sequencing in each division or emphasis field.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

The comprehensive examination is concerned with central topics in the selected division and field of emphasis. Questions are comprehensive in nature and are designed to measure the breadth and depth of knowledge, as well as ability to focus that knowledge on specific problems. The examination is offered twice yearly, once in Fall Quarter and once in Spring Quarter.

Students may be passed, passed with honors, or failed on the examination. Students who fail the examination are given a second opportunity to take the examination at the discretion of the student’s adviser and a third opportunity on a two-thirds majority of all divisional faculty voting on this issue. No fourth sitting for the examination is permitted. Students who fail the comprehensive examination, but who have been allowed to retake it, may do so at any scheduled sitting with consent of the divisional faculty.

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.

Before beginning work on the thesis students must obtain approval of the subject and general plan from the department and from the thesis committee chair. The thesis committee must be formed and a petition for advancement to candidacy for the degree must be filed no later than one quarter prior to completion of course requirements for the degree. The University thesis and dissertation adviser and the Graduate Division publication, Polices and Procedures for Thesis and Dissertation Preparation and Filing, provide guidance in the final formatting of the manuscript. The department does not require a formal examination for the thesis plan.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to completion of required courses, normal progress is from one to two years (three to six quarters). The comprehensive examination may be taken during the last quarter of coursework or during a quarter subsequent to the completion of coursework. Students on the thesis plan prepare the thesis subsequent to the completion of coursework. A maximum of seven quarters is permitted for completion of the degree.

Master of Education

Advising

When admitted the student is assigned a faculty adviser within the selected field.

Areas of Study

Student affairs, teacher education, and administrative credential.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

A minimum of nine upper division and graduate courses (36 units) must be completed in graduate standing. At least five courses (20 units) must be in the professional education (400) series. For the student affairs specialization, a total of 14 courses (56 units) are required, including seven graduate courses. For Teacher Education and Administrative Credential, no 500-series courses may be applied toward the degree. For Student Affairs, one Education 596 course may count toward the degree. Education 597 may be taken on an optional basis. A field experience minimally approximating one course is required for all M.Ed. emphases. Information regarding specific course requirements in a selected M.Ed. emphasis may be obtained from the Office of Student Services.

Teaching Experience

Teaching experience, if required, is indicated for each emphasis above.

Field Experience

Required for all students. The type of field experience varies depending on the specialization. Examples of the required field experience include observation and participation in K-12 classrooms and administrative offices, student teaching, and internships in student affairs settings at the post-secondary level.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

The master’s comprehensive examination for the M.Ed. degree in student affairs is offered during Spring Quarter. The examination consists of a written examination designed to assess comprehension of professional knowledge basic to the selected field of emphasis, including key concepts and principles, major theoretical positions, and fundamental issues and understanding of the broad educational context in which the selected professional field resides.

Information regarding examination foci for the M.Ed. degree in student affairs is available from the faculty adviser.

Students may be passed, passed with honors, or failed on this examination. Students who fail this examination are given a second opportunity to take the examination at the discretion of the student’s adviser and a third opportunity on a two-thirds majority of all divisional faculty voting on this issue. No fourth sitting for the examination is allowed. Students who fail the comprehensive examination, but who have been allowed to retake it, may do so at any scheduled sitting with consent of the divisional faculty.

The master’s comprehensive examination for the M.Ed. degree in teacher education is in the form of an inquiry project. The inquiry project process represents the developmental and collaborative philosophical approach of the teacher education program. Students submit essays on various topics ranging from cultural, linguistic, and pedagogical practices in education. The portfolio is submitted in December or May of the student’s second year.

The master’s comprehensive examination for the M.Ed. degree in administration is in the form of an inquiry project on a topic investigated in depth. Students address major theories studied in the program and link those theories to the practices in areas of leadership, teaching and learning, equity and access, and professional growth.

The inquiry project examination is graded pass, pass with honors, or fail. Students who fail the examination are given a second opportunity to take it at the discretion of the student’s adviser and a third opportunity on a two-thirds majority vote of all program faculty. No fourth sitting for the examination is allowed.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to completion of required courses, normal progress is from one to two years (three to six quarters). The comprehensive examination may be taken during the last quarter of coursework or during a quarter subsequent to completion of coursework. A maximum of seven quarters is permitted for completion of a master’s degree.

Doctor of Philosophy

Advising

At the time of admission to the department, the student is assigned a faculty adviser within the selected field. The assigned faculty adviser, assisted by the administrative staff of the Office of Student Services, directs all academic affairs for graduate students in the department. Students are required, as part of their degree requirements, to find a faculty member who agrees to serve as their dissertation chair of the doctoral committee.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

All Divisions: Urban Schooling; Human Development and Psychology; Higher Education and Organizational Change; Social Research Methodology; Social Sciences and Comparative Education.

Students also may receive specialized interdisciplinary training in culture, brain, and development. Interested students should consult the Center for Culture, Brain and Development website.

Foreign Language Requirement

The department does not have a foreign language requirement for the Ph.D. degree. However, students in the Social Sciences and Comparative Education Division are required to demonstrate reading competence in a language other than English.

Course Requirements

A program of study for a Ph.D. student is determined by the student and the faculty adviser and must conform to division and department requirements. A minimum of 18 courses is required as indicated below. At least 10 of the total courses must be in the 200 series.

(1) A sequential three-quarter research practicum designed to provide an overview of research in the field of study. Students complete a research paper by the end of the sequence.

(2) Five courses from offerings in the student’s selected division.

(3) Three upper division or graduate courses from other academic departments of the University related to the student’s proposed area of research (the cognate).

(4) Appropriate research methods courses to enable demonstration of intermediate/advanced level competence in at least one area of research methodology. This requirement is satisfied by completing four methodology courses as specified in the list approved by the department; the approved list is available in the Office of Student Services.

The remainder of the courses to complete the required total may be chosen by the student; such courses must be in compliance with the selected division’s guidelines and must be approved by the student’s faculty adviser. Divisional course requirements may be waived, under exceptional circumstances, by the division. Students submit a petition, endorsed by their adviser, to the division head. Wherever additional academic background is needed, a faculty adviser may require other coursework.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Doctoral Screening Examination. A written examination is taken after completion of appropriate coursework determined by the division. This examination is concerned with central topics in the selected division and field of emphasis. Questions are comprehensive in nature and are designed to measure the breadth and depth of knowledge, as well as to focus that knowledge on specific problems.

Students taking the doctoral screening examination ordinarily are not allowed to take more than nine courses before taking the examination. This limit is intended to ensure that students demonstrate basic competencies as early as possible in their doctoral training.

All students admitted to a doctoral program without a master’s degree are required to take the doctoral screening examination.

In a first sitting for this examination, students may be passed with honors, passed at the master’s level (the terminal master’s), or failed. Students passed at the master’s level are given one further opportunity to pass at the doctoral level; students who fail are given a second opportunity to take the examination at the master’s level only.

Students who fail the doctoral screening examination, but who have been allowed to retake the examination, must do so at the next sitting. They can take up to 12 units per quarter until they have successfully completed the examination. Of these 12 units only four may be a doctoral 200- or 400-level course; the remainder must be the 597 course. After satisfying the above requirements, students are eligible to take the following qualifying examinations:

Doctoral Written Qualifying Examination. The examination is offered twice yearly, once in Fall Quarter and once in Spring Quarter. The written qualifying examination tests the core knowledge of the division and emphasis the student has selected. The questions on the examination reflect a research and theoretical orientation. Students may be passed, passed with honors, or failed on this examination. Students who fail this examination are given a second opportunity to take the examination at the discretion of the student’s adviser and a third opportunity on a two-thirds majority of all divisional faculty voting on this issue. No fourth sitting for the examination is allowed. Students who fail the doctoral written qualifying examination, but who have been allowed to retake it, should do so at the next scheduled sitting with consent of the divisional faculty.

University Oral Qualifying Examination. The oral examination is conducted by the student’s doctoral committee, which selects topics from both education and the cognate discipline(s) that are related to the student’s written research proposal. On a majority vote of the doctoral committee, the University Oral Qualifying Examination may be repeated once.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

From admission to the doctoral program to the written and oral qualifying examinations: three to four years (nine to 12 quarters).

From admission to the doctoral program to the approval of the dissertation prospectus: three to four years (nine to 12 quarters).

From approval of dissertation prospectus to the university oral qualifying examination: same quarter.

A maximum of 21 quarters is permitted for completion of a doctoral degree.

Doctor of Education

Advising

At the time of admission to the department, the student is assigned a faculty adviser within the selected field.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

The Ed.D. degree is offered for emphases in Divisions 1 through 4 and in the Educational Leadership Program. Administration, curriculum, and teaching studies emphases are offered for school, postsecondary and continuing education administrators, education policy analysts, program and curriculum developers, and teacher educators. Educational psychology emphases are offered for those interested in practical issues related to special education, educational technology, and computer-assisted instruction. Higher education and work emphases focus on administration in relation to corporate or proprietary education and training, community colleges, and continuing education. Social research methodology emphases are applied measurement and evaluation leadership.

The only program currently accepting applications for the Ed.D. degree is the Educational Leadership Program.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

A program of study for an Ed.D. student is determined by the student and faculty adviser, and must meet division or program and department requirements. A minimum of 18 courses is required.

(1) Three research methods courses, with no more than two introductory (first tier) courses and at least one intermediate/advanced (second tier) course, selected from the departmental list approved for the Ed.D. degree.

(2) Nine education courses, of which at least six must be from the Education 400 series; all courses must be approved by the faculty adviser.

(3) Three supplemental courses selected from offerings in the department (outside the student’s field of emphasis) or in another UCLA professional school or department.

(4) One sequential three-quarter field practicum (Education 499A-499B-499C). Divisional or program course requirements may be waived, under exceptional circumstances, by the division or program. Students submit a petition, endorsed by their adviser, to the division or program head. Whenever additional academic background is needed, a faculty adviser may require other coursework.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Doctoral Screening Examination. A written examination is taken after the completion of appropriate coursework determined by the division or the program. This examination is concerned with central topics in the selected division and field of emphasis or program. Questions are comprehensive in nature and are designed to measure the breadth and depth of knowledge, as well as to focus that knowledge on specific problems.

Students who take the doctoral screening examination ordinarily are not allowed to take more than nine courses before taking the examination. This limit is intended to ensure that students demonstrate basic competencies as early as possible in their doctoral training.

All students admitted to a doctoral program without a master’s degree are required to take the doctoral screening examination.

In a first sitting for this examination, students may be passed, passed with honors, passed at the master’s level (the terminal master’s), or failed. Students passed at the master’s level are given one further opportunity to pass at the doctoral level; students who fail are given a second opportunity to take the examination at the master’s level only.

Students who fail the doctoral screening examination, but who have been allowed to retake the examination, must do so at the next sitting. They can take up to 12 units per quarter until they have successfully completed the examination. Of these 12 units, only four may be a doctoral 200 or 400 level course; the remainder must be the 597 course. After satisfying the above requirements, students are eligible to take the following qualifying examinations.

Doctoral Written Qualifying Examination. The written qualifying examination is offered twice yearly, once in Fall Quarter and once in Spring Quarter. The examination tests the core knowledge of the division and emphasis the student has selected. The questions on the examination reflect a professional orientation. Students may be passed, passed with honors, or failed on this examination. Students who fail this examination are given a second opportunity to take the examination at the discretion of the student’s adviser and a third opportunity on a two-thirds majority of all divisional faculty voting on this issue. No fourth sitting for the examination is allowed. Students who fail the doctoral written qualifying examination, but who are allowed to retake it, should do so at the next scheduled sitting with consent of the divisional faculty.

University Oral Qualifying Examination. The oral examination is conducted by the student’s doctoral committee, which selects topics from education that are related to the student’s written dissertation proposal. On majority vote of the doctoral committee, the University Oral Qualifying Examination may be repeated once.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

From admission to the doctoral program to the written and oral qualifying examinations: three to four years (nine to 12 quarters).

From admission to the doctoral program to the approval of the dissertation prospectus: three to four years (nine to 12 quarters).

From approval of dissertation prospectus to the university oral qualifying examination: same quarter.

A maximum of 21 quarters is permitted for completion of a doctoral degree.

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

Special Departmental or Program Policy

A student may be recommended for termination either by the Committee on Degrees, Admissions and Standards, or by the faculty of a division or program. The student’s adviser or the program head is given the opportunity to review and respond to a recommendation for termination from the Committee. In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for termination who fails a master’s performance or doctoral screening examination. A student may appeal a decision by the Committee to the dean of the school.

Program Requirements for Engineering Schoolwide Programs

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2014-2015 academic year.

Engineering Schoolwide Programs

Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science

Graduate Degrees

The School of Engineering and Applied Science offers the Master of Engineering (M.Engr.) degree (through the Engineering Executive Program), the Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Engineering (an online degree program), and the Engineering (Engr.) degree as schoolwide degrees.

The Engineering Executive Program, leading to the M.Engr. degree, is not currently accepting applications.

The Engineer degree represents considerable advanced training and competence in the engineering field, but does not require the research effort involved in a Ph.D. dissertation. The Engineer (Engr.) degree may be taken by a student at a level equivalent to completion of preliminaries in the Ph.D. program.

Engineering Schoolwide Graduate Program-General Information

For information about degree programs in specific engineering majors, applicants should consult the program requirements for that major.

Engineering

Master’s Degrees

Master of Engineering

Advising

Each department in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science has a graduate adviser. A current list of graduate advisers can be obtained from the Office of the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, 6426 Boelter Hall, Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Students are assigned a faculty adviser upon admission to the School. Advisers may be changed upon written request from the student. All HSSEAS faculty serve as advisers.

New students should arrange an appointment as early as possible with the faculty adviser to plan the proposed program of study. Continuing students are required to confer with the adviser during the time of enrollment each quarter so that progress can be assessed and the study list approved.

Based on the quarterly transcripts, student records are reviewed at the end of each quarter by the departmental graduate adviser and Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs. Special attention is given if students were admitted provisionally or are on probation. If their progress is unsatisfactory, students are informed of this in writing by the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs.

Students are strongly urged to consult with the departmental student office staff and/or the Office of Academic and Student Affairs regarding procedures, requirements and the implementation of policies.

Areas of Study

Engineering management.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

A total of 12 graduate courses are required for the Master of Engineering degree: Engineering 470A-470B-470C, 471A-471B-471C, 472A through 472D, 473A-473B.

Undergraduate Courses. No lower division courses may be applied toward graduate degrees. In addition, the following upper division courses are not applicable toward graduate degrees: Chemical Engineering M105A, 199; Civil Engineering 106A, 108, 199; Computer Science M152A, M152B, M171L, 199; Electrical Engineering 100, 101, 102, 103, 199; Materials Science and Engineering 110, 120, 130, 131, 131L, 132, 150, 160, 161L, 190, 191L, 199; Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 102, 103, M105A, 105D, 199.

Individual departments within the school may impose certain restrictions on the applicability of other undergraduate courses toward graduate degrees. Students should consult with the graduate adviser on departmental requirements and restrictions.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

Consult the department.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

Consult the department

Master of Science

Admissions Requirements

Advising

Each student in this program is assigned an adviser by the Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs. Advisers may be changed upon written request from the student. New students should contact the school’s student affairs officer and the faculty adviser on notification of admission, in order to plan the program of study and sequence of courses.

Continuing students are expected to remain in contact with the faculty adviser and the student affairs officer. Based on the quarterly transcripts, student records are reviewed at the end of each quarter by the student affairs officer and the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs. Special attention is given if students were admitted provisionally or are on probation. If their progress is unsatisfactory, students are informed of this in writing by the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs.

Students are strongly urged to consult with the Office of Academic and Student Affairs regarding procedures, requirements and implementation of policies. In particular, advice should be sought on advancement to candidacy for the M.S. degree.

Areas of Study

Areas of study include Electrical Engineering, Integrated Circuits, Computer Networking, Signal Processing/Communications, Mechanical Engineering, Mechanics of Structures, Manufacturing and Design, Aerospace Engineering, Material Science, Advanced Structural Materials, Electronic Materials, and Systems Engineering.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

At least nine upper division and graduate courses are required, of which five must be 200-series courses. For students who pursue the comprehensive examination plan, one of the nine courses is an Engineering 299 course.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

The comprehensive examination requirement is fulfilled by (1) extra readings and a major design project and report; students enroll in one four-unit course of Engineering 299 to reflect credit for this work, or (2) in consultation with their adviser, students may elect to take and pass three extra examination questions offered separately from each of the final examinations of three graduate courses, to be selected from a set of common department courses.

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 who request and are approved to pursue the thesis plan enroll in two four-unit courses of Engineering 598 to reflect credit for thesis work.

Time-to-Degree

Students are expected to complete the degree within two academic years, including two summer sessions. The maximum time allowed in this program is three academic years (nine quarters), excluding summer sessions.

Engineer Degree

Advising

Students are assigned a faculty adviser upon admission to the School. Advisers may be changed upon written request from the student. All HSSEAS faculty serve as advisers.

New students should arrange an appointment as early as possible with the faculty adviser to plan the proposed program of study toward the Engineer degree. Continuing students are required to confer with the adviser during the time of enrollment each quarter so that progress can be assessed and the study list approved.

Students are strongly urged to consult with the departmental student office staff and/or the Office of Academic and Student Affairs regarding procedures, requirements and on the implementation of the policies. In particular, advice should be sought on advancement to candidacy for the M.S. degree, on the procedures for taking Ph.D. written and oral examinations, and on the use of the Filing Fee.

Areas of Study

Consult the department.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Requirements for the Engineer degree are identical to those of the Ph.D. degree up to and including the oral preliminary examination, except that the Engineer degree is based on coursework. The minimum requirement is 15 (at least nine graduate) courses beyond the bachelor’s degree, with at least six courses in the major field (minimum of four graduate courses) and at least three in each minor field (minimum of two graduate courses in each).

The Ph.D. and Engineer degree programs are administered interchangeably in the sense that students in the Ph.D. program may either exit with an Engineer degree or earn the Engineer degree en route to one of the Ph.D. degrees offered by the school. Similarly, students in the Engineer degree program may continue to the Ph.D. degree after receiving the Engineer degree. The time spent in either of the two programs applies toward the minimum residence requirements and to the time limitation for the other program.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Requirements for the Engineer degree are identical to those of the Ph.D. degree in Engineering up to and including the oral preliminary examination, except that the Engineer degree is based on coursework.

Advancement to Candidacy

Consult the department.

Time-to-Degree

Consult the department

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

Special Departmental or Program Policy

A recommendation for termination is reviewed by the school’s Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs.

Master’s

In addition to the standard reasons noted above, a student may be recommended for termination for

(1) Failure to maintain a grade point average of 3.0 in all courses and in those in the 200 series.

(2) Failure to maintain a grade point average of 3.0 in any two consecutive terms.

(3) Failure of the comprehensive examination.

(4) Failure to complete the thesis to the satisfaction of the committee members.

(5) Failure to maintain satisfactory progress toward the degree within the three-year time limit for completing all degree requirements.

Program Requirements for Linguistics

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2014-2015 academic year.

Linguistics

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Linguistics offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Linguistics.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

During their first year, students discuss their academic program with the departmental new student adviser. During the second year, the default adviser for all students is the Director of Graduate Studies; once a particular area of interest in linguistics has been identified, students select a graduate adviser to help work out their course of study.

At least one quarter before completing the master’s thesis, students select a thesis committee, which is subject to the agreement of the committee members and approval of the chair. The chair of the thesis committee becomes the official adviser. The chair appoints the examination committee for students who opt for a terminal master’s degree by taking a comprehensive examination.

Students are expected to meet with their adviser each quarter to plan their study list. Advisers record their recommendations in student files.

First-year students are evaluated by the faculty for satisfactory performance at the beginning of Spring Quarter, and are notified of the results of the evaluation. All students also undergo an annual evaluation at the end of the academic year, and are notified of the results.

Areas of Study

Consult the department.

Foreign Language Requirement

Students must demonstrate knowledge of one research language before receiving a master’s degree. Knowledge can be demonstrated by one of three methods: (1) a reading examination administered by the department; (2) a research paper based on extensive sources in the language; or (3) a conversation examination showing knowledge in depth. The language must have either substantial literature on linguistics or serve as a contact language for field research. The latter option must be approved by the departmental language committee. International students who native language is not English may use English to meet the foreign language requirements.

Course Requirements

The master’s degree requires the completion, with a B average or better, of nine courses in linguistics. All students are required to take Linguistics 200A, 200B, 200C, 201A, and 201B. Students also must take one course chosen from Linguistics 185A/209A, 204C, 213A, 213B, 213C, 217, or 236. The remaining three courses must be chosen from Linguistics 201C, 202 through 209C, 211 through 219, 239, 244, 104, 111 or 140. All first-year students must take courses Linguistics 411A-411B, and all second-year students must take Linguistics 444.

The following undergraduate courses or the equivalent are prerequisite to graduate courses in the corresponding areas: Linguistics 103, 110, 120A, and 120B. Linguistics 103, or an examination in practical phonetics, must be completed with a grade of B or better as a prerequisite to Linguistics 210A, a required course for the doctoral degree that may be taken at the pre-master’s degree level.

It is strongly recommended, but not required, that students take Linguistics 210A and 210B during the second year of study.

A student may petition to apply up to a maximum of two courses toward the master’s degree that were completed with grades of B or better at institutions outside the University of California and not used toward another degree.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

The comprehensive examination plan is only for students who will be receiving a terminal degree. After completing the required courses and the foreign language examination, the student must pass a comprehensive examination administered by a committee of the faculty. The committee, consisting of four members, is appointed by the chair. This examination is normally an oral examination, general in scope, and results in a terminal master’s degree. Requirements for receiving a master’s degree include the filing of a petition for advancement to candidacy form early in the quarter during which the student expects to receive the 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.

The thesis plan is the normal option and is required for all students who are continuing on for the doctoral degree. After completing the required courses for the master’s degree and the foreign language examination, the student submits a thesis based on original research to a thesis committee for approval. For students who wish to be considered for advancement into the doctoral program, copies of the thesis, complete and clearly legible but not necessarily in final form, must be given to the committee and the student affairs officer at least two weeks before the last day of classes of the quarter. Requirements for receiving a master’s degree include the filing of a petition for advancement to candidacy form early in the quarter during which the student expects to receive the degree. Before filing in the library, the thesis must be prepared in accord with formatting standards set by the University; information on these is available on the Graduate Division website.

By petition to the department chair, students may request one additional quarter of time to complete the master’s thesis. Justification for this additional quarter includes time needed to conduct field work or experimental work. Leaves of absence may also be considered.

If earlier graduate work was done at UCLA, admission into the doctoral program is considered on the basis of the following: (1) completion of all requirements for the master’s degree and (2) the faculty’s evaluation of the quality of the master’s thesis and of overall work and promise.

Time-to-Degree

Six quarters is considered the normative time to the master’s degree (excluding pre-approved quarters required to make up deficiency courses, to complete field work/experimental work, and approved medical leave of absence). All students must complete the master’s degree requirements and be considered by faculty vote for further advancement through the program. Students who are not considered for admission to the doctoral program by the end of seven quarters are required to take an oral comprehensive examination and a terminal master’s degree, or are recommended for dismissal from the program for insufficient progress to degree.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Students are required to formally nominate a doctoral committee prior to the oral qualifying examination. The chair of the doctoral committee is the primary adviser at this stage, and provides intellectual guidance and advice in the student’s area of interest. Students are encouraged to consult the department’s director of graduate studies at any time and for any academic advice or purpose.

All students also undergo an annual evaluation at the end of the academic year, and are notified of the results.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Students may specialize in syntax, semantics, phonology, phonetics, language change, typology, neurolinguistics, psycholinguistics, computational linguistics, and many language areas, notably African languages and American Indian languages. Other specializations may be possible, depending on the availability of faculty expertise.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

To receive the doctoral degree, students are required to take 36 units of graduate coursework beyond the master’s degree requirements. Normative time to complete these 36 units is by the end of the 10th quarter of graduate study. These units must include Linguistics 210A, 210B, and eight units in an area distinct from that of the student’s major area of concentration. The 36 units may not include Linguistics 275 (colloquium), any 300- or 400-level course, 597, or 599. Of the 36 units, no more than 12 units may be in Linguistics 596A. A maximum of four two-unit seminars may be included in the 36 units..

In the tenth quarter of doctoral study, students are required to meet in a dissertation prospectus meeting with the appointed doctoral committee to discuss the topic of the dissertation research, and the background necessary to pursue it. A written prospectus of the dissertation is to be submitted to the doctoral committee, with a copy for the departmental file, at least one month prior to this meeting. Following the meeting, the doctoral committee is to report, via a departmental form, to the department that the filed prospectus is satisfactory, and that the student has completed the required 36 units of post-master’s coursework

Students who fail to provide an approved prospectus and/or complete the required 36 units of post-master’s coursework by the end of the tenth quarter may not be eligible for departmental teaching assistantships or fellowships.

At some point in time, some of the results of the student’s research must be presented at a meeting of the Department of Linguistics Colloquium. This presentation is a requirement for the degree.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

In order to be advanced to candidacy, the student is required to prepare and submit one substantive research paper.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination is administered by the doctoral committee. Students must satisfactorily complete this examination and advance to candidacy no later than the tenth quarter of graduate study. This examination may coincide with the prospectus meeting.

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

Full-time students with no deficiencies upon admission to graduate study in the department should be able to complete requirements for the doctoral degree in 15 academic quarters (five calendar years). The normative time-to-degree cannot be changed, but accrued time may be adjusted to allow time for students to make up deficiencies and for leave of absence. The absolute time limit for the doctoral degree from the first quarter of graduate study in the department, including leaves of absence or interruptions of any kind, is seven calendar years.

In addition, there are departmental policies that link progress through the program to financial support. These policies are based on the normative times for advancement through the program, not on the absolute limits mentioned above.

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

Special Departmental or Program Policy

A student who does not complete the M.A. degree in seven quarters, excluding quarters needed to make up deficiencies and quarters of approved leave of absence, is subject to a recommendation for termination. Any student who has not completed the M.A. degree in three years and one quarter is subject to a recommendation for termination. A student who completes the M.A. degree but who is denied admission into the Ph.D. program will not be permitted to continue to register beyond the end of the academic year in which the M.A. degree is awarded.

Program Requirements for Gender Studies

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2014-2015 academic year.

Gender Studies

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Gender Studies offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Gender Studies.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

The master’s degree program is supervised by a faculty committee. Early in their first year, students are assigned a faculty adviser who assists them with planning their program of study. Students are expected to meet at least once a quarter with their faculty adviser, usually at the beginning of the quarter to have their enrollment plan approved. At the beginning of the second year, students are expected to nominate a three-person master’s thesis committee which requires approval of the program and the Graduate Division. This committee is chaired by the student’s faculty adviser and is responsible for supervision, review, and approval of the master’s thesis. A staff adviser provides assistance with policy and procedure.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

At least 10 courses (40 units) are required, of which at least eight (32 units) must be graduate courses. Two (four or more units) upper division undergraduate courses may be applied toward the 40 units required. Gender Studies 375, 495, and all courses in the 500-series may not be applied toward the 40-unit minimum requirement for the degree.

Required courses:

Gender Studies 201, 202, and 203 (three core courses; 12 units), plus twenty-eight elective units (seven courses).

Teaching Experience

Not Required.

Field Experience

Not Required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

Doctoral students have the option of fulfilling the master’s comprehensive examination plan to receive an M.A. degree. The examination requirement is fulfilled through successful completion of the first written qualifying (breadth) examination for the Ph.D. degree and submission of a 20-page paper, ordinarily one written for a core course, that demonstrates independent thinking and critical and analytical skills. The paper is evaluated by the student’s adviser and either the chair or the graduate chair (or designee) of Gender Studies. This option is available only to doctoral students.

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 complete a master’s thesis under enrollment in Gender Studies 598. The thesis committee consists of three qualified faculty selected from a current list of designated members for the interdepartmental program. The committee must be appointed by the Graduate Division.

Time-to-Degree

Students who enroll full-time are expected to complete the M.A. degree within two years (six quarters) of registration.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The doctoral degree program is supervised by a faculty committee. Early in their first year, students are assigned a faculty adviser who assists them with planning their program of study. Students are expected to meet at least once a quarter with their faculty adviser, usually at the beginning of the quarter to have their enrollment plan approved. In the third or fourth year, before taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination, the student submits a four-person doctoral committee that requires approval of the program and appointment by the Graduate Division. The doctoral committee is responsible for supervision, review, and approval of the doctoral dissertation. A staff adviser provides assistance with policy and procedure.

With a focus on responsible research skills, student’s research needs are guided by the faculty advisor to successfully complete their dissertation. These could include a foreign language, quantitative and other methods of collecting data, IRB, computer technology skills, and/or any other skills that are necessary before advancing to candidacy

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Doctoral students are required to complete 56 units of coursework. Gender Studies 375 and 495, and all 500-series courses may not be applied toward the 56-unit minimum course requirement for the degree.

Required courses:

Gender Studies core courses 201, 202, 203 and 204 (16 units). Beyond 201 (Methods in Gender Studies) four units (one course) of additional specialization or training in research methods outside the department is required, and will count toward elective units (should be completed in year two prior to second qualifying exam). An additional forty elective units (ten courses) are required. A maximum of eight units may consist of upper division undergraduate coursework and/or graduate transfer credits from previous graduate coursework that did not result in a degree.

Teaching assistants must enroll in Gender Studies 375 each quarter they hold a teaching appointment.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Two written qualifying examinations are required: (1) A first-year examination covering general knowledge and current debates in the field of gender studies. This examination is administered by a committee composed of faculty designated by the chair or the graduate chair of Gender Studies. The first-year exam is due the first day of the student’s second year of study; (2) A depth examination covering the student’s area of specialization. Students are expected to have completed the depth exam by Fall Quarter of their third year. Students who fail either of the written qualifying examinations may be permitted to retake them once as determined by the faculty committee.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination is required after completion of the written qualifying examinations, completion of a dissertation proposal, and appointment of a doctoral committee in accord with University regulations. The oral exam should be taken no later than fall quarter of the student’s fourth year. The four-person doctoral committee is responsible for administering the examination. The oral examination is approximately two hours in length and is focused on the student’s dissertation proposal in relation to the selected specialization. Students who fail the oral qualifying examination may be permitted to retake it once as determined by the doctoral committee.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

Not required.

Time-to-Degree

Students who enroll are expected to complete the Ph.D. degree within six years (eighteen quarters) of registration.

*Requirement*	*Standard Time to Completion*
Coursework	Spring Quarter of the third year
First Qualifying Examination	Fall Quarter of the second year
Second Qualifying Examination	Fall Quarter of the third year
Oral Qualifying Examination (Advancement to Candidacy)	Spring Quarter of the third year or Fall Quarter of the fourth year
Dissertation Filed	Within the sixth year

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

Special Departmental or Program Policy

The Graduate Committee conducts an annual review of students’ progress toward the degree at the end of Spring Quarter and makes recommendations regarding continuance or termination. The faculty committee reviews all recommendations and formally approves or rejects any recommendation of termination. A student may appeal the Graduate Committee’s recommendation of termination to the faculty committee in writing prior to their review of the recommendation.

Program Requirements for Molecular Toxicology

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2014-2015 academic year.

Molecular Toxicology

Interdepartmental Program
School of Public Health

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

None.

Doctoral Degree

An academic adviser is assigned to each new student by the Associate Director of Student Affairs. The adviser meets with the student each quarter to discuss academic progress. Once the student is accepted into the laboratory of one of the participating faculty within the program, that faculty member then becomes the student’s adviser.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Students should consult the departmental website for this information.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

First year students may take either Molecular Biology 254A-254B in (Fall) and Molecular Biology 254C-254D in (Winter) OR Molecular and Medical Pharmacology M252 (Fall) and Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology M262 (Winter). Students should select between these two series in consultation with their graduate adviser. In Spring Quarter students take Environmental Health Sciences C240 and Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics C234 (or an equivalent ethics course). In all quarters of the first year students take a three-unit seminar Molecular Toxicology 211A (Fall) 211B (Winter), and 211C (Spring), and a six-unit laboratory rotation Molecular Toxicology (596) within the department of a faculty sponsor. Students must attain a grade of B- or better in all core courses and must pass all core courses (excluding courses offered every other year) within two years of entering the program, unless there are mitigating circumstances that prevent this; such cases are reviewed by the Faculty Advisory Committee.

In the second or subsequent year, students take Molecular and Medical Pharmacology 237 and in Winter Quarter of their second or third year, students take Molecular Toxicology M242. Also, starting with the second year, students spend most of their time on dissertation research.

In addition to the course requirements listed here, students are expected to complete Molecular Toxicology 596, 597, and/or 599 during quarters in which research (596, 599) or study for written or oral examinations (597) is part of the program. Molecular Toxicology 596 is for students who have not passed their oral examinations; 599 is for those who have passed their oral examinations.

Teaching Experience

All students obtain instruction in teaching skills by serving as teaching assistants or readers for one quarter, typically during their second or third year. Exceptions to the timing of teaching are considered by the program’s Steering Committee. Assignments are made at the end of the first year and are influenced by student preference and expertise.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Both a written and oral qualifying examination are required. The format for the written qualifying examination consists of a research proposal on a topic that is approved by members of the doctoral committee. The doctoral committee consists of four faculty members, including the student’s adviser who serves as chair. The adviser recommends the composition of the committee, which is appointed by the Graduate Division. The research proposal topic must be approved by the doctoral committee.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination is organized to question the candidate regarding the written proposal, and also to query the candidate in a more general way regarding scientific topics that should be common knowledge to a doctoral-level toxicologist. Two attempts are allowed to pass both the written and oral qualifying examinations.

After successful completion of coursework and written and oral examination requirements, students are advanced to candidacy and begin work on a dissertation based on original research. As a general guideline, the dissertation should consist of research equivalent to at least two peer-reviewed publications in reputable journals in the field.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

The normative time for the degree is 15 quarters (five years). Students who fail to complete the dissertation within 18 quarters are placed on probation within the program.

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

Special Departmental or Program Policy

If a student should fail to find a faculty advisor within the Molecular Toxicology IDP by the end of four quarters in residence, or to maintain his faculty advisor, he/she will not be allowed to continue in the program. A recommendation for termination for a student who is not advanced to candidacy is made by the Faculty Advisory Committee. 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 interdepartmental 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.

Program Requirements for Art History

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2014-2015 academic year.

Art History

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Art History offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Art History.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

The departmental graduate counselor is available for general and specific information about the degree program. Students are assigned an adviser upon admission to the program. The choice of adviser is determined by the student’s stated interests and faculty availability. Each adviser is responsible for the student’s course of study and completion of requirements within their own field. In addition, at least once each quarter students must consult the adviser regarding their overall course of study. A change of adviser(s) or change of field(s) must be approved by the Graduate Review Committee.

Areas of Study

There are 14 fields of study: African; American; Chinese; European, Greek and Roman; Indian and Southeast Asian; Islamic, Japanese; Korean; Latin American; medieval and Byzantine; modern and contemporary; pre-Columbian; and Renaissance and Baroque.

Foreign Language Requirement

A reading knowledge of one foreign language approved by the department is required for the M.A. degree. Students may not begin the fourth quarter of residence without having fulfilled this requirement.

Students of African, American, European, and Latin American art history must demonstrate reading fluency of French or German in any of the following ways: (1) by passing the departmental foreign language examination; (2) by enrolling in and completing with a minimum grade of B, French 5, German 6, Italian 5, and/or Spanish 25. Students of Italian art history may, with adviser consent, substitute Italian for French or German.

Students of Chinese or Japanese art history must demonstrate fluency of either Chinese or Japanese respectively. Students of South Asian, Southeast Asian, or Islamic art history must substitute an appropriate classical research language of South Asia, Southeast Asian, or the Islamic Middle East. The Asian or Islamic requirement is normally satisfied by enrolling in an appropriate course sequence for six consecutive quarters (normally beginning with the first quarter of graduate study) and by maintaining a grade of B or better in those courses. Details and/or exceptions must be worked out with the major adviser.

Students who fail to meet the language requirements are permitted to enroll only for the requisite language course until that requirement has been fulfilled. Examinations are scheduled four times a year, three weeks prior to finals week during the regular academic quarters, and approximately one week prior to instruction in Fall Quarter. Examination results are announced by the end of the last week of classes for the regular academic quarters, and by the last day to access URSA enrollment for the Fall quarter.

Course Requirements

Nine graduate and upper division courses (36 units) completed in graduate status are required for the M.A. degree. At least six of these courses (24 units) must be taken at the graduate level (200-series courses), including four graduate seminars. Students are required to complete Art History 200 with a grade of B+ or better. Art History 200 may be counted towards the total number of required graduate courses.

In addition, the nine required courses must satisfy the distribution requirement for the M.A. degree, including at least two courses from lists A and B below:

A: American; Greek and Roman; Latin American; medieval and Byzantine; modern and contemporary; Renaissance and Baroque.

B: African; Chinese; Indian and Southeast Asian; Islamic; Japanese; Korean; pre-Columbian.

Courses to be taken should be determined in consultation with the student’s major and minor advisers with the stipulation that progress toward the M.A. degree may not be impeded by requiring a course not offered at least once every two years.

Students who were admitted with coursework deficiencies must make up these deficiencies during the first two quarters of residence and may not apply such coursework toward the required courses for the degree. Instead of taking a course, the student may elect to substitute a competency examination in the area of deficiency.

By the end of the Fall quarter of their second year all students select one of their class essays to revise and expand for submission as a thesis and qualifying paper for admission to the doctoral program. Students then register for Art History 597 during Winter Quarter of the second year to work on their essay under the supervision of a ladder track faculty member who is usually the student’s adviser.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

None.

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.

During the Winter quarter of the second year, the chair of the Graduate Review Committee appoints two readers from the departmental faculty in addition to the student’s adviser to serve as the thesis committee. At least one of these appointees will have had no classroom experience with the student. For details on committee regulations, students should consult Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA, available on the Graduate Division website. Students and the major adviser must be in agreement on the members of the thesis committee.

The student selects a thesis topic in the major field. The thesis should deal succinctly with the topic in an independent, critical, and original fashion while taking fully into account the present state of research on the problem. The thesis must be clearly written, correctly documented, and illustrated, and must meet the minimum standards for formatting as set out by the Graduate Division Policies and Procedures for Thesis and Dissertation Preparation and Filing. The thesis should not exceed 40 pages in length and must be researched and written in consultation with the major adviser. If the thesis is rejected by one member of the committee, it may, at the request of the major adviser, be submitted to the Graduate Review Committee for final judgment; otherwise, the student is recommended for termination of graduate status.

All theses must be submitted to the departmental counselor by the first day of instruction in the Spring quarter. At this time the essays are distributed to the three committee members, who are required to submit a written evaluation to the department. At a special meeting called by the departmental chair, the faculty discuss these evaluations as well as the student’s overall academic performance. In most cases the faculty agree to award the M.A. degree and permit the student to continue for the Ph.D. degree. In some cases the faculty may recommend the student receive a terminal M.A. degree. If the faculty judge the thesis to be deficient, the student may be recommended for termination of graduate study.

Time-to-Degree

Completion of the requirements for the master’s degree is designed to meet requirements for admission to the departmental doctoral program. Students are expected to complete the requirements for the M.A. degree within six quarters of full-time study. Students who do not complete the degree requirements within this time frame will be recommended for termination of graduate study to the Graduate Division unless, by petition, the Graduate Review Committee grants an extension of time due to grave and unusual mitigating circumstances.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

At the time of application to the Ph.D. program, students select a major field of study within art history. By the end of the second quarter of residence, students select a minor field. These fields are registered on a form secured from and submitted to the graduate counselor, and must be signed by the graduate adviser. The faculty member responsible for the chosen minor field serves as the minor adviser, provided he or she consents to do so. Each adviser is responsible for the student’s course of study and completion of requirements within his or her field. In addition, the major adviser must be consulted regarding the student’s overall course of study at least once each quarter, and must approve and sign the program card. A change of adviser(s), and of either the major and/or minor field, must be approved by the Graduate Review Committee.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

There are twenty-three areas in three fields:

Field A: (1) Aegean; (2) American; (3) baroque; (4) Byzantine; (5) contemporary (post-1945); (6) 18th century; (7) Greek; (8) medieval; (9) 19th century; (10) Renaissance; (11) Roman; and (12) 20th century.

Field B: (13) African; (14) Chinese; (15) Indian; (16) Islamic; (17) Japanese; (18) Native North American; (19) oceanic; (20) pre-Columbian; (21) Southeast Asian; (22) Korean.

Field C: (23) critical theory.

Foreign Language Requirement

Students are normally required to demonstrate, no later than the time of the University Oral Qualifying Examination, reading fluency in one or more foreign languages in addition to those required for admission. The language requirement differs by field and area. The applicability of this requirement, the language(s) required, and the exact means of satisfying the requirement are determined in consultation with the major adviser.

Course Requirements

At the time of application to the Ph.D. program, the student selects a major field of study within art history; by the end of the second quarter of residence, an additional minor (or minors) is selected. The faculty member responsible for the minor serves as the minor adviser. The major and minor advisers are responsible for the student’s course of study and completion of requirements within the field. In addition, the major adviser must be consulted regarding the student’s overall course of study at least once each quarter. A change of adviser and of either the major or minor field must be approved by the Graduate Review Committee.

If a student enters the Ph.D. program deficient in Art History 200 or its equivalent, it must be added to the total requirements. In some cases, Art History 201 may also be required if recommended by the faculty adviser.

The department offers three options in the selection of majors and minors.

Option I

Major from Field A, areas 1-12 or Field B, areas 13-22 — five courses in one area.

Minor from Field A, areas 1-2 or Field B, areas 13-22 — three courses in one area other than the major field, or from Field C, three courses from area 23.

Option II

Major from Field A, areas 1-12 or Field B, areas 13-22 — five courses in one area.

Minor from an extra-departmental area such as history, anthropology, or film — three courses in one area.

Option III

Major from Field C, area 22 — four courses from Field C, area 23 plus four courses in one area from Field A, areas 1-12, or Field B, areas 13-22.

Minor from Field A, areas 1-12, or Field B, areas 13-22 — three courses in one area not chosen as part of the major or three courses in one area from an extra-departmental area.

For major/minor options I and II, a minimum total of eight graduate and upper division courses is required, of which at least four must be art history courses on the graduate (200 and 596) level. Of this total, at least two must be taken, and up to five may be taken, as extra-departmental upper division and/or graduate courses on approval of the major or minor advisers (where applicable).

For Option III, a minimum total of 11 graduate and upper division courses is required, of which at least four must be art history courses on the graduate (200 and 596) level. Of this total, at least two must be taken, and up to five may be taken, as extra-departmental upper division and/or graduate courses on approval of the major or minor advisers (where applicable).

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

After completion of coursework and language study, students must take the Ph.D. written qualifying examination to test breadth and depth of knowledge in the major and minor fields of study. If the examination is failed, or any part thereof, that portion may be repeated during the subsequent quarter of residence. No further repetition is allowed.

After passing the written qualifying examination, the student selects a dissertation topic. The members of the doctoral committee are then nominated, and the committee is appointed by the Graduate Division.

After submitting a dissertation proposal, the student then takes the University Oral Qualifying Examination, given by the doctoral committee. Assuming there is no more than one negative vote, the student becomes eligible to advance to candidacy.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

From admission to the Ph.D. program: seven years.

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

Special Departmental or Program Policy

Master’s

If a thesis is rejected by one member of the committee, it may, at the request of the major adviser, be submitted to the Graduate Review Committee for final judgment; otherwise the student is recommended for termination.

Doctoral

The Ph.D. written qualifying examination may be repeated once. If failed the second time, the student is recommended for termination. Appeals of recommendation for termination are submitted to the graduate counselor for referral to the Graduate Review Committee.

Program Requirements for Islamic Studies

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2014-2015 academic year.

Islamic Studies

Interdepartmental Degree Program
College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Islamic Studies Program offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Islamic Studies.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

Student advising begins with admission to the program, at which time students are matched with one or more faculty members whose specialties relate to the student’s areas of interest.

During the first year, students meet quarterly with the program chair, who also serves as the graduate adviser. By the end of the first year, students must secure the agreement of a faculty member to serve as their supervisor and notify the student affairs officer of this arrangement. For the following terms of graduate study, students meet quarterly with their faculty supervisors and, as needed, with the student affairs officer.

Student progress is reviewed annually. At the beginning of Spring Quarter, all students meet with their faculty supervisors and provide them with a written summary of their progress toward the degree and their goals for the coming year. The faculty supervisors report to the interdepartmental degree committee which meets to review student progress and advises each student in writing by the end of Spring Quarter as to whether their progress is sufficient to warrant continuation in the program.

Areas of Study

These areas of study are the same as listed under Major Fields or Subdisciplines for the doctoral degree.

Foreign Language Requirement

Other than the language proficiency required for admission to the program, there is no foreign language requirement for the master’s degree. Students who plan to go on for the Ph.D. degree in this program are encouraged to achieve required levels of proficiency in their research languages early in their graduate study so that language skills will be of maximum benefit. Students should see the doctoral language requirement under Doctoral Degree.

Course Requirements

A minimum of 12 courses (48 units) is required, five (20 units) of which must be at the graduate level. Two courses in the 500 series may be applied toward the degree, one of which may be applied toward the five-graduate course requirement. All courses applied toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade.

The 12 courses must be divided among three categories of courses as follows:

Category one. Three required courses: Near Eastern Languages 201, Islamics 201, and History 200J.

Category two. Three courses that present and compare specific disciplinary approaches to, methods for, and critiques of the study of Islam and society, such as: Anthropology 271 and 273, Art History C214, History 201J, or Political Science 245. Other courses, including variable topics courses, may be chosen in consultation with the program chair.

Category three. Six courses from at least two different disciplines (not including language courses) as determined by students in consultation with their supervisor. Students also are advised to take courses that cover at least two geographic regions.

Teaching Experience

Not Required.

Field Experience

Not Required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

The comprehensive examination requirement is fulfilled either by submitting a single paper (40-60 pages) that combines work in two or more fields of study, or by submitting one paper (maximum of 30 pages) in each of three fields. The paper or papers are evaluated by the student’s three faculty supervisors. Regardless of format, the comprehensive examination is graded, by a minimum vote of two, as (1) pass to continue for the Ph.D., (2) terminal M.A. pass, or (3) fail. Reexamination in exceptional cases will be determined by the interdepartmental degree committee.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

Seven academic quarters is the expected time-to-degree for full-time students with no deficiencies upon admission.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

During their first year students who directly enter the Ph.D. program meet quarterly with the program chair, who also serves as the graduate adviser. In consultation with the graduate adviser, students choose a primary faculty adviser. By the end of the first year, students choose three fields of study and the faculty with whom they will work in those fields. Students should consult with these faculty and with the student affairs officer as frequently as needed.

Students who intend to proceed from the M.A. degree to the Ph.D. degree in Islamic Studies must first fulfill all requirements for the M.A. degree and receive a pass to continue from two of the three faculty supervisors.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Anthropology, architecture, art history, comparative literature, economics, education, ethnomusicology, film and television, geography, history, law, management, music, philosophy, political science, psychology, public health, public policy, religion, sociology, urban planning, world arts and cultures, and the literatures of the following languages: Arabic; Berber, Hausa, Indonesian, Iranian languages, Malay, Swahili, Turkic languages, Urdu, Wolof, and Yoruba.

Foreign Language Requirement

Intermediate-level proficiency in a second language listed under Major Fields or Subdisciplines and reading proficiency in a European language other than English that is relevant to the student’s research are required prior to advancement to doctoral candidacy. Students are encouraged to achieve required levels of proficiency in their research languages early in their graduate study so that language skills will be of maximum benefit.

Language proficiency may be demonstrated by (1) providing evidence of being a native speaker; (2) passing a program-administered examination; (3) completing three intermediate-level courses with a grade of B or better (these courses are not counted toward the degree); or (4) submitting evidence of completion of equivalent coursework elsewhere.

Exceptions to the language requirements may be approved in special cases. This is done through submission of a petition that must be approved by the student’s primary faculty adviser, the program chair, and the Graduate Division.

Course Requirements

A minimum of 12 courses (48 units) is required for the Ph.D. degree, including a minimum of three graduate seminars. Students who enter directly into the Ph.D. program must take the three core courses in Category one and at least one course from Category two listed under the master’s degree. Such students may petition the Committee to Administer the Islamic Studies Program to waive courses in Category one. All students must take at least four graduate and upper-division courses, including one graduate seminar, in each of three chosen fields (students should see Major Fields or Subdisciplines above). The three fields must be distributed across more than one division, college, or school. One 500-level course in each of three fields may be applied toward Ph.D. course requirements. Students must also take at least one methodology course, which may or may not be in one of the three fields, and as approved by the primary faculty adviser. All courses applied toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade.

Teaching Experience

Not Required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

After students complete all coursework and foreign language requirements, the chair of the program, in consultation with the student, nominates a doctoral committee that meets university requirements, for formal appointment by the Graduate Division. The committee must include faculty from the student’s three fields plus a methodology examiner if the latter is not from one of the three fields.

Students must write a dissertation prospectus that contains (1) a full statement of the dissertation topic, including any fieldwork that may be required; (2) a historiographical discussion of the literature related to the topic; (3) a statement of the methods to be employed; and (4) a proposed bibliography to be consulted in the course of research and writing.

The doctoral committee conducts four separate written examinations, one in each of the student’s three fields and one in a methodology appropriate to the student’s dissertation. Following the written examinations, the committee conducts the University Oral Qualifying Examination, which covers the three fields, the methodology, and the basis of the dissertation prospectus. Reexamination in any field is at the discretion of the doctoral committee in consultation with the chair of the program. No single written examination shall exceed four hours.

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

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

For full-time students with no deficiencies upon admission or advancement to the Ph.D. program, the normative time from admission to approval of the dissertation prospectus, completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations, and advancement to candidacy, is two years. The normative time from advancement to candidacy to the final oral examination (defense of the dissertation), if required, and filing of the dissertation, is three years. Overall, the normative time from graduate admission to award of the Ph.D. degree is five years. Students who undertake field research abroad may require an additional one to two years to complete the program.

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

Special Departmental or Program Policy

A recommendation for termination is made by the chair of the interdepartmental degree program, upon consultation with the student’s primary faculty adviser and the student’s doctoral committee. A student may appeal a recommendation for termination to the interdepartmental degree committee.

Program Requirements for Chicana and Chicano Studies

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2014-2015 academic year.

Chicana and Chicano Studies

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Cesar E. Chavez Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Chicana and Chicano Studies.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

The M.A. degree in Chicana and Chicano Studies is not intended to be a stand-alone, terminal degree, but is, rather, a requirement for the Ph.D. Students admitted to the Ph.D. program without an M.A. degree will follow Plan A, as described below. Students entering the Ph.D. program with an approved M.A. thesis should follow Plan B (see under Doctoral Degree).

Advising

The Director of Graduate Studies is assigned as provisional adviser to all incoming M.A. students until a permanent faculty adviser is selected in the second year. The faculty adviser assists students with planning their program of study. Students are expected to meet with their faculty adviser at least once a quarter, usually at the beginning of the quarter to have their enrollment plan approved. The student affairs officer provides assistance with policy and procedure.

Areas of Study

The Chicana and Chicano Studies curriculum is organized into four interdisciplinary areas of study from among the following: 1) Border and transnational studies; 2) Expressive arts; 3) History, culture, and language of the Americas; and 4) Labor, law, and policy studies. M.A. students will be expected to take courses in each of the four areas.

Foreign Language Requirement

See under Doctoral Degree.

Course Requirements

Plan A

Students must successfully complete a total of 40 units (normally ten courses), completed while in graduate status and taken for a letter grade with a minimum 3.0 grade-point average. Of the 40 units, at least 32 must be completed at the graduate level. Up to 8 units of upper division undergraduate courses may be applied to the 40-unit requirement. One 500-series course (up to four units) may be applied toward the 40-unit requirement.

Required courses:

Chicana/o Studies 200, 201, and 202 (12 units) are required and should be taken within the first two years.

One course in each area of study for a total of four courses (16 units), one of which must be a methodology course. Genders and sexualities, power and inequalities, and the colonial/decolonial/postcolonial are transversals that intersect the four areas.

Two elective courses (8 units) of which both may be upper division courses or taken outside the department.

Four units of Chicana/o Studies 598 (master’s thesis research) or 596 (Directed Individual Studies or Research) in lieu of one elective.

Students may take up to a maximum of 12 units of Chicana/o Studies 598, and up to a maximum of 12 units of Chicana/o Studies 596 in a single Academic Year. However, students may not take more than one Chicana/o Studies 596 per quarter before the M.A. degree requirements are completed.

The minimum course load is 12 units per quarter. Students must be continuously registered and enrolled unless they are on an approved leave of absence.

Teaching Experience

New Teaching assistants must enroll in Chicana/o Studies 495 when they receive their first teaching appointment. In the following quarters, Teaching assistants may enroll in Chicana/o Studies 375 to fulfill unit requirements. Neither of these courses may be counted toward the degree requirements.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

None.

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 will complete the M.A. degree by writing an original interdisciplinary research paper, critical reflection, or creative portfolio that integrates knowledge learned in their graduate coursework. The M.A. thesis should be submitted by Spring quarter of their second year, but no later than the seventh quarter (normally Fall quarter of the third year). Students must enroll in Chicana/o Studies 598 (M.A Thesis Research) under the guidance of their faculty advisor to produce the thesis. The thesis is evaluated on a pass/no pass basis.

The thesis committee consisting of the student’s faculty advisor, another ladder-ranked faculty from the list of core or jointly-appointed faculty in the department, and an outside reader must be nominated by the department and appointed by the Graduate Division no later than Fall Quarter of the student’s second year.

Time-to-degree

The normative time-to-degree for full-time students is two years (six quarters) and the maximum time-to-degree is seven quarters.

Doctoral Degree

Students who already have a Master’s degree in Chicana and Chicano Studies or in a related field must submit their Master’s thesis once admitted to the program. The Department’s Graduate Committee will evaluate the submitted material to determine whether or not it fulfills the M.A. requirements of the program. If the Master’s thesis is deemed satisfactory, the student will be allowed to enter the Ph.D. program under Plan B (see Doctoral Degree requirements below).

Advising

The Director of Graduate Studies is primarily responsible for academic advising in the first year. A permanent faculty advisor is selected in the second year. After completing coursework for the Ph.D., but before taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination, the student submits a four-person doctoral committee that requires approval of the department’s Graduate Committee and appointment by the Graduate Division. The doctoral committee is responsible for supervision, review, and approval of the doctoral dissertation. The student affairs officer provides assistance with policy and procedure.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

None.

Foreign Language Requirement

Students are required, at minimum, reading fluency in Spanish. Students may satisfy the language requirement in one of the following ways: 1) satisfactory completion of two years of coursework at the University level; or 2) passing a language proficiency examination deemed appropriate by the department. The foreign language requirement is typically completed in the first year of graduate study, but must be completed before the University Oral Qualifying Examination and advancement to candidacy.

Course Requirements

Plan A

For students under Plan A, who have completed all the course requirements for the M.A. as described above, 32 additional units (normally eight graduate courses) will be required to complete the Ph.D. These 32 units should provide more depth to the student’s preparation in the field and research agenda.

Plan B

Students entering the Ph.D. program with an approved M.A. thesis are expected to take a minimum of 44 units (regularly 11 courses) as follows:

Chicana/o Studies 200, 201, and 202 (12 units) are required and should be taken within the first two years.

One course in each area of study (16 units), one of which must be a methodology course.

Four elective courses (16 units), up to two may be taken outside the department, and only one of which may be an upper division course.

Units taken in the 500-series—Chicana/o Studies 596 (Directed Individual Studies or Research), Chicana/o Studies 597 (Preparation for Qualifying Exams) or Chicana/o Studies 599 (doctoral dissertation research) )—may not be applied toward course requirements for the Ph.D. degree.

Students may take up to a maximum of 12 units of Chicana/o Studies 597, and up to a maximum of 12 units of Chicana/o Studies 596 per academic year.

The minimum course load is 12 units per quarter. Students must be continuously registered and enrolled unless they are on an approved leave of absence.

Teaching Experience

All doctoral students are expected to fulfill at least one year of teaching experience as teaching assistants in the department.

New Teaching Assistants must enroll in Chicana/o Studies 495 when they receive their first teaching appointment. In the following quarters, Teaching Assistants may enroll in Chicana/o Studies 375 to fulfill unit requirement. Neither of these courses may be counted toward the degree requirements.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

The Written Qualifying Examination is a two-part exam based on the student’s coursework, research interests, and familiarity with the field. Part One will be a literature review based on a reading list of 40-50 texts drawn up by the student in consultation with his/her dissertation advisor. Part Two will be a paper in response to a question related to the student’s dissertation research; it will require a theoretical grounding in the student’s areas of specialization, an ability to define and apply interdisciplinary methodology, and a well-supported argument. Students will have two weeks to complete their written qualifying exam.

Students may enroll in up to 12 units of Chicana/o Studies 597 (examination preparation) to help prepare for the exam. Students who fail to pass either part of the written qualifying examination may retake it once without petition, as early as the following quarter. Students who fail the written qualifying examination a second time will not advance to doctoral candidacy and will be dismissed from the Program.

Students are required to take the University Oral Qualifying Examination in the term following completion of the Written Qualifying Examination. The oral examination is approximately two hours in length and is focused on the student’s dissertation proposal. The University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the members of the doctoral committee and the student.

Both the Written and the Oral Qualifying Examinations will be evaluated on a pass/no pass basis.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

No public defense of the dissertation is required, but the doctoral committee, in conjunction with the student, may opt to voluntarily hold a defense of the dissertation.

Time-to-Degree

Full-time graduate students should normally complete the requirements for the Ph.D. degree within five years of completion of the requirements for the master’s degree, with the total time from admission to graduate status until completion of the Ph.D. being seven years.

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University policy

Special departmental or program policy

A recommendation for termination is made by the Director of Graduate Studies after a vote of the department’s faculty. Before the recommendation is sent to Graduate Division, a student is notified in writing and given two weeks to respond in writing to the Chair. An appeal is reviewed by the department’s faculty, which makes the final departmental recommendation to Graduate Division.

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