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Program Requirements for Physics and Astronomy (Master of Quantum Science and Technology)

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2025-2026 academic year.

Physics and Astronomy

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master of Quantum Science and Technology

Advising

The Academic Program Director and faculty director will advise students in the program.

Areas of Study

Quantum science and technology

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

The UCLA MQST program is a one-year, full-time program that consists of ten courses (40 units), an internship, and a capstone presentation on the internship. The program is centered around hands-on research through three laboratory classes (QST 410 – 412), which introduce the students to the topics and technology of the field. These classes are completed with three theory classes (Physics 245, QST 402 – 403), which are crafted to bring students from diverse backgrounds to a working knowledge of QST topics. The students will also take two classes in programming quantum computers (CS 238 – 239) to prepare them for the workforce, as well as one approved elective in Biomathematics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Math, Physics, or Statistics & Data Science. Other elective courses may be substituted in special cases with prior approval of the Program Director.

Elective course approval (separate from the approved list of elective courses): Any course applied towards the degree must align with the technical goals of the program. Approval of an elective course is granted on a course-by-course basis after review of the syllabus. Course approval must be obtained in writing from the Program Director before the start of the quarter in which the course is being taken.

The list of approved electives is: BIOMATH 204; CHEM 115AB, 215AB, 219S, 219V; COM SCI 132, M146, 161, 259, 260B, 260C, 263, 267A; EC ENGR 100, 101B, 110, 110H, 110L, 111L, 113, 115ABC, 115AL, 121B, M146, M153, 163A, 163C, 170A, 170B, 170C, 163DA, 231E, 232E, C243A, 252; MATH 120AB, 156, 167, 226A, 210C, 226A; PHYSICS 115C, 117, 118, 123, 213ABC, 140AB, 170A, 170N, 192, 215A, 221C, 231B, 241ABC, 221ABC; STAT 202C.

Sample study plan:

Fall Quarter
Physics 245: Introduction to Quantum Computing (4 units)
CS 238: Quantum Programming (4 units)
QST 410: Lab Module 1 (4 units)*

Winter Quarter
QST 402: Introduction to Quantum Information (4 units)
CS 239: Quantum Algorithms (4 units)
QST 411: Lab Module 2 (4 units)*

Spring Quarter
QST 403: Theory of Quantum Devices (4 units)
Elective (4 units)
QST 412: Lab Module 3 (4 units)*

*The Lab Modules do not need to be taken in order and will be taught simultaneously.

Summer Quarter
QST 596: Directed Individual Studies (4 units)
or
QST 597: Research preparation for Oral Exam (4 units)

Teaching Experience

Not required

Field Experience

Not required

Capstone Plan

The requirement is met by the completion of QST 596 or QST 597. This class will begin during Summer Session A and consist of a research experience with a minimum length of 10 weeks. Students will either perform research in the group of a UCLA professor or through an improved internship at a QST-related company. During the final week of the research experience, students will present their work and be examined via an oral examination.

Successful completion of the MQST Capstone Project requires that the students participate in a QIS (quantum information science) related project in which they utilize the knowledge and skills obtained through their coursework and instructional laboratories during the academic year. It also requires that they prepare a presentation based on the work they performed for their Capstone Project and give an oral presentation to their chosen capstone committee. Upon approval of the committee and submission of their presentation to the MQST program, they pass the capstone project.

Thesis Plan

None

Time-to-Degree

From admission to award of degree: one calendar year (September-August)

DEGREE NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters) NORMATIVE TTD

MAXIMUM TTD
MQST 4 4 8

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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

Program Requirements for Master of Legal Studies

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2025-2026 academic year.

Master of Legal Studies

School of Law.

Graduate Degree

Admissions Requirements.

Master of Legal Studies

Advising

Students will be assigned an academic advisor upon acceptance into the program and should meet with their advisor at least once a semester to review their progress towards graduation. The registrar will conduct a semesterly degree progress report which can be reviewed with the academic advisor. Students may also consult with faculty in their area of study.

Specializations:

To earn a specialization, a student must earn at least 10 units of credit from the course list provided for each specialization, including units earned for any required specialization courses.

The current specializations are:

  1. Business Law
  2. Criminal Law & Policy
  3. Employment & Human Resources Law
  4. Entertainment & Media Law
  5. Environmental Law
  6. Government & National Security Law
  7. Health Law & Policy
  8. Law & Technology
  9. Public Interest Law

With the approval of the Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies and Professional Programs, students may develop their own individualized specialization, but individualized specializations must be materially different from any of the existing standard specializations.

A specialization is not required for Master of Legal Studies degree. Students may choose to pursue a general course of study and not earn a specialization designation.

For additional information, students should consult the program’s website.

Specialization Course Requirements:

To earn a specialization, at least 10 units must be completed in the specialization area. In addition, the following courses are required to earn each specialization:

  1. Business Law: Law 115. Business Law for Non-Lawyers OR Law 230. Business Associations
  2. Criminal Law & Policy
    1. At least two courses (for a total of eight credits) must be selected from the following core course options:
      1. Law 202, Criminal Procedure: Investigations (4 units)
      2. Law 211, Evidence (4 units) [Note that M.L.S. students would be given permission to enroll in the Evidence section created for LL.M. students]
      3. Law 309, Criminal Law (4 units)
      4. Law 295, Criminal Procedure: Adjudication (4 units)
    2. Up to one course may be selected toward the ten credits required from this list. Note that priority enrollment will not be granted for seminar courses for M.L.S. students:
      1. Law 269, National Security Law
      2. Law 296, Criminal Procedure: Habeas Corpus
      3. Law 298, International Criminal Law
      4. Law 299, Federal White Collar Crime
      5. Law 389, Prison Law and Policy
      6. Law 429, Capital Punishment in America
      7. Law 449, Business Crime
      8. Law 503, Current Topics in Criminal Law
      9. Law 529, Criminal Procedure: Policing Poverty
      10. Law 534, Sentencing Law and Policy
      11. Law 545, Suing the Police
      12. Law 547, Criminal Law and Psychology
      13. Law 551, Philosophy of Punishment (Law and Philosophy Fellow)
      14. Law 593, Preventative Detention
      15. Law 613, The Criminal (In)Justice System
      16. Law 614, Global Perspectives on Criminal Procedure
      17. Law 629, Topics in Post-Conviction Law and Policy
      18. Law 657, Contemporary Issues Facing the International Criminal Court
      19. Law 658, Human Rights and War Crimes Digital Investigations
      20. Law 668, The Eighth Amendment Punishments Clause
      21. Law 669, Law and Psychology: Wrongful Convictions (Visiting Professor)
      22. Law 685, Principled Prosecution
      23. Law 697, Gun Control
      24. Law 952, Re-Envisioning the Lawyer’s Role: Trauma Informed Lawyering and Restorative/Transformative Justice
      25. Law 987, Business Crime (Visiting Professor)
      26. Law 214, Civil Rights
      27. Law 273, International Human Rights Law
      28. Law 276, Federal Indian Law
      29. Law 331, Immigration Law
      30. Law 541, Problem Solving in the Public Interest [Subject to Enrollment Availability]
      31. Law 542, Race, Sexuality, and the Law
      32. Law 645, Race Conscious Remedies
  1. Employment & Human Resources Law: Law 261. Employment Law
  2. Entertainment & Media Law: Law 305. Entertainment Law OR Law 683. News Media Law in the Digital Age
  3. Environmental Law: Law 290. Environmental Law & Policy
  4. Government & National Security Law: None
  5. Health Law & Policy: Law 326. Health Law & Policy
  6. Law & Technology: 1) Law 307. Intellectual Property; or 2) Law 109. Intellectual Property: Copyright and Trademark; or 2) Law 306. Patent Law AND Law 302. Copyright Law
  7. Public Interest Law: One course from “Substantive Law” and one course from “Inequality.”
    1. Substantive Law
      1. Law 260. Labor Law I
      2. Law 261. Employment Law
      3. Law 267. Federal Indian Law
      4. Law 273. International Human Rights Law
      5. Law 282. Education Law and Policy
      6. Law 285. Local Government Law
      7. Law 286. Land Use
      8. Law 290. Environmental Law and Policy
      9. Law 293. Public Natural Resources Law
      10. Law 295. Adjudicative Criminal Procedure: Bail to Jail
      11. Law 301. Art and Cultural Property Law
      12. Law 316. Disability Law
      13. Law 317. Family Law
      14. Law 319. Election Law
      15. Law 321. Legislative and Regulation
      16. Law 326. Health Law and Policy
      17. Law 331. Immigration Law
      18. Law 350. Energy Law
      19. Law 363. Tax-Exempt Organizations
      20. Law 380. State and Local Taxation
      21. Law 383. Political Asylum and Refugee Law
      22. Law 389. Prison Law and Policy
      23. Law 440. Introduction to Food Law and Policy
    2.  Inequality
      1. Law 214. Civil Rights
      2. Law 266. Critical Race Theory
      3. Law 318. Law and Sexuality
      4. Law 325. Public Benefits Law and Anti-Poverty Policy
      5. Law 329. Women and the Law
      6. Law 332. Immigrants’ Rights
      7. Law 376. Law and Dissent
      8. Law 429. Capital Punishment in America
      9. Law 507. Labor Law and Social Policy
      10. Law 509. Indigenous Peoples, Sustainability, and Climate Change
      11. Law 558. Political Crimes and Legal Systems
      12. Law 566. Laws of War & the War (s) on Terror
      13. Law 584. Human Rights and Sexual Politics
      14. Law 589. Strategies for Success Human Rights Advocacy
      15. Law 619. Environmental Justice Law
      16. Law 629. Topics in Post-Conviction Law and Policy
      17. Law 637. Good (Native) Governance
      18. Law 645. Race Conscious Remedies
      19. Law 653. Advanced Critical Race Theory
      20. Law 655. Feminist Legal Theory
      21. Law 667. Voting Rights
      22. Law 668. The 8th Amendment Punishments Clause
      23. Law 670. The Sociology of Law
      24. Law 674. Trafficking in Human Beings: Law and Policy
      25. Law 677. Muslims, Race and Law

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Degree requirements: To complete the degree, a minimum total of 26 units of coursework with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher is required.

Core Curriculum: The following courses are required:

  1. Law 111. Introduction to American Law
  2. Law 112. Private Law: Property and Contract
  3. Law 113. Public Law
  4. Law 114. Legal Analysis and Communication
  5. Law 115. Business Law for Non-Lawyers (OR Law 116. The Civil Dispute Resolution System OR Law 230. Business Associations)

Registration Requirement: Every student is required to enroll in at least three (3) units of study each semester and may not enroll in more than sixteen (16) units each semester. A student who completes a course that concludes before the end of the semester (e.g. a J-Term course) will earn those units even if the student later drops all full-semester length courses and falls below the three (3) units threshold. A student may petition the program’s Assistant Dean to exceed the sixteen (16) unit maximum with good cause. The maximum number of intensive January term courses a student may take during one January term is two (2) for a total of no more than three (3) units of credit. For purposes of calculating maximum units during spring semester, completed units during a UCLA Law January Term shall not be included.

Medical Doctor (M.D.) and Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.)

M.D.-M.L.S Articulated Degree Program requires the completion of M.L.S. Course Requirements as stated above, in addition to the requirements for the M.D. degree.

Attendance Requirements:

1. A Master of Legal Studies student who fails to attend classes for two consecutive weeks or a total of ten instructional days during the semester (or the equivalent), without the clearance of their instructors whose classes are missed, may be subject to dismissal from the program by the Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies and Professional Programs and the Dean of Students. A student so dismissed may appeal the decision to the Graduate Studies Committee. A professor may create stricter attendance policies for any given course.

2. For in person courses:

  1. A student’s remote attendance via livestream or access to a video recording of a class meeting or meetings shall be permitted only if approved by the UCLA Center for Accessible Accommodation(CAE)
  2. In all other cases, the law school’s expectation is that students will attend class in person, even when it is not convenient for them to do so. If the course instructor chooses, the instructor has discretion to grant exceptions and provide access to live streams or class recordings to students for reasons such as an illness, personal obligations, or a family emergency. But the student’s requests to attend class remotely via livestream or access to video recordings should not cumulatively exceed 16% of a course’s class meetings.
  3. Any student’s request to attend more than 16% cumulatively of the course’s class meetings remotely via livestream or access to video recordings requires approval from the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs after consultation with the instructor. The Assistant Dean may grant this approval only in exceptional circumstances. In any event, the student may not be approved to attend more than 33% of the course’s total class meetings remotely via livestream or access to video recordings.

Credits for Internship: With the approval of the Assistant Dean, students may earn credits for relevant internship placements based on the number of hours worked in the placement. Any credits earned for internship hours will not count towards the 26-unit graduation requirement. Students enrolled in internships must simultaneously enroll in a one-unit internship seminar. Credit earned for the internship seminar will count toward the 26-unit graduation requirement and the 10-unit specialization requirement (assuming the internship is appropriate for the area of specialization).

Teaching Requirements

None.

Field Experience

None.

Capstone Plan

There are several ways to complete the capstone requirement:

  1. Complete a seminar course in the field of specialization and a substantial research paper (20-50 pages with multiple drafts) in satisfaction of the seminar requirement, earning a grade of B or better; or
  2. Complete a substantial project in conjunction with the Capstone Seminar, earning a grade of B or better.
  3. Participate in a substantial project as part of one of the School of Law’s Policy Clinics, earning a grade of B or better.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-To-Degree

Students must finish the degree within four academic years.

DEGREE NORMATIVE ATC (Semesters) NORMATIVE TTD (Semesters) MAXIMUM TTD (Semesters)
M.L.S.T 2 (Full-Time)
4 (Part-Time)		 2 (Full-Time)
4 (Part-Time)		 8

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

Grading courses P/NC:

Classes graded exclusively as P/NC (the Division of Graduate Division’s equivalent of S/U) count towards the graduation requirements of the degree (e.g. Law 111. Introduction to American Law).

Additionally, Students may prospectively elect to be graded on a Pass/No Credit basis in no more than one additional (1) course, carrying no more than four (4) semester units of credit.  This option must be elected by the last day of instruction.

The above option applies to courses in which letter grades would otherwise be assigned.

This option, once elected, shall not be revocable or transferable, even if hindsight proves conclusively that a different choice would have been more beneficial.   The course chosen with this election will count towards the graduation requirements towards the degree.

 

Program Requirements for Master of Legal Studies

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

Master of Legal Studies

School of Law.

Graduate Degree

Admissions Requirements.

Master of Legal Studies

Advising

Students will be assigned an academic advisor upon acceptance into the program and should meet with their advisor at least once a semester to review their progress towards graduation. The registrar will conduct a semesterly degree progress report which can be reviewed with the academic advisor. Students may also consult with faculty in their area of study.

Specializations:

To earn a specialization, a student must earn at least 10 units of credit from the course list provided for each specialization, including units earned for any required specialization courses.

The current specializations are:

  1. Business Law
  2. Employment & Human Resources Law
  3. Entertainment & Media Law
  4. Health Law & Policy
  5. Government & National Security Law
  6. Public Interest Law
  7. Law and Technology
  8.  Environmental Law

With the approval of the Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies and Professional Programs, students may develop their own individualized specialization, but individualized specializations must be materially different from any of the existing standard specializations.

A specialization is not required for Master of Legal Studies degree. Students may choose to pursue a general course of study and not earn a specialization designation.

For additional information, students should consult the program’s website.

Specialization Course Requirements:

To earn a specialization, at least 10 units must be completed in the specialization area. In addition, the following courses are required to earn each specialization:

  1. Business Law: Law 115. Business Law for Non-Lawyers OR Law 230. Business Associations
  2. Employment & Human Resources Law: Law 261. Employment Law
  3. Entertainment & Media Law: Law 305. Entertainment Law OR Law 683. News Media Law in the Digital Age
  4. Environmental Law: Law 290. Environmental Law & Policy
  5. Government & National Security Law: None
  6. Health Law & Policy: Law 326. Health Law & Policy
  7. Law & Technology: 1) Law 307. Intellectual Property; or 2) Law 306. Patent Law AND Law 302. Copyright Law; or 3) Law 127. Intellectual Property: Copyright and Trademark
  8. Public Interest Law: One course from “Substantive Law” and one course from “Inequality.”
    1. Substantive Law
      1. Law 260. Labor Law I
      2. Law 261. Employment Law
      3. Law 267. Federal Indian Law
      4. Law 273. International Human Rights Law
      5. Law 282. Education Law and Policy
      6. Law 285. Local Government Law
      7. Law 286. Land Use
      8. Law 290. Environmental Law and Policy
      9. Law 293. Public Natural Resources Law
      10. Law 295. Adjudicative Criminal Procedure: Bail to Jail
      11. Law 301. Art and Cultural Property Law
      12. Law 316. Disability Law
      13. Law 317. Family Law
      14. Law 319. Election Law
      15. Law 321. Legislative and Regulation
      16. Law 326. Health Law and Policy
      17. Law 331. Immigration Law
      18. Law 350. Energy Law
      19. Law 363. Tax-Exempt Organizations
      20. Law 380. State and Local Taxation
      21. Law 383. Political Asylum and Refugee Law
      22. Law 389. Prison Law and Policy
      23. Law 440. Introduction to Food Law and Policy
    2. Inequality
      1. Law 214. Civil Rights
      2. Law 266. Critical Race Theory
      3. Law 318. Law and Sexuality
      4. Law 325. Public Benefits Law and Anti-Poverty Policy
      5. Law 329. Women and the Law
      6. Law 332. Immigrants’ Rights
      7. Law 376. Law and Dissent
      8. Law 429. Capital Punishment in America
      9. Law 507. Labor Law and Social Policy
      10. Law 509. Indigenous Peoples, Sustainability, and Climate Change
      11. Law 558. Political Crimes and Legal Systems
      12. Law 566. Laws of War & the War (s) on Terror
      13. Law 584. Human Rights and Sexual Politics
      14. Law 589. Strategies for Success Human Rights Advocacy
      15. Law 619. Environmental Justice Law
      16. Law 629. Topics in Post-Conviction Law and Policy
      17. Law 637. Good (Native) Governance
      18. Law 645. Race Conscious Remedies
      19. Law 653. Advanced Critical Race Theory
      20. Law 655. Feminist Legal Theory
      21. Law 667. Voting Rights
      22. Law 668. The 8th Amendment Punishments Clause
      23. Law 670. The Sociology of Law
      24. Law 674. Trafficking in Human Beings: Law and Policy
      25. Law 677. Muslims, Race and Law

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Degree requirements: To complete the degree, a minimum total of 26 units of coursework with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher is required.

Core Curriculum: The following courses are required:

  1. Law 111. Introduction to American Law
  2. Law 112. Private Law: Property and Contract
  3. Law 113. Public Law
  4. Law 114. Legal Analysis and Communication
  5. Law 115. Business Law for Non-Lawyers (OR Law 116. The Civil Dispute Resolution System OR Law 230. Business Associations)

Registration Requirement: Every student is required to enroll in at least three (3) units of study each semester and may not enroll in more than sixteen (16) units each semester. A student who completes a course that concludes before the end of the semester (e.g. a J-Term course) will earn those units even if the student later drops all full-semester length courses and falls below the three (3) units threshold. A student may petition the program’s Assistant Dean to exceed the sixteen (16) unit maximum with good cause. The maximum number of intensive January term courses a student may take during one January term is two (2) for a total of no more than three (3) units of credit. For purposes of calculating maximum units during spring semester, completed units during a UCLA Law January Term shall not be included.

Medical Doctor (M.D.) and Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.)

M.D.-M.L.S Articulated Degree Program requires the completion of M.L.S. Course Requirements as stated above, in addition to the requirements for the M.D. degree.

Attendance Requirements:

1. A Master of Legal Studies student who fails to attend classes for two consecutive weeks or a total of ten instructional days during the semester (or the equivalent), without the clearance of their instructors whose classes are missed, may be subject to dismissal from the program by the Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies and Professional Programs and the Dean of Students. A student so dismissed may appeal the decision to the Graduate Studies Committee. A professor may create stricter attendance policies for any given course.

2. For in person courses, it is the Law School’s expectation that MLS students will attend class in person, even when it is not convenient for them to do so. An MLS student’s remote attendance via livestream or access to a video recording of a class meeting or meetings shall be permitted if approved by Center for Accessible Accommodation (CAE) or to ensure adherence to university COVID-19 isolation and quarantine protocols. In addition, the course instructor has discretion to grant exceptions and provide access to live streams or class recordings to individual students on a case by case basis. Requests to attend classes remotely should exceed 16% of a course’s class meetings. Requests to exceed the 16% require special approval from Assistant Dean of Student Affairs after consultation with the instructor and only considered in exceptional circumstances. In any event, the student may not be approved to attend more than 33% of the course’s total class meetings remotely via livestream or access to video recordings.

Credits for Internship: With the approval of the Assistant Dean, students may earn credits for relevant internship placements based on the number of hours worked in the placement. Any credits earned for internship hours will not count towards the 26-unit graduation requirement. Students enrolled in internships must simultaneously enroll in a one-unit internship seminar. Credit earned for the internship seminar will count toward the 26-unit graduation requirement and the 10-unit specialization requirement (assuming the internship is appropriate for the area of specialization).

Teaching Requirements

None.

Field Experience

None.

Capstone Plan

There are several ways to complete the capstone requirement:

  1. Complete a seminar course in the field of specialization and a substantial research paper (25-50 pages with multiple drafts) in satisfaction of the seminar requirement, earning a grade of B or better; or
  2. Complete a substantial project in conjunction with the Capstone Seminar, earning a grade of B or better.
  3. Participate in a substantial project as part of one of the School of Law’s Policy Clinics, earning a grade of B or better.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-To-Degree

Students must finish the degree within four academic years.

DEGREE NORMATIVE ATC (Semesters) NORMATIVE TTD (Semesters) MAXIMUM TTD (Semesters)
M.L.S.T 2 (Full-Time)
4 (Part-Time)		 2 (Full-Time)
4 (Part-Time)		 8

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

None.

Program Requirements for Master of Legal Studies

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

Master of Legal Studies

School of law.

Graduate Degree

Admissions Requirements.

Master of Legal Studies

Advising

Students will be assigned an academic advisor upon acceptance into the program and should meet with their advisor at least once a semester to review their progress towards graduation. The registrar will conduct a semesterly degree progress report which can be reviewed with the academic advisor. Students may also consult with faculty in their area of study.

Specializations:

To earn a specialization, a student must earn at least 10 units of credit from the course list provided for each specialization, including units earned for any required specialization courses.

The current specializations are:

  1. Business Law
  2. Employment & Human Resources Law
  3. Entertainment & Media Law
  4. Health Law & Policy
  5. Government & National Security Law
  6. Public Interest Law
  7. Law and Technology
  8.  Environmental Law

With the approval of the Executive Director, students may develop their own individualized specialization, but individualized specializations must be materially different from any of the existing standard specializations.

A specialization is not required for Master of Legal Studies degree. Students may choose to pursue a general course of study and not earn a specialization designation.

For additional information, students should consult the program’s website.

Specialization Course Requirements:

To earn a specialization, at least 10 units must be completed in the specialization area. In addition, the following courses are required to earn each specialization:

  1. Business Law: Law 115. Business Law for Non-Lawyers OR Law 230. Business Associations
  2. Employment & Human Resources Law: Law 261. Employment Law
  3. Entertainment & Media Law: Law 305. Entertainment Law OR Law 683. News Media Law in the Digital Age
  4. Environmental Law: Law 290. Environmental Law & Policy
  5. Government & National Security Law: None
  6. Health Law & Policy: Law 326. or Law 608. Health Law & Policy
  7. Law & Technology: 1) Law 307. Intellectual Property; or 2) Law 306. Patent Law AND Law 302. Copyright Law
  8. Public Interest Law: One course from “Substantive Law” and one course from “Inequality.”
    1. Substantive Law
      1. Law 260. Labor Law I
      2. Law 261. Employment Law
      3. Law 267. Federal Indian Law
      4. Law 273. International Human Rights Law
      5. Law 282. Education Law and Policy
      6. Law 285. Local Government Law
      7. Law 286. Land Use
      8. Law 290. Environmental Law and Policy
      9. Law 293. Public Natural Resources Law
      10. Law 295. Adjudicative Criminal Procedure: Bail to Jail
      11. Law 301. Art and Cultural Property Law
      12. Law 316. Disability Law
      13. Law 317. Family Law
      14. Law 319. Election Law
      15. Law 321. Legislative and Regulation
      16. Law 326. or Law 608. Health Law and Policy
      17. Law 331. Immigration Law
      18. Law 350. Energy Law
      19. Law 363. Tax-Exempt Organizations
      20. Law 380. State and Local Taxation
      21. Law 383. Political Asylum and Refugee Law
      22. Law 389. Prison Law and Policy
      23. Law 440. Introduction to Food Law and Policy
    2. Inequality
      1. Law 214. Civil Rights
      2. Law 266. Critical Race Theory
      3. Law 318. Law and Sexuality
      4. Law 325. Public Benefits Law and Anti-Poverty Policy
      5. Law 329. Women and the Law
      6. Law 332. Immigrants’ Rights
      7. Law 376. Law and Dissent
      8. Law 429. Capital Punishment in America
      9. Law 507. Labor Law and Social Policy
      10. Law 509. Indigenous Peoples, Sustainability, and Climate Change
      11. Law 558. Political Crimes and Legal Systems
      12. Law 566. Laws of War & the War (s) on Terror
      13. Law 584. Human Rights and Sexual Politics
      14. Law 589. Strategies for Success Human Rights Advocacy
      15. Law 619. Environmental Justice Law
      16. Law 625. Community Lawyering & Low Wage Worker Organizing
      17. Law 629. Topics in Post-Conviction Law and Policy
      18. Law 637. Good (Native) Governance
      19. Law 645. Race Conscious Remedies
      20. Law 653. Advanced Critical Race Theory
      21. Law 655. Feminist Legal Theory
      22. Law 667. Voting Rights
      23. Law 668. The 8th Amendment Punishments Clause
      24. Law 670. The Sociology of Law
      25. Law 674. Trafficking in Human Beings: Law and Policy
      26. Law 677. Muslims, Race and Law

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Degree requirements: To complete the degree, a minimum total of 26 units of coursework with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher is required.

Core Curriculum: The following courses are required:

  1. Law 111. Introduction to American Law
  2. Law 112. Private Law: Property and Contract
  3. Law 113. Public Law
  4. Law 114. Legal Analysis and Communication
  5. Law 115. Business Law for Non-Lawyers (OR Law 116. The American Dispute Resolution System OR Law 230. Business Associations).

Registration Requirement: Every student is required to enroll in at least three (3) units of study each semester and may not enroll in more than sixteen (16) units each semester. A student who completes a course that concludes before the end of the semester (e.g. a J-Term course) will earn those units even if the student later drops all full-semester length courses and falls below the three (3) units threshold. A student may petition the program’s Assistant Dean to exceed the sixteen (16) unit maximum with good cause. The maximum number of intensive January term courses a student may take during one January term is two (2) for a total of no more than three (3) units of credit. For purposes of calculating maximum units during spring semester, completed units during a UCLA Law January Term shall not be included.

Medical Doctor (M.D.) and Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.)

M.D.-M.L.S Articulated Degree Program requires the completion of M.L.S. Course Requirements as stated above, in addition to the requirements for the M.D. degree.

Attendance Requirements:

1.A Master of Legal Studies student who fails to attend classes for two consecutive weeks or a total of ten instructional days during the semester (or the equivalent), without the clearance of their instructors whose classes are missed, may be subject to dismissal from the program by the Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies and Professional Programs and the Dean of Students. A student so dismissed may appeal the decision to the Graduate Studies Committee. A professor may create stricter attendance policies for any given course.

2. For in person courses, it is the Law School’s expectation t hat MLS students will attend class in person, even when it is not convenient for them to do so. An MLS student’s remote attendance via livestream or access to a video recording of a class meeting or meetings shall be permitted if approved by Center for Accessible Accommodation (CAE) or to ensure adherence to university COVID-19 isolation and quarantine protocols. In addition, the course instructor has discretion to grant exceptions and provide access to live streams or class recordings to individual students on a case by case basis. Requests to attend classes remotely should exceed16% of a course’s class meetings. Requests to exceed the 16% require special approval from Assistant Dean of Student Affairs after consultation with the instructor and only considered in exceptional circumstances. In any event, the student may not be approved to attend more than 33% of the course’s total class meetings remotely via livestream or access to video recordings.

Credits for Internship: With the approval of the Assistant Dean, students may earn credits for relevant internship placements based on the number of hours worked in the placement. Any credits earned for internship hours will not count towards the 26-unit graduation requirement. Students enrolled in internships must simultaneously enroll in a one-unit internship seminar. Credit earned for the internship seminar will count toward the 26-unit graduation requirement and the 10-unit specialization requirement (assuming the internship is appropriate for the area of specialization).

Teaching Requirements

None.

Field Experience

None.

Capstone Plan

There are several ways to complete the capstone requirement:

  1. Complete a seminar course in the field of specialization and a substantial research paper (25-50 pages with multiple drafts) in satisfaction of the seminar requirement, earning a grade of B or better; or
  2. Complete a substantial project in conjunction with the Capstone Seminar, earning a grade of B or better.
  3. Participate in a substantial project as part of one of the School of Law’s Policy Clinics, earning a grade of B or better.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-To-Degree

Students must finish the degree within four academic years.

DEGREE NORMATIVE ATC (Semesters) NORMATIVE TTD (Semesters) MAXIMUM TTD (Semesters)
M.L.S.T 2 (Full-Time)
4 (Part-Time)		 2 (Full-Time)
4 (Part-Time)		 8

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

None.

Program Requirements for Statistics & Data Science (Master of Applied Statistics & Data Science)

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

Statistics

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Statistics offers the Master of Applied Statistics (M.A.S.), Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Statistics.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

The Director of the Master of Applied Statistics program is a regular Statistics faculty member who heads a committee of faculty members who may serve as academic advisers. The research interests of the members of this committee span most of the major areas of statistics. Each student chooses a primary consulting academic adviser who is responsible for monitoring the student’s degree progress and approving the study list each quarter. All students work with their primary consulting academic adviser in the first quarter of their second year to adopt a plan for degree completion. Advising and mentoring is done by the primary consulting adviser, who may either serve as a master’s committee member or also chair the student’s master’s thesis committee. Students meet with their primary thesis adviser monthly until the degree is completed, to ensure that students are assigned to and working on a thesis project that allows for timely completion of the degree. If the primary consulting adviser changes at any time during the course of the thesis, the student will need to report their new primary adviser to the department’s graduate Student Affairs Officer.

Areas of Study

The strengths of current and prospective faculty dictate the specific fields of emphasis in the department.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

M.A.S. students must earn 44 units of 400-level course credit. The Master of Applied Statistics program has a set of seven required core courses (28 units). In addition, students choose four electives (16 units) of 400 level courses that emphasize statistical modeling and programming. A written thesis is the final requirement. All students must maintain an overall grade-point average of 3.0 or better; and all students must take all core and elective courses for letter grade only.

The core consists of seven courses in statistical theory and methods. Courses are currently offered only once per year, and so students are encouraged to meet with their adviser to plan their graduation pathway.

Core Courses

The core consists of the following seven courses in statistical theory and methods.

400 Introduction to Probability Models
401 Survey of Methods in Modern Statistics
402 Applied Regression
403 Mathematical Statistics
404 Statistical Computing and Programming
405 Data Management
421B Advanced Statistical Communication

Among the core courses, only 401 may be waived upon departmental approval. If 401 is waived, the student must complete an additional elective course to satisfy the 44 unit requirement.

Elective Courses

In addition to the seven core courses, students must complete four courses (16 units) of their choosing as electives. Electives must be Statistics 400-level courses that emphasize statistical modeling and programming. 498 Master’s Thesis Research courses may not count as an elective. Only 4 units of Stats 497 (Individual Studies) may count towards the required electives. 4 units of Stats 496 (Statistics Internship) may also count towards the required electives upon approval of the M.A.S. Director.

Each elective course is 4 units.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required. However, students will be encouraged to participate in internships with industry partners. Students may, if they wish, earn up to 4 units of course credit for their internship by enrolling in Stats 496 (Statistics Internship) and writing a substantial paper relating to or arising from the internship. This paper must be closely supervised by a faculty adviser.

Capstone Plan

This plan is not available to Master of Applied Statistics.

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 must find a thesis adviser, who approves the topic and form of the thesis. Students must nominate a thesis committee comprised of at least three faculty members, with at least two of whom are eligible to serve on thesis committees, and one of whom may be their adviser. The committee must be appointed by the Graduate Division. The final thesis must be approved by the thesis committee.

Each student’s thesis reports on research and analysis done under the supervision of both a faculty member who serves as the thesis adviser and an industry partner when available. While students may work with proprietary data, industry partners must agree that the student can publish and distribute the thesis. The thesis must consist of an original analysis that solves a real-world problem. The thesis adviser of the Department of Statistics supervises the thesis project to ensure the statistical integrity of the analysis. Thesis topics may originate from industry partners who propose topics and provide data sets. In these cases, a representative of the industry partner works with the student and the thesis adviser to ensure that the solution provided in the thesis is satisfactory to the industry partner. Students are expected to choose a thesis adviser and thesis topic by their fourth quarter of study in the program.

Time-to-Degree

Students must complete the requirements for the Master of Applied Statistics, including the written thesis, within 10 academic quarters. The standard time for most students will be 6 academic quarters.

DEGREE NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters) NORMATIVE TTD

MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.S. 6 6 10

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

A student who does not complete all the requirements for the M.A.S. degree within 10 quarters is subject to a recommendation for academic disqualification. The graduate vice chair decides in each case whether a recommendation for academic disqualification is warranted. A student may appeal a recommendation for academic disqualification to the Graduate Studies Committee, which makes the final departmental decision.

Program Requirements for Biostatistics (Data Science in Health)

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2025-2026 academic year.

Biostatistics

School of Public Health

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Biostatistics offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Biostatistics, and the Master of Data Science in Health (M.D.S.H.) degree.

Admissions Requirements

Master of Data Science in Health Degree

Advising

An adviser is appointed for each new master’s student by the MDSH Program Director. Advisers will review MDSH students’ progress quarterly and students are expected to meet with their advisers each quarter.

An adviser is a teaching faculty in the MDSH program and 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 Division of Graduate Education for academic continuance or disqualification. Students who wish to change advisers must file a petition which must be approved by the new adviser, the MDSH Program Director, and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

Areas of Study

The MDSH degree is offered in the Department of Biostatistics with courses in Biostatistics (BIOSTAT) and Public Health (PUB HLT).

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

The MDSH degree program requires 12 4-unit courses, including one capstone project. It takes a minimum of 20 months (6 academic quarters) to complete. Required courses are Public Health C201, Biostatistics 203A, 203B, 203C, 201A, 212A, 212B, and 401. Students must take 16 units from the following electives: Biostatistics 213-218, 230-241, 273-280, 285, and 410-413. Students who have a degree from a CEPH-accredited public health school or program are waived from Public Health C201, but must take an additional elective from the program’s approved list to reach the 48 units required for the program.

Only courses in which a grade of C or better is received may be applied toward the requirements for a master’s degree. Courses taken for S/U grading may not be applied toward the degree requirements. Students must maintain an overall average of no less than 3.0 (B) in all courses required or elected during graduate residence at the University of California.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

A Data Science Capstone project is the final requirement to complete the MDSH. The capstone project must consist of an original written analysis and an oral presentation that addresses an applied health related data science topic and advances existing skills and techniques in healthcare or public health. The capstone project will be administered by the teaching faculty of BIOSTAT 401.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to award of the degree, normative time is 6 academic quarters (20 months). Maximum time allowable from enrollment to graduation is 15 academic quarters (5 years).

DEGREE NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters) NORMATIVE TTD

MAXIMUM TTD
M.D.S.H. 6 6 15

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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

Program Requirements for Biostatistics (Data Science in Health)

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

Biostatistics

School of Public Health

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Biostatistics offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Biostatistics, and the Master of Data Science in Health (M.D.S.H.) degree.

Admissions Requirements

Master of Data Science in Health Degree

Advising

An adviser is appointed for each new master’s student by the MDSH Program Director. Advisers will review MDSH students’ progress quarterly and students are expected to meet with their advisers each quarter.

An adviser is a teaching faculty in the MDSH program and 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 Division of Graduate Education for academic continuance or disqualification. Students who wish to change advisers must file a petition which must be approved by the new adviser, the MDSH Program Director, and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

Areas of Study

The MDSH degree is offered in the Department of Biostatistics with courses in Biostatistics (BIOSTAT) and Public Health (PUB HLT).

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

The MDSH degree program requires 12 4-unit courses, including one capstone project. It takes a minimum of 20 months (6 academic quarters) to complete. Required courses are Public Health C201, Biostatistics 203A, 203B, 203C, 201A, 212A, 212B, and 401. Students must take 16 units from the following electives: Biostatistics 213-218, 230-241, 273-280, 285, and 410-414.. Students who have a degree from a CEPH-accredited public health school or program are waived from Public Health C201, but must take an additional elective from the program’s approved list to reach the 48 units required for the program.

Only courses in which a grade of C or better is received may be applied toward the requirements for a master’s degree. Courses taken for S/U grading may not be applied toward the degree requirements. Students must maintain an overall average of no less than 3.0 (B) in all courses required or elected during graduate residence at the University of California.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

A Data Science Capstone project is the final requirement to complete the MDSH. The capstone project must consist of an original written analysis and an oral presentation that addresses an applied health related data science topic and advances existing skills and techniques in healthcare or public health. The capstone project will be administered by the teaching faculty of BIOSTAT 401.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to award of the degree, normative time is 6 academic quarters (20 months). Maximum time allowable from enrollment to graduation is 15 academic quarters (5 years).

DEGREE NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters) NORMATIVE TTD

MAXIMUM TTD
M.S. 6 6 15

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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

Program Requirements for Biostatistics (Data Science in Health)

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

Biostatistics

School of Public Health

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Biostatistics offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Biostatistics, and the Master of Data Science in Health (M.D.S.H.) degree.

Admissions Requirements

Master of Data Science in Health Degree

Advising

An adviser is appointed for each new master’s student by the MDSH Program Director. Advisers will review MDSH students’ progress quarterly and students are expected to meet with their advisers each quarter.

An adviser is a teaching faculty in the MDSH program and 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 Division of Graduate Education for academic continuance or disqualification. Students who wish to change advisers must file a petition which must be approved by the new adviser, the MDSH Program Director, and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

Areas of Study

The MDSH degree is offered in the Department of Biostatistics with courses in Biostatistics (BIOSTAT) and Public Health (PUB HLT).

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

The MDSH degree program requires 12 4-unit courses, including one capstone project. It takes a minimum of 20 months (6 academic quarters) to complete. Required courses are Public Health C201, Biostatistics 203A, 203B, 203C, 100A, 212A, and 212B. Students must take 16 units from the following electives: Biostatistics 215, 217, 218, 231, M234, M236, and 410. Students who have a degree from a CEPH-accredited public health school or program are waived from Public Health C201, but must take an additional elective from the program’s approved list to reach the 48 units required for the program.

Only courses in which a grade of C or better is received may be applied toward the requirements for a master’s degree. Courses taken for S/U grading may not be applied toward the degree requirements. Students must maintain an overall average of no less than 3.0 (B) in all courses required or elected during graduate residence at the University of California.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

A Data Science Capstone project is the final requirement to complete the MDSH. The capstone project must consist of an original written analysis and an oral presentation that addresses an applied health related data science topic and advances existing skills and techniques in healthcare or public health. The capstone project will be administered by the teaching faculty of BIOSTAT 401.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to award of the degree, normative time is 6 academic quarters (20 months). Maximum time allowable from enrollment to graduation is 15 academic quarters (5 years).

DEGREE NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters) NORMATIVE TTD

MAXIMUM TTD
M.S. 6 6 15

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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

Program Requirements for Biostatistics (Data Science in Health)

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

Biostatistics

School of Public Health

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Biostatistics offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Biostatistics, and the Master of Data Science in Health (M.D.S.H.) degree.

Admissions Requirements

Master of Data Science in Health Degree

Advising

An adviser is appointed for each new master’s student by the MDSH Program Director. Advisers will review MDSH students’ progress quarterly and students are expected to meet with their advisers each quarter.

An adviser is a teaching faculty in the MDSH program and 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 Division of Graduate Education for academic continuance or disqualification. Students who wish to change advisers must file a petition which must be approved by the new adviser, the MDSH Program Director, and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

Areas of Study

The MDHS degree is offered in the Department of Biostatistics with courses in Biostatistics (BIOSTAT) and Public Health (PUB HLT).

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

The MDSH degree program requires 12 4-unit courses, including one capstone project. It takes a minimum of 20 months (6 academic quarters) to complete. Required courses are Public Health C201, Biostatistics 203A, 203B, 203C, 100A, 212A, and 212B. Students must take 16 units from the following electives: Biostatistics 215, 217, 218, 231, M234, M236, and 410. Students who have a degree from a CEPH-accredited public health school or program are waived from Public Health C201, but must take an additional elective from the program’s approved list to reach the 48 units required for the program.

Only courses in which a grade of C or better is received may be applied toward the requirements for a master’s degree. Courses taken for S/U grading may not be applied toward the degree requirements. Students must maintain an overall average of no less than 3.0 (B) in all courses required or elected during graduate residence at the University of California.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

A Data Science Capstone project is the final requirement to complete the MDSH. The capstone project must consist of an original written analysis and an oral presentation that addresses an applied health related data science topic and advances existing skills and techniques in healthcare or public health. The capstone project will be administered by the teaching faculty of BIOSTAT 401.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to award of the degree, normative time is 6 academic quarters (20 months). Maximum time allowable from enrollment to graduation is 15 academic quarters (5 years).

DEGREE NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters) NORMATIVE TTD

MAXIMUM TTD
M.S. 6 6 15

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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

Program Requirements for Computational Medicine (Data Science in Biomedicine)

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

Computational Medicine

School of Medicine

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Computational Medicine offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Biomathematics, the Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Clinical Research, and the Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Data Science in Biomedicine.

Biomathematics

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

The faculty director of the Data Science in Biomedicine M.S. (DSB) program is in charge of student advising and the overall academic management of the program. Students may arrange to meet with the faculty director to discuss any academic or personal concerns that arise during their studies. In the case of academic performance concerns, students may be asked to meet with the faculty director to discuss remediation.

Areas of Study

Data Science in Biomedicine

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Data Science in Biomedicine M.S. students must complete at least 9 courses and earn 36 units of 200-level course credit including five core courses (20-24 units). One course must be a capstone course (4-8 units), which includes a major project. In addition, students take additional electives of 200-level courses from the Data Science in Biomedicine M.S. course offerings, or courses from the Engineering MS Online program, data science focus area to reach the 36 unit and number of courses requirements.

Core Courses

The core consists of the following courses. Each course is four units, with the exception of DSB 220, which can be 4 to 8 units. (Students with a more substantial capstone project can take DSB 220 for 8 units.) Courses marked with an asterisk are capstone courses.

DSB 200 Foundations of Data Science
DSB 205 Machine Learning Applications in Biomedicine
DSB 206 Advanced Machine Learning Applications in Biomedicine
DSB 207 Data Science for Medical Imaging
DSB 218* Applied Data Science in Genomics and Biomedicine
DSB 219* Data Science Algorithms in Biomedicine
DSB 220* Data Science in Biomedicine Supervised Project

DSB 200 is offered in the fall quarter only. It is required as the first course in the program, unless the student can demonstrate comparable knowledge of the curriculum and qualify for a waiver. If DSB 200 is waived, the student must complete an additional elective course to satisfy the 36 unit requirement.

Elective Courses

In addition to core courses, students take four elective courses. Elective options include additional DSB 200-level courses including:

DSB 208 Recent Research in Machine Learning in Medicine
DSB 209 Recent Research in Data Science in Genomic Medicine

Students may take an additional core course as an elective, and may also take courses in the Engineering MS Online Program, Data Science focus area, as electives, including:

COM SCI 249 Current Topics in Data Structures
EC ENGR 205A Matrix Analysis for Scientists and Engineers
COM SCI 249 Big Data Analytics
EC ENGR 219 Large-Scale Data Mining: Models and Algorithms
COM SCI 260 Machine Learning Algorithms
EC ENGR 232E Large-Scale Social and Complex Networks: Design and Algorithms
COM SCI 262A Learning and Reasoning with Bayesian Networks
EC ENGR M214A Digital Speech Processing
EC ENGR 214B Advanced Topics in Speech Processing
COM SCI 264A Automated Reasoning: Theory and Applications

Teaching Experience

Not required. However, we expect students to be employed full-time in the biotech/pharma industry while enrolled in the master’s program.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

The capstone plan requirement is fulfilled by successful completion of one capstone course, DSB 218, 219, or 220 with a grade of “B” or better. Students complete a project that is designed to provide an in-depth exposure to at least one major task they will be expected to fulfill in the workplace. The project must develop data science methods and techniques and apply them to a problem in medicine. The faculty member teaching the course will supervise the project to ensure that the students’ work and contribution adhere to the rigorous academic requirements of the program. Evaluation consists of a combination of a written and oral presentation based on individual and team effort if applicable.

Thesis Plan

None

Time-to-Degree

The program is designed to be part-time, and most students will take no more than one course per quarter and will complete the program in 9 quarters. We expect half of the students to take a course in the summer quarter, and half to only take courses in the fall, winter and spring quarters. The student must complete the degree within four years plus one quarter.

DEGREE NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters) NORMATIVE TTD

MAXIMUM TTD
M.S. in Data Science in Biomedicine 9-12 9-12 17

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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