Program Requirements for Neurobiology

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Program Requirements for Neurobiology

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

Neurobiology

School of Medicine

Graduate Degrees

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

Admission

Program Name

Neurobiology

Address

Program is not accepting applications for 2015-2016
73-235 CHS
Box 951763
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1763

Phone

(310) 825-9553

Email

neurobio@mednet.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

M.S., Ph.D.

The Neurobiology department admits only applicants whose objective is the Ph.D.

Admission Limited to

Program is not accepting applications for 2014-2015

Other Requirements

In addition to the University’s minimum requirements, all applicants should submit a statement of purpose and describe why they wish to enter a doctoral program in fundamental neuroscience. The statement should include a description of past research experience in the life or physical sciences and psychology, and future career plans.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in a physical or life science, neuroscience, psychology, or in a premedical curriculum. Introductory courses in general and organic chemistry, biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, and physics are highly recommended. Courses in genetics, psychology, neuroscience, psychobiology, physiology, and statistics are recommended.

Master’s Degree

Advising

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

Areas of Study

See under Doctoral Degree.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

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

Teaching Experience

Not required but recommended.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

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

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

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

Doctoral Degree

Advising

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

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

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

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

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

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

Teaching Experience

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

Written and Oral Qualifying Examination

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

Normal progress is defined in the following:

First year

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

Second year

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

Third year

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

Fourth year

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

Fifth year

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

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

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

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

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

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

Failure to satisfy specific academic and scholastic requirements upon conditional entry

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Program Requirements for Epidemiology

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

Epidemiology

School of Public Health

Graduate Degrees

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

Admission

Program Name

Epidemiology

Address

71-254 CHS
Box 951772
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772

Phone

(310) 206-3901

Email

jdmiller@ph.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

M.S., Ph.D.

Admission Limited to

Consult department.

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 the departmental application through the Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS] and a statement of purpose.

MS: Only those applicants who hold a prior M.P.H. or doctoral degree (e.g., M.D., D.D.S., D.V.M., Ph.D. or equivalent), or those applicants whose ultimate degree objective is the Ph.D. degree are considered. The M.S. degree may be earned as part of the process of completing requirements for the Ph.D.

Ph.D.: At least a 3.5 grade-point average in graduate studies and approval by the department admissions committee, an academic adviser, and the department chair are required. MPH and MS students are equally eligible to apply.

Master’s Degree

Advising

An adviser is appointed for each new master’s student by the head of the respective department. Student and adviser together agree upon a study list for each academic quarter and any subsequent alterations must be approved by both the adviser and the Associate Dean of Student Affairs. Students are expected to meet with their advisers each quarter. A departmental guidance committee is established when the student has completed approximately half of the program for the master’s degree. Members of the departmental guidance committee are nominated by the department chair after consultation with the student and the student’s adviser.

An adviser is responsible for the student’s academic progress. Progress is evaluated on an ongoing basis. At the end of each quarter, the Associate Dean of Student Affairs reviews academic listings of students and notifies them and the advisers when the cumulative grade-point average is below 3.0. Advisers review each case with their advisees and make recommendations to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs for continuance or dismissal. Students who wish to change advisers must file a petition which must be approved by the new adviser, the department chair, and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

Areas of Study

Students should consult the graduate adviser.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students must complete at least one year of graduate residence at the University of California and a minimum of 56 units: 38 units of core courses and 18 units of elective courses. At least 20 units must be in the 200 or 500 series. A maximum of one two-unit, approved Epidemiology seminar, and one 596 course (four units) may be applied toward the total course requirements. If the student intends to write a thesis, four units of Epidemiology 598 (thesis research) may also be applied to the 18-unit elective requirement.

Mandatory core courses are Epidemiology 200A (six units), 200B (six units), 200C (six units), 220 (four units); Biostatistics 100A (four units) or 110A, 100B (four units) or 110B; one additional statistics course (four units) in regression or multivariate methods that is approved by the department; and two units of an approved data-management course(s). Equivalent courses must be approved by the department. Each core course may be waived if a similar course has been taken elsewhere and the student passes the waiver examination. A waiver course does not reduce the unit requirements. Elective courses include all those offered by the department with the exception of those stated above.

All courses included for advancement to candidacy, except the approved Epidemiology seminar, must have a letter grade (not S/U). Students must maintain an average of no less than 3.0 (B) in all courses required or elected during graduate residence at the University of California. In addition, students must maintain an average of no less than 3.0 (B) in Epidemiology 200A-200B-200C and 220.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

If the comprehensive examination option is chosen, a guidance committee of three department faculty is appointed. An examination on the major area of study must be passed. If failed, the examination may be repeated once. In addition, the student must complete a research project with an article appropriate for publication.

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.

If the thesis option is approved, a thesis committee of three faculty is appointed by the dean of the Graduate Division on recommendation of the department. The chair of the committee and at least one other member must hold academic appointments in the department. The committee approves the thesis prospectus before the student may file for advancement to candidacy. The thesis must be acceptable to the thesis committee.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to award of the degree, normal progress is from three to seven quarters. Upper time limit for completion of all requirements is seven quarters of enrollment, including quarters enrolled in previous graduate study at a UC campus prior to admission to the School of Public Health. Maximum time allowable from enrollment to graduation, including leaves of absence, is five years.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

An academic adviser is assigned to each new student by the department chair. Student and adviser together agree upon a study list for each academic quarter; any subsequent alterations must be approved by the adviser. Courses to be taken must be approved by the adviser.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Consult the graduate adviser.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students must fulfill the course requirements for the M.S. degree in Epidemiology with an average of no less than 3.3 (B+) in Epidemiology 200A-200B-200C and 220. Equivalent courses taken at other institutions may be used to fulfill these requirements subject to approval by the department. Continuation in the doctoral program is contingent on satisfying the 3.3 (B+) average grade-point requirement in the four core courses. Students must also take Epidemiology M204 (four units) and one additional statistics course (four units) beyond the M.S. requirements, one course on pathobiology (four units), and at least three quarters of Epidemiology 292 (two units per quarter). The statistics and pathobiology courses must be approved by the department. In addition, students must take at least 12 units of graduate-level courses (excluding 500-level courses) outside the department. The 12 units must be selected with the approval of the academic adviser. Students with prior post-baccalaureate coursework may petition for substitution of part or all of the 12-unit requirement. Recommendation for the degree is based on the attainments of the candidate rather than on the completion of specific courses.

Teaching Experience

Teaching experience is recommended but not required for the doctoral degree.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Before advancement to candidacy, students must pass the departmental written doctoral examination and the University Oral Qualifying Examination. Normally for the written doctoral examination no more than one reexamination is allowed. A doctoral committee, consisting of at least four faculty members who hold professorial appointments at UCLA, is nominated and submitted to the Graduate Division and, if approved, administers the oral qualifying examination after successful completion of the written examination. Two of the faculty must be tenured. Three of the four must hold appointments in the department; at least one must hold an appointment in another department at UCLA.

After completing the course requirements and passing both the written doctoral examination and the oral qualifying examination, the student may be advanced to candidacy and complete work on a dissertation in the principal field of study.

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 of all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

Maximum allowable time for the attainment of the degree is 20 quarters of enrollment or eight years. This limitation includes quarters enrolled in previous graduate study at a UC campus prior to admission to the doctoral degree program and leaves of absence. However, the approved normative time-to-degree is eighteen quarters (six years).

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

Special Departmental or Program Policy

Master’s

In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for termination for failure to complete the required course work within seven quarters of matriculation.

Doctoral

In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for termination for failure to maintain a 3.00 grade point average for two consecutive quarters following matriculation into the doctoral program; a second failure of any written qualifying examination in the major or minor fields; a second failure of either oral examination; failure to receive a Satisfactory grade for two consecutive quarters in Epidemiology 599; or exceeding enrollment time limits.

A student may appeal a recommendation for termination first to the departmental chair, then to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs, then to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and finally to the dean of the school.

Program Requirements for Chemistry and Biochemistry (Chemistry)

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

Chemistry and Biochemistry

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Chemistry, and the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Chemistry

Admission

Program Name

Chemistry

Address

4009 Young Hall
Box 951569
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1569

Phone

(310) 825-3150 Fax: (310) 267-0204

Email

ChemGrad@chem.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

M.S., Ph.D.

Applicants are admitted to the MS program only under exceptional circumstances.

Admission Limited to

Fall

Deadline to apply

December 15th

GRE (General and/or Subject)

GRE: General required for all and Subject required for international, recommended for all

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 and departmental application.

An excellent undergraduate record is required of all applicants.

Master’s Degree

Advising

Initial academic advising is handled by the appropriate faculty area adviser. Students continue to consult with this adviser each quarter until completion of their course requirements. During this period, students also choose a Research Director to supervise their thesis research. The Graduate Study Committee, consisting of the graduate advisers and faculty area advisers, reviews each student’s progress quarterly. Notification in writing is given to students who are performing at a very high level and to those who are not making adequate progress. The faculty graduate adviser, faculty area advisers, and Director of Graduate Student Services are available for personal consultation.

Areas of Study

Inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, materials chemistry, biophysics, theory/computation, and analytical chemistry/measurement science and technology.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

At least nine quarter courses (36 units) are required, of which at least five (20 units) must be graduate courses and the remainder upper division courses. Students must take a minimum of two courses in their major area and one course in an outside area. Choices may be made from the major areas as described under Doctoral Degree.

Substitutions may be made with consent of the faculty area adviser. With the consent of the faculty graduate adviser, courses of directed individual study, but not research courses, may replace any of the courses listed above.

Up to 24 units of Chemistry and Biochemistry 596 or 598 may be applied toward the total course requirement; up to 20 units may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement.

Teaching Experience

Not Required. Students who serve as teaching assistants must enroll in and receive a grade of S for Chemistry and Biochemistry 375 for each quarter they teach in order to continue teaching.

Field Experience

Not Required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

In exceptional cases, the comprehensive examination plan is used in lieu of a thesis. The comprehensive examination plan requires the satisfactory completion of four cumulative examinations.

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.

Time-to-Degree

From admission to completion of courses: Three academic quarters (one calendar year).

From admission to award of degree: Three to six academic quarters (one to two calendar years).

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Initial academic advising is handled by the appropriate faculty area adviser. Students continue to consult with this adviser each quarter until completion of their course requirements. During this period, students also choose a research director to supervise the dissertation research. The Graduate Study Committee, consisting of the faculty and staff graduate advisers and faculty area advisers, reviews each student’s progress quarterly. Notification in writing is given to students who are performing at a very high level and to those who are not making adequate progress. The faculty graduate adviser, faculty area advisers, and Director of Graduate Student Services are available for personal consultation.

Minimum Progress. At the end of the first and second year, the overall progress of each student is evaluated by the Graduate Study Committee, taking into account performance in courses, written examinations, teaching, and research. The committee may recommend that students (1) proceed to the oral examination, (2) be redirected to the M.S. program, or (3) be terminated.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, materials chemistry, biophysics, theory/computation, and analytical chemistry/measurement science and technology.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Candidates in each area of specialization should normally complete as a minimum the coursework indicated below. Some of these requirements can be met on the basis of orientation examinations and courses taken prior to entry into the graduate program. If the projected research falls in an area which differs appreciably from that anticipated by the field requirements listed below, students may be permitted appropriate modifications.

Inorganic Chemistry: (1) Required background material: Chemistry and Biochemistry C172 or its equivalent, and satisfactory performance on the inorganic chemistry orientation examination; (2) Chemistry and Biochemistry 207, C275, C276A,and C280; (3) one elective course from the following: Chemistry and Biochemistry CM205A, C213B, C215B, 215D, C223A, 232, 236, 241A through 241Z, 242, C243A, C243B, 244A, 244B, C245, 271, C274, 277, or other graduate courses with the approval of the inorganic chemistry area adviser. If the C274 requirement is waived, two electives should be selected from this list; (4) Chemistry and Biochemistry 278 and one quarter of Chemistry and Biochemistry 282.

Organic Chemistry: (1) Required background material: Chemistry and Biochemistry 30A, 30B, 30BL, 30C, 30CL, 136, and satisfactory performance on the organic chemistry orientation examination; (2) Chemistry and Biochemistry 236, C243A, C243B, 244A, 244B; (3) one course from Chemistry and Biochemistry 207, 232, 236, 241A through 241Z, 242, C245, C281 or other courses with approval of the organic chemistry area adviser; (4) Chemistry and Biochemistry 248 (every quarter); (5) Chemistry and Biochemistry 249A (four quarters) and 249B (one quarter).

Physical Chemistry: (1) Required background material: Chemistry and Biochemistry 110A, 110B, 113A, and satisfactory performance on the physical chemistry orientation examination; (2) Chemistry and Biochemistry C215A-C215B, C223A-C223B, or equivalent; (3) Chemistry and Biochemistry 228 each quarter; (4) Chemistry and Biochemistry 218 (one quarter). Substitutions may be made with consent of the physical chemistry area adviser; (5) Chemistry and Biochemistry C400.

Materials Chemistry: (1) Required background material: Chemistry and Biochemistry 110A, 110B and 113A, or 172, or 136, or their equivalents, and satisfactory performance on the physical, inorganic, or organic chemistry orientation examination; (2) Chemistry and Biochemistry C280 and C285; (3) one from the following: Chemistry and Biochemistry C215A, C223A, C276A, 276B, 244A; (4) one from: Chemistry and Biochemistry C215B, C223B, 236, C243A, C275, 276B; (5) one from: Chemistry and Biochemistry C240, C281, 277, or any other class from the preceding two groups; (6) Chemistry and Biochemistry 228, or 248, or 278, every quarter.

Biophysics: Track A: (1) Required background material: Chemistry and Biochemistry 110A, 110B and 113A or its equivalent, and satisfactory performance on the physical chemistry orientation examination; (2) Chemistry and Biochemistry C215A, and C223 A, B; (3) 8 units from: Chemistry and Biochemistry M230B, 257, 269A, B, C, Physics 220, Physics 241A, B, C; (4) Chemistry and Biochemistry 228 or 268, every quarter; (5) Chemistry and Biochemistry C400. Track B: (1) Required background material: Chemistry and Biochemistry 153A and 153B or its equivalent; (2) Chemistry and Biochemistry 269A, B, C, M230B or 257, C200 or CM260A, and one quarter of 258; (3) 8 units of additional graduate courses from: Chemistry and Biochemistry M230B, 257, M230D, CM260A, CM260B, Physics 220, and Chemistry and Biochemistry C223A, B; (4) Chemistry and Biochemistry 268 or 228, every quarter; (5) three lab rotations.

Theory/Computation: (1) Required background material: Chemistry and Biochemistry 110A, 110B and 113A or its equivalent, and satisfactory performance on the physical chemistry orientation examination; (2) Chemistry and Biochemistry C215A, B, C223A, B, and C226A, or C215A, C223A, and either C215B or C223B and 2 courses from the following: Chemistry and Biochemistry C245, C215C, C226A, CM260A, 269A, 269B, C276A; (3) Chemistry and Biochemistry 228, every quarter.

Analytical Chemistry/Measurement Science and Engineering: (1) Required background material: Chemistry and Biochemistry 110A, 110B and 113A, or 172, or 136, or their equivalents, and satisfactory performance on the analytical chemistry orientation examination; (2) Chemistry and Biochemistry C243A and 244A, or C215A and C223A , or 207 and C276A, or C279 and CM205A; (3) Chemistry and Biochemistry C285 or 257; (4) 8 units from: Chemistry and Biochemistry C208, 236, C240, 266, 276B, Bioengineering C204, C231, M225, M248, or other engineering or medical school graduate level courses approved by the area advisor; (5) Chemistry and Biochemistry 228, or 247, or 278, every quarter.

First Year Report for Students in Organic Chemistry

Students in organic chemistry must write a report for their adviser and one other organic chemist covering their progress and accomplishments in the laboratory. The report is due on November 1 of the second year in residence.

Teaching Experience

One year (three quarters) of teaching experience is generally required. Students who serve as teaching assistants must enroll in and receive a grade of S for Chemistry and Biochemistry 375 for each quarter they teach in order to continue teaching and maintain their standing in the PhD program.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

All Ph.D. candidates in Chemistry take a series of written tests called cumulative examinations. These are designed to encourage and evaluate the continued growth of professional competency through coursework, study of the literature, departmental seminars, and informal discussions with colleagues.

Three examinations are given per quarter at approximately monthly intervals. Students must begin writing the examinations in their second quarter of residence and must continue until they have passed four examinations. A maximum of twelve attempts are allowed. To remain in good standing, students must pass at least one of the first five examinations attempted. Students with a master’s degree from a U.S. university are required to pass three examinations out of nine attempts.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination consists of an original research proposal in an area distinct from the student’s dissertation research and done without assistance from the research adviser. The proposal is presented orally to the committee, and the committee questions the candidate on the proposal, general knowledge of the area, and dissertation research progress. The proposal represents independent work and offers the doctoral committee the opportunity to judge the student’s ability to think creatively and to formulate significant ideas for research.

All students are required to take the University Oral Qualifying Examination by June 30 of their second year. The committee’s decision to advance a student to candidacy, to allow the student to repeat all or part of the oral, or to disqualify the student, is based on the student’s overall record at UCLA as reflected in coursework and examinations, and the student’s research ability and productivity.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

Not required. The decision as to whether a defense is required is made by the doctoral committee.

Time-to-Degree

The following are normal times to complete the requirements of the program:

From admission to completion of written qualifying examinations (see above for definition/description of these for each major): three to five academic quarters (one to one and two-thirds calendar years).

From admission to advancement to candidacy: six academic quarters (two calendar years).

From admission to award of degree: 12 to 18 academic quarters (four to six calendar years).

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

Special Departmental or Program Policy

A student may be recommended for termination by the Graduate Study Committee. A student may appeal a recommendation for termination to the departmental chair.

Program Requirements for Political Science

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

Political Science

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admission

Program Name

Political Science

Address

4289 Bunche Hall
Box 951472
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1472

Phone

(310) 825-3372

Email

joseph@polisci.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

M.A., Ph.D.

The department admits only students whose degree objective is the Ph.D. degree.

Admission Limited to

Fall

Deadline to apply

December 1st

GRE (General and/or Subject)

GRE: General

Letters of Recommendation

Other Requirements

In addition to the University’s minimum requirements and those listed above, all applicants are expected to submit a statement of purpose and a sample of their analytical writing skills (e.g., senior or master’s degree thesis, term paper).

An M.A. degree may be earned while completing requirements for the Ph.D.

Master’s Degree

Advising

Students are assigned a first year advisor when they enter the graduate program, and are expected to regularly consult with the adviser. Students may change advisors whenever they wish using a Change of Program Advisor form.

Areas of Study

Consult the department.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

A student must successfully complete twelve of the sixteen courses required for the doctorate with an average grade of 3.0 or better.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

The master’s comprehensive examination consists of the submission of one doctoral qualifying paper that is deemed acceptable by the faculty.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

Under normal circumstances students are expected to obtain the master’s degree within seven quarters of full time study.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Six fields of study are offered: political theory; international relations; American politics; comparative politics; formal theory and quantitative methods, and race, ethnicity, and politics.

Foreign Language Requirement

Prior to advancement to candidacy students must fulfill either Requirement A (Foreign Language Requirement) or Requirement B (Research Methodology Requirement):

(A) Foreign Language Requirement: Students may satisfy the requirement by completing, with a grade of B or better, the final course in a two-year sequence of college courses in a foreign language, or by passing a proficiency test offered by a university language department at an equivalent level.

(B) Research Methodology Requirement (Mathematics, Mathematical Economics, or Statistics): Students may satisfy the requirement by completing a sequence of three courses in mathematics, or mathematical economics at or above Mathematics 31A (Mathematics 38A-38B cannot be counted), or by completing a sequence of three courses in statistics at or above the level of Political Science 200B. Courses applied toward this requirement may not be applied toward any other course requirements.

Students are required to pass the foreign language or research methodology requirement before they are advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D., but may pass the requirement after the University Oral Qualifying Examination.

Course Requirements

Students must take Political Science 200A, four courses in each of two major fields, one course in each of two minor fields, and four additional graded courses, including no more than two independent study courses. Fields determine which courses meet major and minor field requirements.

Of these 16 required courses, students must take at least seven during their first year of graduate study and 12 by the end of their second year.

With the approval of the graduate adviser (and the Graduate Division for the master’s degree requirements), graduate courses in political science taken elsewhere may be applied toward departmental course requirements. The maximum number of such courses is six if students come to UCLA with a master’s degree in political science and choose to forego another master’s degree from UCLA. In all other cases, the maximum is four for courses taken at another UC campus and two for courses taken outside the UC system.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Research Paper Requirement. Students must submit two research papers in order to qualify for advancement to candidacy. These papers may also have been used to meet course requirements. Each paper is assigned to two or more faculty graders by the Graduate Studies Committee. Papers are graded qualified, not qualified, or qualified with distinction. If a paper is graded not qualified, students may submit a revised version or another paper, once only. If a resubmitted research paper is graded not qualified, the student is evaluated for termination of graduate study by a committee of at least five members drawn mostly from the student’s primary field.

The first qualifying paper is due by the beginning of the second week of the sixth quarter in the graduate program. The second paper is due by the beginning of the second week of the eighth quarter. If the first paper is graded not qualified on initial submission, the resubmission is due by the second week of the seventh quarter. If the second paper is graded not qualified on initial submission, it must be resubmitted by the beginning of the eight week of the ninth quarter. For the Ph.D. degree, students must receive at least a qualified grade on both papers.

Papers are evaluated for knowledge of subject, originality of ideas, and craftsmanship of research. They are also evaluated for conciseness; good papers may vary in length but are not expected to exceed 40 pages, including notes, figures, and tables. Papers need not be publishable, but in their structure and format and in their coverage of topics and tasks are expected to resemble papers published in peer-reviewed journals of their fields. The faculty members evaluating the papers assume that students have not devoted all their research time to two papers but have selected for submission, or for revision and submission, the best two from a portfolio of several seminar papers.

Students may take the University Oral Qualifying Examination after they have completed their course and paper requirements and written a dissertation proposal accepted by their research adviser. Students must take this examination no later than their twelfth quarter of graduate study, and the examination committee must have the proposal at least two weeks before the examination. The examination committee judges the feasibility and worth of the project and the student’s ability to undertake it. The committee also may recommend changes in the research design.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

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

Time-to-Degree

Time to degree for the Ph.D. degree is 18 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 (3.0) 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 3.0) 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

Upon releasing grades of papers, the faculty graders provide students with a written assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the papers. A student may appeal a not qualified grade on a research paper submission. Substantive appeals go to the original graders and one or more additional readers. Their decision either reaffirms the original grade or changes the grade. The Graduate Studies Committee only considers appeals that are based on procedural or other concerns and not those based on academic quality. All appeals must be filed no later than two weeks after the grade was received.

Students who receive one or more not qualified grades on resubmitted research papers, whose grade-point average falls below 3.4 for more than two quarters, who postpone submission of research papers for more than two quarters, who fail to complete 12 graded courses by the beginning of the seventh quarter, or who fail to take the University Oral Qualifying Examination by the end of the eighteenth quarter may be recommended for termination of graduate study. Recommendation for termination evaluations are made by a field evaluation committee of at least five members and are based on the student’s entire record in the graduate program. Final decisions to recommend termination are made by the Graduate Studies Committee after reviewing the field committee’s recommendation.

Students are notified in advance by the departmental graduate adviser if they are to be evaluated for a possible recommendation for termination, or if they are recommended for termination. Students may submit a written appeal and any other materials they wish to include as part of the file that is to be evaluated by the field evaluation committee or by the Graduate Studies Committee.

Program Requirements for Biological Chemistry

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

Biological Chemistry

School of Medicine

Graduate Degrees

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

Admission

Program Name

Biological Chemistry

Applicants may apply to the PhD program through UCLA Access to Programs in the Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences.

Address

310 BSRB
Box 951737
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1737

Phone

(310) 825-2762

Email

phpham@mednet.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

M.S., Ph.D.

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

Master’s Degree

Advising

The departmental graduate advisers act as advisers to students in the M.S. program.

Areas of Study

Consult the department.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

All graduate students must take the first-year ACCESS curriculum. Students should see course requirements in the Doctoral Degree section below. In addition to the core course requirements, elective courses must be taken to complete the total of nine courses (36 units) required for the degree. No more than two courses (eight units) in the 500 series may be applied toward the total course requirement, and only one (four units) of the two courses may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement (20 units) for the degree.

With the consent of the graduate adviser, Biological Chemistry 596, 597, and 598 may be taken if they are appropriate to the program. Biological Chemistry 596 may be graded S/U or letter grade; 597 and 598 are graded S/U only.

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, but if a student enters the master’s program, the comprehensive examination plan is preferred. Only in exceptional situations is a student approved for the thesis plan. In either plan the student must pass a departmental written examination. Only course requirements and the written examination are needed to complete the comprehensive examination plan.

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 addition to coursework, a written thesis is required. A thesis committee helps the student plan the thesis research, determines the acceptability of the thesis, administers a final examination (if deemed appropriate), and recommends appropriate action on the granting of the degree. In the event of an unacceptable thesis or performance on the final examination (if one is given), the thesis committee determines if it is appropriate for additional time to be granted to rewrite the thesis or to be reexamined.

Time-to-Degree

Students in the comprehensive examination plan can normally expect to receive the master’s degree after three academic quarters plus a summer (when the written examination is given). This assumes the maintenance of satisfactory progress and the absence of deficiencies upon admission to graduate status. Students in the thesis plan ordinarily require a minimum of six academic quarters (plus one to two summers) to complete the requirements.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

At the end of the first year of the ACCESS Program, students enter a laboratory for their Ph.D. studies. The head of the laboratory automatically becomes the student’s adviser. At this time the student is informed of the requirements of the departmental Ph.D. program at a meeting with the graduate committee. A dissertation committee is formed before the end of the second year and its members also act as additional advisers. The student is required to meet with this committee once a year until graduation. Members of the departmental graduate committee are also available to advise students during the Ph.D. program.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Consult the department.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students are required to take four didactic courses: Biological Chemistry CM248, CM253, and one of Biological Chemistry CM267A, or M267B,or Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics M229, or Neurobiology M200B and one additional four- to six-unit graduate-level course selected according to the student’s preference. Three of these courses are taken in the first year as part of the ACCESS Program, which also requires two three-unit seminar courses and Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics CM234.

First-year students must arrange for at least three rotations in the laboratories of different faculty members to help in the selection of a research adviser through the ACCESS Program.

After the first year, students spend most of their time on dissertation research. In addition to the general course requirements listed above, Ph.D. students are expected to complete Biological Chemistry 596, 597, and/or 599 during quarters in which research (596, 599) or study for written or oral examinations (597) is part of their program. Biological Chemistry 599 is for students who have passed their oral examinations; Biological Chemistry 596 is for those who have not.

Teaching Experience

Students admitted through the ACCESS Program are required to serve as teaching assistants for a total of two quarters, one in the second year and one in the third year. Students can fulfill this requirement in either the departmental medical student laboratory course or an undergraduate course offered in the College of Letters and Science.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

A satisfactory performance in rotations and the first-year courses as judged by the graduate student guidance committee and department faculty is required before students can select their doctoral committee.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination, which must be passed before students can be advanced to candidacy, is administered by a doctoral committee of four faculty members. The purpose is to evaluate students’ ability to formulate and defend two short research proposals. The proposals are submitted in a written form and defended orally. One proposal is an original research proposal that is not directly related to the dissertation research. This proposal also fulfills the requirements for the written examination. The other proposal should discuss the proposed dissertation research. The doctoral committee determines whether students pass the examination and whether reexamination is allowed in case of failure. The examination may be repeated only once. It is expected that the University Oral Qualifying Examination will be completed before the beginning of the third year of graduate work.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

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

Time-to-Degree

Students can normally expect to receive the Ph.D. degree within five years if satisfactory progress is maintained.

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

Special Departmental or Program Policy

Termination may be recommended by the Graduate Student Guidance Committee or a student’s master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation committee. A student may appeal a recommendation for termination to the Graduate Student Guidance Committee or the master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation committee. If the recommendation for termination is upheld, the student may appeal the recommendation to the departmental chair.

Program Requirements for Mathematics

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

Mathematics

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Mathematics offers the Masters of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) degree and the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Mathematics.

Admission

Program Name

Mathematics

Address

6356 Math Sciences
Box 951555
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1555

Phone

(310) 825-4971

Email

gradapps@math.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

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

Admission Limited to

Fall

Deadline to apply

December 15th

GRE (General and/or Subject)

GRE: General and subject in Mathematics

Letters of Recommendation

3, from mathematicians or professionals in related fields who know the applicant’s recent work.

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.

Although prospective graduate students in mathematics need not have an undergraduate mathematics major, they must have completed at least 12 quarter courses (or eight semester courses) in substantial upper division mathematics, particularly advanced calculus, algebra, differential equations, and differential or projective geometry.

M.A.: Applicants must have earned a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.2 in the above-mentioned upper division mathematics courses.

M.A.T.: The Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) program serves the needs of present and prospective mathematics teachers in high school and junior college. Applicants should consult the department for specific admission requirements.

Ph.D.: Applicants must present a grade-point average of at least 3.5 in upper division mathematics courses. Applicants who have already obtained a master’s degree must have maintained an average of better than 3.5 in graduate study. International applicants should have at least a comparable record in their mathematical education.

Exceptions to these requirements are granted only in cases where exceptional ability in quantitative science has been demonstrated.

Master’s Degree

Advising

Students typically spend two years in the master’s degree program. Therefore, upon matriculation each master’s degree student is assigned a faculty adviser to assist with the careful planning needed for an optimal educational experience. In consultation with the adviser, students are asked to formulate a tentative study plan for the first year. This plan is subject to change over the year as is appropriate or necessary. After matriculation the faculty adviser can be changed, with consent of the Graduate Vice Chair, to another member of the permanent departmental faculty who is willing to advise the student.

Study plan approval: At the beginning of each quarter, the study plan of courses the student is to take that quarter must be approved and signed by the faculty adviser. The approved study plan must then be submitted to the Graduate Office for the review and approval of the Graduate Vice Chair.

If at any point the Graduate Vice Chair determines that it is likely the student will need more than six quarters in residence following matriculation to complete the master’s degree requirements, from then on the student is required to meet with the Graduate Vice Chair at the beginning of each quarter for the review and approval of the study plan and for an evaluation of the student’s overall progress.

Areas of Study

All areas of study in which the department offers coursework at the beginning to middle graduate level are open to M.A. students. Although the primary focus of the M.A. program is mathematics, students may pursue a well-planned program with a substantial interdisciplinary component. For qualified students, a thesis plan provides an opportunity for supervised specialized study and research at a high level.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Eleven approved letter-graded courses are required; each must be passed with a grade of B- or better. At least eight of the 11 courses must be graduate courses in mathematics.

Course approval (separate from study plan approval, discussed under Advising): Any course used for degree credit must have a sufficient amount of advanced mathematical content and an appropriate evaluation plan, and must be approved by the department for degree credit. For most mathematics graduate and upper division courses having standard syllabi and evaluation plans, course approval is routine. For other courses, in particular those offered by other departments, course approval is given on a course-by-course basis after review of the syllabus and evaluation plan. In these cases, course approval must be obtained in writing from the Graduate Vice Chair at the start of the quarter in which the course is to be taken. Retroactive consideration of such a course by the Graduate Vice Chair would be made only in an exceptional circumstance.

There are many upper division and graduate courses in mathematics that students can take but for which degree credit is normally not approved. These courses include Mathematics 100 through 109, and Mathematics 285, 290A through 290M, and 296A through 290M. A maximum of four units of Mathematics 596 taken for a letter grade can be applied toward the M.A. degree requirements. Students who pursue the thesis plan may apply 16 units of Mathematics 596 taken for a letter grade toward the M.A. degree, eight units of which may be applied toward the graduate course requirement.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

Students must pass the departmental basic examination. The syllabus for this examination, available in the departmental graduate office and website, consists of a selection of advanced topics that are essential prerequisites for the field of graduate mathematics study at the University. The examination is offered several times a year and can be taken whenever offered provided the student is matriculated in the graduate program. Students who fail to take or fail to pass this examination upon matriculation are advised to devise a study plan that leaves time to prepare for it.

Thesis Plan

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

Students who demonstrate strong mathematical ability in coursework and who pass the basic examination by September of the second year, may petition the Graduate Vice Chair to do a master’s thesis. The thesis must be an in-depth scholarly study of a mathematical topic of current research, and ideally should include sufficient original work, done under the guidance of the thesis adviser, to form a significant contribution to a published paper. The petition must include a letter of commitment from a proposed thesis adviser, selected from permanent members of the departmental faculty, that outlines a program of classroom study for the remainder of the degree program and a description of the proposed research. Approval of the petition is not guaranteed, and this option may not be available in all specialties in which doctoral program supervision is offered in the department. The M.A. thesis plan represents a significant opportunity for intellectual development, and for demonstration of solid achievement and research potential to other universities and prospective employers.

Time-to-Degree

Students ordinarily are required to complete the requirements for the master’s degree within two years following matriculation. Students who wish to remain in the program longer than two years must obtain approval in advance each quarter. Permission to remain in the program longer than two years is not automatically approved and no student is permitted to continue coursework for longer than three years.

Satisfactory progress toward the master’s degree is defined as full-time enrollment (minimum of 12 units) with a minimum grade-point average of 3.00 or higher each quarter and completion of all coursework within two years. Students who fail to make satisfactory progress are subject to a recommendation for termination of graduate study to the Graduate Division.

Master’s degree students who have passed the basic examination at the Ph.D. level by September of the second year may petition during the second year to transfer to the Ph.D. program. Students must demonstrate the ability to do Ph.D. level preparatory coursework to be accepted into the Ph.D. program. Acceptance into the Ph.D. program is neither automatic nor guaranteed. Students normally are required to pass the Ph.D. area examinations in accord with the schedule for satisfactory progress in order to be accepted into the Ph.D. program.

Master of Arts in Teaching

Advising

The vice chair for graduate studies is the chief graduate adviser and heads a committee of faculty advisers whose fields of expertise span most of the major areas of mathematics. Students are required to meet with a faculty adviser who helps them plan a reasonable course of study.

The graduate vice chair is responsible for monitoring students’ progress toward their degree objective and approves student enrollment plans each quarter. Continuing students are normally asked to meet with the vice chair (or some other adviser) at least once each quarter and a record of this interview is placed in the student files. There are ample opportunities to meet with an adviser of the student’s choice throughout the academic year.

Areas of Study

Consult the department.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Eleven courses are required as follows:

Core Courses. Students must take Mathematics 201A-201B-201C and 202A-202B. Normally students also take one quarter of Mathematics 596 while fulfilling the essay requirement described below.

Credential Requirements. Students planning to teach in secondary schools who do not already have valid credentials for such teaching should enroll in the single subject instructional credential program in the Department of Education (Graduate School of Education and Information Studies). Of the courses required by this program, students receive M.A.T. credit only for the following courses: Education 312, 330A-330B, 406, 407. Actual receipt of the credential is not a degree requirement. Interested students should check with the Department of Education for a full and up-to-date description of credential requirements and should submit a Department of Education application for admission to the credential program.

Additional Courses. Besides the six core courses described above, a seventh upper division or graduate course in mathematics is required. Particularly recommended are Mathematics 106, 110B, 110C, 111, 131B, 134, and Statistics 100B. Candidates on the junior college track normally take five 100- or 200-level courses in mathematics in addition to the six core courses. However, with prior approval of the graduate vice chair, one course of a predominantly mathematical nature taken in another department may be presented for degree credit.

Students may not receive degree credit for Mathematics 370A, or 370B. In addition, students may not receive degree credit for more than two quarters of Mathematics 596 or for more than two quarters of any 300-series courses.

Essay Requirement. A master’s essay on some subject in mathematics related to the student’s prospective teaching is required. This essay is written by the student, under the direction of a faculty member, while enrolled in Mathematics 596.

Teaching Experience

Teaching experience is not a formal requirement for the M.A.T. degree; however, students who are working for a secondary credential must take the supervised teaching course. Students are eligible for teaching assistantships.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

In the M.A.T. program, one examination in mathematical subject matter, the departmental basic examination, is required, as is one examination in content and philosophy of secondary school mathematics. Ordinarily, these examinations are administered in conjunction with Mathematics 201A-201B-201C and 202A-202B. Reexamination after failure is allowed.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

Students who are well-prepared should be able to complete the requirements for the M.A.T. degree in six quarters of full-time study.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Careful planning is needed for each stage of a doctoral student’s training. Therefore, upon matriculation each student is assigned a faculty adviser to assist with this planning. In consultation with the adviser, students are asked to formulate a tentative study plan for the first year. This plan is subject to change over the year as is appropriate or necessary. After matriculation the faculty adviser can be changed, with consent of the Graduate Vice Chair, to another member of the permanent departmental faculty who is willing to advise the student.

Study plan approval: Entering and continuing doctoral students who are not advanced to candidacy are required to meet with their adviser and obtain approval of their study plan at the beginning of each quarter. The approved study plan must then be submitted to the Graduate Office for the review and approval of the Graduate Vice Chair. The Graduate Vice Chair, who has final approval over study plans, is responsible for monitoring student progress toward completion of the doctoral degree requirements, and for ensuring that study plans are directed toward that goal.

If at any point the Graduate Vice Chair determines that the student is not making satisfactory progress, from then on the student is required to meet with the Graduate Vice Chair at the beginning of each quarter for the review and approval of the study plan and for an evaluation of the student’s overall progress. This requirement continues until the student is advanced to candidacy.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

The Ph.D. degree in Mathematics may be earned under the pure or applied programs. Many possible choices of fields exist within these programs, and students are urged to read the booklet, Graduate Studies in Mathematics at UCLA, that describes the specialties of the faculty and the active research areas in the department in some detail.

Foreign Language Requirement

Prior to taking the oral qualifying examination for advancement to candidacy, students in the pure program must fulfill the foreign language requirement. Students must pass one written departmental language examination in either French, German, or Russian. These foreign language examinations, offered Fall and Spring quarters, require the translation of material in some basic field of mathematics. The examinations may be taken any number of times until passed.

Students in the applied program are not required to fulfill the foreign language requirement.

Course Requirements

Under the pure mathematics option, students must pass (with a grade of B or better) at least 12 courses from Mathematics 205A through 285N, but excluding the basic courses 210A-210B, 245A-245B, and 246A-246B. At most, three of these courses may be in the 285 series. Each student must actively participate (and lecture 90 minutes, normally two lectures) in at least two advanced seminars. Credit for one of the seminars must be obtained within three registered quarters after passing the written qualifying examinations, the other within five quarters after passing the written qualifying examinations.

Under the applied mathematics option, students must pass (with a grade of B or better) at least 18 approved graduate courses, including at least 12 courses from Mathematics 205A through 285N. At most, three of these courses may be in Mathematics 285A through 285 L.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Students must pass three written qualifying examinations:

The departmental basic examination. The syllabus for this examination, available in the departmental graduate office and website, consists of a selection of advanced topics that are essential prerequisites for the field of graduate mathematics study at the University. The examination is offered several times a year and can be taken whenever offered provided the student is matriculated in the graduate program. Doctoral students normally take the basic examination upon matriculation into the program. Students who fail to take or fail to pass this examination upon matriculation are advised to devise a study plan that leaves time to prepare for it.

The area examinations. Students are required to pass two area examinations chosen from the following six options: algebra, applied differential equations, computational mathematics, geometry/topology, logic, and real and complex analysis. One area examination must be passed by the sixth quarter of graduate study, and the second area examination must be passed by the seventh quarter of graduate study. Because preparation for an area examination can take a year or more, students should choose, as early as possible and in consultation with their adviser, the area examinations they plan to take.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination. After passing the basic examination and the two area examinations, the student may set up the doctoral committee which administers the University Oral Qualifying Examination for advancement to candidacy.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

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

Time-to-Degree

Students are required to pass the written qualifying examinations for the Ph.D. degree within the deadlines indicated under Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations. Completion of all degree requirements (including the dissertation) normally takes 15 quarters of full-time study.

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

Special Departmental or Program Policy

Master’s

A student who does not complete all the requirements for the M.A. degree within six quarters of full-time study is subject to a recommendation for termination. The Graduate Vice Chair decides in each case whether a recommendation for termination is warranted. A student may appeal a recommendation for termination to the Graduate Studies Committee, which makes the final departmental decision on this matter.

Doctoral

A student who fails to meet a deadline for passing a written qualifying examination is subject to a recommendation for termination. The Graduate Vice Chair informs a student of such a recommendation and the student is provided the opportunity to submit a written appeal that may include letters of support from members of the faculty. The appeal is considered by the Graduate Studies Committee, which make the final departmental decision as to whether the student is allowed to remain in the program or is recommended for termination.

Program Requirements for Economics

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2012-2013 academic year.

Economics

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admission

Program Name

Economics

Address

8292 Bunche Hall
Box 951477
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1477

Phone

(310) 206-1413

Email

grad-office@econ.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

M.A., Ph.D.

The Economics department admits only applicants whose objective is the Ph.D.

Admission Limited to

Fall

Deadline to apply

December 1st

GRE (General and/or Subject)

GRE: General

Letters of Recommendation

Other Requirements

In addition to the University’s minimum requirements and those listed above, all applicants are expected to submit a full record of prior university experience (it is strongly recommended that applicants have undergraduate training in economics, mathematics, and statistics), and a statement of purpose.

Master’s Degree

Advising

Entering students are assigned faculty advisers by the department. The adviser’s approval is required prior to enrollment each quarter. Students are encouraged to consult their adviser whenever doubts or questions arise about their proposed program or academic goals. As the student becomes more familiar with the faculty, the adviser initially assigned by the department may be replaced, at the student’s initiative, by a faculty member in the student’s area of interest and specialization.

In addition, the Graduate Committee meets once a year in the Fall Quarter after comprehensive examination results have been made known, to review the performance of each graduate student in the program. At that time, a student making slow or unsatisfactory progress is interviewed by a committee member and given guidelines for successful completion of the program. The vice chair for graduate affairs (same as chair of Graduate Committee) also meets with students who are failing to meet University and/or departmental minimum standards.

Areas of Study

Economic theory; econometrics; information and uncertainty; mathematical economics; monetary theory; economic history; public finance; labor economics; industrial organization; international economics; development economics; and asset pricing.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

The department requires nine upper division and graduate-level courses in economics completed while in graduate status at UCLA. At least seven of the nine courses must be graduate-level courses in the department, one of which must be either Economics 207 or 241 or 242. Each course must be completed with a grade of B or better.

With prior approval of the vice chair for graduate affairs, students may offer a maximum of two courses from departments outside of Economics. However, these courses may not substitute for the seven graduate-level economics courses required.

With the prior approval of the vice chair for graduate affairs, four units of Economics 596 may be applied toward the total course requirement and the minimum graduate course requirement.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

In addition to the course requirements, candidates for the M.A. degree must satisfactorily complete a written comprehensive examination requirement that involves passing two examinations. This requirement may be fulfilled by one of the following:

(1) Master’s-level (M) passes in comprehensive examinations for two of the three first-year sequences and a grade of B or better in all three courses in the remaining sequence.

(2) Master’s-level (M) passes in the comprehensive examination for one of the three first-year sequences and in one doctoral field examination.

(3) Master’s-level (M) passes in two doctoral field examinations.

Examinations are graded H (Ph.D. honors pass), P (Ph.D. pass), M (M.A. pass), and F (fail).

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

It normally takes three to five quarters to earn the degree.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

In addition, the Graduate Committee meets once a year in the Fall Quarter after written qualifying examination results have been made known, to review the performance of each graduate student in the program. At that time, a student making slow or unsatisfactory progress is interviewed by a committee member and given guidelines for successful completion of the program. The vice chair for graduate affairs (same as chair of Graduate Committee) also meets with students who are failing to meet University and/or departmental minimum standards.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

In order that the program can be tailored to an individual student’s background and interests, there are no formal course requirements in the Ph.D. program. In their first year, however, students normally enroll in the standard first-year graduate core sequences in microeconomic theory (Economics 201A-201B-201C), macroeconomic theory (Economics 202A-202B-202C) and quantitative methods (Economics 203A, 203B, 203C).

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Written Examinations

All Ph.D. qualifying examinations are intended to determine competency in the overall field. While the courses offered are intended to prepare students for the field examinations, and while the professors of the courses are normally also the examiners, the qualifying examination is not restricted solely to the material explicitly presented in course lectures or assigned exercises. Students are assisted in acquiring knowledge of the overall field by course reading lists that include recommended supplementary and complementary readings.

The department offers written qualifying examinations in the areas listed below (with preparatory courses shown in parentheses):

Core Sequences. Microeconomic theory (Economics 201A-201B-201C); macroeconomic theory (Economics 202A-202B-202C); quantitative methods (Economics 203A, 203B, 203C).

Elective Doctoral Fields. Econometrics (Economics 231A, 231B, M232A, 232B); information and uncertainty (Economics 211A-211B, 212A); mathematical economics (213A-213B, 214A); monetary economics (Economics 221A-221B); economic history (Economics 241, 242); public finance (Economics 251A, 251B, 252); labor economics (Economics 261A,261B); industrial organization (Economics 271A, 271B, 271C); international economics (Economics 281A, 281B, 281C); development economics (286A, 286B, 287A, 287B); asset pricing (Economics 291A, 291B, 291C, 291D).

Examinations are graded H (Ph.D. honors pass), P (Ph.D. pass), M (M.A. pass), and F (fail).

Students must pass (with a P or better) the qualifying examinations in all three of the standard first-year core sequences — microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, and quantitative methods — by the beginning of the Fall Quarter of their second year. Students are required to take these examinations at the first available sitting (June of the first year). If students are unsuccessful on their first try, they may repeat one or all of the qualifying examinations at the next available sitting (September at the beginning of the student’s second year). Students who have successfully completed their first-year core requirements must regularly attend either a departmental workshop or a dissertation pro-seminar each quarter of their second year.

Students must pass (with a P or better) qualifying examinations in three doctoral elective fields (or two fields plus breadth option), usually by the end of the second year, but no later than June of the student’s third year. Written qualifying examinations may be repeated, but students may sit for no more than nine times in total for all (core and field) examinations combined. Students who have successfully completed all course requirements and written qualifying examinations must enroll in and regularly attend a departmental workshop and a dissertation pro-seminar for each of their remaining quarters in the doctoral program.

Qualifying examinations in all core sequences are offered twice a year (September and June). Doctoral field qualifying examinations are offered at least once a year.

By employing the breadth option, students may substitute a field by coursework, defined as three graduate-level courses for one of the three elective fields. Courses used to satisfy this requirement cannot include any courses used in the core sequence requirements nor can they include courses preparatory for the written qualifying examinations which the student is using for field requirements. The breadth option must include Economics 207 or 241 or 242. Students may apply courses at the graduate level (200-level) outside the Economics Department on written preapproval by the vice chair for graduate affairs. Only courses in which a minimum grade of B is earned may be used to satisfy this requirement.

Paper Requirement

A written paper must be completed by the end of the student’s third year. This paper is to be read and evaluated by a member of the department faculty, who must certify in writing that it satisfied this requirement. This paper could be based on or be an extension of an optional or required paper for a course. Alternatively, the paper could be one presented in a workshop or an outgrowth of a research assistantship or independent study. Ideally, the paper would be related to the student’s doctoral dissertation. The materials of this paper may be used as the basis for presentation in a departmental workshop, as well as the basis for the dissertation.

Before advancing to the University Oral Qualifying Examination, students are expected to present a paper in a departmental pro-seminar. It is recommended that this be completed by June of the second year.

Oral Qualifying Examination

The University Oral Qualifying Examination, administered by the student’s doctoral committee, is scheduled after successful completion of all first-year core examinations as prescribed, completion of the economic history or history of thought requirement, receipt of a pass at the Ph.D. level for at least one qualifying examination in the student’s field, and the submission of a written dissertation proposal. The proposal should be made available to the committee members at least two weeks prior to the date of the examination. The examination focuses on, but is not be limited to, the dissertation proposal.

A student should attempt the oral examination no later than the end of August before the beginning of the third year of study. Students must have been registered in the immediately preceding spring term in order to take the examination in the summer. In case of failure, a student may repeat the oral qualifying examination once.

A student’s doctoral committee will meet with the student at the end of the third year to determine if the student’s progress in the dissertation research is satisfactory. At this meeting, the student will submit a written progress report on the proposed topic that describes the work completed to date and includes a detailed outline of the plan for completing the project. With the consent of the student’s committee, completed papers may be submitted as part of, or in lieu of, the written progress report.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

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

Time-to-Degree

The department has established a five-year normative time-to-degree plan which is divided into a two-year pre-candidacy period and a three-year candidacy period. This projection is suggestive, and it should be recognized that the amount of time necessary to complete the degree has been found to vary widely among students, due to differences in previous training and other factors. All requirements for the Ph.D. degree must, however, be completed within seven calendar years after entering the program.

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

Special Departmental or Program Policy

Students who fail an examination at the first sitting are then required to retake the examination at the next available sitting (September of the second year). Students who do not earn Ph.D. passes in the first-year written qualifying examinations in these two sittings are ineligible to continue in the Ph.D. program.

A student who is not making satisfactory progress toward the degree is notified to meet with the vice chair, who determines whether to recommend termination to the Graduate Committee. Termination is normally recommended in cases where a student: (1) has failed to maintain a 3.00 grade point average; (2) has failed to pass the written qualifying examinations in the first year core fields by the end of the second sitting; (3) has failed to pass all written qualifying examinations in nine sittings (or by the end of the third year); (4) has failed to be advanced to candidacy by the end of the third year; or (5) has failed to complete all requirements for the degree by the end of the seventh year.

The student is informed of the vice chair’s recommendation and has an opportunity to provide written materials in support of continued enrollment in the Ph.D. program. The Graduate Committee thoroughly reviews the student’s record as well as the supplementary materials provided by the student and makes a final recommendation to the Graduate Division.

Program Requirements for Chicana and Chicano Studies

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2012-2013 academic year.

Chicana and Chicano Studies

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admission

Program Name

Chicana and Chicano Studies

Address

7349 Bunche Hall
Box 951559
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1559

Phone

(310) 206-7695

Email

gradadvisor@chavez.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

M.A., Ph.D.

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

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 required to submit a statement of purpose and a writing sample. Evidence of creative work relevant to the degree program may also be included.

Master’s Degree

Advising

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

Areas of Study

Students are expected to master one interdisciplinary area of study from among the following: 1) Border and transnational studies; 2) Expressive arts; 3) History, culture, and language of the Americas; and 4) Labor, law, and policy studies.

Foreign Language Requirement

Reading fluency in Spanish is required. Students may satisfy the language requirement in one of the following ways: 1) satisfactory completion of two years of coursework at the University level; or 2) passing a language proficiency examination deemed appropriate by the department. It is recommended that this requirement be met in the first year of graduate work.

Course Requirements

The M.A. degree in Chicana/o Studies is not intended to be a stand-alone, terminal degree, but is rather, a requirement for the Ph.D. Students must successfully complete a total of 36 units (normally nine courses), completed while in graduate status and taker for a letter grade with a minimum of 3.0 grade-point average. Of the 36 units, at least 28 must be completed at the graduate level. Up to 8 units of upper division undergraduate courses may be applied to the 36-unit requirement. One 500-series course (up to four units) may be applied toward the 36-unit requirement.

Required courses:

Chicana/o Studies 200 and 201 to be taken in the first year.
One graduate methodology course in the first area of study.
Three seminars, one of which may be an upper division course, in the first area of study.
Eight elective units (2 courses) may be an upper division course or taken outside the department.
Four units of Chicana/o Studies 598 (master’s thesis research) or 597 (examination preparation).

Teaching assistants may enroll in Chicana/o Studies 495 when they receive their first teaching appointment and must enroll in Chicana/o Studies 375 each quarter in which they hold a teaching appointment. Neither of these courses may be counted toward the degree requirements.

Because University of California policy specifies that courses already applied to a graduate degree cannot be applied to a second graduate degree of the same level, students entering the program with a previously earned M.A. degree will be required, at a minimum, to take the structured core of 2 required graduate courses: Chicana/o Studies 200 and 201. It is recommended that students who already have a master’s degree take the required courses in the first year.

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

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Depends on area of study.

Master’s Thesis Plan

Students may complete the M.A. degree by writing a Master’s Thesis relevant to their chosen area of study. The M.A. thesis should be submitted at the end of the second year, but no later than Spring Quarter of the third year. Students must enroll in Chicana/o Studies 598 (M.A Thesis Research) under the guidance of the faculty advisor. The thesis committee consisting of the student’s faculty advisor, another ladder-ranked faculty form the list of core or jointly-appointed faculty in the department, and an outside reader must be appointed by the department no later than Fall Quarter of the student’s second year. The thesis is evaluated on a pass/no pass basis.

Master’s Examination Plan

Students may choose to take a comprehensive examination that consists of a series of essay questions designed to demonstrate the student’s knowledge of theories and methods in the field of Chicana/o Studies, and their ability to apply these ideas to their chosen area of study. Students may enroll in Chicana/o Studies 597 (examination preparation) while preparing for the examination. The examination is developed and administered by the student’s faculty advisor, and evaluated by the advisor and either the department Chair or Vice Chair for graduate studies. A grade of B or better is required for successful completion of the master’s comprehensive examination.

Time-to-degree

Full-time students are expected to complete the requirements for the master’s degree within two years (six quarters) of registration.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Each entering student is assigned to the Vice Chair for Graduate Studies, who takes primary responsibility for academic advising in the first year. After completing coursework for the Ph.D., but before taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination, the student submits a four-person doctoral committee that requires approval of the department’s Graduate Committee and appointment by the Graduate Division. The doctoral committee is responsible for supervision, review, and approval of the doctoral dissertation. The student affairs officer provides assistance with policy and procedure.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

At the doctoral level, students are expected to specialize in two areas of study from among the following: 1) Border and transnational studies; 2) Expressive arts; 3) History, culture, and language of the Americas; and 4) Labor, law, and policy studies. Students entering the Ph.D. program with a M.A. from another institution may be required to take additional courses to assure competency in two areas.

Foreign Language Requirement

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

Course Requirements

For the Ph.D. in Chicana/o Studies, a total of 16 units (generally four courses) in addition to the M.A. are required. These 16 units are to be completed in the second area of study. Competency in the two areas of study is expected by the time coursework for the Ph.D. is completed.

One graduate methodology course related to the second area of study.

Three seminars in the second area of study, one of which may be taken outside the department.

Teaching Experience

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

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

The Written Qualifying Examination is a two-part exam. Part one covers the student’s general knowledge of the history of the field of Chicana/o Studies. Part two covers the student’s two chosen areas of study. Students may enroll in Chicana/o Studies 597 (examination preparation) to help prepare for the exam. Students who fail either part of the written qualifying examination may retake it once without petition, as early as the following quarter. Students who fail the written qualifying examination a second time will not advance to doctoral candidacy and will be dismissed from the Program.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination is required after completion of the Written Qualifying Examination, completion of the dissertation proposal, and appointment of a doctoral committee in accord with University regulations. The four-member doctoral committee is responsible for administering the examination. The oral examination is approximately two hours in length and is focused on the student’s dissertation proposal. At the discretion of the student, this exam may be open to members of the general public.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

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

Time-to-Degree

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

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University policy

Special departmental or program policy

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

Program Requirements for Electrical Engineering

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2012-2013 academic year.

Electrical Engineering

Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admission

Program Name

Electrical Engineering

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

Address

420 Westwood Plaza
57-127 Engineering IV, attn: Office of Graduate Student Affairs
Box 951594
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1594

Phone

(310) 825-9383 Fax: (310) 267-2589

Email

appl@ea.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

M.S., Ph.D.

Admission Limited to

Fall

Deadline to apply

December 15th

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 the Electrical Engineering section of the applicationt and a statement of purpose.

Ph.D.: Applicants normally should have completed the requirements for the master’s degree with at least a 3.5 grade-point average and have demonstrated creative ability. The M.S. degree is required for admission to the Ph.D. program.

Master’s Degree

Advising

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

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

New students should arrange an appointment as early as possible with the faculty adviser to plan the proposed program of study toward the M.S. degree. Continuing students are required to confer with the adviser during the time of enrollment each quarter to keep track of progress towards the degree and, when necessary, to modify/refine the study list.

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

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

Areas of Study

Student can pursue specialization across three major areas of study: circuits and embedded systems, physical and wave electronics, and signals and systems. Student must select a number of formal graduate courses to serve as their major and minor fields of study according to requirements listed under Course Requirements for the master’s comprehensive plan (eight courses) and thesis plan (seven courses). A formal graduate course is defined as any 200-level course, excluding seminar or tutorial courses. The selection of the major and minor course sequences must be from different established tracks, or according to ad hoc tracks, or combinations of the two. The selected courses must be approved by the student’s faculty adviser.

A track is a coherent set of courses in some general field of study. The department suggests lists of established tracks as a means to assist students in selecting their courses. Suggested tracks are described under Course Requirements. Students are not required to adhere to the suggested courses in any specific track. Students can select graduate courses from across established tracks, from across areas, and from outside electrical engineering and tailor these selections to their professional objectives. In consultation with their faculty advisers and subject to the approval of the Vice-Chair of Graduate Affairs, students also can propose an ad hoc track.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

The selection of courses for the master’s degree program is tailored to the student’s professional objectives and must meet the requirements outlined below. The courses should be selected and approved in consultation with the student’s faculty adviser. Changes from the stated requirements are considered only in exceptional cases and must be approved by the Vice-Chair of Graduate Affairs.

The minimum standards and course requirements for the master’s degree program are:

Prerequisite. B.S. degree in engineering or a related field.

Time-to degree. All master’s degree course requirements must be completed within two academic years from admission into the program.

Academic standards. Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.00 each quarter and a grade of B or better in all graduate courses.

Comprehensive Examination Plan:

Six formal graduate courses to fulfill the student’s major field of study
Two formal courses to fulfill the student’s minor field of study
Five of the formal graduate courses must be in Electrical Engineering
One graduate seminar series course (Electrical Engineering 297)
One individual study course (Electrical Engineering 299) to cover the comprehensive examination or one additional formal graduate course
Electrical Engineering 296, 375, and 500-series courses may not be applied to course requirements.

Thesis Plan:

Five formal graduate courses to fulfill the student’s major field of study
Two formal graduate courses to fulfill the student’s minor field of study
Four of the formal graduate courses must be in Electrical Engineering
One graduate seminar series course (Electrical Engineering 297)
Two (8 units) Electrical Engineering 598 courses to cover thesis work

Both plans:

Student must select a number of formal graduate courses to serve as their major and minor fields of study according to requirements for the master’s comprehensive plan (eight courses) and thesis plan (seven courses). The selection of the major and minor course sequences must be from different established tracks, or according to ad hoc tracks, or combinations of the two. The selected courses must be approved by the student’s faculty adviser.

A formal graduate course is defined as any 200-level course, excluding seminar or tutorial courses.

A maximum of one upper division courses may replace one of the formal graduate courses covering the student’s major and minor fields of study provided that (1) the undergraduate course is not required of undergraduate students in the department, and (2) the undergraduate course is approved by the student’s faculty adviser.

A track is a coherent set of courses in some general field of study. The department suggests list of established tracks as a means to assist students in selecting their courses. Students are not required to adhere to the suggested courses in any specific track. Students can select graduate courses from across established tracks, from across areas, and from outside electrical engineering and tailor these selections to their professional objectives. In consultation with their faculty advisers and subject to the approval of the Vice-Chair of Graduate Affairs, students also can proposal an ad hoc track.

Established Tracks

Circuits and Embedded Systems Area Tracks

Embedded Computing. Courses in this track deal with the engineering of computer systems, as may be applied to embedded devices used for communications, multimedia, or other such restricted purposes. Courses related to this track are: Electrical Engineering 201A, 201C, M202A, M202B, 204A, 213A, 216A, Computer Science 251A.

Integrated Circuits. Courses in this track deal with the analysis and design of analog and digital integrated circuits; architecture and IC implementations of large-scale digital processors for communications and signal processing; hardware-software co-design; and computer-aided design methodologies. Courses related to this track are: Electrical Engineering 213A, 215A, 215C, 215D, 215E, M216A, 221A, 221B, Computer Science 251A, 252A.

Physical and Wave Electronics Area Tracks

Electromagnetics. Courses in this track deal with electromagnetic theory; propagation and scattering; antenna theory and design; microwave and millimeter wave circuits; printed circuit antennas; integrated and fiber optics; microwave-optical interaction; antenna measurement and diagnostics; numerical and asymptotic techniques; satellite and personal communication antennas; periodic structures; genetic algorithms; and optimization techniques. Courses related to this track are: Electrical Engineering 221C, 260A, 260B, 261, 262, 263, 266, 270.

Photonics and Plasma Electronics. Courses in this track deal with laser physics; optical amplification; electro-optics; acousto-optics; magneto-optics; nonlinear optics; photonic switching and modulation; ultrafast phenomena, optical fibers, integrated waveguides; photodetection; optoelectronic integrated circuits; optical MEMS; analog and digital signal transmission; photonics sensors; lasers in biomedicine; fundamental plasma waves and instability; interaction of microwaves and laser radiation with plasmas; plasma diagnostics; and controlled nuclear fusion. Courses related to this track are Electrical Engineering 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 285A, 285B, M287.

Solid-State and MEMS Devices. Courses in this track deal with solid-state physical electronics; semiconductor device physics and design; and microelectromechanical systems design and fabrication. Courses related to this track are: Electrical Engineering 221A, 221B, 221C, 222, 223, 224, 225, CM250A, M250B, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 281, 284, C287L

Signals and Systems Area Tracks

Communications Systems.. Courses in this track deal with communication and telecommunication principles and engineering applications; channel and source coding; spread spectrum communication; cryptography; estimation and detection; algorithms and processing in communication and radar; satellite communication systems; stochastic modeling in telecommunication engineering; mobile radio engineering; telecommunication switching; queuing system; communication networks; and local-area, metropolitan-area, and wide-area computer communication networks. Courses related to this track are: Electrical Engineering 205A, 210A, 230A 230B, 230C, 230D, 231A, 231E, 232A, 232B, 232C, 232D, 232E, 233A, 233B, 238, 241A.

Control Systems and Optimization. Courses in this track deal with state-space theory of linear system; optimal control of deterministic linear and nonlinear systems; stochastic control; Kalman filtering; stability theory of linear and nonlinear feedback control systems; computer-aided design of control systems; optimization theory, including linear and nonlinear programming; convex optimization and engineering application; numerical methods; nonconvex programming; associated network flow and graph problems; renewal theory; Markov chains; stochastic dynamic programming; and queuing theory. Courses related to this track are: Electrical Engineering 205A, 208A, M208B, M208C, 210B, 236A, 236B, 236C, M237, M240A, 240B, M240C, 241A, 241B, 241C, M242A, 243.

Signal Processing. Courses in this track deal with digital signal processing theory; statistical signal processing; analysis and design of digital filters; digital speech processing; digital image processing; multirate digital signal processing; adaptive filtering; estimation theory; neural networks; and communications signal processing. Courses related to this track are: Electrical Engineering 205A, 210A, 210B, 211A, 211B, 212A, 212B, 213A, M214A, 214B, M217, 238.

Ad Hoc Track

In consultation with their faculty advisers, students can petition for an ad hoc track tailored to their professional objectives. This track may comprise graduate courses from across established tracks, from across areas, and even from outside electrical engineering. The petition must justify how the selection of courses forms a coherent set of courses, and how the proposed track serves the student’s professional objectives. The petition must be approved by the student’s faculty adviser and the Vice-Chair of Graduate Affairs.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

The MS comprehensive examination requirement is satisfied by one of the following two options:

1. Through completion of an individual study (Electrical Engineering 299) under the direction of a faculty member. The student is assigned a topic of individual study by the faculty member and the study culminates with a written report and an oral presentation. The master’s individual study program is administered for each student by the faculty member directing the course, the director of the area to which the student belongs, and the Vice-Chair of Graduate Affairs. Students who fail the examination may be re-examined once with the consent of the Vice-Chair of Graduate Affairs.

2. By solving a comprehensive examination problem in the final, project, or equivalent, of every formal graduate course in Electrical Engineering taken by the student. An average of at least 3.0 in the comprehensive examination problems is required for graduation. The master’s individual study program is administered for each student by the student’s academic advisor, the director of the area to which the student belongs, and the Vice-Chair of Graduate Affairs.

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 master’s thesis requirement is satisfied through completion of a thesis that is under the direction of the student’s faculty adviser and meets the approval of a thesis committee comprised of the adviser and two other faculty members. Thesis research must be conducted concurrently with the required coursework.

Time-to-Degree

The average length of time for students in the master’s degree program is five quarters. The maximum time allowed for completion of the degree is two academic years from the time of admission to the master’s degree program.

Doctoral 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 Academic and Student Affairs, 6426 Boelter Hall, Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science.

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

New students should arrange an appointment as early as possible with the faculty adviser to plan the proposed program of study toward the 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 were admitted provisionally or are on probation. If their progress is unsatisfactory, students are informed of this in writing by the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs.

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

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Student can pursue specialization across three major areas of study: circuits and embedded systems, physical and wave electronics, and signals and systems.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

The selection of courses for the doctoral degree program is tailored to the student’s professional objectives and must meet the requirements outlined below. The courses should be selected and approved in consultation with the student’s faculty adviser. Changes from the stated requirements are considered only in exceptional cases and must be approved by the Vice-Chair of Graduate Affairs.

The minimum standards and course requirements for the doctoral degree program are:

Prerequisite. A UCLA master’s degree in electrical engineering or a related field, or a comparable master’s degree from an accredited institution.

Time-to degree. All doctoral degree course requirements must be completed within five academic years from admission into the doctoral program.

Academic standards. Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 during each quarter of registration in the doctoral program.

Courses:

Four formal graduate courses chosen in consultation with the faculty adviser
Two of the formal graduate courses must be in electrical engineering
One graduate seminar series course (Electrical Engineering 297)
One technical communications course such as Electrical Engineering 295
Electrical Engineering 296, 375, and 500-series courses may not be applied to course requirements

A formal graduate course is defined as any 200-level course, excluding seminar or tutorial courses. Formal graduate courses taken by the student to meet the master’s degree course requirements cannot be applied toward the doctoral degree course requirements.

At least two of the formal graduate courses must be in electrical engineering.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

The written qualifying examination is known as the Ph.D. preliminary examination in the School. The purpose of the examination is to assess the student’s competency in the discipline, knowledge of the fundamentals, and potential for independent research. Students admitted first to the master’s program in this department must complete all of the master’s degree program requirements with a grade-point average of 3.5 in order to be considered for admission into the doctoral program. Students can take the Ph.D. preliminary examination only after admission into the doctoral program. The examination is held once each year. Students are examined independently by a group of faculty members in the student’s general area of study. The examination by each faculty member typically includes oral and written components. The student is required to pass all components of the examination at one time. A student who fails the examination may repeat it once, subject to the approval of the Vice-Chair of Graduate Affairs. The preliminary examination, together with the doctoral course requirements, should be completed within two academic years after matriculation into the doctoral program. The department strongly recommends that students take this examination during their first year in the doctoral program.

After passing the written qualifying examination described above, the student is ready to take the University Oral Qualifying Examination. Students are required to take the University Oral Qualifying Examination when all courses have been completed and within one year after the Ph.D. Preliminary Examination is passed. The nature and content of the examination are at the discretion of the doctoral committee, but ordinarily include a broad inquiry into the student’s preparation for research. The doctoral committee also reviews the prospectus of the dissertation at the oral qualifying examination.

Students nominate a doctoral committee prior to taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination. The doctoral committee consists of a minimum of four members. Three members, including the chair, are inside members and must hold appointments at UCLA in the student’s major department in the School. The outside member must be a UCLA faculty member outside the student’s major department. Students should consult Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA regarding petitions for exceptions to this policy.

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

All doctoral degree requirements must be completed within five academic years from matriculation into the doctoral program.

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

Special Departmental or Program Policy

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

Master’s

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

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

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

(3) Failure of the comprehensive examination.

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

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

Doctoral

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

(1) Failure to maintain a grade point average of 3.5 in all courses and in any two consecutive quarters prior to the successful completion of the University Oral Qualifying Examination.

(2) Failure of the Ph.D. preliminary examination.

(3) Failure of the University Oral Qualifying Examination.

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

(5) Failure to make satisfactory progress toward the degree within the department’s specified time limits.

Program Requirements for Spanish and Portuguese (Portuguese)

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2010-2011 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), TWE

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.

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