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

Gender Studies

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

The master’s degree program is supervised by a faculty committee. Early in their first year, students are assigned a faculty adviser who assists them with planning their program of study. Students are expected to meet at least once a quarter with their faculty adviser, usually at the beginning of the quarter to have their enrollment plan approved. At the beginning of the second year, students are expected to nominate a three-person master’s thesis committee which requires approval of the program and the Graduate Division. This committee is chaired by the student’s faculty adviser and is responsible for supervision, review, and approval of the master’s thesis.  A staff adviser provides assistance with policy and procedure.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

At least 10 courses (40 units) are required, of which at least eight (32 units) must be graduate courses. Two (four or more units) upper division undergraduate courses may be applied toward the 40 units required. Gender Studies 375, 495, and all courses in the 500-series may not be applied toward the 40-unit minimum requirement for the degree.

Required courses:

Gender Studies 201, 202, and 203 (three core courses; 12 units), plus twenty-eight elective units (seven courses).

Teaching Experience

Not Required.

Field Experience

Not Required.

Capstone Plan

Doctoral students have the option of fulfilling the master’s capstone plan to receive an M.A. degree. The capstone requirement is fulfilled through successful completion of the first written qualifying (breadth) examination for the Ph.D. degree and submission of a 20-page paper, ordinarily one written for a core course, that demonstrates independent thinking and critical and analytical skills. The paper is evaluated by the student’s adviser and either the chair or the graduate chair (or designee) of Gender Studies. This option is available only to doctoral students.

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 complete a master’s thesis under enrollment in Gender Studies 598. The thesis committee consists of three qualified faculty selected from a current list of designated members for the interdepartmental program. The committee must be appointed by the Graduate Division.

Time-to-Degree

Students who enroll full-time are expected to complete the M.A. degree within two years (six quarters) of registration.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	6	6	n/a

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The doctoral degree program is supervised by a faculty committee. Early in their first year, students are assigned a faculty adviser who assists them with planning their program of study. Students are expected to meet at least once a quarter with their faculty adviser, usually at the beginning of the quarter to have their enrollment plan approved. In the third or fourth year, before taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination, the student submits a four-person doctoral committee that requires approval of the program and appointment by the Graduate Division. The doctoral committee is responsible for supervision, review, and approval of the doctoral dissertation.  A staff adviser provides assistance with policy and procedure.

With a focus on responsible research skills, student’s research needs are guided by the faculty adviser to successfully complete their dissertation.  These could include a foreign language, quantitative and other methods of collecting data, IRB, computer technology skills, and/or any other skills that are necessary before advancing to candidacy

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Doctoral students are required to complete 56 units of course work. Gender Studies 375 and 495, and all 500-series courses may not be applied toward the 56-unit minimum course requirement for the degree.

Required courses:

Gender Studies core courses 201, 202, 203 and 204 (16 units). Beyond 201 (Methods in Gender Studies) four units (one course) of additional specialization or training in research methods outside the department is required, and will count toward elective units (should be completed in year two prior to second qualifying exam). An additional forty elective units (ten courses) are required. A maximum of eight units may consist of upper division undergraduate course work and/or graduate transfer credits from previous graduate course work that did not result in a degree.

Teaching assistants must enroll in Gender Studies 375 each quarter they hold a teaching appointment.

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.

Two written qualifying examinations are required: (1) A first-year examination covering general knowledge and current debates in the field of gender studies. This examination is administered by a committee composed of faculty designated by the chair or the graduate chair of Gender Studies. The first-year exam is due the first day of the student’s second year of study; (2) A depth examination covering the student’s area of specialization. Students are expected to have completed the depth exam by Fall Quarter of their third year. Students who fail either of the written qualifying examinations may be permitted to retake them once as determined by the faculty committee.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination is required after completion of the written qualifying examinations, completion of a dissertation proposal, and appointment of a doctoral committee. The oral exam should be taken no later than fall quarter of the student’s fourth year. The four-person doctoral committee is responsible for administering the examination. The oral examination is approximately two hours in length and is focused on the student’s dissertation proposal in relation to the selected specialization. Students who fail the oral qualifying examination may be permitted to retake it once as determined by the doctoral committee.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

Not required.

Time-to-Degree

Students who enroll are expected to complete the Ph.D. degree within six years (eighteen quarters) of registration.

Requirement	Standard Time to Completion
Course Work	Spring Quarter of the third year
First Qualifying Examination	Fall Quarter of the second year
Second Qualifying Examination	Fall Quarter of the third year
Oral Qualifying Examination (Advancement to Candidacy)	Spring Quarter of the third year or Fall Quarter of the fourth year
Dissertation Filed	Within the sixth year

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	10	18	n/a

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 Graduate Committee conducts an annual review of students’ progress toward the degree at the end of spring quarter and makes recommendations regarding continuance or termination. The faculty committee reviews all recommendations and formally approves or rejects any recommendation of termination. A student may appeal the Graduate Committee’s recommendation of termination to the faculty committee in writing prior to their review of the recommendation.

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

Gender Studies

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

The master’s degree program is supervised by a faculty committee. Early in their first year, students are assigned a faculty adviser who assists them with planning their program of study. Students are expected to meet at least once a quarter with their faculty adviser, usually at the beginning of the quarter to have their enrollment plan approved. At the beginning of the second year, students are expected to nominate a three-person master’s thesis committee which requires approval of the program and the Graduate Division. This committee is chaired by the student’s faculty adviser and is responsible for supervision, review, and approval of the master’s thesis.  A staff adviser provides assistance with policy and procedure.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

At least 10 courses (40 units) are required, of which at least eight (32 units) must be graduate courses. Two (four or more units) upper division undergraduate courses may be applied toward the 40 units required. Gender Studies 375, 495, and all courses in the 500-series may not be applied toward the 40-unit minimum requirement for the degree.

Required courses:

Gender Studies 201, 202, and 203 (three core courses; 12 units), plus twenty-eight elective units (seven courses).

Teaching Experience

Not Required.

Field Experience

Not Required.

Capstone Plan

Doctoral students have the option of fulfilling the master’s capstone plan to receive an M.A. degree. The capstone requirement is fulfilled through successful completion of the first written qualifying (breadth) examination for the Ph.D. degree and submission of a 20-page paper, ordinarily one written for a core course, that demonstrates independent thinking and critical and analytical skills. The paper is evaluated by the student’s adviser and either the chair or the graduate chair (or designee) of Gender Studies. This option is available only to doctoral students.

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 complete a master’s thesis under enrollment in Gender Studies 598. The thesis committee consists of three qualified faculty selected from a current list of designated members for the interdepartmental program. The committee must be appointed by the Graduate Division.

Time-to-Degree

Students who enroll full-time are expected to complete the M.A. degree within two years (six quarters) of registration.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	6	6	n/a

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The doctoral degree program is supervised by a faculty committee. Early in their first year, students are assigned a faculty adviser who assists them with planning their program of study. Students are expected to meet at least once a quarter with their faculty adviser, usually at the beginning of the quarter to have their enrollment plan approved. In the third or fourth year, before taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination, the student submits a four-person doctoral committee that requires approval of the program and appointment by the Graduate Division. The doctoral committee is responsible for supervision, review, and approval of the doctoral dissertation.  A staff adviser provides assistance with policy and procedure.

With a focus on responsible research skills, student’s research needs are guided by the faculty adviser to successfully complete their dissertation.  These could include a foreign language, quantitative and other methods of collecting data, IRB, computer technology skills, and/or any other skills that are necessary before advancing to candidacy

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Doctoral students are required to complete 56 units of course work. Gender Studies 375 and 495, and all 500-series courses may not be applied toward the 56-unit minimum course requirement for the degree.

Required courses:

Gender Studies core courses 201, 202, 203 and 204 (16 units). Beyond 201 (Methods in Gender Studies) four units (one course) of additional specialization or training in research methods outside the department is required, and will count toward elective units (should be completed in year two prior to second qualifying exam). An additional forty elective units (ten courses) are required. A maximum of eight units may consist of upper division undergraduate course work and/or graduate transfer credits from previous graduate course work that did not result in a degree.

Teaching assistants must enroll in Gender Studies 375 each quarter they hold a teaching appointment.

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.

Two written qualifying examinations are required: (1) A first-year examination covering general knowledge and current debates in the field of gender studies. This examination is administered by a committee composed of faculty designated by the chair or the graduate chair of Gender Studies. The first-year exam is due the first day of the student’s second year of study; (2) A depth examination covering the student’s area of specialization. Students are expected to have completed the depth exam by Fall Quarter of their third year. Students who fail either of the written qualifying examinations may be permitted to retake them once as determined by the faculty committee.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination is required after completion of the written qualifying examinations, completion of a dissertation proposal, and appointment of a doctoral committee. The oral exam should be taken no later than fall quarter of the student’s fourth year. The four-person doctoral committee is responsible for administering the examination. The oral examination is approximately two hours in length and is focused on the student’s dissertation proposal in relation to the selected specialization. Students who fail the oral qualifying examination may be permitted to retake it once as determined by the doctoral committee.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

Not required.

Time-to-Degree

Students who enroll are expected to complete the Ph.D. degree within six years (eighteen quarters) of registration.

Requirement	Standard Time to Completion
Course Work	Spring Quarter of the third year
First Qualifying Examination	Fall Quarter of the second year
Second Qualifying Examination	Fall Quarter of the third year
Oral Qualifying Examination (Advancement to Candidacy)	Spring Quarter of the third year or Fall Quarter of the fourth year
Dissertation Filed	Within the sixth year

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	10	18	n/a

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 Graduate Committee conducts an annual review of students’ progress toward the degree at the end of spring quarter and makes recommendations regarding continuance or termination. The faculty committee reviews all recommendations and formally approves or rejects any recommendation of termination. A student may appeal the Graduate Committee’s recommendation of termination to the faculty committee in writing prior to their review of the recommendation.

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

Gender Studies

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

The master’s degree program is supervised by a faculty committee. Early in their first year, students are assigned a faculty adviser who assists them with planning their program of study. Students are expected to meet at least once a quarter with their faculty adviser, usually at the beginning of the quarter to have their enrollment plan approved. At the beginning of the second year, students are expected to nominate a three-person master’s thesis committee which requires approval of the program and the Graduate Division. This committee is chaired by the student’s faculty adviser and is responsible for supervision, review, and approval of the master’s thesis. A staff adviser provides assistance with policy and procedure.

Areas of Study

The degree in Gender Studies is intensively interdisciplinary. Students develop areas of specialization in consultation with their faculty advisers. Our students and faculty engage in research on women, gender, and sexuality that intersects with a broad range of fields of knowledge, and the Gender Studies Department maintains formal links to faculty and courses in other departments, programs, and research centers, including African American Studies, American Indian Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Asian American Studies, Center for the Study of Women, Chicana and Chicano Studies, Classics, Communication Studies, Comparative Literature, Disability Studies, Education, English, Film and Television, French and Italian, Geography, German, History, Honors Collegium, Institute for Society and Genetics, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies, Labor and Workplace Studies, Latin American Studies, LGBTQ Studies, Music, Near Eastern Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Social Welfare, Sociology, Urban Planning, and World Arts and Cultures.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

10 courses (40 units) are required, of which at least eight (32 units) must be graduate courses (200 or 400 series). A maximum of two (eight units) upper division undergraduate courses may be applied toward the degree. Gender Studies 375, 495, and all 500-series courses may not be applied toward the degree. All core and elective courses that count toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade.

Required courses: Gender Studies 201, 202, and 203 (three core courses; 12 units), plus 28 elective units (seven courses).

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

Doctoral students have the option of fulfilling the master’s capstone plan to receive an M.A. degree. The capstone requirement is fulfilled through successful completion of the first written qualifying (breadth) examination for the Ph.D. degree. Possible exam outcomes:

• Pass: qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program with immediate eligibility to proceed to the depth exam.
• Re-write: reassessment by a date determined by the Chair in consultation with the Vice Chair, exam committee, and the student’s adviser (usually due by Friday of 9th week in Fall quarter of the student’s second year) on the basis of specific written feedback supplied by the evaluation committee. The re-write option can only be used once.
• Terminal master’s pass: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. The student may finish outstanding course requirements for the master’s degree.
• Fail: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program. Failing to pass results in a recommendation of academic disqualification from the program.

This option is available only to doctoral students.

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 complete a master’s thesis under enrollment in Gender Studies 598. The thesis committee consists of three qualified faculty selected from a current list of designated members for the interdepartmental program. The committee must be appointed by the Graduate Division.

Time-to-Degree

Students who enroll full-time are expected to complete the M.A. degree within two years (six quarters) of registration.

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

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The doctoral degree program is supervised by a faculty committee. Early in their first year, students are assigned a faculty adviser who assists them with planning their program of study. Students are expected to meet at least once a quarter with their faculty adviser, usually at the beginning of the quarter to have their enrollment plan approved. In the third or fourth year, before taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination, the student submits a four-person doctoral committee that requires approval of the program and appointment by the Graduate Division. The doctoral committee is responsible for supervision, review, and approval of the doctoral dissertation. A staff adviser provides assistance with policy and procedure.

With a focus on responsible research skills, student’s research needs are guided by the faculty adviser to successfully complete their dissertation. These could include a foreign language, quantitative and other methods of collecting data, IRB, computer technology skills, and/or any other skills that are necessary before advancing to candidacy.

Areas of Study

The degree in Gender Studies is intensively interdisciplinary. Students develop areas of specialization in consultation with their faculty advisers. Our students and faculty engage in research on women, gender, and sexuality that intersects with a broad range of fields of knowledge, and the Gender Studies Department maintains formal links to faculty and courses in other departments, programs, and research centers, including African American Studies, American Indian Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Asian American Studies, Center for the Study of Women, Chicana and Chicano Studies, Classics, Communication Studies, Comparative Literature, Disability Studies, Education, English, Film and Television, French and Italian, Geography, German, History, Honors Collegium, Institute for Society and Genetics, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies, Labor and Workplace Studies, Latin American Studies, LGBTQ Studies, Music, Near Eastern Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Social Welfare, Sociology, Urban Planning, and World Arts and Cultures.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Doctoral students are required to complete 56 units of course work. Gender Studies 375 and 495, and all 500-series courses may not be applied toward the degree. A maximum of eight units may consist of upper division undergraduate course work and/or graduate transfer credits from previous graduate course work that did not result in a degree.

Required courses:

• Gender Studies core courses 201, 202, 203 and 204 (16 units).
• In addition to 201 (Methods in Gender Studies), four units (one course) of additional specialization or training in research methods outside the department is required, and will count toward the 40 elective units. This course should be completed in year two, prior to the second qualifying exam.
• 40 elective units (10 courses).
• All core and elective courses that count toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade.

Teaching assistants must enroll in Gender Studies 375 each quarter they hold a teaching appointment.

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.

Two written qualifying examinations are required:

(1) A first-year breadth examination covering general knowledge and current debates in the field of gender studies. This examination is administered by a committee composed of faculty designated by the chair or the graduate chair of Gender Studies. The first-year exam is due the first day of the student’s second year of study. Possible exam outcomes:

• Pass: qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program with immediate eligibility to proceed to the depth exam.
• Re-write: reassessment by a date determined by the Chair in consultation with the Vice Chair, exam committee, and the student’s advisor (usually due by Friday of 9th week in Fall quarter of the student’s second year) on the basis of specific written feedback supplied by the evaluation committee. The re-write option can only be used once.
• Terminal master’s pass: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. The student may finish outstanding course requirements for the master’s degree.
• Fail: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program. Failing to pass results in a recommendation of academic disqualification from the program.

(2) A depth examination covering the student’s area of specialization. Students are expected to have completed the depth exam by Fall Quarter of their third year. Students who fail the depth exam may be permitted to retake it once as determined by the faculty committee.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination is required after completion of the written qualifying examinations, completion of a dissertation proposal, and appointment of a doctoral committee. The oral exam should be taken no later than fall quarter of the student’s fourth year. The four-person doctoral committee is responsible for administering the examination. The oral examination is approximately two hours in length and is focused on the student’s dissertation proposal in relation to the selected specialization. Students who fail the oral qualifying examination may be permitted to retake it once as determined by the doctoral committee.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

Not required.

Time-to-Degree

Students who enroll are expected to complete the Ph.D. degree within six years (eighteen quarters) of registration.

Requirement	Standard Time to Completion
Course Work	Spring Quarter of the third year
First Qualifying Examination	Fall Quarter of the second year
Second Qualifying Examination	Fall Quarter of the third year
Oral Qualifying Examination (Advancement to Candidacy)	Spring Quarter of the third year or Fall Quarter of the fourth year at the latest
Dissertation Filed	Within the sixth year

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	10	18	30

 

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

The faculty advisers conduct an annual review of students’ progress toward the degree at the end of spring quarter and make recommendations regarding continuance or academic disqualification. The department Chair and Vice Chair review all recommendations and formally approves or rejects any recommendation of academic disqualification. A student may appeal an academic disqualification according to the guidelines for appeals outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

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

Gender Studies

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

The master’s degree program is supervised by a faculty committee. Early in their first year, students are assigned a faculty adviser who assists them with planning their program of study. Students are expected to meet at least once a quarter with their faculty adviser, usually at the beginning of the quarter to have their enrollment plan approved. At the beginning of the second year, students are expected to nominate a three-person master’s thesis committee which requires approval of the program and the Graduate Division. This committee is chaired by the student’s faculty adviser and is responsible for supervision, review, and approval of the master’s thesis. A staff adviser provides assistance with policy and procedure.

Areas of Study

The degree in Gender Studies is intensively interdisciplinary. Students develop areas of specialization in consultation with their faculty advisers. Our students and faculty engage in research on women, gender, and sexuality that intersects with a broad range of fields of knowledge, and the Gender Studies Department maintains formal links to faculty and courses in other departments, programs, and research centers, including African American Studies, American Indian Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Asian American Studies, Center for the Study of Women, Chicana and Chicano Studies, Classics, Communication Studies, Comparative Literature, Disability Studies, Education, English, Film and Television, French and Italian, Geography, German, History, Honors Collegium, Institute for Society and Genetics, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies, Labor and Workplace Studies, Latin American Studies, LGBTQ Studies, Music, Near Eastern Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Social Welfare, Sociology, Urban Planning, and World Arts and Cultures.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

10 courses (40 units) are required, of which at least eight (32 units) must be graduate courses (200 or 400 series). A maximum of two (eight units) upper division undergraduate courses may be applied toward the degree. Gender Studies 375, 495, and all 500-series courses may not be applied toward the degree. All core and elective courses that count toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade.

Required courses: Gender Studies 201, 202, and 203 (three core courses; 12 units), plus 28 elective units (seven courses).

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

Doctoral students have the option of fulfilling the master’s capstone plan to receive an M.A. degree. The capstone requirement is fulfilled through successful completion of the first written qualifying (breadth) examination for the Ph.D. degree. Possible exam outcomes:

• Pass: qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program with immediate eligibility to proceed to the depth exam.
• Re-write: reassessment by a date determined by the Chair in consultation with the Vice Chair, exam committee, and the student’s adviser (usually due by Friday of 9th week in Fall quarter of the student’s second year) on the basis of specific written feedback supplied by the evaluation committee. The re-write option can only be used once.
• Terminal master’s pass: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. The student may finish outstanding course requirements for the master’s degree.
• Fail: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program. Failing to pass results in a recommendation of academic disqualification from the program.

This option is available only to doctoral students.

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 complete a master’s thesis under enrollment in Gender Studies 598. The thesis committee consists of three qualified faculty selected from a current list of designated members for the interdepartmental program. The committee must be appointed by the Graduate Division.

Time-to-Degree

Students who enroll full-time are expected to complete the M.A. degree within two years (six quarters) of registration.

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

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The doctoral degree program is supervised by a faculty committee. Early in their first year, students are assigned a faculty adviser who assists them with planning their program of study. Students are expected to meet at least once a quarter with their faculty adviser, usually at the beginning of the quarter to have their enrollment plan approved. In the third or fourth year, before taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination, the student submits a four-person doctoral committee that requires approval of the program and appointment by the Graduate Division. The doctoral committee is responsible for supervision, review, and approval of the doctoral dissertation. A staff adviser provides assistance with policy and procedure.

With a focus on responsible research skills, student’s research needs are guided by the faculty adviser to successfully complete their dissertation. These could include a foreign language, quantitative and other methods of collecting data, IRB, computer technology skills, and/or any other skills that are necessary before advancing to candidacy.

Areas of Study

The degree in Gender Studies is intensively interdisciplinary. Students develop areas of specialization in consultation with their faculty advisers. Our students and faculty engage in research on women, gender, and sexuality that intersects with a broad range of fields of knowledge, and the Gender Studies Department maintains formal links to faculty and courses in other departments, programs, and research centers, including African American Studies, American Indian Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Asian American Studies, Center for the Study of Women, Chicana and Chicano Studies, Classics, Communication Studies, Comparative Literature, Disability Studies, Education, English, Film and Television, French and Italian, Geography, German, History, Honors Collegium, Institute for Society and Genetics, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies, Labor and Workplace Studies, Latin American Studies, LGBTQ Studies, Music, Near Eastern Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Social Welfare, Sociology, Urban Planning, and World Arts and Cultures.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Doctoral students are required to complete 56 units of course work. Gender Studies 375 and 495, and all 500-series courses may not be applied toward the degree. A maximum of eight units may consist of upper division undergraduate course work and/or graduate transfer credits from previous graduate course work that did not result in a degree.

Required courses:

• Gender Studies core courses 201, 202, 203 and 204 (16 units).
• In addition to 201 (Methods in Gender Studies), four units (one course) of additional specialization or training in research methods outside the department is required, and will count toward the 40 elective units. This course should be completed in year two, prior to the second qualifying exam.
• 40 elective units (10 courses).
• All core and elective courses that count toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade.

Teaching assistants must enroll in Gender Studies 375 each quarter they hold a teaching appointment.

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.

Two written qualifying examinations are required:

(1) A first-year breadth examination covering general knowledge and current debates in the field of gender studies. This examination is administered by a committee composed of faculty designated by the chair or the graduate chair of Gender Studies. The first-year exam is due the first day of the student’s second year of study. Possible exam outcomes:

• Pass: qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program with immediate eligibility to proceed to the depth exam.
• Re-write: reassessment by a date determined by the Chair in consultation with the Vice Chair, exam committee, and the student’s advisor (usually due by Friday of 9th week in Fall quarter of the student’s second year) on the basis of specific written feedback supplied by the evaluation committee. The re-write option can only be used once.
• Terminal master’s pass: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. The student may finish outstanding course requirements for the master’s degree.
• Fail: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program. Failing to pass results in a recommendation of academic disqualification from the program.

(2) A depth examination covering the student’s area of specialization. Students are expected to have completed the depth exam by Fall Quarter of their third year. Students who fail the depth exam may be permitted to retake it once as determined by the faculty committee.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination is required after completion of the written qualifying examinations, completion of a dissertation proposal, and appointment of a doctoral committee. The oral exam should be taken no later than fall quarter of the student’s fourth year. The four-person doctoral committee is responsible for administering the examination. The oral examination is approximately two hours in length and is focused on the student’s dissertation proposal in relation to the selected specialization. Students who fail the oral qualifying examination may be permitted to retake it once as determined by the doctoral committee.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

Not required.

Time-to-Degree

Students who enroll are expected to complete the Ph.D. degree within six years (eighteen quarters) of registration.

Requirement	Standard Time to Completion
Course Work	Spring Quarter of the third year
First Qualifying Examination	Fall Quarter of the second year
Second Qualifying Examination	Fall Quarter of the third year
Oral Qualifying Examination (Advancement to Candidacy)	Spring Quarter of the third year or Fall Quarter of the fourth year at the latest
Dissertation Filed	Within the sixth year

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	10	18	30

 

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

The faculty advisers conduct an annual review of students’ progress toward the degree at the end of spring quarter and make recommendations regarding continuance or academic disqualification. The department Chair and Vice Chair review all recommendations and formally approves or rejects any recommendation of academic disqualification. A student may appeal an academic disqualification according to the guidelines for appeals outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

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

Gender Studies

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

The master’s degree program is supervised by a faculty committee. Early in their first year, students are assigned a faculty adviser who assists them with planning their program of study. Students are expected to meet at least once a quarter with their faculty adviser, usually at the beginning of the quarter to have their enrollment plan approved. At the beginning of the second year, students are expected to nominate a three-person master’s thesis committee which requires approval of the program and the Graduate Division. This committee is chaired by the student’s faculty adviser and is responsible for supervision, review, and approval of the master’s thesis. A staff adviser provides assistance with policy and procedure.

Areas of Study

The degree in Gender Studies is intensively interdisciplinary. Students develop areas of specialization in consultation with their faculty advisers. Our students and faculty engage in research on women, gender, and sexuality that intersects with a broad range of fields of knowledge, and the Gender Studies Department maintains formal links to faculty and courses in other departments, programs, and research centers, including African American Studies, American Indian Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Asian American Studies, Center for the Study of Women, Chicana and Chicano Studies, Classics, Communication Studies, Comparative Literature, Disability Studies, Education, English, Film and Television, French and Italian, Geography, German, History, Honors Collegium, Institute for Society and Genetics, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies, Labor and Workplace Studies, Latin American Studies, LGBTQ Studies, Music, Near Eastern Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Social Welfare, Sociology, Urban Planning, and World Arts and Cultures.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

10 courses (40 units) are required, of which at least eight (32 units) must be graduate courses (200 or 400 series). A maximum of two (eight units) upper division undergraduate courses may be applied toward the degree. Gender Studies 375, 495, and all 500-series courses may not be applied toward the degree. All core and elective courses that count toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade.

Required courses: Gender Studies 201, 202, and 203 (three core courses; 12 units), plus 28 elective units (seven courses).

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

Doctoral students have the option of fulfilling the master’s capstone plan to receive an M.A. degree. The capstone requirement is fulfilled through successful completion of the first written qualifying (breadth) examination for the Ph.D. degree. Possible exam outcomes:

• Pass: qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program with immediate eligibility to proceed to the depth exam.
• Re-write: reassessment by a date determined by the Chair in consultation with the Vice Chair, exam committee, and the student’s adviser (usually due by Friday of 9th week in Fall quarter of the student’s second year) on the basis of specific written feedback supplied by the evaluation committee. The re-write option can only be used once.
• Terminal master’s pass: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. The student may finish outstanding course requirements for the master’s degree.
• Fail: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program. Failing to pass results in a recommendation of academic disqualification from the program.

This option is available only to doctoral students.

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 complete a master’s thesis under enrollment in Gender Studies 598. The thesis committee consists of three qualified faculty selected from a current list of designated members for the interdepartmental program. The committee must be appointed by the Graduate Division.

Time-to-Degree

Students who enroll full-time are expected to complete the M.A. degree within two years (six quarters) of registration.

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

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The doctoral degree program is supervised by a faculty committee. Early in their first year, students are assigned a faculty adviser who assists them with planning their program of study. Students are expected to meet at least once a quarter with their faculty adviser, usually at the beginning of the quarter to have their enrollment plan approved. In the third or fourth year, before taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination, the student submits a four-person doctoral committee that requires approval of the program and appointment by the Graduate Division. The doctoral committee is responsible for supervision, review, and approval of the doctoral dissertation. A staff adviser provides assistance with policy and procedure.

With a focus on responsible research skills, student’s research needs are guided by the faculty adviser to successfully complete their dissertation. These could include a foreign language, quantitative and other methods of collecting data, IRB, computer technology skills, and/or any other skills that are necessary before advancing to candidacy.

Areas of Study

The degree in Gender Studies is intensively interdisciplinary. Students develop areas of specialization in consultation with their faculty advisers. Our students and faculty engage in research on women, gender, and sexuality that intersects with a broad range of fields of knowledge, and the Gender Studies Department maintains formal links to faculty and courses in other departments, programs, and research centers, including African American Studies, American Indian Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Asian American Studies, Center for the Study of Women, Chicana and Chicano Studies, Classics, Communication Studies, Comparative Literature, Disability Studies, Education, English, Film and Television, French and Italian, Geography, German, History, Honors Collegium, Institute for Society and Genetics, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies, Labor and Workplace Studies, Latin American Studies, LGBTQ Studies, Music, Near Eastern Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Social Welfare, Sociology, Urban Planning, and World Arts and Cultures.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Doctoral students are required to complete 56 units of course work. Gender Studies 375 and 495, and all 500-series courses may not be applied toward the degree. A maximum of eight units may consist of upper division undergraduate course work and/or graduate transfer credits from previous graduate course work that did not result in a degree.

Required courses:

• Gender Studies core courses 201, 202, 203 and 204 (16 units).
• In addition to 201 (Methods in Gender Studies), four units (one course) of additional specialization or training in research methods outside the department is required, and will count toward the 40 elective units. This course should be completed in year two, prior to the second qualifying exam.
• 40 elective units (10 courses).
• All core and elective courses that count toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade.

Teaching assistants must enroll in Gender Studies 375 each quarter they hold a teaching appointment.

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.

Two written qualifying examinations are required:

(1) A first-year breadth examination covering general knowledge and current debates in the field of gender studies. This examination is administered by a committee composed of faculty designated by the chair or the graduate chair of Gender Studies. The first-year exam is due the first day of the student’s second year of study. Possible exam outcomes:

• Pass: qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program with immediate eligibility to proceed to the depth exam.
• Re-write: reassessment by a date determined by the Chair in consultation with the Vice Chair, exam committee, and the student’s advisor (usually due by Friday of 9th week in Fall quarter of the student’s second year) on the basis of specific written feedback supplied by the evaluation committee. The re-write option can only be used once.
• Terminal master’s pass: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. The student may finish outstanding course requirements for the master’s degree.
• Fail: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program. Failing to pass results in a recommendation of academic disqualification from the program.

(2) A depth examination covering the student’s area of specialization. Students are expected to have completed the depth exam by Fall Quarter of their third year. Students who fail the depth exam may be permitted to retake it once as determined by the faculty committee.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination is required after completion of the written qualifying examinations, completion of a dissertation proposal, and appointment of a doctoral committee. The oral exam should be taken no later than fall quarter of the student’s fourth year. The four-person doctoral committee is responsible for administering the examination. The oral examination is approximately two hours in length and is focused on the student’s dissertation proposal in relation to the selected specialization. Students who fail the oral qualifying examination may be permitted to retake it once as determined by the doctoral committee.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

Not required.

Time-to-Degree

Students who enroll are expected to complete the Ph.D. degree within six years (eighteen quarters) of registration.

Requirement	Standard Time to Completion
Course Work	Spring Quarter of the third year
First Qualifying Examination	Fall Quarter of the second year
Second Qualifying Examination	Fall Quarter of the third year
Oral Qualifying Examination (Advancement to Candidacy)	Spring Quarter of the third year or Fall Quarter of the fourth year at the latest
Dissertation Filed	Within the sixth year

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	10	18	30

 

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

The faculty advisers conduct an annual review of students’ progress toward the degree at the end of spring quarter and make recommendations regarding continuance or academic disqualification. The department Chair and Vice Chair review all recommendations and formally approves or rejects any recommendation of academic disqualification. A student may appeal an academic disqualification according to the guidelines for appeals outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

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

Gender Studies

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

The master’s degree program is supervised by a faculty committee. Early in their first year, students are assigned a faculty adviser who assists them with planning their program of study. Students are expected to meet at least once a quarter with their faculty adviser, usually at the beginning of the quarter to have their enrollment plan approved. At the beginning of the second year, students are expected to nominate a three-person master’s thesis committee which requires approval of the program and the Graduate Division. This committee is chaired by the student’s faculty adviser and is responsible for supervision, review, and approval of the master’s thesis. A staff adviser provides assistance with policy and procedure.

Areas of Study

The degree in Gender Studies is intensively interdisciplinary. Students develop areas of specialization in consultation with their faculty advisers. Our students and faculty engage in research on women, gender, and sexuality that intersects with a broad range of fields of knowledge, and the Gender Studies Department maintains formal links to faculty and courses in other departments, programs, and research centers, including African American Studies, American Indian Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Asian American Studies, Center for the Study of Women, Chicana and Chicano Studies, Classics, Communication Studies, Comparative Literature, Disability Studies, Education, English, Film and Television, French and Italian, Geography, German, History, Honors Collegium, Institute for Society and Genetics, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies, Labor and Workplace Studies, Latin American Studies, LGBTQ Studies, Music, Near Eastern Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Social Welfare, Sociology, Urban Planning, and World Arts and Cultures.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

10 courses (40 units) are required, of which at least eight (32 units) must be graduate courses (200 or 400 series). A maximum of two (eight units) upper division undergraduate courses may be applied toward the degree. Gender Studies 375, 495, and all 500-series courses may not be applied toward the degree. All core and elective courses that count toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade.

Required courses: Gender Studies 201, 202, and 203 (three core courses; 12 units), plus 28 elective units (seven courses).

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

Doctoral students have the option of fulfilling the master’s capstone plan to receive an M.A. degree. The capstone requirement is fulfilled through successful completion of the first written qualifying (breadth) examination for the Ph.D. degree. Possible exam outcomes:

• Pass: qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program with immediate eligibility to proceed to the depth exam.
• Re-write: reassessment by a date determined by the Chair in consultation with the Vice Chair, exam committee, and the student’s adviser (usually due by Friday of 9th week in Fall quarter of the student’s second year) on the basis of specific written feedback supplied by the evaluation committee. The re-write option can only be used once.
• Terminal master’s pass: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. The student may finish outstanding course requirements for the master’s degree.
• Fail: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program. Failing to pass results in a recommendation of academic disqualification from the program.

This option is available only to doctoral students.

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 complete a master’s thesis under enrollment in Gender Studies 598. The thesis committee consists of three qualified faculty selected from a current list of designated members for the interdepartmental program. The committee must be appointed by the Graduate Division.

Time-to-Degree

Students who enroll full-time are expected to complete the M.A. degree within two years (six quarters) of registration.

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

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The doctoral degree program is supervised by a faculty committee. Early in their first year, students are assigned a faculty adviser who assists them with planning their program of study. Students are expected to meet at least once a quarter with their faculty adviser, usually at the beginning of the quarter to have their enrollment plan approved. In the third or fourth year, before taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination, the student submits a four-person doctoral committee that requires approval of the program and appointment by the Graduate Division. The doctoral committee is responsible for supervision, review, and approval of the doctoral dissertation. A staff adviser provides assistance with policy and procedure.

With a focus on responsible research skills, student’s research needs are guided by the faculty adviser to successfully complete their dissertation. These could include a foreign language, quantitative and other methods of collecting data, IRB, computer technology skills, and/or any other skills that are necessary before advancing to candidacy.

Areas of Study

The degree in Gender Studies is intensively interdisciplinary. Students develop areas of specialization in consultation with their faculty advisers. Our students and faculty engage in research on women, gender, and sexuality that intersects with a broad range of fields of knowledge, and the Gender Studies Department maintains formal links to faculty and courses in other departments, programs, and research centers, including African American Studies, American Indian Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Asian American Studies, Center for the Study of Women, Chicana and Chicano Studies, Classics, Communication Studies, Comparative Literature, Disability Studies, Education, English, Film and Television, French and Italian, Geography, German, History, Honors Collegium, Institute for Society and Genetics, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies, Labor and Workplace Studies, Latin American Studies, LGBTQ Studies, Music, Near Eastern Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Social Welfare, Sociology, Urban Planning, and World Arts and Cultures.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Doctoral students are required to complete 56 units of course work. Gender Studies 375 and 495, and all 500-series courses may not be applied toward the degree. A maximum of eight units may consist of upper division undergraduate course work and/or graduate transfer credits from previous graduate course work that did not result in a degree.

Required courses:

• Gender Studies core courses 201, 202, 203 and 204 (16 units).
• In addition to 201 (Methods in Gender Studies), four units (one course) of additional specialization or training in research methods outside the department is required, and will count toward the 40 elective units. This course should be completed in year two, prior to the second qualifying exam.
• 40 elective units (10 courses).
• All core and elective courses that count toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade.

Teaching assistants must enroll in Gender Studies 375 each quarter they hold a teaching appointment.

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.

Two written qualifying examinations are required:

(1) A first-year breadth examination covering general knowledge and current debates in the field of gender studies. This examination is administered by a committee composed of faculty designated by the chair or the graduate chair of Gender Studies. The first-year exam is due the first day of the student’s second year of study. Possible exam outcomes:

• Pass: qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program with immediate eligibility to proceed to the depth exam.
• Re-write: reassessment by a date determined by the Chair in consultation with the Vice Chair, exam committee, and the student’s advisor (usually due by Friday of 9th week in Fall quarter of the student’s second year) on the basis of specific written feedback supplied by the evaluation committee. The re-write option can only be used once.
• Terminal master’s pass: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. The student may finish outstanding course requirements for the master’s degree.
• Fail: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program. Failing to pass results in a recommendation of academic disqualification from the program.

(2) A depth examination covering the student’s area of specialization. Students are expected to have completed the depth exam by Fall Quarter of their third year. Students who fail the depth exam may be permitted to retake it once as determined by the faculty committee.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination is required after completion of the written qualifying examinations, completion of a dissertation proposal, and appointment of a doctoral committee. The oral exam should be taken no later than fall quarter of the student’s fourth year. The four-person doctoral committee is responsible for administering the examination. The oral examination is approximately two hours in length and is focused on the student’s dissertation proposal in relation to the selected specialization. Students who fail the oral qualifying examination may be permitted to retake it once as determined by the doctoral committee.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

Not required.

Time-to-Degree

Students who enroll are expected to complete the Ph.D. degree within six years (eighteen quarters) of registration.

Requirement	Standard Time to Completion
Course Work	Spring Quarter of the third year
First Qualifying Examination	Fall Quarter of the second year
Second Qualifying Examination	Fall Quarter of the third year
Oral Qualifying Examination (Advancement to Candidacy)	Spring Quarter of the third year or Fall Quarter of the fourth year at the latest
Dissertation Filed	Within the sixth year

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	10	18	30

 

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

The faculty advisers conduct an annual review of students’ progress toward the degree at the end of spring quarter and make recommendations regarding continuance or academic disqualification. The department Chair and Vice Chair review all recommendations and formally approves or rejects any recommendation of academic disqualification. A student may appeal an academic disqualification according to the guidelines for appeals outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

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

Gender Studies

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

The master’s degree program is supervised by a faculty committee. Early in their first year, students are assigned a faculty adviser who assists them with planning their program of study. Students are expected to meet at least once a quarter with their faculty adviser, usually at the beginning of the quarter to have their enrollment plan approved. At the beginning of the second year, students are expected to nominate a three-person master’s thesis committee which requires approval of the program and the Graduate Division. This committee is chaired by the student’s faculty adviser and is responsible for supervision, review, and approval of the master’s thesis. A staff adviser provides assistance with policy and procedure.

Areas of Study

The degree in Gender Studies is intensively interdisciplinary. Students develop areas of specialization in consultation with their faculty advisers. Our students and faculty engage in research on women, gender, and sexuality that intersects with a broad range of fields of knowledge, and the Gender Studies Department maintains formal links to faculty and courses in other departments, programs, and research centers, including African American Studies, American Indian Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Asian American Studies, Center for the Study of Women, Chicana and Chicano Studies, Classics, Communication Studies, Comparative Literature, Disability Studies, Education, English, Film and Television, French and Italian, Geography, German, History, Honors Collegium, Institute for Society and Genetics, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies, Labor and Workplace Studies, Latin American Studies, LGBTQ Studies, Music, Near Eastern Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Social Welfare, Sociology, Urban Planning, and World Arts and Cultures.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

10 courses (40 units) are required, of which at least eight (32 units) must be graduate courses (200 or 400 series). A maximum of two (eight units) upper division undergraduate courses may be applied toward the degree. Gender Studies 375, 495, and all 500-series courses may not be applied toward the degree. All core and elective courses that count toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade.

Required courses: Gender Studies 201, 202, and 203 (three core courses; 12 units), plus 28 elective units (seven courses).

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

Doctoral students have the option of fulfilling the master’s capstone plan to receive an M.A. degree. The capstone requirement is fulfilled through successful completion of the first written qualifying (breadth) examination for the Ph.D. degree. Possible exam outcomes:

• Pass: qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program with immediate eligibility to proceed to the depth exam.
• Re-write: reassessment by a date determined by the Chair in consultation with the Vice Chair, exam committee, and the student’s adviser (usually due by Friday of 9th week in Fall quarter of the student’s second year) on the basis of specific written feedback supplied by the evaluation committee. The re-write option can only be used once.
• Terminal master’s pass: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. The student may finish outstanding course requirements for the master’s degree.
• Fail: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program. Failing to pass results in a recommendation of academic disqualification from the program.

This option is available only to doctoral students.

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 complete a master’s thesis under enrollment in Gender Studies 598. The thesis committee consists of three qualified faculty selected from a current list of designated members for the interdepartmental program. The committee must be appointed by the Graduate Division.

Time-to-Degree

Students who enroll full-time are expected to complete the M.A. degree within two years (six quarters) of registration.

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

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The doctoral degree program is supervised by a faculty committee. Early in their first year, students are assigned a faculty adviser who assists them with planning their program of study. Students are expected to meet at least once a quarter with their faculty adviser, usually at the beginning of the quarter to have their enrollment plan approved. In the third or fourth year, before taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination, the student submits a four-person doctoral committee that requires approval of the program and appointment by the Graduate Division. The doctoral committee is responsible for supervision, review, and approval of the doctoral dissertation. A staff adviser provides assistance with policy and procedure.

With a focus on responsible research skills, student’s research needs are guided by the faculty adviser to successfully complete their dissertation. These could include a foreign language, quantitative and other methods of collecting data, IRB, computer technology skills, and/or any other skills that are necessary before advancing to candidacy.

Areas of Study

The degree in Gender Studies is intensively interdisciplinary. Students develop areas of specialization in consultation with their faculty advisers. Our students and faculty engage in research on women, gender, and sexuality that intersects with a broad range of fields of knowledge, and the Gender Studies Department maintains formal links to faculty and courses in other departments, programs, and research centers, including African American Studies, American Indian Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Asian American Studies, Center for the Study of Women, Chicana and Chicano Studies, Classics, Communication Studies, Comparative Literature, Disability Studies, Education, English, Film and Television, French and Italian, Geography, German, History, Honors Collegium, Institute for Society and Genetics, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies, Labor and Workplace Studies, Latin American Studies, LGBTQ Studies, Music, Near Eastern Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Social Welfare, Sociology, Urban Planning, and World Arts and Cultures.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Doctoral students are required to complete 56 units of course work. Gender Studies 375 and 495, and all 500-series courses may not be applied toward the degree. A maximum of eight units may consist of upper division undergraduate course work and/or graduate transfer credits from previous graduate course work that did not result in a degree.

Required courses:

• Gender Studies core courses 201, 202, 203 and 204 (16 units).
• In addition to 201 (Methods in Gender Studies), four units (one course) of additional specialization or training in research methods outside the department is required, and will count toward the 40 elective units. This course should be completed in year two, prior to the second qualifying exam.
• 40 elective units (10 courses).
• All core and elective courses that count toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade.

Teaching assistants must enroll in Gender Studies 375 each quarter they hold a teaching appointment.

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.

Two written qualifying examinations are required:

(1) A first-year breadth examination covering general knowledge and current debates in the field of gender studies. This examination is administered by a committee composed of faculty designated by the chair or the graduate chair of Gender Studies. The first-year exam is due the first day of the student’s second year of study. Possible exam outcomes:

• Pass: qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program with immediate eligibility to proceed to the depth exam.
• Re-write: reassessment by a date determined by the Chair in consultation with the Vice Chair, exam committee, and the student’s advisor (usually due by Friday of 9th week in Fall quarter of the student’s second year) on the basis of specific written feedback supplied by the evaluation committee. The re-write option can only be used once.
• Terminal master’s pass: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. The student may finish outstanding course requirements for the master’s degree.
• Fail: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program. Failing to pass results in a recommendation of academic disqualification from the program.

(2) A depth examination covering the student’s area of specialization. Students are expected to have completed the depth exam by Fall Quarter of their third year. Students who fail the depth exam may be permitted to retake it once as determined by the faculty committee.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination is required after completion of the written qualifying examinations, completion of a dissertation proposal, and appointment of a doctoral committee. The oral exam should be taken no later than fall quarter of the student’s fourth year. The four-person doctoral committee is responsible for administering the examination. The oral examination is approximately two hours in length and is focused on the student’s dissertation proposal in relation to the selected specialization. Students who fail the oral qualifying examination may be permitted to retake it once as determined by the doctoral committee.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

Not required.

Time-to-Degree

Students who enroll are expected to complete the Ph.D. degree within six years (eighteen quarters) of registration.

Requirement	Standard Time to Completion
Course Work	Spring Quarter of the third year
First Qualifying Examination	Fall Quarter of the second year
Second Qualifying Examination	Fall Quarter of the third year
Oral Qualifying Examination (Advancement to Candidacy)	Spring Quarter of the third year or Fall Quarter of the fourth year at the latest
Dissertation Filed	Within the sixth year

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	10	18	30

 

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

The faculty advisers conduct an annual review of students’ progress toward the degree at the end of spring quarter and make recommendations regarding continuance or academic disqualification. The department Chair and Vice Chair review all recommendations and formally approves or rejects any recommendation of academic disqualification. A student may appeal an academic disqualification according to the guidelines for appeals outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

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

Gender Studies

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

The master’s degree program is supervised by a faculty committee. Early in their first year, students are assigned a faculty adviser who assists them with planning their program of study. Students are expected to meet at least once a quarter with their faculty adviser, usually at the beginning of the quarter to have their enrollment plan approved. At the beginning of the second year, students are expected to nominate a three-person master’s thesis committee which requires approval of the program and the Graduate Division. This committee is chaired by the student’s faculty adviser and is responsible for supervision, review, and approval of the master’s thesis. A staff adviser provides assistance with policy and procedure.

Areas of Study

The degree in Gender Studies is intensively interdisciplinary. Students develop areas of specialization in consultation with their faculty advisers. Our students and faculty engage in research on women, gender, and sexuality that intersects with a broad range of fields of knowledge, and the Gender Studies Department maintains formal links to faculty and courses in other departments, programs, and research centers, including African American Studies, American Indian Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Asian American Studies, Center for the Study of Women, Chicana and Chicano Studies, Classics, Communication Studies, Comparative Literature, Disability Studies, Education, English, Film and Television, French and Italian, Geography, German, History, Honors Collegium, Institute for Society and Genetics, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies, Labor and Workplace Studies, Latin American Studies, LGBTQ Studies, Music, Near Eastern Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Social Welfare, Sociology, Urban Planning, and World Arts and Cultures.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

10 courses (40 units) are required, of which at least eight (32 units) must be graduate courses (200 or 400 series). A maximum of two (eight units) upper division undergraduate courses may be applied toward the degree. Gender Studies 375, 495, and all 500-series courses may not be applied toward the degree. All core and elective courses that count toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade.

Required courses: Gender Studies 201, 202, and 203 (three core courses; 12 units), plus 28 elective units (seven courses).

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

Doctoral students have the option of fulfilling the master’s capstone plan to receive an M.A. degree. The capstone requirement is fulfilled through successful completion of the first written qualifying (breadth) examination for the Ph.D. degree. Possible exam outcomes:

• Pass: qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program with immediate eligibility to proceed to the depth exam.
• Re-write: reassessment by a date determined by the Chair in consultation with the Vice Chair, exam committee, and the student’s adviser (usually due by Friday of 9th week in Fall quarter of the student’s second year) on the basis of specific written feedback supplied by the evaluation committee. The re-write option can only be used once.
• Terminal master’s pass: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. The student may finish outstanding course requirements for the master’s degree.
• Fail: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program. Failing to pass results in a recommendation of academic disqualification from the program.

This option is available only to doctoral students.

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 complete a master’s thesis under enrollment in Gender Studies 598. The thesis committee consists of three qualified faculty selected from a current list of designated members for the interdepartmental program. The committee must be appointed by the Graduate Division.

Time-to-Degree

Students who enroll full-time are expected to complete the M.A. degree within two years (six quarters) of registration.

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

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The doctoral degree program is supervised by a faculty committee. Early in their first year, students are assigned a faculty adviser who assists them with planning their program of study. Students are expected to meet at least once a quarter with their faculty adviser, usually at the beginning of the quarter to have their enrollment plan approved. In the third or fourth year, before taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination, the student submits a four-person doctoral committee that requires approval of the program and appointment by the Graduate Division. The doctoral committee is responsible for supervision, review, and approval of the doctoral dissertation. A staff adviser provides assistance with policy and procedure.

With a focus on responsible research skills, student’s research needs are guided by the faculty adviser to successfully complete their dissertation. These could include a foreign language, quantitative and other methods of collecting data, IRB, computer technology skills, and/or any other skills that are necessary before advancing to candidacy.

Areas of Study

The degree in Gender Studies is intensively interdisciplinary. Students develop areas of specialization in consultation with their faculty advisers. Our students and faculty engage in research on women, gender, and sexuality that intersects with a broad range of fields of knowledge, and the Gender Studies Department maintains formal links to faculty and courses in other departments, programs, and research centers, including African American Studies, American Indian Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Asian American Studies, Center for the Study of Women, Chicana and Chicano Studies, Classics, Communication Studies, Comparative Literature, Disability Studies, Education, English, Film and Television, French and Italian, Geography, German, History, Honors Collegium, Institute for Society and Genetics, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies, Labor and Workplace Studies, Latin American Studies, LGBTQ Studies, Music, Near Eastern Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Social Welfare, Sociology, Urban Planning, and World Arts and Cultures.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Doctoral students are required to complete 56 units of course work. Gender Studies 375 and 495, and all 500-series courses may not be applied toward the degree. A maximum of eight units may consist of upper division undergraduate course work and/or graduate transfer credits from previous graduate course work that did not result in a degree.

Required courses:

• Gender Studies core courses 201, 202, 203 and 204 (16 units).
• In addition to 201 (Methods in Gender Studies), four units (one course) of additional specialization or training in research methods outside the department is required, and will count toward the 40 elective units. This course should be completed in year two, prior to the second qualifying exam.
• 40 elective units (10 courses).
• All core and elective courses that count toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade.

Teaching assistants must enroll in Gender Studies 375 each quarter they hold a teaching appointment.

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.

Two written qualifying examinations are required:

(1) A first-year breadth examination covering general knowledge and current debates in the field of gender studies. This examination is administered by a committee composed of faculty designated by the chair or the graduate chair of Gender Studies. The first-year exam is due the first day of the student’s second year of study. Possible exam outcomes:

• Pass: qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program with immediate eligibility to proceed to the depth exam.
• Re-write: reassessment by a date determined by the Chair in consultation with the Vice Chair, exam committee, and the student’s advisor (usually due by Friday of 9th week in Fall quarter of the student’s second year) on the basis of specific written feedback supplied by the evaluation committee. The re-write option can only be used once.
• Terminal master’s pass: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. The student may finish outstanding course requirements for the master’s degree.
• Fail: not qualified to progress in the Ph.D. program. Failing to pass results in a recommendation of academic disqualification from the program.

(2) A depth examination covering the student’s area of specialization. Students are expected to have completed the depth exam by Fall Quarter of their third year. Students who fail the depth exam may be permitted to retake it once as determined by the faculty committee.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination is required after completion of the written qualifying examinations, completion of a dissertation proposal, and appointment of a doctoral committee. The oral exam should be taken no later than fall quarter of the student’s fourth year. The four-person doctoral committee is responsible for administering the examination. The oral examination is approximately two hours in length and is focused on the student’s dissertation proposal in relation to the selected specialization. Students who fail the oral qualifying examination may be permitted to retake it once as determined by the doctoral committee.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

Not required.

Time-to-Degree

Students who enroll are expected to complete the Ph.D. degree within six years (eighteen quarters) of registration.

Requirement	Standard Time to Completion
Course Work	Spring Quarter of the third year
First Qualifying Examination	Fall Quarter of the second year
Second Qualifying Examination	Fall Quarter of the third year
Oral Qualifying Examination (Advancement to Candidacy)	Spring Quarter of the third year or Fall Quarter of the fourth year at the latest
Dissertation Filed	Within the sixth year

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	10	18	30

 

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

The faculty advisers conduct an annual review of students’ progress toward the degree at the end of spring quarter and make recommendations regarding continuance or academic disqualification. The department Chair and Vice Chair review all recommendations and formally approves or rejects any recommendation of academic disqualification. A student may appeal an academic disqualification according to the guidelines for appeals outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

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

French and Francophone Studies

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

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

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

See under Doctoral Degree.

Areas of Study

French and Francophone Literatures.

Foreign Language Requirement

During the first two years of study students are expected to make satisfactory progress toward fulfillment of the first foreign language requirement for the doctoral degree (listed under Doctoral Degree). Students who decide not to pursue the doctoral degree and to leave the graduate program must have completed the first foreign language requirement in order to receive the M.A. degree.

Course Requirements

During the first two years of study toward the doctoral degree, students must complete a total of 12 courses taken for a letter grade in the department, including French and Francophone Studies 200 which should be taken as early as possible. These 12 courses fulfill the course requirements for the master’s degree. Nine of the 12 courses must be at the graduate level. No courses in the 500 series may be applied toward the course requirements for the master’s degree.

Students are required to consult with the graduate adviser to ensure full historical coverage of French literature. More information on course requirements is listed under Doctoral Degree.

Although all students are admitted directly into the doctoral program, those who decide not to pursue the doctoral degree and to leave the graduate program must have completed the 12-course requirement above in order to receive the M.A. degree.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

The capstone requirement is met through two reviews, assessing academic performance and other evidence of professional promise. The first review, taken in the third quarter, is meant to be advisory in nature. Students are evaluated by the faculty whose courses they have taken and are provided with suggestions through a follow-up departmental written evaluation. The second review is taken in the sixth quarter and is conducted by a departmental review committee. The second review is based on the following four components:

(1) A submission of three papers written for courses taken during the six quarters and their respective evaluations.
(2) An expanded version of one of the three papers provided by the student prior to the review.
(3) A two- to three-page, single-spaced self-statement outlining the student’s progress and direction of future study.
(4) An oral examination.

Following the second review, students are provided with the committee’s written evaluation which may include a recommendation for continuation and suggestions for future work toward the Ph.D. degree. Students who decide not to pursue the doctoral degree and to leave the graduate program must contact the graduate adviser and make arrangements for the M.A. degree as early as possible, but no later than the second week of the sixth quarter. Students will receive the M.A. degree if they have passed the sixth quarter review and have satisfactorily completed the course, language, and residency requirements as outlined above.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

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

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The department is concerned that students receive advising that is directed toward their individual needs and interests. Students are strongly encouraged to take full advantage of the available guidance and to participate in the department’s intellectual life.

The Director of Graduate Studies 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 (discussed under Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations) are required to consult with the Director before enrolling in courses.

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.

Matriculating students first enter the two-year phase of the doctoral program. Following the sixth-quarter review, a faculty review committee decides on whether to recommend students for admission into the second phase of the doctoral program.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

French and Francophone Literatures.

Foreign Language Requirement

Doctoral candidates are expected to satisfy foreign language and interdisciplinary requirements relevant to their dissertation research. Methods of fulfillment must be discussed beforehand with the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). The two requirements are outlined as follows:

1. The first requirement is a foreign language, other than French, in which the student demonstrates an advanced level of proficiency by (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+; (d) passing, with a grade of B or better, one upper-division or graduate course offered by another language department.
2. The second requirement may be fulfilled by: (a) taking two courses in an intellectual discipline pertinent to the dissertation project, of which at least one must be a graduate course in another department and (with permission of the DGS) one may be an upper division course, with a grade of B or better (these two courses do not necessarily have to be taken within one department or program); (b) demonstrating a proficiency in a second foreign language in ways described for the first foreign language requirement. Alternatively, passing a graduate reading course (courses designated 2G) with a grade of B or better satisfies the second foreign language requirement.

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

Students must complete the language/interdisciplinary requirements before nominating a doctoral committee and taking the qualifying examinations.

Course Requirements

Course work required for the first two years of doctoral study is listed under Master’s Degree. For the third and fourth years of study, students are expected to complete the following course requirements: a minimum of three graduate courses in the department taken for a letter grade; additional courses in the department if recommended by the adviser; and two or more graduate courses outside of the department as recommended by the adviser (these courses may be used to fulfill the language/interdisciplinary requirement).

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 French and Francophone Studies 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 new Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

Students select a doctoral guidance committee no later than the eighth quarter of study. The guidance committee is composed of a chair, generally in the proposed period of specialization, and at least one other faculty member in the department. The committee directs the student up to the doctoral qualifying examinations. Once established, the doctoral guidance committee holds a meeting during which the student proposes a general topic for the dissertation. The student follows the guidance committee’s suggestions for possible additional course work.

Doctoral qualifying examinations take place in two stages:

Stage 1: By the ninth quarters of study, students must consult with their doctoral guidance committee on the preparation of the written qualifying examination, which takes place in the 11th quarter of study. The written qualifying examination consists of two parts. The first part covers the literary history related to the proposed dissertation topic. The second part consists of critical theory relevant to the proposed dissertation topic. Each examination is based on an individual reading list of approximately 15 works, established by the examiner and the candidate. These two four-hour examinations are to be taken within one week and are administered by the guidance committee. A student may attempt one or both parts of this examination a maximum of two times.

Stage 2: The University Oral Qualifying Examination, which takes place in the quarter following the written examination or in the 12th quarter of study, may be taken only after completion of course and language requirements, successful passing of the written examinations, and submission of a dissertation proposal. Prior to this examination, two more members are added to the guidance committee, one from the department, and one from another department. This nominated committee is then submitted to the Graduate Division for formal appointment and becomes the doctoral committee that administers the examination.

Prior to taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination, students submit a dissertation prospectus to every member of the doctoral committee. The prospectus is a descriptive text of approximately 20-30 pages outlining the nature, scope, and significance of the proposed dissertation topic, plus a bibliography. For the preparation of the prospectus, students work in close consultation with the doctoral committee chair. Students are responsible for submitting the prospectus to the committee members within a time frame that is satisfactory to the committee for administering the examination. This two-hour oral examination includes a review and discussion of the dissertation prospectus.

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 following norms and maximums, including time to degree for the M.A. degree, are enforced by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Policy Committee:

Degree Progress	Norm	Maximum
M.A.	Six quarters	Seven quarters
Ph.D. Oral Qualifying Examination	Nine quarters	12 quarters
Ph.D. Dissertation	18 quarters	27 quarters
Total Graduate Study	18 quarters	27 quarters

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	9	18	27

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

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

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

French and Francophone Studies

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 French and Francophone Studies. 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

French and Francophone Literatures.

Foreign Language Requirement

Not required.

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 French 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 French. 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 French and Francophone Studies 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

French and Francophone Literatures.

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 French 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

The following norms and maximums, including time to degree for the M.A. degree, are enforced by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Policy Committee:

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

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

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.