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

Germanic Languages

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

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

Areas of Study

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

Foreign Language Requirement

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

Course Requirements

Plan A requires a minimum of nine upper division and graduate courses (36 units), of which at least six courses (24 units) must be graduate level (200- or 500-series). In addition, German 155, and 140 (or equivalent) are required. Undergraduate credit for these courses is applicable in satisfaction of these requirements as long as the courses are taken while in graduate status.

Plan B requires a minimum of nine upper division and graduate courses (36 units), of which at least six courses (24 units) must be graduate level (200- or 500-series). One seminar must be included. The departmental core curriculum must be fulfilled in the first year of study. In the first year incoming M.A. students are obliged to complete at least one course in the each of the following areas: (a) literature and culture before 1700; (b) literature and culture after 1700; (c) critical theory; (d) German linguistics. In each case courses meeting the requirement for the area are designated yearly in departmental course listings. Eligible courses in literature cover a substantial historical period, movement, or topic. Eligible courses in Germanic linguistics might be in the area of history and structure of the language, or theory.

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

Plan C requires a minimum of nine upper division and graduate courses (36 units) beyond the language requirements, of which at least six courses (24 units) must be graduate level (200- or 500-series) and of which up to four courses may be from other departments in a relevant area (e.g., linguistics, applied linguistics, Indo-European linguistics, Romance linguistics). German 217, C238, and one seminar must be included. Students in Plan C are required to fulfill a modified version of the departmental core curriculum that requires them to take designated courses meeting the requirements in two of the following areas: (a) literature and culture before 1700; (b) literature and culture after 1700; (c) critical theory.

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

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thesis Plan

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

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

The following additional rules apply to the thesis option:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Time-to-Degree

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

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	5	6	6

Doctoral Degree

Advising

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

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

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Not applicable.

Foreign Language Requirement

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

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

Course Requirements

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

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

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

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

Time-to-Degree

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

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

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

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

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

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

Germanic Languages

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

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

Areas of Study

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

Foreign Language Requirement

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

Course Requirements

Plan A requires a minimum of nine upper division and graduate courses (36 units), of which at least six courses (24 units) must be graduate level (200- or 500-series). In addition, German 155, and 140 (or equivalent) are required. Undergraduate credit for these courses is applicable in satisfaction of these requirements as long as the courses are taken while in graduate status.

Plan B requires a minimum of nine upper division and graduate courses (36 units), of which at least six courses (24 units) must be graduate level (200- or 500-series). One seminar must be included. The departmental core curriculum must be fulfilled in the first year of study. In the first year incoming M.A. students are obliged to complete at least one course in the each of the following areas: (a) literature and culture before 1700; (b) literature and culture after 1700; (c) critical theory; (d) German linguistics. In each case courses meeting the requirement for the area are designated yearly in departmental course listings. Eligible courses in literature cover a substantial historical period, movement, or topic. Eligible courses in Germanic linguistics might be in the area of history and structure of the language, or theory.

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

Plan C requires a minimum of nine upper division and graduate courses (36 units) beyond the language requirements, of which at least six courses (24 units) must be graduate level (200- or 500-series) and of which up to four courses may be from other departments in a relevant area (e.g., linguistics, applied linguistics, Indo-European linguistics, Romance linguistics). German 217, C238, and one seminar must be included. Students in Plan C are required to fulfill a modified version of the departmental core curriculum that requires them to take designated courses meeting the requirements in two of the following areas: (a) literature and culture before 1700; (b) literature and culture after 1700; (c) critical theory.

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

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thesis Plan

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

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

The following additional rules apply to the thesis option:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Time-to-Degree

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

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	5	6	6

Doctoral Degree

Advising

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

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

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Not applicable.

Foreign Language Requirement

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

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

Course Requirements

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

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

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

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

Time-to-Degree

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

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

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

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

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

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

Germanic Languages

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

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

Areas of Study

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

Foreign Language Requirement

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

Course Requirements

Plan A requires a minimum of nine upper division and graduate courses (36 units), of which at least six courses (24 units) must be graduate level (200- or 500-series). In addition, German 155, and 140 (or equivalent) are required. Undergraduate credit for these courses is applicable in satisfaction of these requirements as long as the courses are taken while in graduate status.

Plan B requires a minimum of nine upper division and graduate courses (36 units), of which at least six courses (24 units) must be graduate level (200- or 500-series). One seminar must be included. The departmental core curriculum must be fulfilled in the first year of study. In the first year incoming M.A. students are obliged to complete at least one course in the each of the following areas: (a) literature and culture before 1700; (b) literature and culture after 1700; (c) critical theory; (d) German linguistics. In each case courses meeting the requirement for the area are designated yearly in departmental course listings. Eligible courses in literature cover a substantial historical period, movement, or topic. Eligible courses in Germanic linguistics might be in the area of history and structure of the language, or theory.

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

Plan C requires a minimum of nine upper division and graduate courses (36 units) beyond the language requirements, of which at least six courses (24 units) must be graduate level (200- or 500-series) and of which up to four courses may be from other departments in a relevant area (e.g., linguistics, applied linguistics, Indo-European linguistics, Romance linguistics). German 217, C238, and one seminar must be included. Students in Plan C are required to fulfill a modified version of the departmental core curriculum that requires them to take designated courses meeting the requirements in two of the following areas: (a) literature and culture before 1700; (b) literature and culture after 1700; (c) critical theory.

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

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thesis Plan

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

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

The following additional rules apply to the thesis option:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Time-to-Degree

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

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	5	6	6

Doctoral Degree

Advising

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

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

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Not applicable.

Foreign Language Requirement

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

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

Course Requirements

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

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

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

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

Time-to-Degree

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

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

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

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

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

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

Germanic Languages

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of European Languages and Transcultural Studies offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Germanic Languages. Only applicants with the objective of the Ph.D. degree are considered for admission. Applicants without a Master’s degree will receive the M.A. en route to the doctorate.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

During their first two years of doctoral study, when students are working toward the completion of the M.A., students are advised by the Vice Chair of Graduate Studies (VCGS). The VCGS serves as a resource for students’ professional and personal development as they acclimatize to graduate student life at UCLA.

Students should consult regularly with the VCGS to plan their progress to degree. Student records are reviewed regularly by the VCGS and the Student Affairs Officer in consultation with the department faculty. Students whose grade-point average falls below 3.0 are sent a warning from the Chair and may be placed on departmental academic probation.

At the end of the first year, students receive a letter summarizing their progress in the program, outlining the requirements that remain to be fulfilled, and when necessary identifying areas for improvement. This letter is prepared by the VCGS, upon consultation with faculty (from ELTS and from other departments, as appropriate). The letter is sent, via email, no later than one week after the end of Spring quarter.

At the end of the second year, students receive a letter summarizing their progress in the program, identifying areas for improvement, and outlining the requirements that remain to be fulfilled. This letter is prepared by the VCGS, upon consultation with faculty (from ELTS and from other departments, as appropriate). The letter will be sent, via email, no later than one week after the end of Spring term. For students who have taken the M.A. examination, this letter will include, as an appendix, the one-page report from the M.A, examination committee.

Areas of Study

Germanic Languages.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

During the first two years of study toward the doctoral degree, students admitted without an M.A. must complete a total of 10 of the 12 required courses (40 units). All courses must be taken for a letter grade, and should be selected from offerings in ELTS, French, German Italian and Scandinavian – although graduate seminars in related fields may be applied with approval of the VCGS. Six of these courses (24 units) must be 200 to 296. Four courses may be upper division undergraduate courses (100 series). One four-unit 596 may be applied toward the course requirements for the master’s degree with approval of the VCGS.

These 10 courses fulfill the course requirements for the master’s degree.

First year: students should enroll in coursework chosen in consultation with the VCGS.

Second year: students should be enrolled in courses as needed to complete the M.A. requirements chosen in consultation with the VCGS; in addition, students enroll in three 4-unit 597 examination preparation courses, one per quarter; and the ELTS 495 Teaching Apprentice Practicum in Fall.

Teaching Experience

Although teaching experience is not required, the department provides all graduate students with the opportunity to teach language courses. All teaching assistants are required to complete European Languages and Transcultural Studies (ELTS) 495.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

Students in the Department of European Languages and Transcultural Studies who enter the program without an M.A. in Germanic are required to undergo an M.A. examination during the spring quarter of their second year. Prior to the examination, students must complete a minimum of 10 courses.

By the end of week four of the Fall quarter, second year, students must convene an examination committee comprised of three ELTS faculty members; one of these three faculty members must be in German. One faculty member should be designated as the committee chair, and the constitution of the committee must be confirmed by email to the VCGS.

In consultation with their committee, students are required to compile a list of 35 works, consisting of primary works, theory and secondary scholarship. The list must be oriented around a broad “period”, “theme” and/or “genre”. The list can be transcultural: i.e., early modern French/Italian literature or European cinema. The goal is foundational knowledge in a broadly defined field. Students write a précis demonstrating the coherence of the list.

Students enroll in one 4-unit 597 per quarter, ideally with each of the committee members in turn, for each of the three quarters in their second year.

In week one of the Spring quarter, second year, students receive approval on the finalized list from the committee and forward the list and précis to the VCGS. An oral examination of 1.5 hours (including time for feedback and discussion about future direction for the student), based on the list and the précis, should be scheduled for week nine or 10 of the Spring quarter, second year. All three committee members must be in attendance.

Examination results are announced during the feedback portion of the examination. Results are either (1) pass with permission to proceed, (2) pass without a recommendation to proceed, (3) or fail, no recommendation to proceed. If no recommendation to proceed is determined, students have the opportunity to retake the examination one more time. If, upon retaking the examination, permission to proceed is still not recommended, students with a pass with a no recommendation to proceed receive a terminal M.A. Students with a second fail receive no terminal M.A. and are not granted permission to proceed with the Ph.D. In both cases, a recommendation of academic disqualification from the Ph.D. program will be submitted to the Graduate Division, in line with the procedure set out in the Academic Disqualification section below.

At the end of the examination week, the committee chair submits to the VCGS, a one page report on the student’s performance on the oral examination, along with formal documentation of the results.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	6	6	7

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Advising for the first two years of doctoral study is listed under Master’s Degree.

The department is committed to providing an individualized advising structure that is directed toward their individual students’ needs and interests. Students are strongly encouraged to take full advantage of the available guidance.

The Vice Chair of Graduate Studies (VCGS) is the principal contact person who advises graduate students in the planning of their individual courses of study and in the completion of degree requirements in a timely fashion. At the beginning of each quarter, all graduate students who have not yet formed a doctoral guidance committee are required to consult with the VCGS before enrolling in courses.

Students who entered the program with an M.A. in German receive a letter at the end of the first year that provides official notification of permission to proceed with the Ph.D. (following satisfactory review of academic progress in the program).

Students select a doctoral guidance committee no later than Fall quarter of the third year and the committee must include two members from the department, including the chair, and one faculty from outside the department.

NOTE: Students who enter the program with an M.A. are expected to select a doctoral guidance committee no later than the Fall quarter of the second year.

Students must complete the language requirements before nominating the official four person doctoral guidance committee and taking the oral qualifying examination.

Students who have established a doctoral guidance committee are advised by the chair of their committee. All students are required to meet with their adviser each quarter to have their program of study approved.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Germanic Languages

Foreign Language Requirement

Doctoral candidates must demonstrate mastery in a foreign language other than their language of specialization and other English, prior to advancing to Ph.D. candidacy. The additional language must be relevant to the student’s dissertation plans. Mastery can be demonstrated in one of the following ways: (a) satisfactory completion of a departmental translation or reading exam; (b) placing into level 4 on a departmental language placement examination; (c) completing level 3 (or the equivalent of one year) in a language with a grade of B+ or better; (d) passing, with a grade of B+ or better, one upper-division or graduate course offered by another language department.

We encourage students to go beyond these minimum requirements, depending on their research interests.

Course Requirements

Course work required for the first two years of doctoral study is listed under Master’s Degree. After completing 10 courses during the first two years of study, students are expected to complete a minimum of two graduate courses in the department taken for a letter grade during the third and fourth years. In rare cases, and with approval of the VCGS, the required graduate courses may be 596 (independent studies).

Students who enter with an M.A in German may count up to four courses worth of credit from other institutions toward the 12 course requirement with approval from the VCGS. Students must take a minimum of six graduate courses in the first year. Remaining courses must be completed in the second year.

Teaching Experience

Although teaching experience is not required, the department provides all graduate students with the opportunity to teach language courses. All teaching assistants are required to complete ELTS 495.

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.

The doctoral guidance committee works with the student to identify a nexus of themes, questions, and key concepts. The student begins compiling a reading list of circa 50 works developed in consultation with the committee. The list should represent a judicious combination of primary works, theory, and secondary scholarship. The rationale for the list is articulated by a précis that identifies themes, research questions, and key concepts, all with an eye to the dissertation project.

The student submits the précis, reading list, and the names of the advising team to the VCGS by week five of the Fall quarter.

Doctoral qualifying examinations take place in two stages:

Stage 1: Students must consult with their doctoral guidance committee on the preparation of the written qualifying examination, which takes place by the 7th week of the Spring quarter, third year. The doctoral guidance committee prepares the written qualifying examination consisting of, in general, one question per committee member for a total of three, with students choosing to write on two of the three questions. The examination time is five hours, open book/open note. A student may attempt this examination a maximum of two times.

NOTE: Students admitted with an M.A. are expected to complete the written examination by the seventh week of the Spring quarter, second year.

In week 10 of the Spring quarter, third year, students will have a two-hour oral follow-up meeting with the doctoral guidance committee which will include a discussion and feedback of the written examination and planning for the prospectus.

NOTE: Students admitted with an M.A. are expected to schedule the two-hour oral follow-up meeting with the doctoral guidance committee in week 10 of the Spring quarter, second year.

Stage 2: The University Oral Qualifying Examination, which takes place no later than the 10th week of the Spring quarter, fourth year. may be taken only after completion of course and language requirements, successful passing of the written examinations, and submission of a dissertation prospectus. Prior to this examination, one more member is added to the doctoral guidance committee. This nominated committee is then submitted to the Graduate Division. Prior to taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination and no later than the 7th week of the Spring quarter, fourth year, students submit a dissertation prospectus to every member of the doctoral committee. The prospectus is a text of approximately 35 pages outlining the nature, scope, and significance of the proposed dissertation topic, plus a substantial bibliography. For the preparation of the prospectus, students work in close consultation with the doctoral committee chair. This two-hour oral examination includes a review and discussion of the dissertation prospectus. The oral examination results are (1) pass and advance to candidacy or (2) revise and resubmit. If revise and resubmit, the student must work closely with the advisor and VCGS to redo the prospectus examination for successful advancement. A second oral examination will be required. If the student does not pass the second attempt at the oral examination, a recommendation of academic disqualification from the Ph.D. program will be submitted to the Graduate Division, in line with the procedures set out in the academic disqualification section below.

NOTE: Students admitted with an M.A. are expected to submit the dissertation prospectus by the 7th week of the Spring quarter and complete the University Oral Qualifying Examination by the 10th week of the Spring quarter, third year.

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

Entering without a Master’s Degree
	Normative Time
Approval to begin the Ph.D. requirements	End of 6th quarter
Selection of three members of the doctoral guidance committee	During 7th quarter
Written qualifying examinations	During 9th quarter
Completion of foreign language requirement, unless exempted	Expected by end of 10th quarter
Four-person doctoral committee nomination	Expected by the end of 11th quarter
Oral qualifying examinations	Expected by end of 12th quarter
Advancement to candidacy	Expected by end of 12th quarter
Normative time-to-degree	18 quarters (6 years)
Maximum time-to-degree	24 quarters (8 years)

 

 

Entering with a Master’s Degree
	Normative Time
Approval to begin the Ph.D. requirements	End of 3rd quarter
Selection of three members of the doctoral guidance committee	During 4th quarter
Written qualifying examinations	During 6th quarter
Completion of foreign language requirement, unless exempted	Expected by end of 7th quarter
Four-person doctoral committee nomination	Expected by the end of 8th quarter
Oral qualifying examinations	Expected by end of 9th quarter
Advancement to candidacy	Expected by end of 9th quarter
Normative time-to-degree	15 quarters (5 years)
Maximum time-to-degree	21 quarters (7 years)

 

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	9	15	21

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

A recommendation for academic disqualification is made by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Policy Committee. A student may appeal a recommendation for academic disqualification to the departmental chair.

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

Germanic Languages

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of European Languages and Transcultural Studies offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Germanic Languages. Only applicants with the objective of the Ph.D. degree are considered for admission. Applicants without a Master’s degree will receive the M.A. en route to the doctorate.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

During their first two years of doctoral study, when students are working toward the completion of the M.A., students are advised by the Vice Chair of Graduate Studies (VCGS). The VCGS serves as a resource for students’ professional and personal development as they acclimatize to graduate student life at UCLA.

Students should consult regularly with the VCGS to plan their progress to degree. Student records are reviewed regularly by the VCGS and the Student Affairs Officer in consultation with the department faculty. Students whose grade-point average falls below 3.0 are sent a warning from the Chair and may be placed on departmental academic probation.

At the end of the first year, students receive a letter summarizing their progress in the program, outlining the requirements that remain to be fulfilled, and when necessary identifying areas for improvement. This letter is prepared by the VCGS, upon consultation with faculty (from ELTS and from other departments, as appropriate). The letter is sent, via email, no later than one week after the end of Spring quarter.

At the end of the second year, students receive a letter summarizing their progress in the program, identifying areas for improvement, and outlining the requirements that remain to be fulfilled. This letter is prepared by the VCGS, upon consultation with faculty (from ELTS and from other departments, as appropriate). The letter will be sent, via email, no later than one week after the end of Spring term. For students who have taken the M.A. examination, this letter will include, as an appendix, the one-page report from the M.A, examination committee.

Areas of Study

Germanic Languages.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

During the first two years of study toward the doctoral degree, students admitted without an M.A. must complete a total of 10 of the 12 required courses (40 units). All courses must be taken for a letter grade, and should be selected from offerings in ELTS, French, German Italian and Scandinavian – although graduate seminars in related fields may be applied with approval of the VCGS. Six of these courses (24 units) must be 200 to 296. Four courses may be upper division undergraduate courses (100 series). One four-unit 596 may be applied toward the course requirements for the master’s degree with approval of the VCGS.

These 10 courses fulfill the course requirements for the master’s degree.

First year: students should enroll in coursework chosen in consultation with the VCGS.

Second year: students should be enrolled in courses as needed to complete the M.A. requirements chosen in consultation with the VCGS; in addition, students enroll in three 4-unit 597 examination preparation courses, one per quarter; and the ELTS 495 Teaching Apprentice Practicum in Fall.

Teaching Experience

Although teaching experience is not required, the department provides all graduate students with the opportunity to teach language courses. All teaching assistants are required to complete European Languages and Transcultural Studies (ELTS) 495.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

Students in the Department of European Languages and Transcultural Studies who enter the program without an M.A. in Germanic are required to undergo an M.A. examination during the spring quarter of their second year. Prior to the examination, students must complete a minimum of 10 courses.

By the end of week four of the Fall quarter, second year, students must convene an examination committee comprised of three ELTS faculty members; one of these three faculty members must be in German. One faculty member should be designated as the committee chair, and the constitution of the committee must be confirmed by email to the VCGS.

In consultation with their committee, students are required to compile a list of 35 works, consisting of primary works, theory and secondary scholarship. The list must be oriented around a broad “period”, “theme” and/or “genre”. The list can be transcultural: i.e., early modern French/Italian literature or European cinema. The goal is foundational knowledge in a broadly defined field. Students write a précis demonstrating the coherence of the list.

Students enroll in one 4-unit 597 per quarter, ideally with each of the committee members in turn, for each of the three quarters in their second year.

In week one of the Spring quarter, second year, students receive approval on the finalized list from the committee and forward the list and précis to the VCGS. An oral examination of 1.5 hours (including time for feedback and discussion about future direction for the student), based on the list and the précis, should be scheduled for week nine or 10 of the Spring quarter, second year. All three committee members must be in attendance.

Examination results are announced during the feedback portion of the examination. Results are either (1) pass with permission to proceed, (2) pass without a recommendation to proceed, (3) or fail, no recommendation to proceed. If no recommendation to proceed is determined, students have the opportunity to retake the examination one more time. If, upon retaking the examination, permission to proceed is still not recommended, students with a pass with a no recommendation to proceed receive a terminal M.A. Students with a second fail receive no terminal M.A. and are not granted permission to proceed with the Ph.D. In both cases, a recommendation of academic disqualification from the Ph.D. program will be submitted to the Graduate Division, in line with the procedure set out in the Academic Disqualification section below.

At the end of the examination week, the committee chair submits to the VCGS, a one page report on the student’s performance on the oral examination, along with formal documentation of the results.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	6	6	7

Doctoral Degree

Advising

Advising for the first two years of doctoral study is listed under Master’s Degree.

The department is committed to providing an individualized advising structure that is directed toward their individual students’ needs and interests. Students are strongly encouraged to take full advantage of the available guidance.

The Vice Chair of Graduate Studies (VCGS) is the principal contact person who advises graduate students in the planning of their individual courses of study and in the completion of degree requirements in a timely fashion. At the beginning of each quarter, all graduate students who have not yet formed a doctoral guidance committee are required to consult with the VCGS before enrolling in courses.

Students who entered the program with an M.A. in German receive a letter at the end of the first year that provides official notification of permission to proceed with the Ph.D. (following satisfactory review of academic progress in the program).

Students select a doctoral guidance committee no later than Fall quarter of the third year and the committee must include two members from the department, including the chair, and one faculty from outside the department.

NOTE: Students who enter the program with an M.A. are expected to select a doctoral guidance committee no later than the Fall quarter of the second year.

Students must complete the language requirements before nominating the official four person doctoral guidance committee and taking the oral qualifying examination.

Students who have established a doctoral guidance committee are advised by the chair of their committee. All students are required to meet with their adviser each quarter to have their program of study approved.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Germanic Languages

Foreign Language Requirement

Doctoral candidates must demonstrate mastery in a foreign language other than their language of specialization and other English, prior to advancing to Ph.D. candidacy. The additional language must be relevant to the student’s dissertation plans. Mastery can be demonstrated in one of the following ways: (a) satisfactory completion of a departmental translation or reading exam; (b) placing into level 4 on a departmental language placement examination; (c) completing level 3 (or the equivalent of one year) in a language with a grade of B+ or better; (d) passing, with a grade of B+ or better, one upper-division or graduate course offered by another language department.

We encourage students to go beyond these minimum requirements, depending on their research interests.

Course Requirements

Course work required for the first two years of doctoral study is listed under Master’s Degree. After completing 10 courses during the first two years of study, students are expected to complete a minimum of two graduate courses in the department taken for a letter grade during the third and fourth years. In rare cases, and with approval of the VCGS, the required graduate courses may be 596 (independent studies).

Students who enter with an M.A in German may count up to four courses worth of credit from other institutions toward the 12 course requirement with approval from the VCGS. Students must take a minimum of six graduate courses in the first year. Remaining courses must be completed in the second year.

Teaching Experience

Although teaching experience is not required, the department provides all graduate students with the opportunity to teach language courses. All teaching assistants are required to complete ELTS 495.

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.

The doctoral guidance committee works with the student to identify a nexus of themes, questions, and key concepts. The student begins compiling a reading list of circa 50 works developed in consultation with the committee. The list should represent a judicious combination of primary works, theory, and secondary scholarship. The rationale for the list is articulated by a précis that identifies themes, research questions, and key concepts, all with an eye to the dissertation project.

The student submits the précis, reading list, and the names of the advising team to the VCGS by week five of the Fall quarter.

Doctoral qualifying examinations take place in two stages:

Stage 1: Students must consult with their doctoral guidance committee on the preparation of the written qualifying examination, which takes place by the 7th week of the Spring quarter, third year. The doctoral guidance committee prepares the written qualifying examination consisting of, in general, one question per committee member for a total of three, with students choosing to write on two of the three questions. The examination time is five hours, open book/open note. A student may attempt this examination a maximum of two times.

NOTE: Students admitted with an M.A. are expected to complete the written examination by the seventh week of the Spring quarter, second year.

In week 10 of the Spring quarter, third year, students will have a two-hour oral follow-up meeting with the doctoral guidance committee which will include a discussion and feedback of the written examination and planning for the prospectus.

NOTE: Students admitted with an M.A. are expected to schedule the two-hour oral follow-up meeting with the doctoral guidance committee in week 10 of the Spring quarter, second year.

Stage 2: The University Oral Qualifying Examination, which takes place no later than the 10th week of the Spring quarter, fourth year. may be taken only after completion of course and language requirements, successful passing of the written examinations, and submission of a dissertation prospectus. Prior to this examination, one more member is added to the doctoral guidance committee. This nominated committee is then submitted to the Graduate Division. Prior to taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination and no later than the 7th week of the Spring quarter, fourth year, students submit a dissertation prospectus to every member of the doctoral committee. The prospectus is a text of approximately 35 pages outlining the nature, scope, and significance of the proposed dissertation topic, plus a substantial bibliography. For the preparation of the prospectus, students work in close consultation with the doctoral committee chair. This two-hour oral examination includes a review and discussion of the dissertation prospectus. The oral examination results are (1) pass and advance to candidacy or (2) revise and resubmit. If revise and resubmit, the student must work closely with the advisor and VCGS to redo the prospectus examination for successful advancement. A second oral examination will be required. If the student does not pass the second attempt at the oral examination, a recommendation of academic disqualification from the Ph.D. program will be submitted to the Graduate Division, in line with the procedures set out in the academic disqualification section below.

NOTE: Students admitted with an M.A. are expected to submit the dissertation prospectus by the 7th week of the Spring quarter and complete the University Oral Qualifying Examination by the 10th week of the Spring quarter, third year.

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

Entering without a Master’s Degree
	Normative Time
Approval to begin the Ph.D. requirements	End of 6th quarter
Selection of three members of the doctoral guidance committee	During 7th quarter
Written qualifying examinations	During 9th quarter
Completion of foreign language requirement, unless exempted	Expected by end of 10th quarter
Four-person doctoral committee nomination	Expected by the end of 11th quarter
Oral qualifying examinations	Expected by end of 12th quarter
Advancement to candidacy	Expected by end of 12th quarter
Normative time-to-degree	18 quarters (6 years)
Maximum time-to-degree	24 quarters (8 years)

 

 

Entering with a Master’s Degree
	Normative Time
Approval to begin the Ph.D. requirements	End of 3rd quarter
Selection of three members of the doctoral guidance committee	During 4th quarter
Written qualifying examinations	During 6th quarter
Completion of foreign language requirement, unless exempted	Expected by end of 7th quarter
Four-person doctoral committee nomination	Expected by the end of 8th quarter
Oral qualifying examinations	Expected by end of 9th quarter
Advancement to candidacy	Expected by end of 9th quarter
Normative time-to-degree	15 quarters (5 years)
Maximum time-to-degree	21 quarters (7 years)

 

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	9	15	21

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

A recommendation for academic disqualification is made by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Policy Committee. A student may appeal a recommendation for academic disqualification to the departmental chair.

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

Germanic Languages

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

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

Areas of Study

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

Foreign Language Requirement

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

Course Requirements

Plan A requires a minimum of ten upper division and graduate courses (38 units), of which at least six courses (24 units) must be graduate level (200- or 500-series). In addition, German 155, and 140 (or equivalent) and European Languages and Transcultural Studies 200 (2 units, S/U grading) are required. Undergraduate credit for these courses is applicable in satisfaction of these requirements as long as the courses are taken while in graduate status.

Plan B requires a minimum of nine upper division and graduate courses (38 units), of which at least six courses (24 units) must be graduate level (200- or 500-series). One seminar must be included and European Languages and Transcultural Studies 200 (2 units, S/U grading). The departmental core curriculum must be fulfilled in the first year of study. In the first year incoming M.A. students are obliged to complete at least one course in the each of the following areas: (a) literature and culture before 1700; (b) literature and culture after 1700; (c) critical theory; (d) German linguistics. In each case courses meeting the requirement for the area are designated yearly in departmental course listings. Eligible courses in literature cover a substantial historical period, movement, or topic. Eligible courses in Germanic linguistics might be in the area of history and structure of the language, or theory.
In addition, all students are required to take the German 495 teaching practicum in the first quarter of teaching.

Plan C requires a minimum of ten upper division and graduate courses (38 units) beyond the language requirements, of which at least six courses (24 units) must be graduate level (200- or 500-series) and of which up to four courses may be from other departments in a relevant area (e.g., linguistics, applied linguistics, Indo-European linguistics, Romance linguistics). German 217, C238, one seminar, and European Languages and Transcultural Studies 200 (2 units, S/U grading) must be included. Students in Plan C are required to fulfill a modified version of the departmental core curriculum that requires them to take designated courses meeting the requirements in two of the following areas: (a) literature and culture before 1700; (b) literature and culture after 1700; (c) critical theory.

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

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thesis Plan

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

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

The following additional rules apply to the thesis option:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Time-to-Degree

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

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	5	6	7

Doctoral Degree

Advising

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

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

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Not applicable.

Foreign Language Requirement

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

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

Course Requirements

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

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

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

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

Time-to-Degree

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

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	12	18	21

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

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

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

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

Germanic Languages

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

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

Areas of Study

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

Foreign Language Requirement

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

Course Requirements

Plan A requires a minimum of ten upper division and graduate courses (38 units), of which at least six courses (24 units) must be graduate level (200- or 500-series). In addition, German 155, and 140 (or equivalent) and European Languages and Transcultural Studies 200 (2 units, S/U grading) are required. Undergraduate credit for these courses is applicable in satisfaction of these requirements as long as the courses are taken while in graduate status.

Plan B requires a minimum of nine upper division and graduate courses (38 units), of which at least six courses (24 units) must be graduate level (200- or 500-series). One seminar must be included and European Languages and Transcultural Studies 200 (2 units, S/U grading). The departmental core curriculum must be fulfilled in the first year of study. In the first year incoming M.A. students are obliged to complete at least one course in the each of the following areas: (a) literature and culture before 1700; (b) literature and culture after 1700; (c) critical theory; (d) German linguistics. In each case courses meeting the requirement for the area are designated yearly in departmental course listings. Eligible courses in literature cover a substantial historical period, movement, or topic. Eligible courses in Germanic linguistics might be in the area of history and structure of the language, or theory.
In addition, all students are required to take the German 495 teaching practicum in the first quarter of teaching.

Plan C requires a minimum of ten upper division and graduate courses (38 units) beyond the language requirements, of which at least six courses (24 units) must be graduate level (200- or 500-series) and of which up to four courses may be from other departments in a relevant area (e.g., linguistics, applied linguistics, Indo-European linguistics, Romance linguistics). German 217, C238, one seminar, and European Languages and Transcultural Studies 200 (2 units, S/U grading) must be included. Students in Plan C are required to fulfill a modified version of the departmental core curriculum that requires them to take designated courses meeting the requirements in two of the following areas: (a) literature and culture before 1700; (b) literature and culture after 1700; (c) critical theory.

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

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thesis Plan

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

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

The following additional rules apply to the thesis option:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Time-to-Degree

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

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	5	6	7

Doctoral Degree

Advising

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

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

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Not applicable.

Foreign Language Requirement

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

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

Course Requirements

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

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

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

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

Time-to-Degree

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

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	12	18	21

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

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

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

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

Germanic Languages

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

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

Areas of Study

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

Foreign Language Requirement

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

Course Requirements

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

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

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

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

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

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thesis Plan

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

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

The following additional rules apply to the thesis option:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Time-to-Degree

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

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	5	6	6

Doctoral Degree

Advising

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

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

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Not applicable.

Foreign Language Requirement

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

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

Course Requirements

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

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

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

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

Time-to-Degree

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

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

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

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

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

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

Geography

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

The interim adviser assists in the design of the student’s program. By the end of the first year, the student forms a guidance committee chaired by a faculty adviser. The guidance committee consists of two or three departmental faculty members who are appropriate to supervise the student’s proposed course of study. At a time agreed upon by the student and the guidance committee, an official master’s thesis committee is appointed. This three-person committee, at least two members of which must be faculty from the department, is responsible for the student’s course of study thereafter and for supervising the preparation of the M.A. thesis.

Every spring quarter the departmental faculty hold a review of all of the department’s graduate students. The purpose of the Spring Review is twofold: first, to provide the faculty with an opportunity to assess the progress toward the degree of every student; and second, to provide every student with that assessment. The student’s interim adviser or committee chair has the primary responsibility for setting forth the necessary information for the assessment. Other members of the student’s committee, instructors in courses the student has taken, and other faculty may contribute to the appraisal. After discussion, the faculty assess whether the student’s progress as Satisfactory, With Reservations, or Unsatisfactory. The interim adviser or committee chair and the graduate adviser inform the student by letter of the appraisal. In extreme cases, the results of this review may determine whether or not the student is permitted to proceed toward the degree.

Areas of Study

Students commonly specialize in one or more areas of geographical knowledge, such as: geomorphology, climatology, biogeography, geographic representation, economic, political, social, cultural, historical, population, and urban geography. At the M.A. level students emphasize at least one specialized area. However, because geographical knowledge and its associated research questions frequently transcend disciplinary and subdisciplinary boundaries, students, in consultation with faculty, are expected to refine and deepen their research interests further, within, across, and beyond research and teaching areas.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students must complete at least eight courses, in addition to the two required graduate core courses and the research group seminars, for a minimum of 10 courses (40 units) required for the degree; of this minimum, seven courses (28 units) must be graduate level. One appropriate course may be applied toward the Department’s methods requirement, if approved by the student’s committee chair, though this requirement can be fulfilled in other ways in consultation with the commitee chair. Fulfillment of the methods requirement through other means does not reduce the total number of courses the student is required to complete. One 500-series course may be applied toward the minimum course requirement for the M.A. degree but not toward the minimum graduate course requirement. The core courses (Geography 200A and 200B) must be completed within two years and with a grade of B or better in each. Each student must in every term of residence enroll in one of the two research group seminars, either Geography C299B or 299A, but these do not count toward the minimum 10-course requirement. Quarterly course enrollment plans should be approved by the student’s committee chair.

Individual Study Courses. The following rules pertain to individual study courses (Geography 199, 596, 597, 598, 599):

(1) Before enrolling in one of these courses, students must consult with the responsible faculty member and work out a program of study and consultation.
(2) All 500-series courses must be taken for S/U grading only.
(3) Students may enroll in Geography 597, 598, or 599 as often as required.

Teaching Courses. Geography 375 and 495 may not be applied toward course requirements for the M.A. degree.

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.

Students must present a thesis based on original research. Selection of a thesis topic, development of a thesis proposal, and conduct of the investigation proceed under the supervision of the student’s M.A. committee. The thesis proposal consists of a description of the problem to be researched and the proposed methods of research, a preliminary outline, an assessment of the originality and significance of the project, and a timeline describing the anticipated time of completion of the various stages of the study. The entire thesis project must be carried out in close consultation with all members of the thesis committee. The thesis is expected to be no more than 20,000 words in length, exclusive of appendices and bibliography. In exceptional circumstances the limit may be waived with the agreement of the Graduate Adviser.

To ensure progress, each student is required to finalize a thesis title by the first day of Week 4 of the third quarter following enrollment in the program (normally spring quarter). The thesis proposal must have the approval of the student’s committee by the end of the eighth week of the same quarter and be reported at Spring Review. Failure to meet these deadlines results in a “reservations” report and the establishment of a second deadline; failure to meet this deadline may result in a recommendation for termination of graduate status. A first draft of the thesis is required by the end of the fifth week of the fifth quarter following admissions to the program (normally winter quarter). Students are encouraged to file the completed thesis as soon as possible thereafter.

Time-to-Degree

The M.A. degree should be completed within nine academic quarters of admission to the program. Failure to show timely progress toward the degree may result in a departmental recommendation for termination from the graduate program.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	8	9	n/a

Doctoral Degree

Advising

In the first quarter of residence and in consultation with the graduate adviser, students must form a guidance committee chaired by their interim adviser. This guidance committee consists of three members of the departmental faculty. As their work develops, students are permitted to change interim advisers or other committee members, as long as the faculty selected to serve are appropriate to the student’s objectives and plans and all involved are kept properly informed. The guidance committee sets, administers, and assesses the written qualifying examination. Upon successful completion of this examination the student formally creates an official doctoral committee. The doctoral committee consists of three departmental faculty and one faculty member from another department. This committee oversees the formulation of the dissertation proposal, conducts the oral qualifying examination, supervises the dissertation research and writing, and when required, conducts the final oral examination (defense of the dissertation).

Every spring quarter the departmental faculty hold a review of all of its graduate students. The purpose of the Spring Review is twofold: first, to provide the faculty with an opportunity to assess the progress toward the degree of every student; and second, to provide every student with that assessment. The student’s interim adviser or committee chair has the primary responsibility in setting forth the necessary information for the assessment. Other members of the student’s committee, instructors in courses the student has taken, and other faculty may contribute to the appraisal. After discussion, the faculty assess the student’s progress as Satisfactory, With Reservations, or Unsatisfactory. The interim adviser or committee chair and the graduate adviser inform the student by letter of the appraisal. In extreme cases, the results of this review may determine whether or not the student is permitted to proceed toward the degree.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Students commonly specialize in one or more areas of geographical knowledge, such as: geomorphology, climatology, biogeography, geographic representation, economic, political, social, cultural, historical, population, and urban geography. However, because geographical knowledge and its associated research questions frequently transcend disciplinary and subdisciplinary boundaries, students are expected to refine and deepen their research interests further, in consultation with faculty, within, across, and beyond research and teaching areas.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students must, within two years and with a grade of B or better in each, successfully complete the required graduate core courses (if they were not already completed at the M.A. level). At least four graduate geography courses, in addition to completed M.A. course work (excluding core courses, and Geography 375, 495, and courses in the 500 series), are required, as are three upper division or graduate courses in one or two fields (outside of geography) allied to the student’s major research area or subdisciplinary specialization, subject to approval of the guidance committee. The allied-field requirement must be met before the student takes the oral qualifying examination. One appropriate course must be taken to fulfill the department’s methods requirement, though this requirement can be fulfilled in other ways in consultation with the committee chair. Fulfillment of the methods requirement through other means does not reduce the total number of courses the student is required to complete, and in these cases, students will be required to complete one course in place of the methods course. Each student must in every term of residence enroll in one of the two research group seminars, either Geography C299B or 299A. Quarterly course enrollment plans should be approved by the student’s adviser.

Individual Study Courses. The following rules pertain to individual study courses (Geography 199, 596, 597, 598, 599):

(1) Before enrolling in one of these courses, students must consult with the responsible faculty member and work out a program of study and consultation.
(2) All 500-series courses must be taken for S/U grading only.
(3) Students may enroll in Geography 597, 598, or 599 as often as required.

Teaching Courses. Geography 375 and 495 may not be applied toward course requirements for the Ph.D. degree.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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

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

The goal of the written examinations is to ensure that students develop a command of literature in two subdisciplines or fields of geography and that they are adequately prepared to carry out their dissertation research. Command of that literature is demonstrated through the completion of field statements. Each of the two statements consists of a substantial document prepared over the course of three months. A third practical examination, significantly shorter in length and produced over a shorter timeframe, assesses the ability of the student to develop a research strategy around a particular geographical problem. The three papers are to be completed no later than the student’s sixth term of residence. In case of failure, the student may make one more attempt, but no sooner than three months nor longer than one year after the first examination.

Preparation of the dissertation proposal follows successful completion of the written qualifying examination. The dissertation proposal must specify: the research question, describing in some detail the problem to be studied, its scientific background, an outline of the subject matter; the proposed methods of research; the degree of originality involved; and a timetable for completion of the degree. The dissertation proposal is written in consultation with the official doctoral committee and should be no more than 12,000 words in length. Once the proposal is accepted, significant changes in the project title must be approved by the committee. Committee members should receive the dissertation proposal at least one month before the oral qualifying examination.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination is conducted by the appointed doctoral committee and focuses on the dissertation proposal. The maximum length of time permitted between written and oral examinations is six months. Oral examinations will normally be scheduled no later than the end of the quarter following completion of the written examinations. After successfully completing the oral qualifying examination, the student is eligible for advancement to candidacy. In instances of failure, the oral qualifying examination may be repeated once. Students have one year to repeat the examination.

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

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

Students are expected to complete the Ph.D. degree within fifteen academic quarters. Seven calendar years is the maximum time permitted for completion of the degree. Failure to show timely progress toward the degree may result in a departmental recommendation for termination from the graduate program.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	9	15	28

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 decision to recommend termination is made by a vote of the faculty in a formal meeting. Appeal of recommendation of termination is made to the faculty in a formal meeting.

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

Geography

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

The interim adviser assists in the design of the student’s program. By the end of the first year, the student forms a guidance committee chaired by a faculty adviser. The guidance committee consists of two or three departmental faculty members who are appropriate to supervise the student’s proposed course of study. At a time agreed upon by the student and the guidance committee, an official committee for the master’s thesis or capstone is appointed. This three-person committee, at least two members of which must be faculty from the Department, is responsible for the student’s course of study thereafter and for supervising the preparation of the M.A. thesis or capstone.

Areas of Study

Students commonly specialize in one or more areas of geographical knowledge, such as: geomorphology, climatology, biogeography, geospatial information systems, remote sensing, demography, economic, political, social, cultural, historical,  regional, and urban geography. At the M.A. level, students emphasize at least one specialized area. However, because geographical knowledge and its associated research questions frequently transcend disciplinary and sub-disciplinary boundaries, students, in consultation with faculty, are expected to refine and deepen their research interests further, within, across, and beyond research and teaching areas.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

A minimum of nine courses (36 units) are required for the degree. The course requirement includes three graduate courses, four electives, one methods requirement, two graduate core courses, and the research group seminars. Of this minimum, five courses (20 units) must be graduate level. One appropriate course may be applied toward the Department’s methods requirement, if approved by the student’s committee chair, though this requirement can be fulfilled in other ways in consultation with the committee chair. Fulfillment of the methods requirement through other means does not reduce the total number of courses the student is required to complete. One 500-series course may be applied toward the minimum course requirement for the M.A. degree, but not toward the minimum graduate course requirement. The core courses (Geography 200A and 200B) must be completed within the first year and with a grade of B or better in GEOG 200A and a grade of S in 200B. Each student must in every term of residence enroll in one of the two research group seminars, either Geography 299A or C299B. The courses GEOG 200B, 299A, and C299B do not count toward the minimum nine-course requirement. With the exception of GEOG 200B, 299A, C299B, and any 500-level courses, all courses must be taken for a letter grade, and a minimum grade of B is required. Quarterly course enrollment plans should be approved by the student’s committee chair.

Individual Study Courses. The following rules pertain to individual study courses (Geography 199, 596, 597, 598, 599):

(1) Before enrolling in one of these courses, students must consult with the responsible faculty member and work out a program of study and consultation.
(2) All 500-series courses must be taken for S/U grading only.
(3) Students may enroll in Geography 597, 598, or 599 as often as required.

Teaching Courses. Geography 495 may not be applied toward course requirements for the M.A. degree.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

Under the capstone plan, students complete a capstone requirement, which may be a comprehensive examination or an individual project. Selection of the type of requirement (exam or project) should proceed under the supervision of the student’s capstone committee. A committee of at least three faculty members will administer and determine satisfactory performance on the comprehensive examination. a A committee of at least three faculty members will determine satisfactory performance on the project.

Capstone examinations or projects can be completed in any quarter. The capstone should be completed no later than the fifth or sixth quarter in residence (normally Winter or Spring quarter). Students may retake the examination or resubmit their project only once, within one quarter of the failed initial attempt.

Thesis Plan

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

Students must present a thesis based on original research. Selection of a thesis topic, development of a thesis proposal, and conduct of the investigation proceed under the supervision of the student’s M.A. committee. The thesis proposal consists of a description of the problem to be researched and the proposed methods of research, a preliminary outline, an assessment of the originality and significance of the project, and a timeline describing the anticipated time of completion of the various stages of the study. The entire thesis project must be carried out in close consultation with all members of the thesis committee. The thesis  should generally be no more than 20,000 words in length, exclusive of appendices and bibliography.

To ensure progress, each student is expected to establish their master’s thesis committee and finalize a thesis proposal by the third quarter following enrollment in the program (normally Spring quarter).  The thesis should be filed no later than the fifth or sixth quarter in residence (normally Winter or Spring quarter).

Time-to-Degree

The M.A. degree should be completed within nine academic quarters of admission to the program. Failure to show timely progress toward the degree may result in a departmental recommendation for academic disqualification from the graduate program.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	8	9	n/a

Doctoral Degree

Advising

In the first quarter of residence and in consultation with the graduate adviser, students must form a guidance committee chaired by their interim adviser. This guidance committee consists of three members of the departmental faculty. As their work develops, students are permitted to change interim advisers or other committee members, as long as the faculty selected to serve are appropriate to the student’s objectives and plans and all involved are kept properly informed. The guidance committee sets, administers, and assesses the written qualifying examination. Upon successful completion of this examination the student formally creates an official doctoral committee. The doctoral committee consists of three departmental faculty and one faculty member from another department. This committee oversees the formulation of the dissertation proposal, conducts the oral qualifying examination, supervises the dissertation research and writing, and conducts the final oral examination (defense of the dissertation).

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Students commonly specialize in one or more areas of geographical knowledge, such as: geomorphology, climatology, biogeography,  geospatial information systems, remote sensing, demography, economic, political, social, cultural, historical,  regional, and urban geography. However, because geographical knowledge and its associated research questions frequently transcend disciplinary and sub-disciplinary boundaries, students are expected to refine and deepen their research interests further, in consultation with faculty, within, across, and beyond research and teaching areas.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students must, within their first year and with a grade of B or better in each, successfully complete the required graduate core courses (if they were not already completed at the M.A. level). Students that completed the M.A. in the UCLA Geography department must complete an additional three graduate courses, two of which must be graduate geography courses. Students who enter the PhD program with a M.A./M.S. from another department or University must complete at least three graduate geography courses, (excluding core courses, and Geography, 495, and courses in the 500 series) and four upper division or graduate courses in fields (related to the student’s major research area or sub-disciplinary specialization, subject to approval of the guidance committee. One appropriate course must be taken to fulfill the department’s methods requirement, though this requirement can be fulfilled in other ways in consultation with the committee chair. Fulfillment of the methods requirement through other means does not reduce the total number of courses the student is required to complete. Instead, students will be required to complete one course in place of the methods course. All course requirements must be met before the student takes the oral qualifying examination. Each student must in every term of residence enroll in one of the two research group seminars, either Geography 299A or C299B. The courses GEOG 299A and C299B do not count toward the minimum 10-course requirement. The requirement is eight courses for students who earned their MA in Geography at UCLA. With the exception of GEOG 200B, 299A, and C299B all courses must be taken for a letter grade, and a minimum grade of B is required. Quarterly course enrollment plans should be approved by the student’s adviser.

Individual Study Courses. The following rules pertain to individual study courses (Geography 199, 596, 597, 598, 599):

(1) Before enrolling in one of these courses, students must consult with the responsible faculty member and work out a program of study and consultation.
(2) All 500-series courses must be taken for S/U grading only.
(3) Students may enroll in Geography 597, 598, or 599 as often as required.
(4) Individual Study courses do not count toward the minimum course requirement.

Teaching Courses. Geography 495 may not be applied toward course requirements for the Ph.D. degree.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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

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

The goal of the written examinations is to ensure that students develop a command of literature in two subdisciplines or fields of geography and that they are adequately prepared to carry out their dissertation research. Command of that literature is demonstrated through the completion of field statements. Each of the two statements consists of a substantial document prepared over the course of three months. Students who completed their M.A. in the UCLA Geography Department can petition to have their thesis or capstone count as one of their field statements. These petitions are evaluated and approved by the student’s doctoral committee. A third practical examination, significantly shorter in length and completed within 48 hours, assesses the ability of the student to develop a research strategy around a particular geographical problem. The three papers are to be completed no later than the student’s sixth term of residence. Exceptions may be made for students who enter the program without a Geography degree. In case of failure, the student may make one more attempt, but no sooner than three months nor longer than one year after the first examination.

Preparation of the dissertation proposal follows successful completion of the written qualifying examination. The dissertation proposal must specify: the research question, describing in some detail the problem to be studied, its scientific background, an outline of the subject matter; the proposed methods of research; the degree of originality involved; and a timetable for completion of the degree. The dissertation proposal is written in consultation with the official doctoral committee and should be no more than 12,000 words in length. Once the proposal is accepted, significant changes in the project title must be approved by the committee. Committee members should receive the dissertation proposal at least two weeks before the oral qualifying examination.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination is conducted by the appointed doctoral committee and focuses on the dissertation proposal. The maximum length of time permitted between written and oral examinations is six months. Oral examinations will normally be scheduled no later than the end of the quarter following completion of the written examinations. After successfully completing the oral qualifying examination, the student is eligible for advancement to candidacy. In instances of failure, the oral qualifying examination may be repeated once. Students have one year to repeat the examination.

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

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

Students are expected to complete the Ph.D. degree within fifteen academic quarters. Seven calendar years is the maximum time permitted for completion of the degree. Failure to show timely progress toward the degree may result in a departmental recommendation for termination from the graduate program.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	9	15	28

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

Every Spring quarter, the departmental faculty hold a review of all of its graduate students. The purpose of the Spring Review is twofold: first, to provide the faculty with an opportunity to assess the progress toward the degree of every student; and second, to provide every student with that assessment. The criteria are timely completion of coursework with satisfactory grades; timely completion of examinations; timely preparation of thesis/dissertation proposals; satisfactory research progress; and timely completion of the degree. Additionally, regular participation in the EOS (C299B) and SOPHOS (299A) courses is also evaluated. Each year, before the Spring Review faculty meeting, the student should meet with his/her committee members to discuss the student’s progress (a Spring Review form will be sent by the Student Affairs Officer to all students). The student’s advisor brings the results of the discussion to the Spring Review meeting. Hence, it is important that early in the first year, the student begins to construct at least a provisional committee. In the event that a student has not decided on a committee, the Director of Graduate Studies shall, in consultation with the interim advisor, choose a reviewing committee.

The student’s interim adviser or committee chair has the primary responsibility in setting forth the necessary information for the assessment. Other members of the student’s committee, instructors in courses the student has taken, and other faculty may contribute to the appraisal. After discussion, the faculty assess the student’s progress as Favorable, With Reservations, or Unfavorable. The interim adviser or committee chair and the graduate adviser inform the student by letter of the appraisal. The three possible outcomes indicate the following:

Favorable – student is making good progress towards the degree in keeping with the suggested timetables outlined in the Graduate Manual.

With Reservations – student has made some visible progress since the previous Spring Review (for example, has completed additional required coursework, has finished a thesis/dissertation proposal, has passed the written or oral qualifying examinations), but has made insufficient progress overall. For example, the student has well exceeded the suggested timeline for fulfilling requirements, extending their time to degree, or the student needs to make major revisions to their proposed project in order to fulfill their requirement (e.g., thesis/dissertation proposal, written or oral qualifying exam, or dissertation). The committee chair will provide a letter that details the reasons why “With Reservations” was given. This letter will include an individualized academic plan for the student that includes expectations and a timeline for the student to meet until the next Spring Review.

Unfavorable – student has made little, if any, visible progress toward the degree since the last Spring. The committee chair will detail the reasons for the “unfavorable” evaluation and specify steps to rectify the situation in a letter. This letter will include an individualized academic plan for the student that includes expectations and a timeline for the student to meet until the Spring Review. Usually, the student will be asked to complete a specified thesis/dissertation-related task within a given period. Failure to meet this deadline may result in a recommendation for academic disqualification from the program.

The decision to recommend academic disqualification is made by a vote of the faculty in a formal meeting. Appeal of recommendation of academic disqualification is made to the faculty in a formal meeting.