Applicable only to students admitted during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Indo-European Studies

Interdepartmental Program
College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

All students in the M.A. program are supervised by the Program Head/Graduate Adviser, who advises students on course selection, the plan of their studies, and preparation for the M.A. exams. Students are required to meet with the adviser at least once a quarter. Student progress is discussed by the full Program in Indo-European Studies (PIES) faculty (Faculty Administrative Committee) at least once a year.

Areas of Study

The program offers the M.A. degree in Indo-European Studies, with specialization in one language area, which will normally be Greek, Latin-Italic, Indo-Iranian, or Anatolian.

Foreign Language Requirement

The student must demonstrate proficiency in one modern language of scholarship, either German or French, by 1) previous coursework equivalent to two years of university instruction with a minimum grade of B, 2) passing German 5 or French 5 at UCLA with a minimum grade of B, or 3) passing a one-hour written translation examination administered by the program.

Course Requirements

Nine graduate or upper division courses (36 units) are required, including the core sequence IES 205, 210, and 215; one additional 200-level IES seminar; the 2-unit Proseminar IES 200; and at least two units of a 500-level independent study. The remaining 16 units may be selected from offerings in IES and related departments (such as Classics, Asian Languages and Cultures, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, and Linguistics); the coursework plan must be approved by the Graduate Adviser, and will normally include at least three courses in the language area of specialization. All courses applied toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade, with the exception of 500-series courses.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

To complete the master’s capstone requirement, students must pass two comprehensive examinations, one of which is language-based. The language-based examinations consist of translation of textual passages selected from a corpus prepared by the student with approval of the examiners, linguistic commentary on selected words, and questions on historical grammar. The examinations are prepared by the relevant language specialist(s) and approved by a three-person committee, which also grades the exam. Students electing to receive a terminal M.A. must pass one two-hour comprehensive examination in their chosen language area and another comprehensive examination in Indo-European linguistics. Students planning to continue to the Ph.D. program at UCLA must pass one comprehensive examination in their chosen language area and another in either Vedic Sanskrit or Homeric Greek.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

Students should be able to complete the degree in three to six quarters, depending on course availability and the quality of their previous training.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	6	6	9

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The general graduate adviser is the chair of the interdepartmental degree committee. When students have determined clearly the area of specialization in which they will work (usually by the end of the second year), a personal adviser is assigned. Students are expected to be in close touch with their adviser regarding their progress in the program. When the time for the doctoral examinations approaches, a doctoral committee selected by the student in close consultation with the personal adviser is nominated and formally appointed by the Graduate Division.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Course work and research is determined in close consultation with the adviser.

Foreign Language Requirement

French and German are required, one during the first year. Proficiency in a language may be demonstrated by (1) previous coursework equivalent to two years of university instruction with a minimum grade of B, (2) completing a UCLA level five course with a minimum grade of B or better, or (3) passing a one-hour written translation examination administered by the department.

Course Requirements

General requirements for all students include Indo-European Studies 200, knowledge of Vedic Sanskrit and Homeric Greek, basic competence in Indo-European linguistics (including Indo-European Studies 205, 210, and 215), Indo-European mythology/poetics (Indo-European Studies C260), and an advanced seminar in Indo-European comparative grammar. The core courses IES 205, 210, and 215 must be taken for a letter grade; other courses may be taken with S/U grading. In addition, students should be able to demonstrate familiarity with one or more non-Indo-European languages; this can be satisfied on the basis of prior experience, or by appropriate language courses in other departments, or by course work in the Linguistics Department, such as courses in language typology or field methods with a significant non-Indo-European component. (For the third and fourth ancient or medieval Indo-European language, see below under “Examinations.”)

Teaching Experience

Teaching experience is highly desired, but not always available within the program. Therefore, it is not required. The program works closely with its constituent departments to provide teaching experience in relevant courses.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

Qualifying paper. Students are required to submit a qualifying paper that demonstrates their ability to conduct original research. The paper may be related to the dissertation prospectus, but must be received and approved by the faculty adviser and the chair of the interdepartmental committee before the University Oral Qualifying Examination is scheduled.

Examinations. Students are required to successfully complete a series of written examinations prior to advancement to candidacy. Students should normally complete at least one of these examinations before the end of their second year in the graduate program. Four of these examinations are based on set texts from four ancient Indo-European languages (Vedic Sanskrit, Homeric Greek, and two other ancient or medieval Indo-European languages chosen in consultation with the adviser); the fifth examination is on Indo-European Linguistics. Following successful completion of the written examinations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination, based on the written examinations and the dissertation prospectus, is administered by the doctoral committee. Should the student fail either the written or oral examinations, one retake is permitted. Should the student fail the retake, the student may petition the interdepartmental degree committee for a second retake.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

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

Time-to-Degree

Full-time students with no deficiencies in the program should complete their course work and be prepared for the doctoral examinations within twelve quarters. Following advancement to candidacy, the dissertation should be completed within six additional quarters. The degree should be completed within 18 quarters. These time lines are approximate because the program is unique and the qualifications of incoming students vary considerably. Therefore, time to degree will vary by student.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	12	18	24

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

The interdepartmental committee recommends academic disqualification and reviews appeals of academic disqualification.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2019-2020 academic year.

Indo-European Studies

Interdepartmental Program
College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

All students in the M.A. program are supervised by the Program Head/Graduate Adviser, who advises students on course selection, the plan of their studies, and preparation for the M.A. exams. Students are required to meet with the adviser at least once a quarter. Student progress is discussed by the full Program in Indo-European Studies (PIES) faculty (Faculty Administrative Committee) at least once a year.

Areas of Study

The program offers the M.A. degree in Indo-European Studies, with specialization in one language area, which will normally be Greek, Latin-Italic, Indo-Iranian, or Anatolian.

Foreign Language Requirement

The student must demonstrate proficiency in one modern language of scholarship, either German or French, by 1) previous coursework equivalent to two years of university instruction with a minimum grade of B, 2) passing German 5 or French 5 at UCLA with a minimum grade of B, or 3) passing a one-hour written translation examination administered by the program.

Course Requirements

Nine graduate or upper division courses (36 units) are required, including the core sequence IES 205, 210, and 215; one additional 200-level IES seminar; the 2-unit Proseminar IES 200; and at least two units of a 500-level independent study. The remaining 16 units may be selected from offerings in IES and related departments (such as Classics, Asian Languages and Cultures, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, and Linguistics); the coursework plan must be approved by the Graduate Adviser, and will normally include at least three courses in the language area of specialization. All courses applied toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade, with the exception of 500-series courses.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

To complete the master’s capstone requirement, students must pass two comprehensive examinations, one of which is language-based. The language-based examinations consist of translation of textual passages selected from a corpus prepared by the student with approval of the examiners, linguistic commentary on selected words, and questions on historical grammar. The examinations are prepared by the relevant language specialist(s) and approved by a three-person committee, which also grades the exam. Students electing to receive a terminal M.A. must pass one two-hour comprehensive examination in their chosen language area and another comprehensive examination in Indo-European linguistics. Students planning to continue to the Ph.D. program at UCLA must pass one comprehensive examination in their chosen language area and another in either Vedic Sanskrit or Homeric Greek.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

Students should be able to complete the degree in three to six quarters, depending on course availability and the quality of their previous training.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	6	6	9

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The general graduate adviser is the chair of the interdepartmental degree committee. When students have determined clearly the area of specialization in which they will work (usually by the end of the second year), a personal adviser is assigned. Students are expected to be in close touch with their adviser regarding their progress in the program. When the time for the doctoral examinations approaches, a doctoral committee selected by the student in close consultation with the personal adviser is nominated and formally appointed by the Graduate Division.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Course work and research is determined in close consultation with the adviser.

Foreign Language Requirement

French and German are required, one during the first year. Proficiency in a language may be demonstrated by (1) previous coursework equivalent to two years of university instruction with a minimum grade of B, (2) completing a UCLA level five course with a minimum grade of B or better, or (3) passing a one-hour written translation examination administered by the department.

Course Requirements

General requirements for all students include Indo-European Studies 200, knowledge of Vedic Sanskrit and Homeric Greek, basic competence in Indo-European linguistics (including Indo-European Studies 205, 210, and 215), Indo-European mythology/poetics (Indo-European Studies C260), and an advanced seminar in Indo-European comparative grammar. The core courses IES 205, 210, and 215 must be taken for a letter grade; other courses may be taken with S/U grading. In addition, students should be able to demonstrate familiarity with one or more non-Indo-European languages; this can be satisfied on the basis of prior experience, or by appropriate language courses in other departments, or by course work in the Linguistics Department, such as courses in language typology or field methods with a significant non-Indo-European component. (For the third and fourth ancient or medieval Indo-European language, see below under “Examinations.”)

Teaching Experience

Teaching experience is highly desired, but not always available within the program. Therefore, it is not required. The program works closely with its constituent departments to provide teaching experience in relevant courses.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

Qualifying paper. Students are required to submit a qualifying paper that demonstrates their ability to conduct original research. The paper may be related to the dissertation prospectus, but must be received and approved by the faculty adviser and the chair of the interdepartmental committee before the University Oral Qualifying Examination is scheduled.

Examinations. Students are required to successfully complete a series of written examinations prior to advancement to candidacy. Students should normally complete at least one of these examinations before the end of their second year in the graduate program. Four of these examinations are based on set texts from four ancient Indo-European languages (Vedic Sanskrit, Homeric Greek, and two other ancient or medieval Indo-European languages chosen in consultation with the adviser); the fifth examination is on Indo-European Linguistics. Following successful completion of the written examinations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination, based on the written examinations and the dissertation prospectus, is administered by the doctoral committee. Should the student fail either the written or oral examinations, one retake is permitted. Should the student fail the retake, the student may petition the interdepartmental degree committee for a second retake.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

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

Time-to-Degree

Full-time students with no deficiencies in the program should complete their course work and be prepared for the doctoral examinations within twelve quarters. Following advancement to candidacy, the dissertation should be completed within six additional quarters. The degree should be completed within 18 quarters. These time lines are approximate because the program is unique and the qualifications of incoming students vary considerably. Therefore, time to degree will vary by student.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	12	18	24

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 interdepartmental committee recommends academic disqualification and reviews appeals of academic disqualification.

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

Indo-European Studies

Interdepartmental Program
College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

All students in the M.A. program are supervised by the Program Head/Graduate Adviser, who advises students on course selection, the plan of their studies, and preparation for the M.A. exams. Students are required to meet with the adviser at least once a quarter. Student progress is discussed by the full Program in Indo-European Studies (PIES) faculty (Faculty Administrative Committee) at least once a year.

Areas of Study

The program offers the M.A. degree in Indo-European Studies, with specialization in one language area, which will normally be Greek, Latin-Italic, Indo-Iranian, or Anatolian.

Foreign Language Requirement

The student must demonstrate proficiency in one modern language of scholarship, either German or French, by 1) previous coursework equivalent to two years of university instruction with a minimum grade of B, 2) passing German 5 or French 5 at UCLA with a minimum grade of B, or 3) passing a one-hour written translation examination administered by the program.

Course Requirements

Nine graduate or upper division courses (36 units) are required, including the core sequence IES 205, 210, and 215; one additional 200-level IES seminar; the 2-unit Proseminar IES 200; and at least two units of a 500-level independent study. The remaining 16 units may be selected from offerings in IES and related departments (such as Classics, Asian Languages and Cultures, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, and Linguistics); the coursework plan must be approved by the Graduate Adviser, and will normally include at least three courses in the language area of specialization. All courses applied toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade, with the exception of 500-series courses.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

To complete the master’s capstone requirement, students must pass two comprehensive examinations, one of which is language-based. The language-based examinations consist of translation of textual passages selected from a corpus prepared by the student with approval of the examiners, linguistic commentary on selected words, and questions on historical grammar. The examinations are prepared by the relevant language specialist(s) and approved by a three-person committee, which also grades the exam. Students electing to receive a terminal M.A. must pass one two-hour comprehensive examination in their chosen language area and another comprehensive examination in Indo-European linguistics. Students planning to continue to the Ph.D. program at UCLA must pass one comprehensive examination in their chosen language area and another in either Vedic Sanskrit or Homeric Greek.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

Students should be able to complete the degree in three to six quarters, depending on course availability and the quality of their previous training.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	6	6	9

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The general graduate adviser is the chair of the interdepartmental degree committee. When students have determined clearly the area of specialization in which they will work (usually by the end of the second year), a personal adviser is assigned. Students are expected to be in close touch with their adviser regarding their progress in the program. When the time for the doctoral examinations approaches, a doctoral committee selected by the student in close consultation with the personal adviser is nominated and formally appointed by the Graduate Division.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Course work and research is determined in close consultation with the adviser.

Foreign Language Requirement

French and German are required, one during the first year. Proficiency in a language may be demonstrated by (1) previous coursework equivalent to two years of university instruction with a minimum grade of B, (2) completing a UCLA level five course with a minimum grade of B or better, or (3) passing a one-hour written translation examination administered by the department.

Course Requirements

General requirements for all students include Indo-European Studies 200, knowledge of Vedic Sanskrit and Homeric Greek, basic competence in Indo-European linguistics (including Indo-European Studies 205, 210, and 215), Indo-European mythology/poetics (Indo-European Studies C260), and an advanced seminar in Indo-European comparative grammar. The core courses IES 205, 210, and 215 must be taken for a letter grade; other courses may be taken with S/U grading. In addition, students should be able to demonstrate familiarity with one or more non-Indo-European languages; this can be satisfied on the basis of prior experience, or by appropriate language courses in other departments, or by course work in the Linguistics Department, such as courses in language typology or field methods with a significant non-Indo-European component. (For the third and fourth ancient or medieval Indo-European language, see below under “Examinations.”)

Teaching Experience

Teaching experience is highly desired, but not always available within the program. Therefore, it is not required. The program works closely with its constituent departments to provide teaching experience in relevant courses.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

Qualifying paper. Students are required to submit a qualifying paper that demonstrates their ability to conduct original research. The paper may be related to the dissertation prospectus, but must be received and approved by the faculty adviser and the chair of the interdepartmental committee before the University Oral Qualifying Examination is scheduled.

Examinations. Students are required to successfully complete a series of written examinations prior to advancement to candidacy. Students should normally complete at least one of these examinations before the end of their second year in the graduate program. Four of these examinations are based on set texts from four ancient Indo-European languages (Vedic Sanskrit, Homeric Greek, and two other ancient or medieval Indo-European languages chosen in consultation with the adviser); the fifth examination is on Indo-European Linguistics. Following successful completion of the written examinations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination, based on the written examinations and the dissertation prospectus, is administered by the doctoral committee. Should the student fail either the written or oral examinations, one retake is permitted. Should the student fail the retake, the student may petition the interdepartmental degree committee for a second retake.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

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

Time-to-Degree

Full-time students with no deficiencies in the program should complete their course work and be prepared for the doctoral examinations within twelve quarters. Following advancement to candidacy, the dissertation should be completed within six additional quarters. The degree should be completed within 18 quarters. These time lines are approximate because the program is unique and the qualifications of incoming students vary considerably. Therefore, time to degree will vary by student.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	12	18	24

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

The interdepartmental committee recommends academic disqualification and reviews appeals of academic disqualification.

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

Indo-European Studies

Interdepartmental Program
College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

All students in the M.A. program are supervised by the Program Head/Graduate Adviser, who advises students on course selection, the plan of their studies, and preparation for the M.A. exams. Students are required to meet with the adviser at least once a quarter. Student progress is discussed by the full Program in Indo-European Studies (PIES) faculty (Faculty Administrative Committee) at least once a year.

Areas of Study

The program offers the M.A. degree in Indo-European Studies, with specialization in one language area, which will normally be Greek, Latin-Italic, Indo-Iranian, or Anatolian.

Foreign Language Requirement

The student must demonstrate proficiency in one modern language of scholarship, either German or French, by 1) previous coursework equivalent to two years of university instruction with a minimum grade of B, 2) passing German 5 or French 5 at UCLA with a minimum grade of B, or 3) passing a one-hour written translation examination administered by the program.

Course Requirements

Nine graduate or upper division courses (36 units) are required, including the core sequence IES 205, 210, and 215; one additional 200-level IES seminar; the 2-unit Proseminar IES 200; and at least two units of a 500-level independent study. The remaining 16 units may be selected from offerings in IES and related departments (such as Classics, Asian Languages and Cultures, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, and Linguistics); the coursework plan must be approved by the Graduate Adviser, and will normally include at least three courses in the language area of specialization. All courses applied toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade, with the exception of 500-series courses.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

To complete the master’s capstone requirement, students must pass two comprehensive examinations, one of which is language-based. The language-based examinations consist of translation of textual passages selected from a corpus prepared by the student with approval of the examiners, linguistic commentary on selected words, and questions on historical grammar. The examinations are prepared by the relevant language specialist(s) and approved by a three-person committee, which also grades the exam. Students electing to receive a terminal M.A. must pass one two-hour comprehensive examination in their chosen language area and another comprehensive examination in Indo-European linguistics. Students planning to continue to the Ph.D. program at UCLA must pass one comprehensive examination in their chosen language area and another in either Vedic Sanskrit or Homeric Greek.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

Students should be able to complete the degree in three to six quarters, depending on course availability and the quality of their previous training.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	6	6	9

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The general graduate adviser is the chair of the interdepartmental degree committee. When students have determined clearly the area of specialization in which they will work (usually by the end of the second year), a personal adviser is assigned. Students are expected to be in close touch with their adviser regarding their progress in the program. When the time for the doctoral examinations approaches, a doctoral committee selected by the student in close consultation with the personal adviser is nominated and formally appointed by the Graduate Division.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Course work and research is determined in close consultation with the adviser.

Foreign Language Requirement

French and German are required, one during the first year. Proficiency in a language may be demonstrated by (1) previous coursework equivalent to two years of university instruction with a minimum grade of B, (2) completing a UCLA level five course with a minimum grade of B or better, or (3) passing a one-hour written translation examination administered by the department.

Course Requirements

General requirements for all students include Indo-European Studies 200, knowledge of Vedic Sanskrit and Homeric Greek, basic competence in Indo-European linguistics (including Indo-European Studies 205, 210, and 215), Indo-European mythology/poetics (Indo-European Studies C260), and an advanced seminar in Indo-European comparative grammar. The core courses IES 205, 210, and 215 must be taken for a letter grade; other courses may be taken with S/U grading. In addition, students should be able to demonstrate familiarity with one or more non-Indo-European languages; this can be satisfied on the basis of prior experience, or by appropriate language courses in other departments, or by course work in the Linguistics Department, such as courses in language typology or field methods with a significant non-Indo-European component. (For the third and fourth ancient or medieval Indo-European language, see below under “Examinations.”)

Teaching Experience

Teaching experience is highly desired, but not always available within the program. Therefore, it is not required. The program works closely with its constituent departments to provide teaching experience in relevant courses.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

Qualifying paper. Students are required to submit a qualifying paper that demonstrates their ability to conduct original research. The paper may be related to the dissertation prospectus, but must be received and approved by the faculty adviser and the chair of the interdepartmental committee before the University Oral Qualifying Examination is scheduled.

Examinations. Students are required to successfully complete a series of written examinations prior to advancement to candidacy. Students should normally complete at least one of these examinations before the end of their second year in the graduate program. Four of these examinations are based on set texts from four ancient Indo-European languages (Vedic Sanskrit, Homeric Greek, and two other ancient or medieval Indo-European languages chosen in consultation with the adviser); the fifth examination is on Indo-European Linguistics. Following successful completion of the written examinations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination, based on the written examinations and the dissertation prospectus, is administered by the doctoral committee. Should the student fail either the written or oral examinations, one retake is permitted. Should the student fail the retake, the student may petition the interdepartmental degree committee for a second retake.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

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

Time-to-Degree

Full-time students with no deficiencies in the program should complete their course work and be prepared for the doctoral examinations within twelve quarters. Following advancement to candidacy, the dissertation should be completed within six additional quarters. The degree should be completed within 18 quarters. These time lines are approximate because the program is unique and the qualifications of incoming students vary considerably. Therefore, time to degree will vary by student.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	12	18	24

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

The interdepartmental committee recommends academic disqualification and reviews appeals of academic disqualification.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2018-2019 academic year.

Indo-European Studies

Interdepartmental Program
College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Indo-European Studies Program offers the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Indo-European Studies.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

None.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The general graduate adviser is the chair of the interdepartmental degree committee. When students have determined clearly the area of specialization in which they will work (usually by the end of the second year), a personal adviser is assigned. Students are expected to be in close touch with their adviser regarding their progress in the program. When the time for the doctoral examinations approaches, a doctoral committee selected by the student in close consultation with the personal adviser is nominated and formally appointed by the Graduate Division.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Course work and research is determined in close consultation with the adviser.

Foreign Language Requirements

French and German are required, one during the first year. Proficiency in a language may be demonstrated by (1) completing a level five course with a grade of B or better (or equivalent preparation), or (2) passing a departmental reading examination.

Course Requirements

General requirements for all students include Indo-European Studies 200, knowledge of Vedic Sanskrit and Homeric Greek, basic competence in Indo-European linguistics (including Indo-European Studies 205, 210, and 215), Indo-European mythology/poetics (Indo-European Studies C260), and an advanced seminar in Indo-European comparative grammar. In addition, students should be able to demonstrate familiarity with one or more non-Indo-European languages; this can be satisfied on the basis of prior experience, or by appropriate language courses in other departments, or by course work in the Linguistics Department, such as courses in language typology or field methods with a significant non-Indo-European component. (For the third and fourth ancient or medieval Indo-European language, see below under “Examinations”.)

Teaching Experience

Teaching experience is highly desired, but not always available within the program. Therefore, it is not required. The program works closely with its constituent departments to provide teaching experience in relevant courses.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

Qualifying paper. Students are required to submit a qualifying paper that demonstrates their ability to conduct original research. The paper may be related to the dissertation prospectus, but must be received and approved by the faculty adviser and the chair of the interdepartmental committee before the University Oral Qualifying Examination is scheduled.

Examinations.

Students are required to successfully complete a series of written examinations prior to advancement to candidacy. Students should normally complete at least one of these examinations before the end of their second year in the graduate program.  Four of these examinations are based on set texts from four ancient Indo-European languages (Vedic Sanskrit, Homeric Greek, and two other ancient or medieval Indo-European languages chosen in consultation with the adviser); the fifth examination is on Indo-European Linguistics. Following successful completion of the written examinations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination, based on the written examinations and the dissertation prospectus, is administered by the doctoral committee. Should the student fail either the written or oral examinations, the interdepartmental degree committee may allow reexamination.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

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

Time-to-Degree

Full-time students with no deficiencies in the program should complete their course work and be prepared for the doctoral examinations within twelve quarters. Following advancement to candidacy, the dissertation should be completed within six additional quarters. The degree should be completed within 18 quarters. These time lines are approximate because the program is unique and the qualifications of incoming students vary considerably. Therefore, time to degree will vary by student.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	12	18	24

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 interdepartmental committee recommends termination and reviews appeals of termination.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2017-2018 academic year.

Indo-European Studies

Interdepartmental Program
College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Indo-European Studies Program offers the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Indo-European Studies.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

None.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The general graduate adviser is the chair of the interdepartmental degree committee. When students have determined clearly the area of specialization in which they will work (usually by the end of the second year), a personal adviser is assigned. Students are expected to be in close touch with their adviser regarding their progress in the program. When the time for the doctoral examinations approaches, a doctoral committee selected by the student in close consultation with the personal adviser is nominated and formally appointed by the Graduate Division.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Course work and research is determined in close consultation with the adviser.

Foreign Language Requirements

French and German are required, one during the first year. Proficiency in a language may be demonstrated by (1) completing a level five course with a grade of B or better (or equivalent preparation), or (2) passing a departmental reading examination.

Course Requirements

General requirements for all students include Indo-European Studies 200, knowledge of Vedic Sanskrit and Homeric Greek, basic competence in Indo-European linguistics (including Indo-European Studies 205, 210, and 215), Indo-European mythology/poetics (Indo-European Studies C260), and an advanced seminar in Indo-European comparative grammar. In addition, students should be able to demonstrate familiarity with one or more non-Indo-European languages; this can be satisfied on the basis of prior experience, or by appropriate language courses in other departments, or by course work in the Linguistics Department, such as courses in language typology or field methods with a significant non-Indo-European component. (For the third and fourth ancient or medieval Indo-European language, see below under “Examinations”.)

Teaching Experience

Teaching experience is highly desired, but not always available within the program. Therefore, it is not required. The program works closely with its constituent departments to provide teaching experience in relevant courses.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

Qualifying paper. Students are required to submit a qualifying paper that demonstrates their ability to conduct original research. The paper may be related to the dissertation prospectus, but must be received and approved by the faculty adviser and the chair of the interdepartmental committee before the University Oral Qualifying Examination is scheduled.

Examinations.

Students are required to successfully complete a series of written examinations prior to advancement to candidacy. Students should normally complete at least one of these examinations before the end of their second year in the graduate program.  Four of these examinations are based on set texts from four ancient Indo-European languages (Vedic Sanskrit, Homeric Greek, and two other ancient or medieval Indo-European languages chosen in consultation with the adviser); the fifth examination is on Indo-European Linguistics. Following successful completion of the written examinations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination, based on the written examinations and the dissertation prospectus, is administered by the doctoral committee. Should the student fail either the written or oral examinations, the interdepartmental degree committee may allow reexamination.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

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

Time-to-Degree

Full-time students with no deficiencies in the program should complete their course work and be prepared for the doctoral examinations within twelve quarters. Following advancement to candidacy, the dissertation should be completed within six additional quarters. The degree should be completed within 18 quarters. These time lines are approximate because the program is unique and the qualifications of incoming students vary considerably. Therefore, time to degree will vary by student.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	12	18	24

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 interdepartmental committee recommends termination and reviews appeals of termination.

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

Indo-European Studies

Interdepartmental Program
College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

All students in the M.A. program are supervised by the Program Head/Graduate Adviser, who advises students on course selection, the plan of their studies, and preparation for the M.A. exams. Students are required to meet with the adviser at least once a quarter. Student progress is discussed by the full Program in Indo-European Studies (PIES) faculty (Faculty Administrative Committee) at least once a year.

Areas of Study

The program offers the M.A. degree in Indo-European Studies, with specialization in one language area, which will normally be Greek, Latin-Italic, Indo-Iranian, or Anatolian.

Foreign Language Requirement

The student must demonstrate proficiency in one modern language of scholarship, either German or French, by 1) previous coursework equivalent to two years of university instruction with a minimum grade of B, 2) passing German 5 or French 5 at UCLA with a minimum grade of B, or 3) passing a one-hour written translation examination administered by the program.

Course Requirements

Nine graduate or upper division courses (36 units) are required, including the core sequence IES 205, 210, and 215; one additional 200-level IES seminar; the 2-unit Proseminar IES 200; and at least two units of a 500-level independent study. The remaining 16 units may be selected from offerings in IES and related departments (such as Classics, Asian Languages and Cultures, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, and Linguistics); the coursework plan must be approved by the Graduate Adviser, and will normally include at least three courses in the language area of specialization. All courses applied toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade, with the exception of 500-series courses.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

To complete the master’s capstone requirement, students must pass two comprehensive examinations, one of which is language-based. The language-based examinations consist of translation of textual passages selected from a corpus prepared by the student with approval of the examiners, linguistic commentary on selected words, and questions on historical grammar. The examinations are prepared by the relevant language specialist(s) and approved by a three-person committee, which also grades the exam. Students electing to receive a terminal M.A. must pass one two-hour comprehensive examination in their chosen language area and another comprehensive examination in Indo-European linguistics. Students planning to continue to the Ph.D. program at UCLA must pass one comprehensive examination in their chosen language area and another in either Vedic Sanskrit or Homeric Greek.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

Students should be able to complete the degree in three to six quarters, depending on course availability and the quality of their previous training.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	6	6	9

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The general graduate adviser is the chair of the interdepartmental degree committee. When students have determined clearly the area of specialization in which they will work (usually by the end of the second year), a personal adviser is assigned. Students are expected to be in close touch with their adviser regarding their progress in the program. When the time for the doctoral examinations approaches, a doctoral committee selected by the student in close consultation with the personal adviser is nominated and formally appointed by the Graduate Division.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Course work and research is determined in close consultation with the adviser.

Foreign Language Requirement

French and German are required, one during the first year. Proficiency in a language may be demonstrated by (1) previous coursework equivalent to two years of university instruction with a minimum grade of B, (2) completing a UCLA level five course with a minimum grade of B or better, or (3) passing a one-hour written translation examination administered by the department.

Course Requirements

General requirements for all students include Indo-European Studies 200, knowledge of Vedic Sanskrit and Homeric Greek, basic competence in Indo-European linguistics (including Indo-European Studies 205, 210, and 215), Indo-European mythology/poetics (Indo-European Studies C260), and an advanced seminar in Indo-European comparative grammar. The core courses IES 205, 210, and 215 must be taken for a letter grade; other courses may be taken with S/U grading. In addition, students should be able to demonstrate familiarity with one or more non-Indo-European languages; this can be satisfied on the basis of prior experience, or by appropriate language courses in other departments, or by course work in the Linguistics Department, such as courses in language typology or field methods with a significant non-Indo-European component. (For the third and fourth ancient or medieval Indo-European language, see below under “Examinations.”)

Teaching Experience

Teaching experience is highly desired, but not always available within the program. Therefore, it is not required. The program works closely with its constituent departments to provide teaching experience in relevant courses.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

Qualifying paper. Students are required to submit a qualifying paper that demonstrates their ability to conduct original research. The paper may be related to the dissertation prospectus, but must be received and approved by the faculty adviser and the chair of the interdepartmental committee before the University Oral Qualifying Examination is scheduled.

Examinations. Students are required to successfully complete a series of written examinations prior to advancement to candidacy. Students should normally complete at least one of these examinations before the end of their second year in the graduate program. Four of these examinations are based on set texts from four ancient Indo-European languages (Vedic Sanskrit, Homeric Greek, and two other ancient or medieval Indo-European languages chosen in consultation with the adviser); the fifth examination is on Indo-European Linguistics. Following successful completion of the written examinations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination, based on the written examinations and the dissertation prospectus, is administered by the doctoral committee. Should the student fail either the written or oral examinations, one retake is permitted. Should the student fail the retake, the student may petition the interdepartmental degree committee for a second retake.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

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

Time-to-Degree

Full-time students with no deficiencies in the program should complete their course work and be prepared for the doctoral examinations within twelve quarters. Following advancement to candidacy, the dissertation should be completed within six additional quarters. The degree should be completed within 18 quarters. These time lines are approximate because the program is unique and the qualifications of incoming students vary considerably. Therefore, time to degree will vary by student.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	12	18	24

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

The interdepartmental committee recommends academic disqualification and reviews appeals of academic disqualification.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2016-2017 academic year.

Indo-European Studies

Interdepartmental Program
College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Indo-European Studies Program offers the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Indo-European Studies.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

None.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The general graduate adviser is the chair of the interdepartmental degree committee. When students have determined clearly the area of specialization in which they will work (usually by the end of the second year), a personal adviser is assigned. Students are expected to be in close touch with their adviser regarding their progress in the program. When the time for the doctoral examinations approaches, a doctoral committee selected by the student in close consultation with the personal adviser is nominated and formally appointed by the Graduate Division.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

The Ph.D. in Indo-European Studies is offered with two alternative major emphases: (1) Indo-European linguistics; (2) specialized study in an Indo-European language area, such as Indo-Iranian, Anatolian, or Celtic.

Foreign Language Requirements

French and German are required, one during the first year. A third language is added only when relevant to the field of specialization. Proficiency in a language may be demonstrated by (1) completing a level five course with a grade of B or better(or equivalent preparation), or (2) passing a departmental reading examination.

Course Requirements

The course requirements vary between the two major fields of specialization. General requirements for all students regardless of specialization include Indo-European Studies 200, knowledge of Vedic Sanskrit and Homeric Greek, basic competence in Indo-European linguistics (including Indo-European Studies 205, 210, and 215), and mythology (Indo-European Studies C260). Additional requirements by field are as follows:

Linguistics. An advanced seminar in comparative grammar, Hittite, a fourth ancient Indo-European language (chosen from a branch other than Indic, Greek, or Anatolian), and additional units in courses offered by the Linguistics Department (for example, phonetics, phonology, historical linguistics) and related departments. These additional units should be chosen in consultation with the adviser.

Specialized study in an Indo-European language area. An advanced seminar in comparative grammar, a minimum of two ancient Indo-European languages from different sub-branches, and additional units in the area of specialization, to be chosen in consultation with the adviser.

Teaching Experience

Teaching experience is highly desired, but not available within the program. Therefore, it is not required. The program works closely with its constituent departments in an attempt to provide some teaching experience.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the new Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

Qualifying paper. Students are required to submit a qualifying paper that demonstrates their ability to conduct original research. The paper may be related to the dissertation prospectus, but must be received and approved by the faculty adviser and the chair of the interdepartmental committee before the University Oral Qualifying Examination is scheduled.

Examinations. Students are required to successfully complete a series of written examinations covering the major and minor fields prior to advancement to candidacy. Students are required to successfully complete at least one of these examinations before the end of their second year in the graduate program. These examinations consist of translation and analysis of set texts from the ancient Indo-European languages and diagnostic examinations in the other fields. Following successful completion of the written examinations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination, based on the written examinations and the dissertation prospectus, is administered by the doctoral committee. It is intended to probe the student’s grasp of the entire field. Should the student fail either the written or oral examinations, the interdepartmental degree committee may allow reexamination.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

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

Time-to-Degree

Full-time students with no deficiencies in the program should complete their course work and be prepared for the doctoral examinations within twelve quarters. Following advancement to candidacy, the dissertation should be completed within six additional quarters. The degree should be completed within 18 quarters. These time lines are approximate because the program is unique and the qualifications of incoming students vary considerably. Therefore, time to degree will vary by student.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	12	18	24

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 interdepartmental committee recommends termination and reviews appeals of termination.

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

Human Genetics

School of Medicine

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

Students who wish to earn a master’s degree en route to PhD are expected to identify a faculty mentor to serve as their adviser. For as long as no faculty mentor is identified, the Program Director will serve as the adviser.

Areas of Study

The field of human genetics incorporates multiple areas of modern experimental biology (including but not limited to molecular and behavioral genetics, epigenetics, biochemistry, cell and developmental biology, imaging, and large-scale omics approaches such as genomics, transcriptomics and functional genomics) and of computational biology (including bioinformatics and biostatistics).

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students are required to take the Human Genetics courses 236A and 236B or, under exceptional circumstances, equivalent graduate-level courses approved by the Program Director. Students must also complete the C234 course on Ethics and Accountability in Biomedical Research. Elective courses must be taken to complete the nine courses (36 units) required for the master’s degree, with at least five of them (20 units) being at graduate level. All courses should be taken for a letter grade with the exception of the ethics course C234, which may be taken for Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. No more than two independent study courses (eight units) in the 500 series may be applied toward the minimum course requirement of 36 units for the master’s degree, and only one of these (four units) may be applied toward the minimum requirement of 20 units in graduate courses.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

None.

Thesis Plan

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

A written thesis is required for master’s degree students. A thesis committee composed of at least three faculty members helps the student to plan the thesis research and makes a recommendation on granting the terminal degree.

Time-to-Degree

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.S.	9	9	24

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The Program Director will serve as adviser of students who have not yet selected a laboratory for their doctoral studies. Once students select a faculty mentor, typically at the end of the first year, the faculty mentor automatically becomes the student’s adviser. A doctoral committee is constituted by the end of the second year, and its members act as additional advisers. Students are expected to meet with that committee at least once a year until graduation.

In the rare circumstances that a student does not find a faculty mentor to serve as the student’s adviser by the end of the first year or, if the student has previously identified such an individual but needs to find a new faculty member to serve as the adviser, the Program Director (or another faculty member appointed by the Chair) will temporarily serve as the student’s adviser. The student will be informed of this arrangement in writing and supported by the program while seeking to identify a new faculty mentor for a maximum transitional period of one quarter (or the summer period). If no faculty mentor is identified during this transitional period, the student may be recommended for academic disqualification based on lack of timely progress (according to the University Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification policy).

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

The field of human genetics incorporates multiple areas of modern experimental biology (including but not limited to molecular and behavioral genetics, epigenetics, biochemistry, cell and developmental biology, imaging, and large-scale omics approaches such as genomics, transcriptomics and functional genomics) and of computational biology (including bioinformatics and biostatistics).

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students are required to take the Human Genetics courses 236A and 236B or, under exceptional circumstances, equivalent graduate-level courses approved by the Program Director. Students must also complete the C234 course on Ethics and Accountability in Biomedical Research. All courses should be taken for a letter grade with the exception of the ethics course C234, which may be taken for Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory.

Teaching Experience

Students teach for two quarters as a teaching assistant in a department of the College of Letters and Science. The teaching is to be performed preferably in years two and three. Students are encouraged to teach in Life Sciences 4 (the genetics component of the Life Sciences Core Curriculum) as teaching a general course in genetics reinforces understanding of fundamental aspects of the field.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the new Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

The Departmental Written Qualifying Examination (also known as the ‘First Exam’) and the University Oral Qualifying Examination (also known as the ‘Second Exam’) must be passed before students are advanced to candidacy for the doctoral degree. The two examinations are distinct and cannot be combined into a single examination. Prior to the examinations, students nominate a doctoral committee composed of at least four faculty members following university guidelines which must be approved by the Division of Graduate Education. The faculty mentor is excused from participating in the Departmental Written Qualifying Examination, which is administered by the remaining members of the doctoral committee. All members of the doctoral committee, including the faculty mentor, administer the University Oral Qualifying Examination.

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

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

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study. Students are expected to submit to the doctoral committee, at least five business days prior to the date of the Final Oral Examination, a written dissertation that has been reviewed and approved for submission by the student’s adviser.

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	10	16	24

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

Doctoral students must complete and pass the Departmental Written Qualifying Examination (also known as the ‘First Exam’) by the end of their fourth year in the program. Students will be allowed two opportunities to pass the examination within the above time frame and if the examination is not passed, the student will be recommended for academic disqualification. As per the Advising section above, students unable to secure a new faculty mentor after a maximum of one quarter (or the summer period) may be recommended for dismissal from the program.

UCLA is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and by numerous special agencies. Information regarding the University’s accreditation may be obtained from the Office of Academic Planning and Budget, 2107 Murphy Hall.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Human Genetics

School of Medicine

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

Students entering the master’s program are expected to identify a faculty mentor to serve as their adviser. For as long as no faculty mentor is identified, the departmental Faculty Graduate Adviser (appointed by the Chair) will serve as the adviser.

Areas of Study

The field of human genetics incorporates multiple areas of modern experimental biology (including but not limited to molecular and behavioral genetics, epigenetics, biochemistry, cell and developmental biology, imaging, and large-scale omics approaches such as genomics, transcriptomics and functional genomics) and of computational biology (including bioinformatics and biostatistics).

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students are required to take the Human Genetics courses 236A and 236B or, under exceptional circumstances, equivalent graduate-level courses approved by the Faculty Graduate Adviser. Students must also complete the C234 course on Ethics and Accountability in Biomedical Research. Elective courses must be taken to complete the nine courses (36 units) required for the master’s degree, with at least five of them (20 units) being at graduate level. All courses should be taken for a letter grade with the exception of the ethics course C234, which may be taken for Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. No more than two independent study courses (eight units) in the 500 series may be applied toward the minimum course requirement of 36 units for the master’s degree, and only one of these (four units) may be applied toward the minimum requirement of 20 units in graduate courses.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

None.

Thesis Plan

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

A written thesis is required for master’s degree students. A thesis committee composed of at least three faculty members helps the student to plan the thesis research and makes a recommendation on granting the terminal degree.

Time-to-Degree

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.S.	9	9	24

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The departmental Faculty Graduate Adviser (appointed by the Chair) will serve as adviser of students who have not yet selected a laboratory for their doctoral studies. Once students select a faculty mentor, typically at the end of the first year, the faculty mentor automatically becomes the student’s adviser. A doctoral committee is constituted by the end of the second year, and its members act as additional advisers. Students are expected to meet with that committee at least once a year until graduation.

Individual Development Plan
Each year all students are required to prepare and/or update an Individual Development Plan. An Individual Development Plan is an essential planning tool used to map out academic and professional development throughout graduate school.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

The field of human genetics incorporates multiple areas of modern experimental biology (including but not limited to molecular and behavioral genetics, epigenetics, biochemistry, cell and developmental biology, imaging, and large-scale omics approaches such as genomics, transcriptomics and functional genomics) and of computational biology (including bioinformatics and biostatistics).

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students are required to take the Human Genetics courses 236A and 236B or, under exceptional circumstances, equivalent graduate-level courses approved by the Faculty Graduate Adviser. Students must also complete the C234 course on Ethics and Accountability in Biomedical Research. All courses should be taken for a letter grade with the exception of the ethics course C234, which may be taken for Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory.

Teaching Experience

Students teach for two quarters as a teaching assistant in a department of the College of Letters and Science. The teaching is to be performed preferably in years two and three. Students are encouraged to teach in Life Sciences 4 (the genetics component of the Life Sciences Core Curriculum) as teaching a general course in genetics reinforces understanding of fundamental aspects of the field.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the new Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

The Departmental Written Qualifying Examination (also known as the ‘First Exam’) and the University Oral Qualifying Examination (also known as the ‘Second Exam’) must be passed before students are advanced to candidacy for the doctoral degree. The two examinations are distinct and cannot be combined into a single examination. Prior to the examinations, students nominate a doctoral committee composed of at least four faculty members following university guidelines which must be approved by the Graduate Division. The faculty mentor is excused from participating in the Departmental Written Qualifying Examination, which is administered by the remaining members of the doctoral committee. All members of the doctoral committee, including the faculty mentor, administer the University Oral Qualifying Examination.

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

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

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	10	16	24

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

Doctoral students must complete and pass the Departmental Written Qualifying Examination (also known as the ‘First Exam’) by the end of their fourth year in the program. Students will be allowed two opportunities to pass the examination within the above time frame and if the examination is not passed, the student will be recommended for academic disqualification.