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Program Requirements for Education (Education)
Applicable only to students admitted during the 2018-2019 academic year.
Education
Graduate School of Education and Information Studies
Graduate Degrees
The Department of Education offers the Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree, the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree, the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Education, and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Special Education (with California State University, Los Angeles).
Education
Master of Arts
Advising
When admitted, the student is assigned a faculty adviser within the selected field. The assigned faculty adviser, assisted by the administrative staff of the Office of Student Services, directs all academic affairs for graduate students in the department. Students should meet with their assigned adviser a minimum of once per quarter.
Areas of Study
The M.A. emphases are the following:
Higher Education and Organizational Change. Education training, public policy analysis, research in higher education, and teaching in higher education.
Human Development and Psychology. Developmental studies in education and learning, and instruction.
Social Research Methodology. Advanced quantitative methods, applied methods, evaluation, and qualitative methods.
Social Sciences and Comparative Education. Comparative and international studies, and race, ethnic, and cultural studies.
Foreign Language Requirement
None.
Course Requirements
A minimum of nine upper division and graduate courses (36 units) must be completed in graduate standing although no specific upper division courses are necessary. Six courses (24 units) must be taken in the Education 200 and 500 series; no more than two 500-series courses (eight units) may be applied toward the divisional course minimum and toward the graduate course minimum.
Two research methods courses approved by the faculty adviser must be selected. Additional courses to complete the 36-unit requirement may be selected from offerings in Education and/or other departments with consent of the assigned faculty adviser and consent of division head. An overall grade point average of 3.0 must be maintained.
Students contact the Office of Student Services regarding faculty member(s) to be consulted with respect to enrollment and research opportunities and/or course sequencing in each division or emphasis field.
Teaching Experience
Not required.
Field Experience
Not required.
Capstone Plan
Students take a comprehensive examination. The comprehensive examination is concerned with central topics in the selected division and field of emphasis. Questions are comprehensive in nature and are designed to measure the breadth and depth of knowledge, as well as ability to focus that knowledge on specific problems. The examination is offered twice yearly, once in Fall Quarter and once in Spring Quarter.
Students may be passed, passed with honors, or failed on the examination. Students who fail the examination are given a second opportunity to take the examination in discussion with the student’s adviser and a third opportunity on a two-thirds majority of all divisional faculty voting on this issue. No fourth sitting for the examination is permitted. Students who fail the comprehensive examination, but who have been allowed to retake it, may do so at any scheduled sitting with consent of the divisional faculty.
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.
Before beginning work on the thesis, students must obtain approval of the subject and general plan from the department and from the thesis committee chair. The thesis committee must be formed and a petition for advancement to candidacy for the degree must be filed no later than one quarter prior to completion of course requirements for the degree. The Graduate Division publication, Polices and Procedures for Thesis and Dissertation Preparation and Filing, provide guidance in the final formatting of the manuscript. The department does not require a formal examination for the thesis plan.
Time-to-Degree
From graduate admission to completion of required courses, normal progress is three quarters (one year) for those taking the comprehensive examination and six quarters (two years) for those writing a thesis. The comprehensive examination may be taken during the last quarter of course work or during a quarter subsequent to the completion of course work. Students on the thesis plan prepare the thesis subsequent to the completion of course work. A maximum of seven quarters is permitted for completion of the degree.
| DEGREE | NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters) | NORMATIVE TTD |
MAXIMUM TTD |
| M.A. | 3 | 3 | 7 |
Master of Education
Advising
When admitted, the student is assigned a faculty adviser within the selected field. The assigned faculty adviser, assisted by the administrative staff of the Office of Student Services, directs all academic affairs for graduate students in the department. Students should meet with their assigned adviser a minimum of once per quarter.
Areas of Study
Student Affairs, Teacher Education, and Administrative Credential (Principal Leadership Institute).
Foreign Language Requirement
None.
Course Requirements
A minimum of nine upper division and graduate courses (36 units) must be completed in graduate standing. At least five courses (20 units) must be in the professional education (400) series. A field experience minimally approximating one course is required for all M.Ed. emphases.
For the Student Affairs emphasis, a total of 14 courses (56 units) are required, including seven graduate courses. One Education 596 course may count toward the degree. Education 597 may be taken on an optional basis.
For the Teacher Education and Administrative Credential emphases, no 500-series courses may be applied toward these degrees. State credential requirements will add required course work above the 36-unit requirement, as set forth by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Information regarding specific course requirements in a selected M.Ed. emphasis may be obtained from the Office of Student Services.
Teaching Experience
Teaching Observations and Student Teachings are required for students in the Teacher Education Program if earning the California state teaching credential. To fulfill this requirement, students enroll in Education courses 330A-B-C.
Field Experience
Required for all students. The type of field experience varies depending on the specialization. Examples of the required field experience include observation and participation in K-12 classrooms and administrative offices, student teaching, and internships in student affairs settings at the post-secondary level.
Capstone Plan
Students in the Student Affairs emphasis take a comprehensive exam, offered during spring quarter. The examination consists of a written examination designed to assess comprehension of professional knowledge basic to the selected field of emphasis, including key concepts and principles, major theoretical positions, and fundamental issues and understanding of the broad educational context in which the selected professional field resides.
Information regarding examination foci for the M.Ed. degree in Student Affairs is available from the faculty adviser.
Students may be passed, passed with honors, or failed on the comprehensive examination. Students who fail this examination are given a second opportunity to take the examination at the discretion of the student’s adviser and a third opportunity on a two-thirds majority of all divisional faculty voting on this issue. No fourth sitting for the examination is allowed. Students who fail the comprehensive examination, but who have been allowed to retake it, may do so at any scheduled sitting with consent of the divisional faculty.
Students in the Teacher Education emphasis complete an individual capstone project, known as the inquiry project. The inquiry project process represents the developmental and collaborative philosophical approach of the teacher education program. Students submit essays on various topics ranging from cultural, linguistic, and pedagogical practices in education. The inquiry project is submitted in December or May of the student’s second year.
Students in the Principal Leadership Institute complete and individual capstone project, known as the portfolio. Students address major theories studied in the program and link those theories to the practices in areas of leadership, teaching and learning, equity and access, and professional growth.
The capstone project examination is graded pass, pass with honors, or fail. Students who fail the capstone are given a second opportunity to resubmit it at the discretion of the student’s adviser and a third opportunity on a two-thirds majority vote of all program faculty. No fourth submission is allowed.
Thesis Plan
None.
Time-to-Degree
From graduate admission to completion of required courses, normal progress is one summer session and one year (three quarters) for the Student Affairs Program; one to two years (four to six quarters) for the Teacher Education Program; and two summer sessions and one year (three quarters) for the Principal Leadership Institute. The comprehensive examination may be taken during the last quarter of course work or during a quarter subsequent to completion of course work. A maximum of nine quarters is permitted for completion of a master’s degree.
| DEGREE | NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters) | NORMATIVE TTD |
MAXIMUM TTD |
| M.Ed. | 8 | 8 | 9 |
Doctor of Philosophy
Advising
At the time of admission to the department, the student is assigned a faculty adviser within the selected field. The assigned faculty adviser, assisted by the administrative staff of the Office of Student Services, directs all academic affairs for graduate students in the department. Students are required, as part of their degree requirements, to find a faculty member who agrees to serve as their dissertation chair of the doctoral committee. Students should meet with their assigned adviser a minimum of once per quarter.
Major Fields or Subdisciplines
Urban Schooling; Human Development and Psychology; Higher Education and Organizational Change; Social Research Methodology; Social Sciences and Comparative Education.
Students also may receive specialized interdisciplinary training in culture, brain, and development. Interested students should consult the Center for Culture, Brain and Development website.
Foreign Language Requirement
The department does not have a foreign language requirement for the Ph.D. degree. However, students in the Social Sciences and Comparative Education Division are required to demonstrate reading competence in a language other than English.
Course Requirements
A program of study for a Ph.D. student is determined by the student and the faculty adviser and must conform to division and department requirements. A minimum of 18 courses is required as indicated below. At least 10 of the total courses must be in the 200 series.
(1) A sequential three-quarter research practicum designed to provide an overview of research in the field of study. Students complete a research paper by the end of the sequence.
(2) Five courses from offerings in the student’s selected division.
Division 1: Urban Schooling. Education 220A, 229, 237, 242, 246A, 262B, 262H, 262J, 264, 272, 275, 276, 277, 279, 284, 290.
Division 2: Human Development and Psychology. Education 205, 212A, 212B, 217A, 217B, 217D, 433A, 433B.
Division 3: Higher Education and Organizational Change. Education C209A, 209C, 209D, 221, 234, 235, 238, 239, 249B, 250A, 250B, 250C, 259A, 261F, 263.
Division 4: Social Research Methodology. Education 202, 211A, 211B, 218, 222A, 222B, 222C, 222D, 226, 230A, 230B, 230C, 231A, M231B, 231C, 231D, M231E, 233, 255A, 255B, 255C, 411.
Division 5: Social Sciences and Comparative Education. Education 200A, 204A, 204B, 204C, 204D, 204E, 206A, 208A, 208C, 252B, M253A, 253B, 253C, 253E, 253G, M266, 268, 270, 274, 282, 283.
(3) Three upper division or graduate courses from other academic departments of the University related to the student’s proposed area of research (the cognate).
(4) Appropriate research methods courses to enable demonstration of intermediate/advanced level competence in at least one area of research methodology. This requirement is satisfied by completing four methodology courses as specified in the list approved by the department; the approved list is available in the Office of Student Services.
The remainder of the courses to complete the required total may be chosen by the student; such courses must be in compliance with the selected division’s guidelines and must be approved by the student’s faculty adviser. Divisional course requirements may be waived, under exceptional circumstances, by the division. Students submit a petition, endorsed by their adviser, to the division head. Wherever additional academic background is needed, a faculty adviser may require other course work.
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.
Doctoral Screening Examination. A written examination is taken after completion of appropriate course work determined by the division. This examination is concerned with central topics in the selected division and field of emphasis. Questions are comprehensive in nature and are designed to measure the breadth and depth of knowledge, as well as to focus that knowledge on specific problems.
Students taking the doctoral screening examination ordinarily are not allowed to take more than nine courses before taking the examination. This limit is intended to ensure that students demonstrate basic competencies as early as possible in their doctoral training.
All students admitted to a doctoral program without a master’s degree are required to take the doctoral screening examination.
In a first sitting for this examination, students may be passed with honors, passed at the master’s level (the terminal master’s), or failed. Students passed at the master’s level are given one further opportunity to pass at the doctoral level; students who fail are given a second opportunity to take the examination at the master’s level only.
Students who fail the doctoral screening examination, but who have been allowed to retake the examination, must do so at the next sitting. They can take up to 12 units per quarter until they have successfully completed the examination. Of these 12 units only four may be a doctoral 200- or 400-level course; the remainder must be the 597 course. After satisfying the above requirements, students are eligible to take the following qualifying examinations:
Doctoral Written Qualifying Examination. The examination is offered twice yearly, once in Fall Quarter and once in Spring Quarter. The written qualifying examination tests the core knowledge of the division and emphasis the student has selected. The questions on the examination reflect a research and theoretical orientation. Students may be passed, passed with honors, or failed on this examination. Students who fail this examination are given a second opportunity to take the examination in discussion with the student’s adviser and a third opportunity on a two-thirds majority of all divisional faculty voting on this issue. No fourth sitting for the examination is allowed. Students who fail the doctoral written qualifying examination, but who have been allowed to retake it, should do so at the next scheduled sitting with consent of the divisional faculty.
University Oral Qualifying Examination. The oral examination is conducted by the student’s doctoral committee, which selects topics from both education and the cognate discipline(s) that are related to the student’s written research proposal. On a majority vote of the doctoral committee, the University Oral Qualifying Examination may be repeated once.
Advancement to Candidacy
Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.
Doctoral Dissertation
Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.
Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)
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
From admission to the doctoral program to the written and oral qualifying examinations: three to four years (nine to 12 quarters).
From admission to the doctoral program to the approval of the dissertation prospectus: three to four years (nine to 12 quarters).
From approval of dissertation prospectus to the university oral qualifying examination: same quarter.
A maximum of 21 quarters is permitted for completion of a doctoral degree.
| DEGREE | NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters) | NORMATIVE TTD |
MAXIMUM TTD |
| Ph.D. | 12 | 18 | 21 |
Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination
University Policy
A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for termination of graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing termination of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.
Special Departmental or Program Policy
A student may be recommended for termination either by the Committee on Degrees, Admissions and Standards, or by the faculty of a division or program. The student’s adviser or the program head is given the opportunity to review and respond to a recommendation for termination from the Committee. In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for termination who fails a master’s performance or doctoral screening examination. A student may appeal a decision by the Committee to the dean of the school.