Program Requirements for Earth and Space Sciences (Geochemistry)

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2013-2014 academic year.

Earth and Space Sciences

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Earth and Space Sciences offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Geochemistry; the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Geology; and the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Geophysics and Space Physics.

Geochemistry

Admission

Program Name

Geochemistry

Address

3683A Geology
Box 951567
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567

Phone

(888) 377-8252

Email

holbrook@ess.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

M.S., Ph.D.

Admission Limited to

Fall, Winter, Spring

Deadline to apply

January 15th

GRE (General and/or Subject)

GRE: General and Subject in any appropriate field of science (optional for Ph.D.)

Letters of Recommendation

Other Requirements

In addition to the University’s minimum requirements and those listed above, all applicants are expected to submit a statement of purpose.

M.S..: A bachelor’s degree in chemistry, geology, physics, or a related field is required. Applicants must have outstanding records in the basic sciences, physics, chemistry, and mathematics. Students planning to work for the Ph.D. degree are not encouraged to obtain the M.S. degree.

Ph.D.: A bachelor’s degree in chemistry, geology, physics, or a related field is required. Applicants must have outstanding records in the basic sciences, physics, chemistry, and mathematics. Students planning to work for the Ph.D. degree are not encouraged to obtain the M.S. degree.

Master’s Degree

Advising

Students are assigned a faculty adviser who is chosen by the graduate adviser in consultation with the student just prior to the first quarter of enrollment. During the first quarter of residence, the faculty adviser selects two additional faculty members to complete the student’s advising committee. At the beginning of every quarter, the student’s program must be reviewed and approved by the faculty adviser before submission for official approval by the graduate adviser.

Departmental Reviews. The Graduate Student Affairs Committee annually reviews student progress (generally in late May and early June). These reviews become part of students’ departmental records and are transmitted to the students and their faculty advisers in writing. If students’ scholarship or progress is insufficient, they are subject to dismissal. The normal minimum course load is 12 units per quarter.

Areas of Study

The program in geochemistry offers study in biogeochemistry, crystal chemistry, experimental petrology, isotopic studies of stable and radioactive elements, marine geochemistry, meteorite research, planetology, and lunar geochemistry.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

A minimum of nine courses is required for the degree, at least six of which must be graduate-level courses. Sixteen units of 500-series courses may be applied toward the total course requirement for the M.S. in Geochemistry. Twelve units may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement.

Each course of study is worked out individually by the advising committee in consultation with the student. Students are expected to attain, either through previous training or through prescribed coursework, a common mastery of the subject matter in Earth and Space Sciences 51A, 51B, C206, C207, C209, 210, 234, and Chemistry and Biochemistry 110A, 110B, as well as more advanced courses in particular fields, and some familiarity with the methods of field geology (Earth and Space Sciences 61 and 111G are strongly recommended). Students are required to register in one of the following courses each quarter: Earth and Space Sciences 235A, 235B, 235C, or 295A, 295B, 295C.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

The advising committee prepares and administers the final examination (which normally is oral). In the preparation for this examination, the committee takes proper recognition of the fact that some students are better qualified in chemistry and others in geology. However, it is required that a distinct competence in one of these fields be matched by at least an adequate performance in the other. In most cases, a failed final examination can be repeated one additional time.

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 must be approved by the student’s research director (who usually is the chair of the advising committee), as well as by the other members of the student’s advising committee. If students choose the thesis plan, no examination is required.

Time-to-Degree

Students who are making normal progress and whose undergraduate training is not deficient, should receive the M.S. degree after about four to seven quarters.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Departmental Reviews. The Graduate Student Affairs Committee annually reviews students’ progress (generally in late May and early June). These reviews become part of students’ departmental record and are transmitted to the students and their faculty advisers in writing. If students’ scholarship or progress is insufficient, they are subject to dismissal. The normal minimum course load is 12 units per quarter.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students are expected to complete at least the minimum number of courses which are required for the M.S. degree. Each course of study is worked out individually by the advising committee in consultation with the student. Students are expected to attain, either through previous training or through prescribed coursework, a common mastery of the subject matter in Earth and Space Sciences 51A, 51B, C206, C207, C209, 210, 234, and Chemistry and Biochemistry 110A, 110B, as well as more advanced courses in particular fields, and some familiarity with the methods of field geology (Earth and Space Sciences 61 and 111G are strongly recommended). Students are required to register in one of the following courses each quarter: Earth and Space Sciences 235A, 235B, 235C or 295A, 295B, 295C.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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

Written Qualifying Examination. This examination must be taken before the end of the first year of the doctoral program if the student has a master’s degree; otherwise, it must be taken before the end of the second year of enrollment. It may be given in either a question/answer format or in a proposal format, at the discretion of the student.

The question/answer format is a conventional written examination that covers the field of geochemistry and related areas of geology and chemistry. It may be followed by an oral part, at the discretion of the examining committee.

The proposal format is based on three written research proposals prepared by the student and submitted to the examining committee at least 10 days before the examination. The proposals must be concise, must entail three dissimilar projects, and one of them should cover the intended dissertation topic. The proposals are presented briefly to the examining committee orally, and the committee examines their originality and scientific merit. The oral examination is not necessarily limited to the topics of the proposals.

In case of failure, an examination of either format can be repeated at the discretion of the examining committee.

University Oral Qualifying Examination. After passing the written qualifying examination, students must consult their faculty adviser and the graduate adviser regarding nomination of the doctoral committee and arrange a time for the examination. At least a week before this examination, students must provide each member of the doctoral committee with a written prospectus of their proposed dissertation research. The subject matter covered in the examination includes, but is not limited to, the proposed research. Repetition of a failed examination is at the option of the doctoral committee.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

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

A. The written qualifying examination is normally taken in the fifth or sixth quarter of residence, unless the student already has a master’s degree, in which case the student must take it by the end of the third quarter.

B. The oral qualifying examination should be taken as soon after the written qualifying examination as practical. A nominal time would be the sixth or seventh quarter.

C. The dissertation and final oral examination should be completed by the 12th to 15th quarter.

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for termination who fails to meet requirements regarding course scheduling and deadlines for completion of examinations or the degree as agreed upon between the student and the Graduate Affairs Committee or the student’s advising committee. A student may appeal a recommendation for termination through a letter to the graduate adviser or the departmental chair.

Program Requirements for Computer Science

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2013-2014 academic year.

Computer Science

Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admission

Program Name

Computer Science

Computer Science is a major offered by the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Address

4403 Boelter Hall
Box 951596
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1596

Phone

(310)825-6830

Email

gradadm@cs.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

M.S., Ph.D.

Admission Limited to

Fall

Deadline to apply

December 1st

GRE (General and/or Subject)

GRE: General

Letters of Recommendation

Other Requirements

In addition to the University’s minimum requirements and those listed above, all applicants are expected to submit a statement of purpose.

Management, M.B.A./Computer Science, M.S.

The John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management and the Department of Computer Science in the School of Engineering and Applied Science offer a concurrent degree program which enables the student to complete the requirements for the M.S. in Computer Science and the M.B.A. in three academic years. Interested applicants should contact the M.B.A. program office for details.

Ph.D.: Applicants to the Ph.D. program who hold the MS degree should have completed the requirements for the M.S. degree with at least a 3.5 grade-point average and should also have demonstrated creative ability. The M.S. degree is normally required for admission to the Ph.D. program. However, in some cases exceptional students who do not hold the M.S. degree may be admitted directly to the Ph.D. program.

Master’s Degree

Advising

Students are assigned a faculty adviser upon enrollment in the School. Advisers may be changed upon written request from the student. The M.S. program is supervised by the graduate faculty and the vice-chair for graduate programs, who are assisted by two student affairs officers.

New students should arrange an appointment as early as possible with the faculty adviser to plan the proposed program of study toward the M.S. degree. Continuing students are encouraged to confer with their 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 department’s Graduate Student Affairs Office and the HSSEAS Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs. If their progress is unsatisfactory, students are informed of this in writing by the department’s Graduate Student Affairs Office.

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

Areas of Study

M.S. students are not required to select a major field. They may choose a broad selection of courses or any combination of courses from the following fields: artificial intelligence; computational systems biology; computer networks; computer science theory; computer system architecture; graphics and vision; information and data management; and software systems.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

THESIS PLAN – PLAN I
A total of 9 courses are required to fulfill the requirement towards the M.S. degree under Plan I: 7 must be formal courses (taken for letter grades), and at least 4 of the 7 must be 200-level courses in Computer Science. 2 courses (or 8 units) must be CS 598, which involves work on the thesis. The remaining 3 courses are elective courses, which may be 100- or 200-level courses in Computer Science or 200-level courses in a closely related discipline, e.g. Electrical Engineering, Statistics, Mathematics, etc. (CS 201 seminars cannot be applied towards the 9 courses).

COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION PLAN (MS PROJECT) – PLAN II
A total of 9 courses are required to fulfill the requirement towards the M.S. degree under Plan II: At least 5 courses must be 200-level courses in Computer Science (taken for letter grades). 500-level courses cannot be applied. The remaining 4 courses are elective courses, which may be 100- or 200-level courses in Computer Science or 200-level courses in a closely related discipline, e.g. Electrical Engineering, Statistics, Mathematics, etc. (CS 201 seminars cannot be applied towards the 9 courses).

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 199; Computer Science M152A, 152B, M171L, 199; Electrical Engineering 100, 101, 102, 103,110L, M116L, 199; Materials Science and Engineering 110, 120, 130, 131, 131L, 132, 150, 160, 161L, 199; Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 102, 103, 105D, 199.

Breadth Requirement. Master’s degree students must satisfy the computer science breadth requirement by the end of the fourth quarter in graduate residence at UCLA. This requirement is satisfied by mastering the contents of five undergraduate courses or the equivalent: Computer Science 180, two of 111, 118, or M151B, one of 143, 161, or 174A, and one of 130, 131 or 132.

In addition, for the M.S. degree the student must complete at least three quarters of Computer Science 201 with grades of Satisfactory.

Competence in any or all courses in the breadth requirement may be demonstrated in one of three ways:

(1) Satisfactory completion of the course at UCLA with a grade of B- or better.

(2) Satisfactory completion of an equivalent course at another university with a grade of B- or better.

(3) Satisfactory completion of a midterm and final examination in the course at UCLA.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

The master’s comprehensive examination requirement is normally satisfied through satisfactory completion of an individual project under the direction of the student’s faculty advisor. For additional information, students should consult with their faculty advisor

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 is a report on the results of the student’s investigation of a problem in the student’s major field of study under the supervision of the thesis committee, which approves the subject and plan of the thesis and reads and approves the completed manuscript. While the problem may be one of only limited scope, the thesis must exhibit a satisfactory style, organization, and depth of understanding of the subject. A student should normally start to plan the thesis at least one year before the award of the M.S. degree is expected.

Time-to-Degree

The average length of time for students in the M.S. program is five quarters. The maximum time allowed for completing the M.S. degree is three years from the time of admission to the M.S. program in the School.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Students are assigned a faculty adviser upon admission to the School. Advisers may be changed upon written request from the student. The Ph.D. program is supervised by the faculty and the vice-chair for graduate programs who are assisted by two student affairs officers. New students should arrange an appointment as early as possible with the faculty adviser to plan the proposed program of study toward the Ph.D. degree. Continuing students are encouraged to confer with their 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 department’s Graduate Student Affairs Office and the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs. Special attention is given if students are on probation. If their progress is unsatisfactory, students are informed of this in writing by the the department’s Graduate Student Affairs Office.

Students are strongly urged to consult with the department’s Graduate Student Affairs Office regarding procedures, requirements and the implementation of policies. In particular, advice should be sought on the procedures for taking Ph.D. written and oral examinations, and on the use of the Filing Fee.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Artificial intelligence; computational systems biology; computer networks; computer science theory; computer system architecture; graphics and vision; information and data management; and software systems.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Normally, the student takes courses to acquire the knowledge needed to prepare for the written and oral preliminary examinations, and for conducting Ph.D. research. The basic program of study for the Ph.D. degree is built around the written qualifying examination, the major field requirement, and two minor fields. The major field and at least one minor field must be in computer science.

The written qualifying examination is common for all Ph.D. candidates in the department.

To satisfy the major field requirement, the student is expected to attain a body of knowledge contained in six courses, at least four of which must be graduate courses in the major field of Ph.D. research. Grades of B- or better, with a grade-point average of at least 3.33 in all courses used to satisfy the major field requirement, are required.

Each minor field normally embraces a body of knowledge equivalent to three courses, at least two of which must be graduate courses. Grades of B- or better, with a grade-point average of at least 3.33 in all courses included in the minor field are required.

Major and minor field courses are selected in accordance with the guidelines specific to each field. These guidelines for course selection are available from the department’s Graduate Student Affairs Office. All major and minor field courses must be completed before taking the Oral Qualifying Exam.

Breadth Requirement. Doctoral degree students must satisfy the computer science breadth requirement by the end of the 9th quarter of study and before taking the Oral Qualifying Examination. This requirement is satisfied by mastering the contents of five undergraduate courses or the equivalent: Computer Science 180, two of 111, 118, or M151B, one of 143, 161, or 174A, and one of 130, 131 or 132.
For the Ph.D. degree, the student must complete at least three quarters of Computer Science 201 with grades of Satisfactory (in addition to the three quarters of CS 201 that may have been completed for the M.S. degree).

Competence in any or all courses may be demonstrated in one of three ways:

(1) Satisfactory completion of the course at UCLA with a grade of B- or better.

(2) Satisfactory completion of an equivalent course at another university with a grade of B- or better.

(3) Satisfactory completion of a midterm and final examination in the course at UCLA.

Teaching Experience

At least one quarter of satisfactory performance as a teaching assistant, or equivalent teaching experience, is required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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

The written qualifying examination consists of a high-quality paper, solely authored by the student. This paper can be a research paper containing an original contribution, or a focused critical survey paper. The paper should demonstrate that the student understands and can integrate and communicate ideas clearly and concisely. The paper should be approximately 10 pages, single-spaced, and the style should be suitable for submission to a first-rate technical conference or journal. The paper must represent work that the student did as a UCLA graduate student. Any contributions that are not the student’s, including those of the student’s adviser, must be explicitly acknowledged in detail. The paper must be approved by the student’s adviser prior to submission on a cover page with the advisor’s signature indicating approval. After submission the paper must be reviewed and approved by at least two other members of the faculty. There are two deadlines a year for submission of papers.

After passing the preliminary examination, the breadth requirements, and coursework for the major and minor fields, the student should form a doctoral committee and prepare to take the University Oral Qualifying Examination. A doctoral committee consists of a minimum of four members. Three members, including the chair, are inside members and must hold appointments in the student’s major department in the School. The outside member is normally a UCLA faculty member outside the student’s major department. The nature and content of the University Oral Qualifying Examination are at the discretion of the doctoral committee, but ordinarily include a broad inquiry into the student’s preparation for research. The doctoral committee also reviews the prospectus of the dissertation prior to the oral qualifying examination.

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

The student is expected to pass the Written Qualifying Exam within the first two years, complete the breadth requirements and major and minor field courses within the first three years, pass the Oral Qualifying Exam within the first four years, and complete the Ph.D. within six 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

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 satisfy the Computer Science breadth requirement.

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

Doctoral

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 3.25 in all courses and in any two consecutive quarters.

(2) Failure of the University Written Qualifying Examination.

(3) Failure of the University Oral Qualifying Examination.

(4) Failure of the final oral examination (defense of the dissertation).

(5) Failure to obtain permission to repeat an examination from an examining committee.

(6) Failure to satisfy the Computer Science breadth requirement.

(7) Failure to maintain satisfactory progress toward the degree within the specified time limits.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2013-2014 academic year.

Physics and Astronomy

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Physics

Admission

Program Name

Physics

Address

1-707 B Physics and Astronomy Building
Box 951547
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547

Phone

(310) 825-2307

Email

apply@physics.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

M.A.T., M.S., Ph.D.

The Physics department is not accepting applications to the M.A.T. for Fall 2014.
The department accepts applicants for the Ph.D. program only.

Admission Limited to

Fall

Deadline to apply

December 15th

GRE (General and/or Subject)

GRE: General and Subject in Physics

Letters of Recommendation

Other Requirements

In addition to the University’s minimum requirements and those listed above, all applicants are expected to submit a statement of purpose.

Applicants must have an excellent undergraduate record in addition to meeting the University minimum requirements.

International applicants applying for financial support (fellowships, teaching and research assistantships) should have a letter of recommendation (included as one of the three required letters of recommendation) which comments on their verbal ability in English.

Master’s Degrees

Master of Science

Advising

Entering students are assigned a faculty adviser to assist them in planning their academic schedule.

Areas of Study

Students are not required to designate an area of specialization for a terminal master’s degree.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Ten courses (36 units) are required for the M.S. degree. The following six core courses are required to satisfy this requirement: Physics 210A-210B, 220, 221A-221B, 215A. The material in these six core courses represents the body of knowledge tested on the written comprehensive examination. Core courses must be taken during the first year of graduate study and for a letter grade (a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 is required in core courses). All first-year students must enroll in Physics 293, a weekly colloquium meeting, and are required to participate in Physics 201Q, the survey of modern physics research areas, to be counted toward the ten required courses. The remaining two courses of the minimum ten courses required may be satisfied through upper division or graduate courses in physics or a related field, which are acceptable to the department for credit toward the M.S. degree, with the restriction that no more than eight units may be chose from Physics 596 and/or seminar courses. Physics 597 and 598 may not be applied toward course requirements for the M.S. degree.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not Required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

Students are required to pass the written comprehensive examination at the master’s level. This level is determined by the Comprehensive Examination Committee for each examination session. If students fail to pass the examination at the master’s level, they may take it a second time the next session it is given. For more detailed information, see Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations under Doctoral 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.

Although the department operates under the comprehensive examination plan rather than the thesis plan, arrangements can usually be made for students to write a master’s thesis, provided they have a particularly interesting subject and provided a professor is willing to undertake the guidance of their project. In this case, students must petition the committee of graduate advisers for permission to pursue the thesis plan. If the petition is approved, the comprehensive examination is waived.

Time-to-Degree

Upon admission to graduate status, full-time students who are taking a course load which is standard for the program should complete the program in approximately four quarters.

Master of Arts in Teaching

Admission

The department is not admitting students to the program at this time.

Advising

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

Areas of Study

Students are not required to designate an area of specialization for the M.A.T. degree.

Foreign Language Requirement

Not required.

Course Requirements

The M.A.T. degree leads to qualification for instructional credentials at the secondary school or junior college level. A total of 12.5 courses are required for the M.A.T. degree. The program consists of at least five graduate physics courses, four of which are chosen from Physics 210A, 210B, 215A, 221A, 221B, and five professional (300-series) courses. Courses required are: (1) the five graduate physics courses; and (2) the courses necessary for completion of the preliminary State of California Single Subject Instructional Credential, K-12 (Education 312, 315, 330B, 330C, 406, 407, and Physics M370A, which is a special physics teaching laboratory).

Courses in the 500 series are not applicable toward the M.A.T. degree. Students are required to see the adviser at the beginning of each quarter through the completion of the degree.

Teaching Experience

Supervised teaching at the secondary and junior college level is required as part of the required education courses.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

A passing grade on the written comprehensive examination is required. Students who fail to qualify at the master’s level of achievement may repeat the examination a second time.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

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

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Entering students are assigned a faculty adviser to assist them in planning their academic schedule. Beginning in the fourth quarter and continuing until advancement to candidacy, students must see a faculty adviser every quarter for approval of their course of study.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Doctoral degrees are based on original work, generally in one of the following fields of specialization: accelerator physics; astrophysics; condensed matter of electronic systems and of soft and bio materials; elementary particles; intermediate energy and nuclear physics; low-temperature/acoustics; and plasma physics. Arrangements can also be made for students to receive a Ph.D. degree in Physics while doing research in interdisciplinary fields. The details of such a research program should be established in consultation with the graduate affairs officer.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students are expected to complete at least the minimum number of courses that are required for the M.S. degree. In exceptional cases, graduate students who have taken equivalent core courses elsewhere may be exempt from taking these courses. Student must make a request for this exemption with the graduate faculty adviser prior to the start of Fall Quarter.

From the beginning of the student’s second year and until the student passes the University Oral Qualifying Examination and advances to candidacy, the student’s program is overseen by the Committee of Graduate Advisers. Each student must see a member of this committee every term before enrolling in courses. When possible a student will be assigned to an adviser whose research field is in an area in which the student has an expressed interest. The student’s adviser provides guidance in choosing appropriate courses. The committee may require that certain courses be taken in addition to normal course requirements. The guidance may also include advice on choosing a field of specialization and help in locating research opportunities. By the end of the student’s third year, the student is expected to have made arrangements with a faculty member who agrees to be the Ph.D. research sponsor and to have completed the University Oral Qualifying Examination and been advanced to candidacy. If by the end of the third year of residence the student has not obtained a Ph.D. research sponsor, this situation is referred by the graduate affairs officer to the Committee of Graduate Advisers. The committee then makes a decision on whether the student should continue in the graduate program based on discussions with the student and other appropriate parties.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

A written comprehensive examination is required of all graduate students. This examination is administered by a departmental comprehensive examination committee and is graded as follows: (1) pass at the Ph.D. level of achievement; (2) pass at the master’s level of achievement; (3) fail. This written comprehensive examination consists of two three-hour sections given on consecutive days, and its scope is defined by the graduate physics material in the six core courses (Physics 210A, 210B, 215A, 220, 221A, and 221B).

This written comprehensive examination is normally offered once a year, in the week before the beginning of classes in Fall Quarter. Students entering the graduate program in Fall Quarter are expected to take the written comprehensive examination before their fourth quarter of residence. Students who fail this examination at the desired level and want to repeat it must take it the next time it is offered.

Students are expected to take the University Oral Qualifying Examination no later than their ninth quarter. In consultation with the student’s dissertation adviser, a doctoral committee is nominated, approved by the department chair, and formally appointed by the Graduate Division. This committee consists of at least three members of the department and one member from another department. The main purpose of this examination is to discuss and evaluate the student’s proposed dissertation problem. However, at the discretion of the committee, questions may be asked in regard to other material in the student’s field of specialization and related matters. The detailed scope for most of this examination should be agreed upon beforehand. The committee members guide, read, approve, and certify the dissertation. At least three members from the department and at least one outside member must serve as certifying members of the dissertation.

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)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

The Ph.D. dissertation should be submitted by the end of six years or 18 quarters of residence.

Normal progress toward the Ph.D. degree has been established as follows:

(1) The written comprehensive examination should be taken by the fourth quarter in residence.

(2) A specialized course of study should begin during the second year.

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

(4) The dissertation and final oral examination should be finished by the end of the 18th quarter.

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

Special Departmental or Program Policy

A student’s record and progress is reviewed at the end of each quarter. In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for termination for failure to make satisfactory progress in thesis research, including failure to find a research sponsor or failure to make normal progress toward thesis completion once a sponsor is found, or for two failures of the written comprehensive examination (under extraordinary circumstances a student may be allowed to take it a third time).

Before a recommendation for termination occurs, the department meets with the student to discuss the problems and considers whether an extension of time may be granted. If an extension of time is granted and the student has not exhibited satisfactory progress during that time, a recommendation for termination occurs.

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