Program Requirements for Latin American Studies

Connect with us and learn about our services on the Graduate Education Portal.

Program Requirements for Latin American Studies

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

Latin American Studies

Interdepartmental Degree Program
College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Latin American Studies Program offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Latin American Studies.

Admission

Program Name

Latin American Studies

Latin American Studies is an interdepartmental program. Interdepartmental programs provide an integrated curriculum of several disciplines.

Address

10373 Bunche Hall
Box 951487
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1487

Phone

(310) 206-6571

Email

idpgrads@international.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

M.A.

Admission Limited to

Fall

Deadline to apply

December 15th

GRE (General and/or Subject)

GRE: General

Letters of Recommendation

3, from academics, unless the applicant has been away from school for some time, in which case one of the letters may be from an employer.

Other Requirements

In addition to the University’s minimum requirements and those listed above, all applicants are expected to submit a statement of purpose discussing the applicant’s background in Latin American Studies, proposed program of study, and future career plans. An applicant may also choose to submit an optional resume or curriculum vitae describing both academic and Latin American experience.

A bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies constitutes the normal basis for admission to the M.A. program. Applicants with a degree in another field can be admitted but must complete certain undergraduate prerequisites subsequent to admission. Applicants with Latin American field experience or special methodological studies background are given special consideration. All applicants should meet minimum requirements in at least one language of Latin America.

Several options are available to combine the M.A. in Latin American Studies with a professional degree. After acceptance by both the Latin American Studies Program and the respective professional school, students may pursue both degrees simultaneously.

Latin American Studies, M.A./Urban Planning, M.A..

The Latin American Studies Program and the Department of Urban Planning offer a two and one-half to three-year concurrent degree program leading to an MA degree in each program. Issues related to migration and settlement, comparative urbanization, human resources development and distribution, and rural economics are all of direct concern to planners and other policymakers working in Latin America. The program provides an integrated curriculum through which students can develop professional knowledge and skills while receiving advanced area studies and language training.

Program and the graduate adviser in the Department of Urban Planning.

Management, M.B.A./Latin American Studies, M.A.

The John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management and the Latin American Studies Program jointly sponsor a three-year concurrent degree program designed for individuals preparing for careers in international management with a special focus on the Latin American region. Establishment of the program was predicated on the belief that individuals employed in the area of international business and management are better equipped to meet the challenges of their employment with complementary preparation in language and regional studies. Application materials should be requested separately from both schools.

Latin American Studies, M.A./Education, M.Ed.

The Department of Education and the Latin American Studies Program offer an articulated degree program which allows students to combine study for the M.A. in Latin American Studies and the M.Ed., with an emphasis in curriculum. Articulated programs do not allow course credit to be applied toward more than one degree. This program is not currently accepting applications.

Latin American Studies, M.A./ Information Studies, M.L.I.S.

The M.L.I.S./M.A. Latin American Studies is an articulated degree program of the Department of Information Studies and the Latin American Studies Program. The student can obtain two degrees: the M.L.I.S. and the M.A. in Latin American Studies. Further details may be obtained from the graduate adviser in the Latin American Studies Program and the graduate adviser in the Department of Information Studies.

Latin American Studies, MA/Public Health, MPH

The School of Public Health and the Latin American Studies Program have arranged an articulated degree program, organized to permit specializations within the MA. And the MPH degrees, with the award of both degrees after approximately three years of graduate study. Qualified students apply to the graduate adviser of the Latin American Studies MA degree program and to a relevant area of public health, such as (1) environmental and nutritional sciences, (2) epidemiology, (3) health education, (4) population and family health.

Potential applicants should contact the Graduate Adviser, Latin American Studies, and/or the Public Health/Latin American Studies Articulated Degree Program Adviser, School of Public Health.

Master’s Degree

Advising

Academic advising is provided by the chair of the program and the Student Affairs Coordinator, who assists in program counseling, preparation of student petitions, and processing of student records. A faculty adviser meets with entering students individually to develop a program of study with academic coherence and vigor based on their proposed fields of specialization.

Areas of Study

Students are expected to develop and integrate two or three fields in Latin American studies, to be selected from the following: anthropology; art history; economics; education; engineering; folklore; geography; history; information studies; law; linguistics; management; music; political science; Portuguese; public health; sociology; Spanish; theater arts; and urban planning. At least one of the chosen fields must be a social science.

Foreign Language Requirement

Proficiency equivalent to 24 quarter units of university-level Spanish and 12 quarter units of university-level Portuguese or 16 quarter units of university-level Portuguese and 20 units of university-level Spanish is required. Only coursework taken within five years of the award of the M.A. degree may be used to demonstrate current proficiency. Since these courses may not be applied toward the M.A. degree, students are encouraged to pass these proficiency levels by examination. Degree candidates who completed their language training five years prior to their advancement to candidacy must demonstrate their current proficiency by examination. A major Indian language of Latin America may be substituted for either Spanish or Portuguese. Students must fulfill the foreign language requirements by examination or petition for a waiver of the examination if they have gained competency in another manner (i.e., native speaker, upper division coursework, Peace Corps service).

Course Requirements

Latin American Studies 205 is a core course required of all M.A. students, to be taken during the first Fall Quarter in residence. All courses must be selected from the department-approved list of courses. Other courses must be petitioned in advance. Courses numbered in the 300 and 400 series are not applicable toward the M.A. degree. Graduate courses may be repeated unless they are of the lecture type. No more than eight units of 500-series courses may be applied toward the total course requirement for the M.A. degree; no more than four units may be applied toward the minimum five graduate courses required for the M.A. degree.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

A minimum of nine courses is required, eight of which are to be distributed among three fields or disciplines on a 3-3-2 basis or among two fields on a 4-4 basis. Of the nine courses, five must be at the graduate level, with at least one in each of the three fields.

The examination requirement is fulfilled by the submission of three research papers written for at least two of the three fields included as part of the student’s program of study. At least two of these papers must have been submitted for graduate courses in the 200 series. The papers are evaluated by a three-member faculty committee representing the degree candidate’s three fields or both fields if the candidate is doing only two fields. Two positive votes among the three-member faculty examination committee constitute a pass. The committee evaluates the papers in the following terms: honor pass (a unanimous vote); pass; pass subject to revision of one or more of the research papers; or fail (majority vote). If two of the three members of the committee so request, an oral examination based on the papers may be required. When papers are passed subject to revision, one member of the committee is assigned the responsibility of working with the student on the revision, and determining when the paper has been satisfactorily revised. No reexaminations are permitted. The degree is awarded on recommendation of the faculty committee. Copies of the papers are filed in the Latin American Studies Academic Programs Office.

Thesis Plan

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

A minimum of 10 courses is required, nine of which are to be distributed on a 4-3-2 basis among three fields. Three graduate-level courses are required in the first field, with one each in the two minor fields.

Although students are generally expected to follow the M.A. comprehensive examination plan, in special cases they may be allowed to follow the M.A. thesis plan. The student must develop a carefully prepared proposal to be approved by the academic coordinator in consultation with the student’s faculty committee chair. To be approved, the proposal must provide sound justification for the thesis plan, including provisions for funding any field research.

Once the thesis plan option has been approved, the student chooses a three-member faculty thesis committee consisting of one professor from each of three disciplines, one of whom has already agreed to serve as chair. The thesis committee works closely with the student in the development, writing, and revision of the thesis and is responsible for reading, evaluating, and approving the drafts and final version of the thesis, ensuring thereby that it meets the University standards of scholarship. Once the final version is approved, the thesis committee recommends the award of the M.A. degree. By the end of the quarter before graduation, the student must file for advancement to candidacy with the Graduate Division.

Time-to-Degree

Full-time students with no deficiencies upon admission can expect to complete all requirements for the M.A. degree within four academic quarters. Students who undertake field research in conjunction with the thesis plan may take up to seven academic quarters.

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 made by the interdepartmental degree program committee, in consultation with the academic coordinator and, when appropriate, the student’s M.A. committee. A student may appeal a recommendation for termination through submission of a letter to the chair of the interdepartmental degree program committee which is submitted to the entire committee for a final decision.

Program Requirements for Germanic Languages

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

Germanic Languages

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Germanic Languages offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Germanic Languages, and the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Scandinavian (see Scandinavian Section in Program Requirements).

Admission

Program Name

Germanic Languages

Address

212 Royce Hall
Box 951539
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1539

Phone

(310) 825-3955

Email

allen@humnet.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

M.A., Ph.D.

Admission Limited to

Fall, Winter, Spring

Deadline to apply

December 15th

GRE (General and/or Subject)

GRE: General

Letters of Recommendation

3, from professors who may provide an evaluation of the applicant’s accomplishments or potential in research and related scholarly activities

Other Requirements

In addition to the University’s minimum requirements and those listed above, all applicants are expected to submit one writing sample of no more than 10 pages in German or English, and a statement of purpose.

M.A.: Although a degree in German, Germanic linguistics, or linguistics with a minor in German is preferred, the department accepts applicants with a variety of undergraduate backgrounds. Applicants with deficiencies in undergraduate preparation are considered but if admitted are required to take remedial courses, as recommended by the graduate adviser.

Ph.D.: An M.A. degree in German or a Germanic Language from an accredited U.S. Institution is required for admission to the doctoral program. Also acceptable are European degrees such as German or Austrian Staatsexam, a German or Austrian Magister, or a Swiss Lizenziat. A German Zwischenprüfung is not acceptable.

Applicants with an M.A. in fields other than German (for example, in Comparative Literature or in Linguistics) are required to pass the written part of the M.A. comprehensive examination in German or Scandinavian, as applicable, within three quarters after admission to the department.

Master’s Degree

Advising

The departmental graduate advisers evaluate student preparation for the M.A. program, and assess progress toward the degree. They advise students on planning their studies, course selection and preparation for the M.A. examinations. The advisers meet with students at least once every quarter and maintain records of these interviews. In addition to the regular advisers, students who choose the M.A. thesis plan are guided by the thesis adviser and other members of their thesis committee.

Areas of Study

There are three M.A. plans that differ with respect to course requirements and comprehensive examinations. Plan A is for students who plan to terminate their studies with the M.A. degree and an instructional credential. Plan B is for students whose main interests are in literature, culture, or German studies and who plan to proceed toward the Ph.D. degree. Plan C is for students whose main interests are in German linguistics and who plan to proceed toward the Ph.D. degree.

Foreign Language Requirement

A reading knowledge of a language other than German or English must be demonstrated before the chair can approve the master’s advancement to candidacy petition. This requirement can be fulfilled by receiving a grade of B or better in Dutch 120 and Dutch 131 or in one of these courses: Dutch 103C, French 1G, French 2G, Yiddish 101C, the fifth quarter course in the chosen language or an upper division literature course in which texts are read in the chosen language. Students also may fulfill the foreign language requirement by demonstrating to the satisfaction of the Director of Graduate Studies that equivalent requirements were met at another post-secondary institution or in some other way. The choice of language and the means of fulfillment of the requirement must be agreed upon in advance by the student and the Director.

Course Requirements

Plan A requires a minimum of nine upper division and graduate courses, of which at least six courses must be graduate level (200- or 500-series). In addition, German 155, and 140 (or equivalent) are required. Undergraduate credit for these courses is applicable in satisfaction of these requirements as long as the courses are taken while in graduate status.

Plan B requires a minimum of nine upper division and graduate courses, of which at least six courses must be graduate level (200- or 500-series). One seminar must be included. The departmental core curriculum must be fulfilled in the first year of study. In the first year incoming M.A. students are obliged to complete at least one course in the each of the following areas: (a) literature and culture before 1700; (b) literature and culture after 1700; (c) critical theory; (d) German linguistics. In each case courses meeting the requirement for the area are designated yearly in departmental course listings. Eligible courses in literature cover a substantial historical period, movement, or topic. Eligible courses in Germanic linguistics might be in the area of history and structure of the language, or theory.

In addition, all students are required to take the German 495 teaching practicum in the first quarter of teaching.

Plan C requires a minimum of nine upper division and graduate courses beyond the language requirements, of which at least six courses must be graduate level (200- or 500-series) and of which up to four courses may be from other departments in a relevant area (e.g., linguistics, applied linguistics, Indo-European linguistics, Romance linguistics). German 217, C238, and one seminar must be included. Students in Plan C are required to fulfill a modified version of the departmental core curriculum that requires them to take designated courses meeting the requirements in two of the following areas: (a) literature and culture before 1700; (b) literature and culture after 1700; (c) critical theory.

Students in Plans A and B may take German 596 twice before the M.A. degree requirements are completed; however, only one 596 course may be counted toward the degree requirements, including the graduate course requirement. Students in Plan C and allied fields may take German 596 twice (eight units) for degree credit; four units of this credit may be applied toward the graduate course requirement. Students may enroll in up to 12 units of German 597 or 598 but not before the quarter in which the course requirements are fulfilled. German 597 and 598 may not be applied toward course requirements for the master’s degree.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

Examinations are offered each quarter, beginning with the written part during the fifth week of each quarter. Under exceptional circumstances, the chair of the department will receive petitions for M.A. examinations during the summer recess.

One examination committee is appointed for each quarter. The members of the committee administer the written and oral examinations.

Students in Plans A and B select two out of six possible areas of concentration on which to be examined: (1) German literature and culture after 1700; (2) German literature and culture before 1700; (3) history and structure of Germanic languages; (4) Dutch or Afrikaans literature and culture; (5) old Norse literature and culture; (6) critical theory and intellectual history.

For Plan A, students must choose history and structure of Germanic languages as one area of study.

Students select a primary concentration on which they are examined for three hours. They also select a secondary concentration on which they are examined for two hours.

For each examination, one month in advance, students are provided with three broad topics. They are examined on specific questions relating to those topics. The examination in the secondary field follows in the month after the examination in the primary area, and is structured in the same manner.

A one-hour oral examination follows in the week after the completion of the second examination.

For Plan C, the M.A. examination consists of three written examinations of two hours each, followed by a one-hour oral examination. Students are examined in the following areas: one examination on the history of Germanic languages, theory, and historical linguistics; one examination on the structure of German languages, and in theory and synchronic linguistics; one examination on languages and dialects. Students may select one modern language, one philological language, and a third language of their choice. This examination includes translation and parsing. To continue toward the Ph.D. degree, the student must receive a pass with the recommendation to continue.

After the written examinations have been taken, for those in Plan B or Plan C, the M.A. committee decides whether the student may proceed to the oral examination. If the student fails the oral examination, the M.A. committee decides whether the entire examination must be repeated or only the oral portion. The examination may be repeated only once without petition.

If the student applies for the M.A. degree under Plan B (to proceed toward the Ph.D.) and is awarded a terminal M.A. degree, the examinations may be repeated if the student chooses not to have the M.A. degree officially awarded before the reexamination.

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.

In lieu of the written examination requirement, students may submit a thesis. Students in Plan B who elect to submit a thesis must, however, complete a two-hour oral examination in the area of their thesis as well as in two other areas of concentration in order to be approved for further doctoral study. Students in Plan C who elect the thesis option are required to take one two-hour written examination in addition to the thesis.

The following additional rules apply to the thesis option:

(1) The thesis committee must consist of three members, one of whom serves as director. The student selects the director, and the other two members are appointed by the chair in consultation with the student.

(2) No committee member from outside the department is required, except in the case of Plan B. For this plan, one member must be from the related field.

(3) The thesis committee should be established no later than the end of the fourth quarter of the candidate’s graduate studies. At that time, the thesis committee must approve the plan for the thesis in writing and submit a copy to the graduate adviser.

(4) No 598 course is required, although students may take one such course in preparation for the degree.

(5) Candidates who fail the examination may repeat it once without petitioning the department. The examination must be repeated no later than one quarter following the quarter in which the first examination was failed.

(6) The Registrar’s online calendar specifies the date for filing of the final draft of a thesis with the student’s committee and the date on which revised and completed theses must be filed in the library. The examinations must be taken prior to the date on which revised and completed theses must be filed in the library.

Time-to-Degree

The estimated time to the M.A. degree for full-time students with no deficiencies upon admission to graduate status and who are taking a full course load is three to five quarters; estimated time to the degree for teaching assistants is six quarters.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Students must establish a three-member faculty guidance committee, in consultation with their adviser, no later than one year after completing the M.A. examination (or within one year of admission with an M.A. degree). Students who fail to do so within this time limit are not be eligible for teaching assistantships or fellowships.

The composition of the guidance committee must be filed in writing with the Director of Graduate Studies. Students may ask one member from outside the department to serve on the committee if there is a programmatic need. Any changes in this committee must be approved by the graduate adviser and the faculty concerned, and filed with the Director of Graduate Studies. The director of this committee in most cases is the faculty member with whom the student would like to write her/his dissertation. The director must in all cases be a member of the department.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Not applicable.

Foreign Language Requirement

In addition to the first language requirement for the M.A. degree, doctoral students are required to fulfill a second requirement in one of the following ways: (1) demonstrate a reading knowledge of a second foreign language in accord with the same criteria used for the M.A. foreign language requirement; (2) demonstrate a superior proficiency in the language used for the M.A. degree by receiving a grade of B or better in three upper division or graduate literature courses in which texts are read in that language; (3) demonstrate competence in the discursive rudiments of one other discipline by receiving a grade of B or better in at least three upper division or graduate courses in the history and structure of a discipline relating to the student’s research; (4) demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Director of Graduate Studies that equivalent requirements were met at another post-secondary institution or in some other way. The means of fulfillment of this requirement must be agreed upon in advance by the student and the Director.

Students who specialize in Scandinavian may not use Swedish, Norwegian, or Danish for the second language. Students whose primary field of concentration is Icelandic or Finnish may not use Icelandic or Finnish for this requirement.

Course Requirements

Students must have completed eight graduate courses (at least four in the department) beyond the M.A. degree, three of which must be seminars. If students have already taken a seminar in preparation for their M.A. degree, only two of these eight courses must be seminars.

Students may take German 596 twice before the Ph.D. degree requirements are completed; however, only one 596 course may be counted toward the degree requirements. Students in allied fields may take German 596 more than once for degree credit. Students may enroll in up to 12 units of German 597 but not before the quarter in which the course requirements are fulfilled. German 597 may not be applied toward course requirements for the doctoral degree.

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.

Students must (1) pass the graduate reading examination in their first foreign language; (2) pass an interdepartmental reading examination either in a second foreign language or in the discursive field of their choice; (3) successfully complete three seminars; (4) pass the qualifying examinations. Upon majority vote of the committee, the written examinations or any of their parts may be repeated once. Initial reading lists should be submitted to all committee members no later than the tenth week of the fourth quarter. A mid-quarter meeting should take place between the student and all committee members in the quarter preceding the quarter in which the written examination is taken. The purpose of this meeting is to finalize the reading lists. No substantial changes should be made to the reading lists after this meeting.

For the written qualifying examinations, students in literature, culture, and German studies are expected to cover six different areas in three examinations, each of which is devoted to two of the six areas they have chosen. The six areas should include one author, one genre, one period, one theoretical or historical problem, and two special topics of their choosing. One examination lasts five hours. The other two examinations last three hours each.

In determining how they will satisfy the six-area requirements, students should keep in mind the structure of the examination: since each examination will cover two areas, the two areas in each examination must make sense together. Regardless of the format chosen, students must take written examinations on campus, no later than the eighth week of the twelfth quarter beyond completion of the B.A. degree (which will normally be the sixth quarter beyond completion of the M.A.) and they must be taken within one week. One week after this examination, students take a one-hour oral examination covering the written material presented.

For the written qualifying examination, students in linguistics complete a three-hour examination in five target languages, and a second three-hour examination in linguistics theory. Students in Old Norse are examined for two hours in language, two hours in theoretical problems of interpretation, and two hours on issues concerning social and historical context. Students in Scandinavian complete a three-hour examination in their major Scandinavian literature, and a second three-hour examination in the other two Scandinavian literatures.

Following successful completion of the written examinations, students in literature, culture and German studies must prepare a dissertation proposal and pass a two-hour University Oral Qualifying Examination. This examination must be taken by the end of the first week of the thirteen quarter of registration beyond the bachelor’s degree. Also, students must take the University Oral Qualifying Examination no later than the end of the first week of the quarter that follows their completion of the written examinations.

Following successful completion of the written examinations, students in linguistics, Old Norse, and Scandinavian take a two-hour University Oral Qualifying Examination.

After passing the written and oral qualifying examinations, students enroll in German 599 or Scandinavian 599 for all subsequent quarters of graduate study.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

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

Time-to-Degree

The estimated time for the Ph.D. degree for full-time students with no deficiencies upon admission to the Ph.D. program and taking a full course load, is 12 quarters (after the M.A. degree).

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

Special Departmental or Program Policy

A student whose grade point average falls below 3.00 for two consecutive terms is ordinarily recommended for termination. Every recommendation to terminate a student for reasons other than failure to maintain a grade point average of 3.00 is discussed and decided upon by the departmental faculty. A student may appeal a recommendation for termination in writing.

A doctoral student who fails any part of the written or oral qualifying examinations and who has exhausted or been denied the opportunity to retake all or part of the examinations is recommended for termination. A doctoral candidate who does not complete the dissertation, including the defense (if required), within five years after passing the qualifying examinations, is subject to termination. A doctoral candidate who does not submit a first draft of the dissertation to the doctoral committee chair within three years after passing the qualifying examinations is subject to termination.

Program Requirements for Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2013-2014 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.

Admission

Program Name

Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology

Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology is an interdepartmental program. Interdepartmental programs provide an integrated curriculum of several disciplines.

Applicants may apply to the Ph.D. program either directly or through UCLA Access to Programs in the Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences

Address

122 Hershey Hall
Box 957246
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1527

Phone

(310) 825-3891

Email

mcarr@physci.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

Ph.D.

Admission Limited to

Fall

Deadline to apply

December 15th

GRE (General and/or Subject)

GRE: General and Subject in Biology or in the applicant’s undergraduate major

MCAT scores may be submitted by applicants with MDs.

Letters of Recommendation

Other Requirements

In addition to the University’s minimum requirements and those listed above, all applicants are expected to submit an essay describing academic background, work experience, motivation for research, and career goals.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in a biological or physical science. Applicants are generally expected to have completed university coursework in mathematics through calculus, college physics, general chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and biology. Courses in cell and molecular biology are recommended. If an applicant lacks preparation in a recommended course, but has an otherwise outstanding academic record, the applicant may be admitted to graduate status provided that the deficiencies are corrected.

In addition to requirements listed above, applicants must submit transcripts of all university coursework.

Students whose native language is not English must demonstrate sufficient capability to understand and communicate in English to be able to successfully complete graduate education.

Selected applicants will be invited to interview with selected members of the faculty and graduate student representatives. The graduate program committee makes admissions decisions based on application information, recommendations of the interviewers, availability of appropriate training faculty, and availability of financial support for the applicant.

STAR program participants are admissible to the Ph.D. program if their research mentor is on the training faculty of the interdepartmental program.

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

These include biophysics, cellular and molecular physiology, and integrative/comparative physiology.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students who matriculate directly into the program are required to complete approved graduate coursework in molecular biology, cellular biology, research ethics, and physiology during their first year. Students admitted through the ACCESS Program will have satisfied the program’s first-year course requirements for molecular biology, cellular biology, and research ethics by completion of the ACCESS curriculum. 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

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

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

None.

Program Requirements for Physics and Astronomy (Astronomy)

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.

Astronomy

Admission

Program Name

Astronomy

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.S., Ph.D.

The department admits only applicants whose objective is the PhD.

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 should hold a bachelor’s degree in physics or astronomy. Applicants in closely related fields (such as mathematics or chemistry) may be admitted at the discretion of the department.

Master’s Degrees

Master of Science

Advising

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

Areas of Study

Consult the department.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

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

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

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

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

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

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

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

Master of Arts in Teaching

Advising

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

Areas of Study

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

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

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

Teaching Experience

Consult the department.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

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

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

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

Doctoral Degree

Advising

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

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Consult the department.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

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

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

Teaching Experience

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

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

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

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

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

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

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

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

Special Departmental or Program Policy

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

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

Program Requirements for African Studies

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

African Studies

Interdepartmental Program
College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admission

Program Name

African Studies

African Studies is an interdepartmental program. Interdepartmental programs provide an integrated curriculum of several disciplines.

Address

10373 Bunche Hall
Box 951487
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1487

Phone

(310) 206-6571

Email

idpgrads@international.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

M.A.

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 dossier containing a resume describing academic, African-related, and professional experience, and a research paper or other writing sample that well demonstrates writing and analytical skills.

Also, applicants should have adequate preparation in undergraduate fields related to the program. Required preparation for the most typically consists of a BA in the social sciences, humanities, or arts.

African Studies, M.A./Public Health, M.P.H.

The African Studies Program and the School of Public Health have a concurrent degree program whereby a student can work for the Master of Arts in African Studies and the Master of Public Health with a specialization in Community Health Sciences at the same time. Students must be admitted to both programs and may count up to eight units of Community Health Sciences courses toward both degrees.

Master’s Degree

Advising

The M.A. program in African Studies is supervised by an interdepartmental faculty committee. The chair of this committee and of the program is also the graduate adviser. There is also a staff assistant to the graduate adviser. Students should remain in continuous contact with the graduate adviser and the staff regarding their program and academic progress. Students also have an informal faculty adviser in their area of concentration.

Areas of Study

Each student chooses a disciplinary (or interdisciplinary) concentration which requires at least five courses. Most concentrations are in the social sciences, arts, humanities, public health, or urban and regional planning. Sociology and anthropology may be taken as a combined major, as may interdisciplinary courses in development studies.

Foreign Language Requirement

Students are required to satisfy the language requirement by achieving elementary proficiency in an African language in one of the following two ways: (1) taking three courses (12 units) in an African language with an average grade of B or better (these courses may not be applied toward the nine-course minimum required for the degree); or (2) achieving an elementary rating on an oral proficiency examination arranged by the African languages coordinator. European languages spoken in Africa may be substituted by petition to the chair.

Course Requirements

A minimum of nine courses is required for the M.A. degree, at least five of which must be at the graduate level. The courses must be distributed between disciplines as follows:

(1) Major discipline: a minimum of five courses, of which three must be at the graduate level. Sociology and anthropology may be taken as a combined major. Other combined majors must be approved by the graduate adviser.

(2) A minimum of four other courses outside the major area, of which three must be at the graduate level. Students who are enrolled in the concurrent degree program with Public Health may use up to two Community Health Sciences courses (eight units) toward these four elective courses.

Except for 500-series courses, University regulations indicate that a student in an interdepartmental degree program may not apply courses taken on an S/U grading basis toward the master’s degree. By petition, the program will consider an exception for one of the nine required courses. Such petitions must be approved by a graduate adviser and the Graduate Division. One course in the 500 series may be applied toward the total course requirement and toward the minimum graduate course requirement. With consent of the graduate adviser, other 500-series courses may be allowed but may not be applied toward the minimum course requirements.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

The comprehensive examination plan involves a four- to six-hour written examination that is taken in the last quarter of academic residence. The examination is set by a three-person faculty committee, two members of which must be from the major discipline or field of concentration. In consultation with the graduate adviser, the student selects the committee members for the examination. The chair of the committee receives questions from other members and is responsible for setting the examination questions and requirements. An additional oral examination may be held at the discretion of the examining committee. If the comprehensive examination is failed, it may be retaken only once.

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 option is available by permission of the graduate adviser. Upon obtaining permission, the student, in consultation with the graduate adviser, selects a faculty committee to supervise and assess the thesis. Two of the three faculty committee members, including the chair, must be from the area of concentration; a third member must be from another discipline. The thesis must reflect the major discipline or field of concentration. An oral defense may be required in some circumstances.

Time-to-Degree

Normal progress from graduate admission to award of the master’s degree is six quarters. Normal progress for students enrolled in the concurrent degree program with Public Health is nine quarters.

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

Special Departmental or Program Policy

A recommendation for termination of graduate study is first made by the graduate adviser to the interdepartmental program committee.

Program Requirements for Spanish and Portuguese (Portuguese)

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

Spanish and Portuguese

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Spanish, the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Portuguese, and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Hispanic Languages and Literatures.

Portugese

Admission

Program Name

Portuguese

Address

5310 Rolfe Hall
Box 951532
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1532

Phone

(310) 825-1036

Email

gtovar@humnet.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

M.A.

Only applicants whose objective is the Ph.D in Hispanic Languages and Literatures are considered.

Admission Limited to

Fall

Deadline to apply

December 31st

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 bachelor’s degree in Portuguese a recognized university, a statement of purpose, and a writing sample. Applicants with a bachelor’s degree in a field other than Portuguese but who have substantial coursework and/or background in the field may also be considered for admission by the graduate affairs committee. If the committee deems that some area of the applicant’s preparation in language or literature needs to be strengthened, it may require that one or more complementary courses be taken.

Master’s Degree

Advising

New M.A. students are advised by the graduate adviser for the master’s program. During the first two quarters of study, the student’s choice of concentration is provisional. During the third quarter of study the choice of concentration is confirmed and a personal graduate adviser is selected. The graduate adviser is responsible for planning, in consultation with the student, a study program and for a periodic review of the student’s progress.

Areas of Study

The department offers two areas of concentration for an M.A. degree in Portuguese: (A) literature; (B) linguistics.

Foreign Language Requirement

All candidates for the M.A. degree in Portuguese are required to study a language other than English or Portuguese. The requirement may be fulfilled by (1) passing a University reading examination in the language; or (2) passing a University course of at least level 3.

Course Requirements

Eleven courses, eight of which must be graduate level, are required for the M.A. degree. Spanish 495 may count as one of the eleven courses but may not replace one of the graduate courses. Up to two graduate courses may be taken in Spanish or another department with the approval of the graduate adviser. Portuguese 596 may be taken only once. Portuguese 597 and 598 do not count toward the degree.

Students choose a concentration from the following options: (A) literature; (B) linguistics.

Option A Literature: Students who choose the literature concentration are required to take Portuguese M201A or an equivalent theory course and one upper division or graduate course in Portuguese linguistics. The remaining courses are selected in consultation with the graduate adviser, who considers the student’s interest as well as the necessary preparation for the comprehensive examination.

Option B Linguistics: Students who choose the linguistics concentration are required to take one upper division or graduate course in literature and ten elective courses to be selected in consultation with the adviser, who considers the student’s interest as well as the necessary preparation for the comprehensive examination.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

A) Literature: The comprehensive examination in literature consists of four two-hour examinations, chosen from the following six examination areas: (1) Brazilian literature (Colonial and 19th Century); (2) Brazilian literature (20th Century); (3) Portuguese literature (Medieval through 18th Century); (4) Portuguese and Lusophone African literature (19th and 20th Century); (5) Spanish or Spanish American literature; (6) Portuguese linguistics. Students must take at least three of their examinations in different areas of Luso-Brazilian literature. The examinations are based on reading lists provided by the department when the student enters the program.

B) Linguistics: The comprehensive examination in linguistics consists of four two-hour examinations, chosen from the following six examination areas: (1) Portuguese syntax; (2) Spanish syntax; (3) Portuguese phonetics and morphology; (4) Portuguese diachronic and synchronic language variation; (5) Portuguese literature (Medieval through 18th Century) or Portuguese Lusophone African literature (19th and 20th Century); (6) Brazilian literature. The examinations are based on reading lists for the individual examination areas chosen by the student. Reading lists are provided by the appropriate departmental faculty members when examination areas are chosen.

The comprehensive examinations in literature and linguistics are administered only in Spring Quarter.

The M.A. program in Portuguese is the first phase of the doctoral program in Hispanic Languages and Literatures. When the student has completed all requirements for the M.A. degree, the student’s examination committee will meet to evaluate the student by considering the following: (1) one writing sample in Portuguese; (2) results of the comprehensive examination; (3) coursework.

A recommendation is made by the student’s committee at a general department meeting. The department decides whether: (a) the student has earned a terminal M.A. degree (that is, the student may not proceed to the doctoral program); (b) the student has earned the M.A. degree and may proceed to the second phase of the Ph.D.

Students holding an M.A. degree in a subject area other than Portuguese must take the comprehensive examination and present a writing sample to their committee. Students may petition for up to eight graduate courses used for the master’s degree to count toward 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.

In lieu of taking the comprehensive examination, students may seek permission to present a thesis for the M.A. degree. Students must first complete five graduate courses, one of which must be a seminar. In order to endorse the petition, the graduate adviser and the guidance committee need to find evidence of exceptional ability and promise in term papers and coursework.

Time-to-Degree

Full-time students (three courses per quarter) with no deficiencies upon entrance should complete the coursework and the comprehensive examination within four quarters of admission. Teaching assistants and students with deficiencies at entrance require longer. Students who are not appointed as teaching assistants are expected to complete seven courses for each three-quarter period; students appointed as teaching assistants are expected to complete five courses for each three-quarter period.

Program Requirements for Psychology

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

Psychology

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admission

Program Name

Psychology

Address

1285 Franz Hall
Box 951563
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563

Phone

(310) 825-2617

Email

gradadm@psych.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

M.A., Ph.D.

The Psychology department admits only applicants whose objective is the Ph.D., although students may be awarded the M.A. en route to the Ph.D.

Admission Limited to

Fall

Deadline to apply

December 1st

GRE (General and/or Subject)

GRE: General (Clinical only: General and Subject in Psychology taken within the last five years)

Letters of Recommendation

Other Requirements

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

Admission is for Fall Quarter only and on a full-time basis only.

Applications must be complete and received by the department by the deadline to be considered.

Interviews (in person or by phone) are required for Clinical, Developmental, Health and Social Area finalists.

The department regards a broad undergraduate background in the behavioral, biological, physical, and social sciences as the best preparation for graduate study in psychology. It is desirable, but not required, to have majored in psychology as an undergraduate. Some college coursework in statistics or advanced mathematics is required; please visit the departmental website for additional information.

Master’s Degree

Advising

See under Doctoral Degree.

Areas of Study

Not applicable.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Requirements for the M.A. degree are nine graduate courses (36 units), including Psychology 250A-250B-250C (or a course substitute approved by the department), 251B-251C (research project must be completed), and at least three of the four required core courses (students should refer to Doctoral Degree Course Requirements for further details). One 596 course (four units) may be applied as an elective. Courses in the 400 series may not be applied. If applicable, all undergraduate deficiencies must be cleared before the M.A. degree is awarded. Students that have earned a previous Master’s Degree in Psychology or a related field are not permitted to earn a duplicate Master’s Degree in the same field at UCLA.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

Doctoral students should consult the department for details on the master’s comprehensive examination.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

Doctoral students typically receive the master’s degree by the end of their fourth quarter in residence.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Upon admission to graduate status, each student is assigned an adviser on the basis of the student’s interests as indicated in the application. Students are required to meet with their adviser each quarter, to receive approval of their enrollment plan. Students who would like to change advisers may request to do so. Students are evaluated quarterly while satisfying core program requirements, a period of time expected to span over six quarters. The evaluations are conducted by the Graduate Evaluation Committee and students are notified in writing as to whether they are making satisfactory progress in the program.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Students are required to obtain a thorough background in research methodology and psychological theory. Major specialized training is available in the following areas of psychology: behavioral neuroscience; clinical; cognitive; cognitive neuroscience; developmental; health; learning and behavior; quantitative; or social psychology. Students admitted in either the behavioral neuroscience or cognitive areas may take the program in cognitive neuroscience. The course requirements for the cognitive neuroscience program serve as a combined major and minor. Students who select this option remain in their area of admission for administrative purposes. Students admitted in the Cognitive Area may take the program in Computational Cognition. The course requirements for Computational Cognition serve as a combined major and minor. Student who select this option remain in the Cognitive Area for administrative purposes. Students may also receive specialized training in community psychology, culture, brain and development, experimental psychopathology, and political psychology.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students should refer to the Psychology Handbook available on the departmental web site for additional information on courses that can be applied toward the program requirements listed below.

General Core Course Requirements

The core program includes a research sequence (Psychology 251A-251B-251C), a statistics sequence (Psychology 250A-250B-250C (or a course substitute approved by the department)), and three or four additional core courses. Psychology 250A, 250B and 250C must be completed in the first year; Psychology 251A-251B-251C must be completed by the end of the Fall Quarter of the second year. The three or four additional core courses must be completed within the first six quarters in residence. Two core courses are selected from the student’s major area, and two courses are selected from two separate areas outside the student’s major. Core courses can be applied toward major or minor area requirements.

Students must enroll in one independent study course each quarter, beginning with Psychology 251A in the Winter Quarter of the first year. Students may select from the following independent study courses: Psychology 251A, 251B, 251C, 596, 597, 599. In addition to Psychology 251C in the second year, each year at least one of these courses must be a research-oriented individual study course, i.e., Psychology 596 or 599.

Major Area Course Requirements

Courses applied toward the major must be passed with a grade of B- or better.

Behavioral Neuroscience. Neuroscience M203 and either Neuroscience M202 or Psychology M117A. Students interested in molecular biology generally take option 1 and minor in neuroscience. All majors take eight units from the Psychology 205 series, three quarters of Psychology 212, and two behavioral neuroscience seminars approved by the department.

Clinical. Psychology 270A-270B-270C, 271A-271B-271C, 271D, 273A-273B-273C, 277, 289A-289B-289C, and two advanced clinical courses. Students who wish to apply Psychology 298 courses toward this requirement must obtain departmental consent.

Psychology 287 may not be applied toward fulfillment of the Advanced Seminar Requirement.

Practicum and Internship Requirements for Clinical Students

(1) At least 400 hours of approved, supervised pre-internship practicum (Psychology 401) are required, of which 150 hours must involve direct clinical service and 75 hours must be formal scheduled supervision. These hours are usually completed during the second through fourth years. All advanced students working with clients must enroll in Psychology 401 (one to four units). All students must take a second‐year practicum in the Psychology Clinic, as well as a practicum in the third year and/or fourth years in approved practicum sites outside of the department.

All clinical training must be approved by the Director of Clinical Training while students are enrolled in the program and students are discouraged from making independent arrangements for clinical training and are prohibited from providing direct clinical services in clinical settings not expressly approved by the DCT, including private practice psychological assistantships.

(2) The equivalent of one-year’s full-time supervised internship (Psychology 451) in an acceptable setting approved by the faculty, is required. This is usually taken in the fifth year or sixth year. Students must enroll in at least 12 units of coursework while on internship, at least 8 units must be in Psych 451. Students should contact the department for further information on internship, enrollment, and registration requirements.

In exceptional cases, a student who has completed at least nine months of an approved internship may petition to file the dissertation and receive the Ph.D. degree if the student has (1) completed all academic requirements; (2) passed the final oral examination; (3) received doctoral committee approval to file the dissertation; (4) provided evidence of satisfactory completion of at least nine months of an internship approved by the faculty; and (5) obtained approval from the clinical area chair. If the petition is approved, it is with the clear understanding of the student and the department that the remaining months of internship that are required by the American Psychological Association will be completed as outlined in the internship contract. Such petitions are considered to be exceptions rather than the rule. Documentation of subsequent internship completion will be provided by the Director of Clinical Training.

Cognitive. Psychology 260A-260B and four additional cognitive area courses approved by the department.

Cognitive Neuroscience. The following course requirements satisfy both major and minor area requirements in cognitive neuroscience: 8 units of Psychology 205 (overlaps with core course requirements), Neuroscience M203, three quarters of Psychology 212, and Psychology 260A-260B, Two courses (8 units total) in the BNS area approved by the department are also required. Four courses in the cognitive area approved by the department are also required, including at least one core course and one seminar..

Computational Cognition. The following course requirements satisfy both major and minor area requirements for cognitive area students who elect the major area track in computation cognition: Psychology 260A-260B, two cognitive area core courses, Statistics 200A, and four psychology courses to be approved by the department.

Developmental. Two of the following courses: Psychology 240A, 240B, 240C. Three quarters of 241, and two additional developmental area courses approved by the department.

Health Psychology. Psychology 215A, 215B, 218, six quarters of Psychology 425, and two additional courses approved by the department. One quarter of Psychology 425 must be taken simultaneously with Psychology 215A.

Learning and Behavior. Four learning and behavior courses approved by the department, and enrollment in Psychology 201 is required each quarter the course is offered.

Quantitative. Four quantitative area courses and several additional courses in Psychology, Education, Statistics or Biostatistics approved by the department.

Social. Two quarters of Psychology 226A-226B-226C during the first year and three additional quarters in years two and three. Students also must complete five area courses approved by the department.

Minor Area Course Requirements

Students must select one minor area. Courses applied toward the minor must be passed with a grade of B- or better. Students may minor in any of the areas listed under Major Fields or Sub-Disciplines, with the exception of clinical, as well as in political psychology or diversity science. Students may petition for individualized minors or a minor in experimental psychopathology. Training is also available in community psychology.

The minor is normally satisfied by taking three to four specified courses as indicated below. In planning a minor, students should note that minor area courses cannot be selected from among those that could satisfy the major area requirements, unless approved by the department. Other options are also available; students should see departmental bulletins for further details. The following is a list of courses required to complete the standard departmental minors.

Behavioral Neuroscience. All behavioral neuroscience minors must take four units of Psychology 205 and eight additional units of behavioral neuroscience and/or neuroscience courses approved by the department.

Cognitive. Three cognitive courses approved by the department, two of which must be from Psychology 259 through 266.

Computational Cognition. Two courses in computational methods and one course in statistics. Course selection must be approved by the department.

Culture, Brain and Development. Psychology M247, one course in culture, one course in development, and one course on the brain. Course selection must be approved by the department.

Developmental. Two courses in Psychology 240A, 240B or 240C and one additional developmental area course approved by the department.

Diversity Science. Psychology 295 and two additional courses approved by the department.

Experimental Psychopathology. Four courses petitioned and approved by the clinical area.

Health Psychology. Psychology 215A, two quarters of 425 and two additional health psychology courses (four units) on relevant topics approved by the health psychology faculty and the department.

Human-Computer Interaction. Psychology 298 (special topic is Introduction to User Interface Design), and two additional courses in Psychology, Information Studies and/or Design | Media Arts. Course selection must be approved by the department.

Learning and Behavior. Two courses from Psychology 200A, 200B or 200C and one additional learning and behavior course approved by the department.

Quantitative. Three quantitative area courses approved by the department.

Political Psychology. Students should see the Psychology Handbook for details.

Social. Psychology 220A, 220B, and one additional social area course approved by the department.

Teaching Experience

All students are required to take Psychology 495 during the first year of the graduate program.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

The qualifying examination generally consists of three separate segments. The first is an examination administered by the major area, which examines in breadth the student’s knowledge of the major field. The second segment is an individualized examination, required by the behavioral neuroscience, clinical, health, and quantitative areas. The individualized examination examines the student’s in-depth knowledge of the area of specialization. The third segment is the University Oral Qualifying Examination. All Ph.D. requirements must be completed before students are allowed to take the University Oral Qualifying Examination. The oral qualifying examination must be taken by the end of the fourth year in residence. Students should contact the department to obtain qualifying examination guidelines for each area.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy and awarded the Candidate in Philosophy (Cipher.) degree 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-to-degree for doctoral requirements is six years. Students are required to complete various stages of the program as follows:

Core Program: No later than the sixth quarter at the end of the second year of the program.

Coursework Requirements: Prior to taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination.

Comprehensive Examinations: Students should refer to individual area guidelines, available from the Graduate Program Coordinator.

University Oral Qualifying Examination: Must be completed no later than Spring Quarter of the fourth year of the graduate program.

Final Oral Examination: Must be completed within three years of passing the University Oral Qualifying Examination.

Degree Requirement Completion: All requirements form the Ph.D. degree, including the filing of the dissertation must be completed within six calendar years of the date of admission to the graduate program.

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

Special Departmental or Program Policy

In addition to the standard reasons noted above, a student may be recommended for termination who receives two grades of B- or one grade lower than B- in the core program or who does not meet the time requirements for completion of the core program. Such cases are considered by the Graduate Evaluation Committee. If it is approved by the departmental chair, a recommendation for termination is made to the Graduate Division by the Vice Chair of Graduate Studies.

Area committees also may recommend that a student be terminated. Grounds for a recommendation for termination include: a pattern of unsatisfactory performance in other course work; failure of a qualifying examination; substantial violations of professional or ethical standards as those standards are defined by law or by the Ethical Principles of Psychologists of the American Psychological Association (adopted January 24, 1981; American Psychologist, 1981, 36, 633-638); or, for clinical students, inadequate professional skills. A recommendation for termination also may be initiated by the Graduate Studies Committee for insufficient progress toward the Ph.D. degree, as evidenced by a failure to obtain the degree within seven calendar years following matriculation or three years following advancement to candidacy. These recommendations are evaluated by the Graduate Studies Committee. If approved by the departmental chair, a recommendation for termination is made to the Graduate Division by the vice chair of Graduate Studies.

Students are informed by the Vice Chair for Graduate Studies when actions concerning them are under consideration by the Graduate Studies committee. A student may appeal a recommendation for termination to the departmental chair.

Program Requirements for Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (Manufacturing Eng)

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

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering offers the Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Manufacturing Engineering, the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Mechanical Engineering, and the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Aerospace Engineering.

Manufacturing Engineering

Admission

Program Name

Manufacturing Engineering

Manufacturing Engineering is a program in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Address

48-121 Engineering IV
Box 951597
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1597

Phone

(310) 825-7793

Email

maeapp@ea.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

M.S.

Admission Limited to

Fall

Consult department regarding other quarters.

Deadline to apply

January 5th

GRE (General and/or Subject)

GRE: General

Applicants who expect to hold F1 or J1 visas must also take the subject test in Engineering, Math, or a related field.

Letters of Recommendation

Other Requirements

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

Master’s Degree

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 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 toward the M.S. or Ph.D. 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.

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 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 services 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 if the Ph.D. is the ultimate degree objective, and on the use of the Filing Fee.

Areas of Study

Consult the department.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

At least nine courses are required, of which at least five must be graduate courses. In the thesis plan, seven of the nine must be formal courses, including at least four from the 200 series. The remaining two may be 598 courses involving work on the thesis. In the comprehensive examination plan, no units of 500-series courses may be applied toward the minimum course requirement. Choices may be made from the following major areas:

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 102A, 199; Civil Engineering 106A, 108, 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, 140, 141L, 150, 160, 161L, 199; Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 101, 102, 103, 105A, 105D, 107, 188, 194, 199.

Upper Division Courses. Students are required to take at least three courses from the following: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 163A, M168, 174, 183, 184, 185.

Graduate Courses. Students are required to take at least three courses from the following: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 263A, 263C, 263D, CM280A, CM280L, 293, 294, 295A, 295B, 296A, 296B, 297.

Additional Courses. The remaining courses may be taken from other major fields of study in the department or from the following: Mathematics 120A, 120B; Computer Science 241A, 241B; Architecture and Urban Design M226B, M227B, 227D; Management 240A, 240D, 241A, 241B, 242A, 242B, 243B, 243C.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

The comprehensive examination is offered in either written or oral format. A committee to administer the examination consists of the academic adviser as chair and two other faculty members; at least two members must be from within the department. Students may, in consultation with their adviser and the master’s committee, select one of the following options for the examination: (1) take and pass the first part of the doctoral written qualifying examination as the master’s comprehensive examination; (2) conduct research or design a project and submit a final report to the master’s committee; (3) take and pass three extra examination questions offered separately from each of the final examinations of three graduate courses, to be selected by the committee from a set of common department courses; or (4) take and pass an oral examination administered by the M.S. committee. In case of failure, students may be reexamined once with the consent of the graduate adviser.

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 describe some original piece of research that has been done under the supervision of the thesis committee. Students would normally start to plan the thesis at least one year before the award of the M.S. degree is expected. There is no examination under the thesis plan.

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.

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 complete the requirements for the M.S. degree within the three-year time limit.

Program Requirements for Education (Special Education)

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2013-2014 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).

Joint Doctoral Program in Special Education with Cal State – L.A.

Admission

Program Name

Education – Joint doctoral program in Special Education w/ Cal State – LA

Address

1009 Moore Hall
Box 951521
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1521

Phone

(310) 825-8326

Email

info@gseis.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

Ph.D.

Admission Limited to

Fall

Deadline to apply

December 2nd

GRE (General and/or Subject)

GRE: General

Consult department for additional information.

Letters of Recommendation

Other Requirements

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

The goals of the joint program offered by UCLA and California State University, Los Angeles are (1) the stimulation and preparation of research workers of high competence in the various fields of special education; and (2) improved preparation of personnel for research and in policy formation in the public schools of California.

Applicants should consult the joint doctoral adviser at UCLA (1009 Moore Hall)

Applicants interested in the joint doctoral program must first apply to CSULA. The CSULA student can be admitted to UCLA to complete the program after completing the initial coursework at CSULA, and upon the recommendation of the faculty from both institutions.

Doctor of Philosophy

Advising

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

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Special education.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

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 (Education 299A-299B-299C) 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 three 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.

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 Human Genetics

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

Human Genetics

School of Medicine

Graduate Degrees

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

Admission

Program Name

Human Genetics

Applicants may apply to the Ph.D. program through UCLA Access to Programs in the Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences. Applicants may apply directly to the Ph.D. program only in exceptional circumstances and with the prior approval of the department.

Address

6506 Gonda Center
Box 957088
Los Angeles, CA 90095-7088

Phone

(310) 206-0920

Email

humgen@mednet.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

M.S., Ph.D.

The Human Genetics department admits applicants whose objective is the Ph.D. and only under exceptional circumstances admits students into the M.S. program.

Admission Limited to

Fall

Deadline to apply

December 5th

GRE (General and/or Subject)

GRE: General and Subject

Subject recommended, not required.

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 are expected to hold a bachelor’s degree, with preparation in physics, biology and chemistry, and exposure through upper division courses in specific areas that may include: genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, developmental biology, microbiology, virology, physiology, and immunology. Because of the high mathematical content of some areas of human genetics, advanced courses in mathematics may be substituted for biologically oriented courses. More advanced degrees (M.S., M.D. or equivalent) are also acceptable.

Master’s Degree

Advising

A student entering the master’s program is expected to identify a faculty mentor to serve as their adviser. If no faculty mentor is identified by the student, the departmental graduate adviser serves as the adviser.

Areas of Study

Areas of study include human genetics and related areas (for example, molecular genetics, mathematical modeling). Students should consult the department for additional information.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Master’s degree students take similar core courses in the first year as doctoral students (see under Doctoral Degree). In addition, all master’s students must take Human Genetics 236A-236C. Elective courses must be taken to complete the minimum 36 units required for the master’s degree. No more than two independent study courses (eight units) in the 500 series may be applied toward the minimum course requirement for the master’s degree, and only one of these (four units) may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement for the degree.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

In general, the department prefers students to enter directly into the Ph.D. program. In lieu of taking a comprehensive examination, students who wish to receive a master’s degree and who are not on the thesis plan are required to write and orally defend for their committee an original proposal formulated on a topic in human genetics that is not directly related to their dissertation research. Only in exceptional situations are students approved for a master’s comprehensive examination in place of the original proposal.

Thesis Plan

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

A written thesis is required for master’s degree students under this plan. A thesis committee composed of at least three faculty members helps the student to plan the thesis research and makes a recommendation on granting the terminal degree. If the first thesis submitted to the committee is unacceptable, the committee decides whether the student is granted additional time to revise and resubmit the thesis.

Time-to-Degree

The time from entry into the program to completion of the master’s degree is expected to be approximately two years.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The department’s Graduate Adviser (appointed by the chair) is the adviser for students who have not yet selected a laboratory for their doctoral studies. After the first year, all Ph.D. students, whether coming through ACCESS or directly into the department, select a faculty mentor, who automatically becomes the student’s adviser. A doctoral committee is constituted by the end of the second year, and its members act as additional advisers. Students are expected to meet with that committee at least once a year until graduation.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

The field of human genetics is a discipline which includes genomics, cytogenetics, biochemical and molecular genetics, medical genetics, immunogenetics, cancer genetics, developmental genetics, population genetics, proteomics, and bioinformatics. The study of animal models is also an essential part of human genetics.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students entering the program follow ACCESS course requirements in the first year. In Fall Quarter, students take Biological Chemistry 254A-254D. In Spring Quarter, students may select from several specialty courses and must complete a course on ethics in research. The Human Genetics faculty offers at least one seminar course in the field of human genetics. Human Genetics 236A-236C are required of predoctoral students in Human Genetics, preferably during the second year of training.

Teaching Experience

Students who enter Human Genetics through ACCESS teach for two quarters as a teaching assistant in a department of the College of Letters and Science. The teaching is to be performed preferably in years two and three. Students who enter the department directly are required to teach only a minimum of one quarter. Students are encouraged to teach in Life Sciences 4 (the genetics component of the Life Sciences Core Curriculum) as teaching a general course in genetics reinforces understanding of fundamental aspects of the field. The area chosen for the second teaching obligation, if required, depends on student interest and departmental opportunities.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

The written qualifying examination and the University Oral Qualifying Examination (oral qualifying examination) must be passed before students are advanced to candidacy for the doctoral degree. The oral qualifying examination is administered by a doctoral committee composed of at least four faculty members selected by the student and approved by the department and the Graduate Division. The written and oral qualifying examinations are separate examinations and cannot be combined. The faculty mentor is excused from participating in the written qualifying examination, which is administered by the remaining members of the doctoral committee. All members of the doctoral committee, including the faculty mentor, administer the oral qualifying examination.

The written qualifying examination takes place during early stages of the student’s dissertation research project, preferably during the second year (first year in the program for students transferred from ACCESS), although it must be passed by the end of the fourth year (end of the third year in the program for students transferred from ACCESS) in order to avoid a recommendation for termination from the program. The goal of the written qualifying examination is to evaluate the student’s ability to think as a scientist, i.e., to propose and critically evaluate experiments or method developments that would potentially expand knowledge in the principal field of study. To this end, the student writes a proposal following the style of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Research Service Award (NRSA) applications, and, one or two weeks after submission of the written proposal to the doctoral committee, defends the proposal in an oral presentation. The topic of the proposal is related to the ongoing research project of the student in the laboratory of the faculty mentor. However, in the written qualifying examination the project itself is not under evaluation, as it is expected to be in its early stages. The oral part of the examination consists of a discussion of the proposal and of any additional questions posed by the committee to probe the student’s general knowledge and understanding of human genetics.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination takes place before the end of the fourth year in the graduate programs (end of the third year in the program for students transferred from ACCESS), preferably one year earlier. The goal of this examination is to evaluate the dissertation research project, i.e., whether it represents original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study, as well as whether it is feasible for the students to complete the project within the expected time-to-degree. To this end, the student submits a written proposal that clearly states the title and specific aims of the doctoral dissertation and explains the significance, progress to date, and the approach(es) and time line to bring the project to completion. One or two weeks after submission of the written component, the student defends the proposal in an oral presentation before the doctoral committee.

The doctoral committee determines whether the student passes each of the two examinations and determines whether a student who fails the examination is allowed to repeat it. Only one re-examination per examination is allowed.

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 time from entry into the program to completion of the doctorate is expected to be approximately five years.

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

Special Departmental or Program Policy

Doctoral students must complete and pass the first of the two examinations no later than the end of the third year in the department (for those students who transferred from ACCESS), or by the end of their fourth year in the program (if they entered the department by any other means). Students will be allowed two opportunities to pass the examination within the above time frame and if the examination is not passed, the student will be recommended for termination of graduate study.

We're Sorry

Latin American Studies

Graduate Degrees

Master’s Degree

Germanic Languages

Graduate Degrees

Master’s Degree

Doctoral Degree

Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology

Graduate Degrees

Master’s Degree

Doctoral Degree

Physics and Astronomy

Graduate Degrees

Master’s Degrees

Master of Science

Master of Arts in Teaching

Doctoral Degree

African Studies

Graduate Degrees

Master’s Degree

Spanish and Portuguese

Graduate Degrees

Master’s Degree

Psychology

Graduate Degrees

Master’s Degree

Doctoral Degree

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Graduate Degrees

Master’s Degree

Education

Graduate Degrees

Doctor of Philosophy

Human Genetics

Graduate Degrees

Master’s Degree

Doctoral Degree