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

Community Health Sciences

School of Public Health

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Community Health Sciences offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Community Health Sciences.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

An adviser is appointed for each new master’s student by the department chair. The student and adviser together agree upon a study list for each academic quarter and any subsequent alterations must be approved by both the adviser and the associate dean of Student Affairs. Students are expected to meet with their advisers each quarter. A departmental guidance committee is established when the student has completed approximately half of the program for the master’s degree. Members of the departmental guidance committee are nominated by the department chair after consultation with the student and the student’s adviser.

An adviser is responsible for the student’s academic progress. Progress is evaluated on an ongoing basis. At the end of each quarter, the associate dean of Student Affairs reviews academic listings of students and notifies them and the advisers when the cumulative grade-point average is below 3.0. Advisers review each case with their advisees and make recommendations to the associate dean of Student Affairs for continuance or dismissal. Students who wish to change advisers must file a petition which must be approved by the new adviser, the department chair, and the associate dean for Student Affairs.

Areas of Study

Consult the graduate adviser.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students must complete at least one year of residence in graduate status at the University of California and 15 courses (60 units), at least five of which must be graduate courses in the 200 or 500 series. Only one 596 course (four units) taken for a letter grade or one 598 course (four units) may be applied toward the total course requirement; only four units of either course may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement. Community Health Sciences 597 may not be applied toward the degree requirements.

Mandatory core courses include Biostatistics 100A, 100B, and Epidemiology 100. Each core course may be waived for students who have taken a similar course elsewhere and can pass the waiver examination. Community Health Sciences 210, 211A-211B, 212, Biostatistics 406, PH 150 or the equivalent, and 24 units of electives are required. Elective courses are selected in consultation with an adviser. Courses numbered in the 400 series may not be used to satisfy the minimum graduate course requirements for the M.S. Courses taken for S/U grading may not be applied toward the degree requirements.

All graduate courses especially designed for programs leading to graduate degrees other than the M.A., M.S., and Ph.D. will be numbered in the 400 series. These may not be used to satisfy the minimum graduate course requirements for M.A. or M.S. degrees.  Students must maintain an average of no less than 3.0 (B) in all courses required or elected during graduate residence at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

If the capstone option is approved, a guidance committee of three faculty members is appointed. A written comprehensive examination on the major area of study must be passed. Students who fail may be reexamined once. The preparation of a major written research report is required, and it must be approved by the guidance committee which also must certify successful completion of all degree requirements.

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.

If the thesis option is approved, a thesis committee is established. The committee approves the thesis prospectus before the student may file for advancement to candidacy. The thesis must be acceptable to the thesis committee.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to award of the degree, normal progress is six academic quarters of enrollment, including quarters enrolled in previous graduate study at a UC campus prior to admission to the School of Public Health. Maximum time allowable from enrollment to graduation is fifteen academic quarters.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.S.	6	6	15

Doctoral Degree

Advising

An academic adviser is assigned to each new student by the head of the department. Student and adviser together agree upon a study list for each academic quarter. The adviser supervises the student’s completion of course work and preparation for the written qualifying examinations, and can, but need not, serve as the Chair of the Guidance Committee appointed at the end of the first year of study.

After being enrolled for three quarters, students file Doctoral Form 1, which designates the membership of the guidance committee. The guidance committee consists of the student’s adviser in the major field, a second faculty member in Community Health Sciences and the student’s adviser in the minor field. Courses to be taken for the minor field are listed on this form. The members of the Guidance Committee must be full-time faculty with appointments in the professorial series (tenure-eligible, in-residence, or acting or emeritus in these series.) The Guidance Committee membership must be approved by the department chair. This committee functions as a group to assist in tailoring the program to the student’s needs and objectives. The student is responsible for informing the committee about the student’s progress, and should also turn to the committee first in the event that special assistance or intervention is required. Hence, the committee should be selected in recognition of its role in promoting the student’s academic progress.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Faculty in the department represent a diversity of disciplines related to community health, such as the social and behavior sciences, nutrition, medicine, and a range of fields of research including health education/promotion, international health, child and family health, public health nutrition, health policy, disaster planning and relief, aging and life course, women’s health, population and reproductive health, and health disparities.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

The following courses are required if the student has not already taken them or their equivalent in the course of the master’s degree or other postgraduate work: Biostatistics 100A, 100B, and 406; Community Health Sciences 210, 211A-211B, 212; Epidemiology 100; Health Policy and Management 100; Environmental Health Sciences 100. These courses do not count toward the minimum course requirements for the doctoral degree.

In addition to any of the above courses not already taken, the student must take a minimum of 48 units in residence in the doctoral program, to include Community Health Sciences 270A-270B and a broad public health course to be approved by the adviser via blue petition. No more than four units may be individual studies course work (Community Health Sciences 596). All doctoral students must enroll in Community Health Sciences 286 (doctoral roundtable) every quarter until they are advanced to candidacy. With the exception of the first quarter of registration as a doctoral student, students may petition to waive out of the seminar for up to two quarters. The doctoral roundtable does not fulfill any of the 48 units required for the doctorate. Courses taken for S/U grading may not be applied toward the degree requirements.

Students minor in a Ph.D. granting department outside of the School of Public Health, in a discipline relevant to community health sciences. Four graduate-level courses (16 units) are required.

Teaching Experience

Teaching experience is recommended but not required for the doctoral degree.

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.

Before advancement to candidacy, all course work must have been completed and the student must pass a written examination administered by the department and an oral qualifying examination in the major field. The written examination may be repeated only once. Additionally, the student must complete the requirements for the minor field and pass an examination administered by the minor department or the minor member of the guidance committee.

After the student has passed the written qualifying examination and completed the minor requirements, and at least one month prior to taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination, a doctoral committee is nominated. The composition of the committee must be approved by the department chair and the Graduate Division. The doctoral committee guides the student’s progress toward completion of the dissertation.

The student is advanced to candidacy and commences work on a dissertation by passing the University Oral Qualifying Examination, which is administered by the doctoral committee. Only the student and the committee members attend this examination; all committee members must be present. The examination may be repeated once if a majority of the committee so recommends.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to award of the degree, normal progress is eighteen academic quarters. Maximum allowable time for the attainment of the degree is 24 academic quarters of enrollment, including quarters enrolled in previous graduate study at a UC campus prior to admission to the doctoral degree program and leaves of absence. It is expected that students will normally complete course work by the end of the third year in residence (nine quarters); complete written and oral examinations and advance to candidacy by the middle of the fourth year in residence (11 quarters); and complete the dissertation and defense by the end of the sixth year (18 quarters).

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

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

Master’s

In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for termination for failure to complete the required course work within seven quarters of matriculation.

Doctoral

In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for termination for failure to maintain a 3.00 grade point average for two consecutive quarters following matriculation into the doctoral program; a second failure of any written qualifying examinations in the major or minor fields; a second failure of either oral examination; or exceeding enrollment time limits.

A student may appeal a recommendation for termination first to the departmental chair, then to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs, and finally to the dean of the school.

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

Community Health Sciences

School of Public Health

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Community Health Sciences offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Community Health Sciences.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

An adviser is appointed for each new master’s student by the department chair. The student and adviser together agree upon a study list for each academic quarter and any subsequent alterations must be approved by both the adviser and the associate dean of Student Affairs. Students are expected to meet with their advisers each quarter. A departmental guidance committee should be established no later than the end of the Fall quarter of the student’s second year. Members of the departmental guidance committee are nominated by the department chair after consultation with the student and the student’s adviser.

The student’s adviser is responsible for supervising the student’s academic progress. Progress is evaluated on an ongoing basis. At the end of each quarter, the associate dean of Student Affairs reviews academic listings of students and notifies them and the advisers when the cumulative grade-point average is below 3.0. Advisers review each case with their advisees and make recommendations to the associate dean of Student Affairs for continuance or academic disqualification. Students who wish to change advisers must file a petition which must be approved by the new adviser, the department chair, and the associate dean for Student Affairs.

Areas of Study

Consult the graduate adviser.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students must complete at least one year of residence in graduate status at the University of California and 15 courses (60 units), at least five of which must be graduate courses in the 200 or 500 series. Only one 596 course (four units) taken for a letter grade or one 598 course (four units) may be applied toward the total course requirement; only four units of either course may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement. Community Health Sciences 597 may not be applied toward the degree requirements. Courses numbered in the 400 series may not be used to satisfy the minimum graduate course requirements for the M.S. Courses taken for S/U grading may not be applied toward the degree requirements.

Mandatory core courses include Biostatistics 100A, 100B, and Epidemiology 100. Each core course may be waived for students who have taken a similar course elsewhere and can pass the waiver examination. Community Health Sciences 210, 211A-211B, 212, Biostatistics 406, PH 150 or the equivalent, and 24 units of electives are required, including at least one methods course, which is to be determined in consultation with the faculty advisor. Elective courses are selected in consultation with an adviser.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

If the capstone option is approved, a guidance committee of three faculty members is appointed. The preparation of a major written research report is required, and it must be approved by the guidance committee, which also must certify successful completion of all degree requirements.

In addition to the major written research report, the student must pass the Department comprehensive examination. Students who fail the Department comprehensive examination may be reexamined once.

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.

If the thesis option is approved, a thesis committee is established. The committee approves the thesis prospectus before the student may file for advancement to candidacy. The thesis must be acceptable to the thesis committee.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to award of the degree, normal progress is six academic quarters of enrollment, including quarters enrolled in previous graduate study at a UC campus prior to admission to the School of Public Health. Maximum time allowable from enrollment to graduation is fifteen academic quarters.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.S.	6	6	15

Doctoral Degree

Advising

An academic adviser is assigned to each new student by the head of the department. Student and adviser together agree upon a study list for each academic quarter. The adviser supervises the student’s completion of course work and preparation for the written qualifying examinations, and can, but need not, serve as the Chair of the Guidance Committee appointed at the end of the first year of study.

After being enrolled for three quarters, students file Doctoral Form 1, which designates the membership of the guidance committee. The guidance committee consists of the student’s adviser in the major field, a second faculty member in Community Health Sciences, and the student’s minor field adviser, who administers the student’s minor exam. The minor field adviser is an outside member who is approved by the department chair and is in communication with the other members of the student’s guidance committee about the student’s progress. Courses to be taken for the minor field are listed on Doctoral Form 1. The members of the Guidance Committee must be full-time faculty with appointments in the professorial series (tenure-eligible, in-residence, or acting or emeritus in these series). The Guidance Committee membership must be approved by the department chair. This committee is distinct from the student’s Doctoral Committee and functions as a group to assist in tailoring the program to the student’s needs and objectives prior to the oral qualifying examination (defense of the proposal for the dissertation). The student is responsible for informing the committee about the student’s progress, and should also turn to the committee first in the event that special assistance or intervention is required. Hence, the committee should be selected in recognition of its role in promoting the student’s academic progress.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Faculty in the department represent a diversity of disciplines related to community health, such as the social and behavior sciences, nutrition, medicine, and a range of fields of research including health education/promotion, international health, child and family health, public health nutrition, health policy, disaster planning and relief, aging and life course, women’s health, population and reproductive health, and health disparities.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students must complete 48 units in residence in the doctoral program, to include Community Health Sciences 270A-270B and Community Health Sciences 219 and a broad public health course to be approved by the adviser. No more than four units may be individual studies course work (Community Health Sciences 596). All doctoral students must enroll in Community Health Sciences 286 (doctoral roundtable) every quarter until they are advanced to candidacy. With the exception of the first quarter of registration as a doctoral student, students may petition to waive out of the doctoral roundtable for up to two quarters. The doctoral roundtable does not fulfill any of the 48 units required for the doctorate. Courses taken for S/U grading may not be applied toward the degree requirements.

Students must also complete four graduate-level courses (16 units) in a Ph.D. granting department outside of the School of Public Health, in a discipline relevant to community health sciences. These courses should provide a theoretical foundation and therefore may not be in methodology or statistics. Students must consult with their advisers before selecting these courses. Final approval rests with the Department Chair/Vice Chair. These 16 units may be used to fulfill the 48 units required for the doctoral degree.

In addition to the courses listed above, students who have not taken the following courses (or their equivalent) are required to do so: Biostatistics 100A, 100B, and 406, CHS 212, and Epi 100. If the student does not have a master’s degree in public health, the following courses are also required: CHS 210, 211A, and 211B. These courses do not count toward the 48 units required for the doctoral degree.

Teaching Experience

Teaching experience is recommended but not required for the doctoral degree.

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.

Before advancement to candidacy, all course work must have been completed and the student must pass the second year comprehensive examination administered by the department and the University Oral Qualifying Examination, which is a defense of the proposal for the dissertation. The second year comprehensive examination may be repeated only once. Additionally, the student must complete a minor field written examination related to the coursework they have completed in a Ph.D. granting department outside FSPH, with the outside member of the guidance committee.

After the student has passed the second year comprehensive examination and completed the minor field written examination, and at least one month prior to taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination, a doctoral committee is nominated. The composition of the committee must be approved by the department chair and the Graduate Division. The doctoral committee guides the student’s progress toward completion of the dissertation.

The student is advanced to candidacy and commences work on a dissertation by passing the University Oral Qualifying Examination, which is administered by the doctoral committee. Students usually take this examination by the middle of the fourth year of study. Only the student and the committee members attend this examination; all committee members must be present. If the student fails, the examination may be repeated once if a majority of the committee so recommends. If the student fails the oral qualifying examination a second time, they will be recommended for academic disqualification.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to award of the degree, normal progress is eighteen academic quarters. Maximum allowable time for the attainment of the degree is 24 academic quarters of enrollment, including quarters enrolled in previous graduate study at a UC campus prior to admission to the doctoral degree program and leaves of absence. It is expected that students will normally complete course work by the end of the third year in residence (nine quarters); complete written and oral examinations and advance to candidacy by the middle of the fourth year in residence (12 quarters); and complete the dissertation and defense by the end of the sixth year (18 quarters).

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

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

Master’s
In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for academic disqualification for failure to complete the required course work within seven quarters of matriculation.

Doctoral
In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for academic disqualification for failure to maintain a 3.00 grade point average for two consecutive quarters following matriculation into the doctoral program; a second failure of either the second year comprehensive examination or the minor field written examination; a second failure of either the oral qualifying examination or the final oral examination; or exceeding enrollment time limits.

A student may appeal a recommendation for academic disqualification first to the departmental chair, then to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs, and finally to the dean of the school.

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

Community Health Sciences

School of Public Health

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Community Health Sciences offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Community Health Sciences.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

An adviser is appointed for each new master’s student by the department chair. The student and adviser together agree upon a study list for each academic quarter and any subsequent alterations must be approved by both the adviser and the associate dean of Student Affairs. Students are expected to meet with their advisers each quarter. A departmental guidance committee should be established no later than the end of the Fall quarter of the student’s second year. Members of the departmental guidance committee are nominated by the department chair after consultation with the student and the student’s adviser.

The student’s adviser is responsible for supervising the student’s academic progress. Progress is evaluated on an ongoing basis. At the end of each quarter, the associate dean of Student Affairs reviews academic listings of students and notifies them and the advisers when the cumulative grade-point average is below 3.0. Advisers review each case with their advisees and make recommendations to the associate dean of Student Affairs for continuance or academic disqualification. Students who wish to change advisers must file a petition which must be approved by the new adviser, the department chair, and the associate dean for Student Affairs.

Areas of Study

Consult the graduate adviser.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 15 courses (60 units), at least five of which must be graduate courses in the 200 or 500 series. Only one 596 course (four units) taken for a letter grade or one 598 course (four units) taken for a S/U grade may be applied toward the total course requirement; only four units of either course may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement. Community Health Sciences 597 may not be applied toward the degree requirements. Courses taken for S/U grading, with the exception of 598 once for four units, may not be applied toward the degree requirements.

Mandatory core courses include Biostatistics 100A, 100B, and Epidemiology 100. Each core course may be waived for students who have taken a similar course elsewhere and can pass the waiver examination. Community Health Sciences 210, 211A-211B, 212, Biostatistics 406, PH 201 or the equivalent, and 24 units of electives are required, including at least one methods course, which is to be determined in consultation with the faculty advisor. Elective courses are selected in consultation with an adviser.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

If the capstone option is approved, the student works closely with his/her faculty advisor or another CHS faculty member (by blue petition) in selecting a topic and preparing a major written report. The preparation of a major written research report is required, and it must be approved by the designated faculty member, which also must certify successful completion of all degree requirements.

In addition to the major written research report, the student must pass the Department comprehensive examination. Students who fail the Department comprehensive examination may be reexamined once.

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.

If the thesis option is approved, a thesis committee is established. The committee approves the thesis prospectus before the student may file for advancement to candidacy. The thesis must be acceptable to the thesis committee.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to award of the degree, normal progress is six academic quarters of enrollment, including quarters enrolled in previous graduate study at a UC campus prior to admission to the School of Public Health. Maximum time allowable from enrollment to graduation is fifteen academic quarters.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.S.	6	6	15

Doctoral Degree

Advising

An academic adviser is assigned to each new student by the head of the department. Student and adviser together agree upon a study list for each academic quarter. The adviser supervises the student’s completion of course work and preparation for the written qualifying examinations, and can, but need not, serve as the Chair of the Guidance Committee appointed at the end of the first year of study.

After being enrolled for six quarters, students file Doctoral Form 1, which designates the membership of the guidance committee. The guidance committee consists of the student’s adviser in the major field, a second faculty member in Community Health Sciences, and the student’s minor field adviser, who administers the student’s minor exam. The minor field adviser is an outside member who is approved by the department chair and is in communication with the other members of the student’s guidance committee about the student’s progress. Courses to be taken for the minor field are listed on Doctoral Form 1. The members of the Guidance Committee must be full-time faculty with appointments in the professorial series (tenure-eligible, in-residence, or acting or emeritus in these series). The Guidance Committee membership must be approved by the department chair. This committee is distinct from the student’s Doctoral Committee and functions as a group to assist in tailoring the program to the student’s needs and objectives prior to the oral qualifying examination (defense of the proposal for the dissertation). The student is responsible for informing the committee about the student’s progress, and should also turn to the committee first in the event that special assistance or intervention is required. Hence, the committee should be selected in recognition of its role in promoting the student’s academic progress.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Faculty in the department represent a diversity of disciplines related to community health, such as the social and behavior sciences, nutrition, medicine, and a range of fields of research including health education/promotion, international health, child and family health, public health nutrition, health policy, disaster planning and relief, aging and life course, women’s health, population and reproductive health, and health disparities.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students must complete 48 units in residence in the doctoral program, to include Community Health Sciences 270A-270B and Community Health Sciences 219 and Public Health 201. If the student has a degree from a CEPH accredited school of public health, they are not required to take PH 201, but instead take a broad public health course, approved by the adviser. No more than four units may be individual studies course work (Community Health Sciences 596). All doctoral students must enroll in Community Health Sciences 286 (doctoral roundtable) every quarter for the first two years of doctoral study. The doctoral roundtable does not fulfill any of the 48 units required for the doctorate. Courses taken for S/U grading may not be applied toward the degree requirements.

Students must also complete four graduate-level courses (16 units) in a Ph.D. granting department outside of the School of Public Health, in a discipline relevant to community health sciences. These courses should provide a theoretical foundation and therefore may not be in methodology or statistics. Students must consult with their advisers before selecting these courses. Final approval rests with the Department Chair/Vice Chair. These 16 units may be used to fulfill the 48 units required for the doctoral degree.

In addition to the courses listed above, students who have not taken the following courses (or their equivalent) are required to do so: Biostatistics 100B, and 406, CHS 212, and an epidemiology course. If the student does not have a master’s degree in public health, the following courses are also required: Biostatistics 100A, Epi 100, CHS 210, 211A, and 211B. If the student has a master’s degree in public health, but not in community health sciences, the following course is also required: CHS 210. These courses do not count toward the 48 units required for the doctoral degree.

Teaching Experience

Teaching experience is recommended but not required for the doctoral degree.

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.

Before advancement to candidacy, all course work must have been completed and the student must pass the second year comprehensive examination administered by the department and the University Oral Qualifying Examination, which is a defense of the proposal for the dissertation. The second year comprehensive examination may be repeated only once. Additionally, the student must complete a minor field written examination related to the coursework they have completed in a Ph.D. granting department outside FSPH, with the outside member of the guidance committee.

After the student has passed the second year comprehensive examination and completed the minor field written examination, and at least one month prior to taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination, a doctoral committee is nominated. The composition of the committee must be approved by the department chair and the Graduate Division. The doctoral committee guides the student’s progress toward completion of the dissertation.

The student is advanced to candidacy and commences work on a dissertation by passing the University Oral Qualifying Examination, which is administered by the doctoral committee. Students usually take this examination by the middle of the fourth year of study. Only the student and the committee members attend this examination; all committee members must be present. If the student fails, the examination may be repeated once if a majority of the committee so recommends. If the student fails the oral qualifying examination a second time, they will be recommended for academic disqualification.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to award of the degree, normal progress is eighteen academic quarters. Maximum allowable time for the attainment of the degree is 24 academic quarters of enrollment, including quarters enrolled in previous graduate study at a UC campus prior to admission to the doctoral degree program and leaves of absence. It is expected that students will normally complete course work by the end of the third year in residence (nine quarters); complete written and oral examinations and advance to candidacy by the middle of the fourth year in residence (12 quarters); and complete the dissertation and defense by the end of the sixth year (18 quarters).

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 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 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

Master’s
In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for academic disqualification for failure to complete the required course work within seven quarters of matriculation.

Doctoral
In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for academic disqualification for failure to maintain a 3.00 grade point average for two consecutive quarters following matriculation into the doctoral program; a second failure of either the second year comprehensive examination or the minor field written examination; a second failure of either the oral qualifying examination or the final oral examination; or exceeding enrollment time limits.

A student may appeal a recommendation for academic disqualification first to the departmental chair, then to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs, and finally to the dean of the school.

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

Community Health Sciences

School of Public Health

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Community Health Sciences offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Community Health Sciences.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

An adviser is appointed for each new master’s student by the department chair. The student and adviser together agree upon a study list for each academic quarter and any subsequent alterations must be approved by both the adviser and the associate dean of Student Affairs. Students are expected to meet with their advisers each quarter. A departmental guidance committee should be established no later than the end of the Fall quarter of the student’s second year. Members of the departmental guidance committee are nominated by the department chair after consultation with the student and the student’s adviser.

The student’s adviser is responsible for supervising the student’s academic progress. Progress is evaluated on an ongoing basis. At the end of each quarter, the associate dean of Student Affairs reviews academic listings of students and notifies them and the advisers when the cumulative grade-point average is below 3.0. Advisers review each case with their advisees and make recommendations to the associate dean of Student Affairs for continuance or academic disqualification. Students who wish to change advisers must file a petition which must be approved by the new adviser, the department chair, and the associate dean for Student Affairs.

Areas of Study

Consult the graduate adviser.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 15 courses (60 units), at least five of which must be graduate courses in the 200 or 500 series. Only one 596 course (four units) taken for a letter grade or one 598 course (four units) taken for a S/U grade may be applied toward the total course requirement; only four units of either course may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement. Community Health Sciences 597 may not be applied toward the degree requirements. Courses taken for S/U grading, with the exception of 598 once for four units, may not be applied toward the degree requirements.

Mandatory core courses include Biostatistics 100A, 100B, and Epidemiology 100. Each core course may be waived for students who have taken a similar course elsewhere and can pass the waiver examination. Community Health Sciences 210, 211A-211B, 212, Biostatistics 406, PH 201 or the equivalent, and 24 units of electives are required. Elective courses are selected in consultation with an adviser.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

If the capstone option is approved, the student works closely with his/her faculty advisor or another CHS faculty member (by blue petition) in selecting a topic and preparing a major written report. The preparation of a major written research report is required, and it must be approved by the designated faculty member, which also must certify successful completion of all degree requirements.

In addition to the major written research report, the student must pass the Department comprehensive examination. Students who fail the Department comprehensive examination may be reexamined once.

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.

If the thesis option is approved, a thesis committee is established. The committee approves the thesis prospectus before the student may file for advancement to candidacy. The thesis must be acceptable to the thesis committee.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to award of the degree, normal progress is six academic quarters of enrollment, including quarters enrolled in previous graduate study at a UC campus prior to admission to the School of Public Health. Maximum time allowable from enrollment to graduation is fifteen academic quarters.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.S.	6	6	15

Doctoral Degree

Advising

An academic adviser is assigned to each new student by the head of the department. Student and adviser together agree upon a study list for each academic quarter. The adviser supervises the student’s completion of course work and preparation for the written qualifying examinations, and can, but need not, serve as the Chair of the Guidance Committee appointed at the end of the first year of study.

After being enrolled for six quarters, students file Doctoral Form 1, which designates the membership of the guidance committee. The guidance committee consists of the student’s adviser in the major field, a second faculty member in Community Health Sciences, and the student’s minor field adviser, who administers the student’s minor exam. The minor field adviser is an outside member who is approved by the department chair and is in communication with the other members of the student’s guidance committee about the student’s progress. Courses to be taken for the minor field are listed on Doctoral Form 1. The members of the Guidance Committee must be full-time faculty with appointments in the professorial series (tenure-eligible, in-residence, or acting or emeritus in these series). The Guidance Committee membership must be approved by the department chair. This committee is distinct from the student’s Doctoral Committee and functions as a group to assist in tailoring the program to the student’s needs and objectives prior to the oral qualifying examination (defense of the proposal for the dissertation). The student is responsible for informing the committee about the student’s progress, and should also turn to the committee first in the event that special assistance or intervention is required. Hence, the committee should be selected in recognition of its role in promoting the student’s academic progress.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Faculty in the department represent a diversity of disciplines related to community health, such as the social and behavior sciences, nutrition, medicine, and a range of fields of research including health education/promotion, international health, child and family health, public health nutrition, health policy, disaster planning and relief, aging and life course, women’s health, population and reproductive health, and health disparities.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students must complete 48 units in residence in the doctoral program, to include Community Health Sciences 270A-270B and Community Health Sciences 219 and Public Health 201. If the student has a degree from a CEPH accredited school of public health, they are not required to take PH 201, but instead take a broad public health course, approved by the adviser. No more than four units may be individual studies course work (Community Health Sciences 596). All doctoral students must enroll in Community Health Sciences 286 (doctoral roundtable) every quarter for the first two years of doctoral study. The doctoral roundtable does not fulfill any of the 48 units required for the doctorate. Courses taken for S/U grading may not be applied toward the degree requirements.

Students must also complete four graduate-level courses (16 units) in a Ph.D. granting department outside of the School of Public Health, in a discipline relevant to community health sciences. These courses should provide a theoretical foundation and therefore may not be in methodology or statistics. Students must consult with their advisers before selecting these courses. Final approval rests with the Department Chair/Vice Chair. These 16 units may be used to fulfill the 48 units required for the doctoral degree.

In addition to the courses listed above, students who have not taken the following courses (or their equivalent) are required to do so: Biostatistics 100B, and 406, CHS 212, and an epidemiology course. If the student does not have a master’s degree in public health, the following courses are also required: Biostatistics 100A, Epi 100, CHS 210, 211A, and 211B. If the student has a master’s degree in public health, but not in community health sciences, the following course is also required: CHS 210. These courses do not count toward the 48 units required for the doctoral degree.

Teaching Experience

Teaching experience is recommended but not required for the doctoral degree.

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.

Before advancement to candidacy, all course work must have been completed and the student must pass the second year comprehensive examination administered by the department and the University Oral Qualifying Examination, which is a defense of the proposal for the dissertation. The second year comprehensive examination may be repeated only once. Additionally, the student must complete a minor field written examination related to the coursework they have completed in a Ph.D. granting department outside FSPH, with the outside member of the guidance committee.

After the student has passed the second year comprehensive examination and completed the minor field written examination, and at least one month prior to taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination, a doctoral committee is nominated. The composition of the committee must be approved by the department chair and the Graduate Division. The doctoral committee guides the student’s progress toward completion of the dissertation.

The student is advanced to candidacy and commences work on a dissertation by passing the University Oral Qualifying Examination, which is administered by the doctoral committee. Students usually take this examination by the middle of the fourth year of study. Only the student and the committee members attend this examination; all committee members must be present. If the student fails, the examination may be repeated once if a majority of the committee so recommends. If the student fails the oral qualifying examination a second time, they will be recommended for academic disqualification.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to award of the degree, normal progress is eighteen academic quarters. Maximum allowable time for the attainment of the degree is 24 academic quarters of enrollment, including quarters enrolled in previous graduate study at a UC campus prior to admission to the doctoral degree program and leaves of absence. It is expected that students will normally complete course work by the end of the third year in residence (nine quarters); complete written and oral examinations and advance to candidacy by the middle of the fourth year in residence (12 quarters); and complete the dissertation and defense by the end of the sixth year (18 quarters).

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 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 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

Master’s
In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for academic disqualification for failure to complete the required course work within seven quarters of matriculation.

Doctoral
In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for academic disqualification for failure to maintain a 3.00 grade point average for two consecutive quarters following matriculation into the doctoral program; a second failure of either the second year comprehensive examination or the minor field written examination; a second failure of either the oral qualifying examination or the final oral examination; or exceeding enrollment time limits.

A student may appeal a recommendation for academic disqualification first to the departmental chair, then to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs, and finally to the dean of the school.

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

Community Health Sciences

School of Public Health

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Community Health Sciences offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Community Health Sciences.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

An adviser is appointed for each new master’s student by the department chair. The student and adviser together agree upon a study list for each academic quarter and any subsequent alterations must be approved by both the adviser and the associate dean of Student Affairs. Students are expected to meet with their advisers each quarter. A departmental guidance committee should be established no later than the end of the Fall quarter of the student’s second year. Members of the departmental guidance committee are nominated by the department chair after consultation with the student and the student’s adviser.

The student’s adviser is responsible for supervising the student’s academic progress. Progress is evaluated on an ongoing basis. At the end of each quarter, the associate dean of Student Affairs reviews academic listings of students and notifies them and the advisers when the cumulative grade-point average is below 3.0. Advisers review each case with their advisees and make recommendations to the associate dean of Student Affairs for continuance or academic disqualification. Students who wish to change advisers must file a petition which must be approved by the new adviser, the department chair, and the associate dean for Student Affairs.

Areas of Study

Consult the graduate adviser.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 15 courses (60 units), at least five of which must be graduate courses in the 200 or 500 series. Only one 596 course (four units) taken for a letter grade or one 598 course (four units) taken for a S/U grade may be applied toward the total course requirement; only four units of either course may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement. Community Health Sciences 597 may not be applied toward the degree requirements. Courses taken for S/U grading, with the exception of 598 once for four units, may not be applied toward the degree requirements.

Mandatory core courses include Biostatistics 100A, 100B, and Epidemiology 100. Each core course may be waived for students who have taken a similar course elsewhere and can pass the waiver examination. Community Health Sciences 210, 211A-211B, 212, Biostatistics 406, PH 201 or the equivalent, and 24 units of electives are required. Elective courses are selected in consultation with an adviser.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

If the capstone option is approved, the student works closely with his/her faculty advisor or another CHS faculty member (by blue petition) in selecting a topic and preparing a major written report. The preparation of a major written research report is required, and it must be approved by the designated faculty member, which also must certify successful completion of all degree requirements.

In addition to the major written research report, the student must pass the Department comprehensive examination. Students who fail the Department comprehensive examination may be reexamined once.

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.

If the thesis option is approved, a thesis committee is established. The committee approves the thesis prospectus before the student may file for advancement to candidacy. The thesis must be acceptable to the thesis committee.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to award of the degree, normal progress is six academic quarters of enrollment, including quarters enrolled in previous graduate study at a UC campus prior to admission to the School of Public Health. Maximum time allowable from enrollment to graduation is fifteen academic quarters.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.S.	6	6	15

Doctoral Degree

Advising

An academic adviser is assigned to each new student by the head of the department. Student and adviser together agree upon a study list for each academic quarter. The adviser supervises the student’s completion of course work and preparation for the written qualifying examinations, and can, but need not, serve as the Chair of the Guidance Committee appointed at the end of the first year of study.

After being enrolled for six quarters, students file Doctoral Form 1, which designates the membership of the guidance committee. The guidance committee consists of the student’s adviser in the major field, a second faculty member in Community Health Sciences, and the student’s minor field adviser, who administers the student’s minor exam. The minor field adviser is an outside member who is approved by the department chair and is in communication with the other members of the student’s guidance committee about the student’s progress. Courses to be taken for the minor field are listed on Doctoral Form 1. The members of the Guidance Committee must be full-time faculty with appointments in the professorial series (tenure-eligible, in-residence, or acting or emeritus in these series). The Guidance Committee membership must be approved by the department chair. This committee is distinct from the student’s Doctoral Committee and functions as a group to assist in tailoring the program to the student’s needs and objectives prior to the oral qualifying examination (defense of the proposal for the dissertation). The student is responsible for informing the committee about the student’s progress, and should also turn to the committee first in the event that special assistance or intervention is required. Hence, the committee should be selected in recognition of its role in promoting the student’s academic progress.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Faculty in the department represent a diversity of disciplines related to community health, such as the social and behavior sciences, nutrition, medicine, and a range of fields of research including health education/promotion, international health, child and family health, public health nutrition, health policy, disaster planning and relief, aging and life course, women’s health, population and reproductive health, and health disparities.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students must complete 48 units in residence in the doctoral program, to include Community Health Sciences 270A-270B and Community Health Sciences 219 and Public Health 201. If the student has a degree from a CEPH accredited school of public health, they are not required to take PH 201, but instead take a broad public health course, approved by the adviser. No more than four units may be individual studies course work (Community Health Sciences 596). All doctoral students must enroll in Community Health Sciences 286 (doctoral roundtable) every quarter for the first two years of doctoral study. The doctoral roundtable does not fulfill any of the 48 units required for the doctorate. Courses taken for S/U grading may not be applied toward the degree requirements.

Students must also complete four graduate-level courses (16 units) in a Ph.D. granting department outside of the School of Public Health, in a discipline relevant to community health sciences. These courses should provide a theoretical foundation and therefore may not be in methodology or statistics. Students must consult with their advisers before selecting these courses. Final approval rests with the Department Chair/Vice Chair. These 16 units may be used to fulfill the 48 units required for the doctoral degree.

In addition to the courses listed above, students who have not taken the following courses (or their equivalent) are required to do so: Biostatistics 100B, and 406, CHS 212, and an epidemiology course. If the student does not have a master’s degree in public health, the following courses are also required: Biostatistics 100A, Epi 100, CHS 210, 211A, and 211B. If the student has a master’s degree in public health, but not in community health sciences, the following course is also required: CHS 210. These courses do not count toward the 48 units required for the doctoral degree.

Teaching Experience

Teaching experience is recommended but not required for the doctoral degree.

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.

Before advancement to candidacy, all course work must have been completed and the student must pass the second year comprehensive examination administered by the department and the University Oral Qualifying Examination, which is a defense of the proposal for the dissertation. The second year comprehensive examination may be repeated only once. Additionally, the student must complete a minor field written examination related to the coursework they have completed in a Ph.D. granting department outside FSPH, with the outside member of the guidance committee.

After the student has passed the second year comprehensive examination and completed the minor field written examination, and at least one month prior to taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination, a doctoral committee is nominated. The composition of the committee must be approved by the department chair and the Graduate Division. The doctoral committee guides the student’s progress toward completion of the dissertation.

The student is advanced to candidacy and commences work on a dissertation by passing the University Oral Qualifying Examination, which is administered by the doctoral committee. Students usually take this examination by the middle of the fourth year of study. Only the student and the committee members attend this examination; all committee members must be present. If the student fails, the examination may be repeated once if a majority of the committee so recommends. If the student fails the oral qualifying examination a second time, they will be recommended for academic disqualification.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to award of the degree, normal progress is eighteen academic quarters. Maximum allowable time for the attainment of the degree is 24 academic quarters of enrollment, including quarters enrolled in previous graduate study at a UC campus prior to admission to the doctoral degree program and leaves of absence. It is expected that students will normally complete course work by the end of the third year in residence (nine quarters); complete written and oral examinations and advance to candidacy by the middle of the fourth year in residence (12 quarters); and complete the dissertation and defense by the end of the sixth year (18 quarters).

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 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 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

Master’s
In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for academic disqualification for failure to complete the required course work within seven quarters of matriculation.

Doctoral
In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for academic disqualification for failure to maintain a 3.00 grade point average for two consecutive quarters following matriculation into the doctoral program; a second failure of either the second year comprehensive examination or the minor field written examination; a second failure of either the oral qualifying examination or the final oral examination; or exceeding enrollment time limits.

A student may appeal a recommendation for academic disqualification first to the departmental chair, then to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs, and finally to the dean of the school.

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

Community Health Sciences

School of Public Health

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Community Health Sciences offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Community Health Sciences.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

An adviser is appointed for each new master’s student by the department chair. The student and adviser together agree upon a study list for each academic quarter and any subsequent alterations must be approved by both the adviser and the associate dean of Student Affairs. Students are expected to meet with their advisers each quarter. A departmental guidance committee should be established no later than the end of the Fall quarter of the student’s second year. Members of the departmental guidance committee are nominated by the department chair after consultation with the student and the student’s adviser.

The student’s adviser is responsible for supervising the student’s academic progress. Progress is evaluated on an ongoing basis. At the end of each quarter, the associate dean of Student Affairs reviews academic listings of students and notifies them and the advisers when the cumulative grade-point average is below 3.0. Advisers review each case with their advisees and make recommendations to the associate dean of Student Affairs for continuance or academic disqualification. Students who wish to change advisers must file a petition which must be approved by the new adviser, the department chair, and the associate dean for Student Affairs.

Areas of Study

Consult the graduate adviser.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 15 courses (60 units), at least five of which must be graduate courses in the 200 or 500 series. Only one 596 course (four units) taken for a letter grade or one 598 course (four units) taken for a S/U grade may be applied toward the total course requirement; only four units of either course may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement. Community Health Sciences 597 may not be applied toward the degree requirements. Courses taken for S/U grading, with the exception of 598 once for four units, may not be applied toward the degree requirements.

Mandatory core courses include Biostatistics 100A, 100B, and Epidemiology 100. Each core course may be waived for students who have taken a similar course elsewhere and can pass the waiver examination. Community Health Sciences 210, 211A-211B, 212, Biostatistics 406, PH 201 or the equivalent, and 24 units of electives are required. Elective courses are selected in consultation with an adviser.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

If the capstone option is approved, the student works closely with his/her faculty advisor or another CHS faculty member (by blue petition) in selecting a topic and preparing a major written report. The preparation of a major written research report is required, and it must be approved by the designated faculty member, which also must certify successful completion of all degree requirements.

In addition to the major written research report, the student must pass the Department comprehensive examination. Students who fail the Department comprehensive examination may be reexamined once.

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.

If the thesis option is approved, a thesis committee is established. The committee approves the thesis prospectus before the student may file for advancement to candidacy. The thesis must be acceptable to the thesis committee.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to award of the degree, normal progress is six academic quarters of enrollment, including quarters enrolled in previous graduate study at a UC campus prior to admission to the School of Public Health. Maximum time allowable from enrollment to graduation is fifteen academic quarters.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.S.	6	6	15

Doctoral Degree

Advising

An academic adviser is assigned to each new student by the head of the department. Student and adviser together agree upon a study list for each academic quarter. The adviser supervises the student’s completion of course work and preparation for the written qualifying examinations, and can, but need not, serve as the Chair of the Guidance Committee appointed at the end of the first year of study.

After being enrolled for six quarters, students file Doctoral Form 1, which designates the membership of the guidance committee. The guidance committee consists of the student’s adviser in the major field, a second faculty member in Community Health Sciences, and the student’s minor field adviser, who administers the student’s minor exam. The minor field adviser is an outside member who is approved by the department chair and is in communication with the other members of the student’s guidance committee about the student’s progress. Courses to be taken for the minor field are listed on Doctoral Form 1. The members of the Guidance Committee must be full-time faculty with appointments in the professorial series (tenure-eligible, in-residence, or acting or emeritus in these series). The Guidance Committee membership must be approved by the department chair. This committee is distinct from the student’s Doctoral Committee and functions as a group to assist in tailoring the program to the student’s needs and objectives prior to the oral qualifying examination (defense of the proposal for the dissertation). The student is responsible for informing the committee about the student’s progress, and should also turn to the committee first in the event that special assistance or intervention is required. Hence, the committee should be selected in recognition of its role in promoting the student’s academic progress.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Faculty in the department represent a diversity of disciplines related to community health, such as the social and behavior sciences, nutrition, medicine, and a range of fields of research including health education/promotion, international health, child and family health, public health nutrition, health policy, disaster planning and relief, aging and life course, women’s health, population and reproductive health, and health disparities.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students must complete 48 units in residence in the doctoral program, to include Community Health Sciences 270A-270B and Community Health Sciences 219 and Public Health 201. If the student has a degree from a CEPH accredited school of public health, they are not required to take PH 201, but instead take a broad public health course, approved by the adviser. No more than four units may be individual studies course work (Community Health Sciences 596). All doctoral students must enroll in Community Health Sciences 286 (doctoral roundtable) every quarter for the first two years of doctoral study. The doctoral roundtable does not fulfill any of the 48 units required for the doctorate. Courses taken for S/U grading may not be applied toward the degree requirements.

Students must also complete four graduate-level courses (16 units) in a Ph.D. granting department outside of the School of Public Health, in a discipline relevant to community health sciences. These courses should provide a theoretical foundation and therefore may not be in methodology or statistics. Students must consult with their advisers before selecting these courses. Final approval rests with the Department Chair/Vice Chair. These 16 units may be used to fulfill the 48 units required for the doctoral degree.

In addition to the courses listed above, students who have not taken the following courses (or their equivalent) are required to do so: Biostatistics 100B, and 406, CHS 212, and an epidemiology course. If the student does not have a master’s degree in public health, the following courses are also required: Biostatistics 100A, Epi 100, CHS 210, 211A, and 211B. If the student has a master’s degree in public health, but not in community health sciences, the following course is also required: CHS 210. These courses do not count toward the 48 units required for the doctoral degree.

Teaching Experience

Teaching experience is recommended but not required for the doctoral degree.

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.

Before advancement to candidacy, all course work must have been completed and the student must pass the second year comprehensive examination administered by the department and the University Oral Qualifying Examination, which is a defense of the proposal for the dissertation. The second year comprehensive examination may be repeated only once. Additionally, the student must complete a minor field written examination related to the coursework they have completed in a Ph.D. granting department outside FSPH, with the outside member of the guidance committee.

After the student has passed the second year comprehensive examination and completed the minor field written examination, and at least one month prior to taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination, a doctoral committee is nominated. The composition of the committee must be approved by the department chair and the Graduate Division. The doctoral committee guides the student’s progress toward completion of the dissertation.

The student is advanced to candidacy and commences work on a dissertation by passing the University Oral Qualifying Examination, which is administered by the doctoral committee. Students usually take this examination by the middle of the fourth year of study. Only the student and the committee members attend this examination; all committee members must be present. If the student fails, the examination may be repeated once if a majority of the committee so recommends. If the student fails the oral qualifying examination a second time, they will be recommended for academic disqualification.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to award of the degree, normal progress is eighteen academic quarters. Maximum allowable time for the attainment of the degree is 24 academic quarters of enrollment, including quarters enrolled in previous graduate study at a UC campus prior to admission to the doctoral degree program and leaves of absence. It is expected that students will normally complete course work by the end of the third year in residence (nine quarters); complete written and oral examinations and advance to candidacy by the middle of the fourth year in residence (12 quarters); and complete the dissertation and defense by the end of the sixth year (18 quarters).

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 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 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

Master’s
In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for academic disqualification for failure to complete the required course work within seven quarters of matriculation.

Doctoral
In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for academic disqualification for failure to maintain a 3.00 grade point average for two consecutive quarters following matriculation into the doctoral program; a second failure of either the second year comprehensive examination or the minor field written examination; a second failure of either the oral qualifying examination or the final oral examination; or exceeding enrollment time limits.

A student may appeal a recommendation for academic disqualification first to the departmental chair, then to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs, and finally to the dean of the school.

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

Community Health Sciences

School of Public Health

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Community Health Sciences offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Community Health Sciences.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

An adviser is appointed for each new master’s student by the department chair. The student and adviser together agree upon a study list for each academic quarter and any subsequent alterations must be approved by both the adviser and the associate dean of Student Affairs. Students are expected to meet with their advisers each quarter. A departmental guidance committee should be established no later than the end of the Fall quarter of the student’s second year. Members of the departmental guidance committee are nominated by the department chair after consultation with the student and the student’s adviser.

The student’s adviser is responsible for supervising the student’s academic progress. Progress is evaluated on an ongoing basis. At the end of each quarter, the associate dean of Student Affairs reviews academic listings of students and notifies them and the advisers when the cumulative grade-point average is below 3.0. Advisers review each case with their advisees and make recommendations to the associate dean of Student Affairs for continuance or academic disqualification. Students who wish to change advisers must file a petition which must be approved by the new adviser, the department chair, and the associate dean for Student Affairs.

Areas of Study

Consult the graduate adviser.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 15 courses (60 units), at least five of which must be graduate courses in the 200 or 500 series. Only one 596 course (four units) taken for a letter grade or one 598 course (four units) taken for a S/U grade may be applied toward the total course requirement; only four units of either course may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement. Community Health Sciences 597 may not be applied toward the degree requirements. Courses taken for S/U grading, with the exception of 598 once for four units, may not be applied toward the degree requirements.

Mandatory core courses include Biostatistics 201A, 201B, and Epidemiology 100. Each core course may be waived for students who have taken a similar course elsewhere and can pass the waiver examination. Community Health Sciences 210, 211A-211B, 212, Biostatistics 406, PH 201 or the equivalent, and 24 units of electives are required. Elective courses are selected in consultation with an adviser.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

If the capstone option is approved, the student works closely with his/her faculty advisor or another CHS faculty member (by blue petition) in selecting a topic and preparing a major written report. The preparation of a major written research report is required, and it must be approved by the designated faculty member, which also must certify successful completion of all degree requirements.

In addition to the major written research report, the student must pass the Department comprehensive examination. Students who fail the Department comprehensive examination may be reexamined once.

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.

If the thesis option is approved, a thesis committee is established. The committee approves the thesis prospectus before the student may file for advancement to candidacy. The thesis must be acceptable to the thesis committee.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to award of the degree, normal progress is six academic quarters of enrollment, including quarters enrolled in previous graduate study at a UC campus prior to admission to the School of Public Health. Maximum time allowable from enrollment to graduation is fifteen academic quarters.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.S.	6	6	15

Doctoral Degree

Advising

An academic adviser is assigned to each new student by the head of the department. Student and adviser together agree upon a study list for each academic quarter. The adviser supervises the student’s completion of course work and preparation for the written qualifying examinations, and can, but need not, serve as the Chair of the Guidance Committee appointed at the end of the first year of study.

After being enrolled for six quarters, students file Doctoral Form 1, which designates the membership of the guidance committee. The guidance committee consists of the student’s adviser in the major field, a second faculty member in Community Health Sciences, and the student’s minor field adviser, who administers the student’s minor exam. The minor field adviser is an outside member who is approved by the department chair and is in communication with the other members of the student’s guidance committee about the student’s progress. Courses to be taken for the minor field are listed on Doctoral Form 1. The members of the Guidance Committee must be full-time faculty with appointments in the professorial series (tenure-eligible, in-residence, or acting or emeritus in these series). The Guidance Committee membership must be approved by the department chair. This committee is distinct from the student’s Doctoral Committee and functions as a group to assist in tailoring the program to the student’s needs and objectives prior to the oral qualifying examination (defense of the proposal for the dissertation). The student is responsible for informing the committee about the student’s progress, and should also turn to the committee first in the event that special assistance or intervention is required. Hence, the committee should be selected in recognition of its role in promoting the student’s academic progress.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Faculty in the department represent a diversity of disciplines related to community health, such as the social and behavior sciences, nutrition, medicine, and a range of fields of research including health education/promotion, international health, child and family health, public health nutrition, health policy, disaster planning and relief, aging and life course, women’s health, population and reproductive health, and health disparities.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students must complete 48 units in residence in the doctoral program, to include Community Health Sciences 270A-270B and Community Health Sciences 219 and Public Health 201. If the student has a degree from a CEPH accredited school of public health, they are not required to take PH 201, but instead take a broad public health course, approved by the adviser. No more than four units may be individual studies course work (Community Health Sciences 596). All doctoral students must enroll in Community Health Sciences 286 (doctoral roundtable) every quarter for the first two years of doctoral study. The doctoral roundtable does not fulfill any of the 48 units required for the doctorate. Courses taken for S/U grading may not be applied toward the degree requirements.

Students must also complete four graduate-level courses (16 units) in a Ph.D. granting department outside of the School of Public Health, in a discipline relevant to community health sciences. These courses should provide a theoretical foundation and therefore may not be in methodology or statistics. Students must consult with their advisers before selecting these courses. Final approval rests with the Department Chair/Vice Chair. These 16 units may be used to fulfill the 48 units required for the doctoral degree.

In addition to the courses listed above, students who have not taken the following courses (or their equivalent) are required to do so: Biostatistics 201B, and 406, CHS 212, and an epidemiology course. If the student does not have a master’s degree in public health, the following courses are also required: Biostatistics 201A, Epi 100, CHS 210, 211A, and 211B. If the student has a master’s degree in public health, but not in community health sciences, the following course is also required: CHS 210. These courses do not count toward the 48 units required for the doctoral degree.

Teaching Experience

Teaching experience is recommended but not required for the doctoral degree.

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.

Before advancement to candidacy, all course work must have been completed and the student must pass the second year comprehensive examination administered by the department and the University Oral Qualifying Examination, which is a defense of the proposal for the dissertation. The second year comprehensive examination may be repeated only once. Additionally, the student must complete a minor field written examination related to the coursework they have completed in a Ph.D. granting department outside FSPH, with the outside member of the guidance committee.

After the student has passed the second year comprehensive examination and completed the minor field written examination, and at least one month prior to taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination, a doctoral committee is nominated. The composition of the committee must be approved by the department chair and the Graduate Division. The doctoral committee guides the student’s progress toward completion of the dissertation.

The student is advanced to candidacy and commences work on a dissertation by passing the University Oral Qualifying Examination, which is administered by the doctoral committee. Students usually take this examination by the middle of the fourth year of study. Only the student and the committee members attend this examination; all committee members must be present. If the student fails, the examination may be repeated once if a majority of the committee so recommends. If the student fails the oral qualifying examination a second time, they will be recommended for academic disqualification.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to award of the degree, normal progress is eighteen academic quarters. Maximum allowable time for the attainment of the degree is 24 academic quarters of enrollment, including quarters enrolled in previous graduate study at a UC campus prior to admission to the doctoral degree program and leaves of absence. It is expected that students will normally complete course work by the end of the third year in residence (nine quarters); complete written and oral examinations and advance to candidacy by the middle of the fourth year in residence (12 quarters); and complete the dissertation and defense by the end of the sixth year (18 quarters).

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 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 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

Master’s
In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for academic disqualification for failure to complete the required course work within seven quarters of matriculation.

Doctoral
In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for academic disqualification for failure to maintain a 3.00 grade point average for two consecutive quarters following matriculation into the doctoral program; a second failure of either the second year comprehensive examination or the minor field written examination; a second failure of either the oral qualifying examination or the final oral examination; or exceeding enrollment time limits.

A student may appeal a recommendation for academic disqualification first to the departmental chair, then to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs, and finally to the dean of the school.

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

Community Health Sciences

School of Public Health

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Community Health Sciences offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Community Health Sciences.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

An adviser is appointed for each new master’s student by the department chair. The student and adviser together agree upon a study list for each academic quarter and any subsequent alterations must be approved by both the adviser and the associate dean of Student Affairs. Students are expected to meet with their advisers each quarter. A departmental guidance committee should be established no later than the end of the Fall quarter of the student’s second year. Members of the departmental guidance committee are nominated by the department chair after consultation with the student and the student’s adviser.

The student’s adviser is responsible for supervising the student’s academic progress. Progress is evaluated on an ongoing basis. At the end of each quarter, the associate dean of Student Affairs reviews academic listings of students and notifies them and the advisers when the cumulative grade-point average is below 3.0. Advisers review each case with their advisees and make recommendations to the associate dean of Student Affairs for continuance or academic disqualification. Students who wish to change advisers must file a petition which must be approved by the new adviser, the department chair, and the associate dean for Student Affairs.

Areas of Study

Consult the graduate adviser.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 15 courses (60 units), at least five of which must be graduate courses in the 200 or 500 series. Only one 596 course (four units) taken for a letter grade or one 598 course (four units) taken for a S/U grade may be applied toward the total course requirement; only four units of either course may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement. Community Health Sciences 597 may not be applied toward the degree requirements. Courses taken for S/U grading, with the exception of 598 once for four units, may not be applied toward the degree requirements.

Mandatory core courses include Biostatistics 100, 201B, and Epidemiology 100. Each core course may be waived for students who have taken a similar course elsewhere and can pass the waiver examination. Community Health Sciences  200A, 200B, 200C, 212 or instructor approved equivalent course, Biostatistics 406, PH 201 or the equivalent, and 24 units of electives are required. Elective courses are selected in consultation with an adviser.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

If the capstone option is approved, the student works closely with his/her faculty advisor or another CHS faculty member (by blue petition) in selecting a topic and preparing a major written report. The preparation of a major written research report is required, and it must be approved by the designated faculty member, which also must certify successful completion of all degree requirements.

In addition to the major written research report, the student must pass the Department comprehensive examination. Students who fail the Department comprehensive examination may be reexamined once.

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.

If the thesis option is approved, a thesis committee is established. The committee approves the thesis prospectus before the student may file for advancement to candidacy. The thesis must be acceptable to the thesis committee.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to award of the degree, normal progress is six academic quarters of enrollment, including quarters enrolled in previous graduate study at a UC campus prior to admission to the School of Public Health. Maximum time allowable from enrollment to graduation is fifteen academic quarters.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.S.	6	6	15

Doctoral Degree

Advising

An academic adviser is assigned to each new student by the head of the department. Student and adviser together agree upon a study list for each academic quarter. The adviser supervises the student’s completion of course work and preparation for the written qualifying examinations, and can, but need not, serve as the Chair of the Guidance Committee appointed at the end of the first year of study.

After being enrolled for six quarters, students file Doctoral Form 1, which designates the membership of the guidance committee. The guidance committee consists of the student’s adviser in the major field, a second faculty member in Community Health Sciences, and a faculty member with expertise in the student’s area specialization. The area specialization adviser is a member who is approved by the department chair and is in communication with the other members of the student’s guidance committee about the student’s progress. Courses to be taken for the specialization are listed on Doctoral Form 1. The members of the Guidance Committee must be full-time faculty with appointments in the professorial series (tenure-eligible, in-residence, or acting or emeritus in these series). The Guidance Committee membership must be approved by the department chair. This committee is distinct from the student’s Doctoral Committee and functions as a group to assist in tailoring the program to the student’s needs and objectives prior to the oral qualifying examination (defense of the proposal for the dissertation). The student is responsible for informing the committee about the student’s progress, and should also turn to the committee first in the event that special assistance or intervention is required. Hence, the committee should be selected in recognition of its role in promoting the student’s academic progress.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Faculty in the department represent a diversity of disciplines related to community health, such as the social and behavior sciences, nutrition, medicine, and a range of fields of research including health education/promotion, international health, child and family health, public health nutrition, health policy, disaster planning and relief, aging and life course, women’s health, population and reproductive health, and health disparities.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Students must complete 48 units in residence in the doctoral program, to include Community Health Sciences 270A-270B and Community Health Sciences 219 and Public Health 201. If the student has a degree from a CEPH accredited school of public health, they are not required to take PH 201, but instead take a broad public health course, approved by the adviser. No more than four units may be individual studies course work (Community Health Sciences 596). All doctoral students must enroll in Community Health Sciences 286 (doctoral roundtable) every quarter for the first two years of doctoral study. The doctoral roundtable does not fulfill any of the 48 units required for the doctorate. Courses taken for S/U grading may not be applied toward the degree requirements.

Students must also complete four graduate-level courses (16 units), counting as their area specialization, in a Ph.D. granting department outside of the Department of Community Health Sciences. Students must consult with their advisers before selecting these courses. Final approval rests with the Department Chair/Vice Chair. These 16 units may be used to fulfill the 48 units required for the doctoral degree.

In addition to the courses listed above, students who have not taken the following courses (or their equivalent) are required to do so: Biostatistics 201B, and 406, CHS 212, and an epidemiology course. If the student does not have a master’s degree in public health, the following courses are also required: Biostatistics 100, Epi 100, CHS 210, 211A, and 211B. If the student has a master’s degree in public health, but not in community health sciences, the following course is also required: CHS 210. These courses do not count toward the 48 units required for the doctoral degree.

Teaching Experience

Teaching experience is recommended but not required for the doctoral degree.

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.

Before advancement to candidacy, all course work must have been completed and the student must pass the second-year comprehensive examination administered by the department and the University Oral Qualifying Examination, which is a defense of the proposal for the dissertation. The second-year comprehensive examination may be repeated only once.

After the student has passed the second-year comprehensive examination and at least one month prior to taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination, a doctoral committee is nominated. The composition of the committee must be approved by the department chair and the Graduate Division. The doctoral committee guides the student’s progress toward completion of the dissertation.

The student is advanced to candidacy and commences work on a dissertation by passing the University Oral Qualifying Examination, which is administered by the doctoral committee. Students usually take this examination by the middle of the fourth year of study. Only the student and the committee members attend this examination; all committee members must be present. If the student fails, the examination may be repeated once if a majority of the committee so recommends. If the student fails the oral qualifying examination a second time, they will be recommended for academic disqualification.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to award of the degree, normal progress is eighteen academic quarters. Maximum allowable time for the attainment of the degree is 24 academic quarters of enrollment, including quarters enrolled in previous graduate study at a UC campus prior to admission to the doctoral degree program and leaves of absence. It is expected that students will normally complete course work by the end of the third year in residence (nine quarters); complete written and oral examinations and advance to candidacy by the middle of the fourth year in residence (12 quarters); and complete the dissertation and defense by the end of the sixth year (18 quarters).

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 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 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

Master’s
In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for academic disqualification for failure to complete the required course work within seven quarters of matriculation.

Doctoral
In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for academic disqualification for failure to maintain a 3.00 grade point average for two consecutive quarters following matriculation into the doctoral program; a second failure of the second year comprehensive examination; a second failure of either the oral qualifying examination or the final oral examination; or exceeding enrollment time limits.

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

Classics

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Classics offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Greek, the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Latin, and the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Classics.

Latin

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

All students in the M.A. programs are supervised by the department’s graduate adviser, a member of the regular departmental faculty. Students are required to consult the graduate adviser (or the department chair when the graduate adviser is unavailable) at the beginning of each quarter to plan their programs, and as needed to discuss changes in programs, and are required to notify the graduate adviser of plans for examinations. Students also should consult with the adviser about problems they are experiencing in the program. Twice during each academic year, the graduate adviser conducts a review of all graduate students at a full departmental faculty meeting. The results of the review are recorded in the departmental minutes. At the end of each academic year, the substance of the evaluation of each individual student is communicated in writing to the student by the graduate adviser within 30 days.

Areas of Study

The department offers the M.A. degree in Classics (Greek and Latin) as a preliminary to the Ph.D. degree. The program that leads to an M.A. degree in Classics is considered the first step toward the Ph.D.degree in Classics. The M.A. degree in Latin may be awarded to students whose academic goals shift during the course of graduate study.

Foreign Language Requirement

In addition to taking courses in Latin, students must demonstrate proficiency in German, French, or Italian, either by passing German 5, French 5, or Italian 5 at UCLA (or an equivalent course) with a minimum grade of B, or by passing a one-hour written translation examination administered by the department.

Course Requirements

The courses presented for the Classics M.A. degree must include (1) four units of Classics 287, (2) Greek or Latin 210, (3) two courses from Greek 200A-200B-200C and two courses from Latin 200A-200B-200C, and (4) three four-unit graduate seminars (two-unit seminars may not be counted). Students must receive a grade of B or better in each of the above courses. Students presenting (1) Classics 287, (2) Latin 210, and (3) two courses from Latin 200A-200B-200C may apply for a Latin M.A. degree. The four-unit 200A-200B-200C courses test the appropriate part of the departmental reading lists. The remaining courses are to be selected in consultation with the graduate adviser. No 500-series courses may be applied toward the requirements for the M.A. degree.

Teaching Experience

Consult the department.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

The department follows the capstone plan. Students take an examination in each of the two courses from Greek 200A-200B-200C and each of the two courses from Latin 200A-200B-200C that are required for the M.A. degree. Students must earn a grade of B+ or better on each of these four examinations in order qualify for a terminal M.A. degree or to be admitted to the Ph.D. program. Students who elect to receive an M.A. degree in Latin take an examination in all three of Latin 200A-200B-200C, and must earn a grade of B+ or better on each of these examinations.

Essay Requirement

As part of the requirements for this plan, students also submit a revised seminar paper in winter quarter of their second year. A student must receive a grade of at least A- on this paper in order to qualify for a terminal M.A. degree or to be admitted to the Ph.D. program. In consultation with a faculty mentor, the student revises a paper previously submitted in a seminar in the M.A. program. A committee of two faculty members evaluates the revised paper. Shortly after submitting this paper in winter or spring quarter of the second year, the student presents it at a departmental seminar and leads discussion on relevant bibliography agreed upon with the faculty mentor. Students who elect to receive an M.A. degree in Latin also must satisfy the essay requirement.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

Adequately prepared students taking a normal course load of three courses per quarter are expected to complete the M.A. degree in six quarters. Entering students whose initial level of preparation is not fully adequate will be allowed one or two quarters to remedy deficiencies before beginning the regular M.A. program. Students serving as teaching assistants (normally not in the first year of study) are permitted to count the required course 375 as one of the three courses constituting the normal load per quarter.

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

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

A student may be recommended for termination for failure to correct deficiencies in performance the term following notification of these deficiencies by the graduate adviser. A student may appeal a recommendation for termination by the graduate adviser to the departmental faculty.

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

Classics

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Classics offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Greek, the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Latin, and the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Classics.

Latin

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

All students in the M.A. programs are supervised by the department’s graduate adviser, a member of the regular departmental faculty. Students are required to consult the graduate adviser (or the department chair when the graduate adviser is unavailable) at the beginning of each quarter to plan their programs, and as needed to discuss changes in programs, and are required to notify the graduate adviser of plans for examinations. Students also should consult with the adviser about problems they are experiencing in the program. Twice during each academic year, the graduate adviser conducts a review of all graduate students at a full departmental faculty meeting. The results of the review are recorded in the departmental minutes. At the end of each academic year, the substance of the evaluation of each individual student is communicated in writing to the student by the graduate adviser within 30 days.

Areas of Study

The department offers the M.A. degree in Classics (Greek and Latin) as a preliminary to the Ph.D. degree. The program that leads to an M.A. degree in Classics is considered the first step toward the Ph.D.degree in Classics. The M.A. degree in Latin may be awarded to students whose academic goals shift during the course of graduate study.

Foreign Language Requirement

In addition to taking courses in Latin, students must demonstrate proficiency in German, French, or Italian, either by passing German 5, French 5, or Italian 5 at UCLA (or an equivalent course) with a minimum grade of B, or by passing a one-hour written translation examination administered by the department.

Course Requirements

The courses presented for the Classics M.A. degree must include (1) four units of Classics 287, (2) Greek or Latin 210, (3) two courses from Greek 200A-200B-200C and two courses from Latin 200A-200B-200C, and (4) three four-unit graduate seminars (two-unit seminars may not be counted). Students must receive a grade of B or better in each of the above courses. Students presenting (1) Classics 287, (2) Latin 210, and (3) two courses from Latin 200A-200B-200C may apply for a Latin M.A. degree. The four-unit 200A-200B-200C courses test the appropriate part of the departmental reading lists. The remaining courses are to be selected in consultation with the graduate adviser. No 500-series courses may be applied toward the requirements for the M.A. degree.

Teaching Experience

Consult the department.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

The department follows the capstone plan. Students take an examination in each of the two courses from Greek 200A-200B-200C and each of the two courses from Latin 200A-200B-200C that are required for the M.A. degree. Students must earn a grade of B+ or better on each of these four examinations in order qualify for a terminal M.A. degree or to be admitted to the Ph.D. program. Students who elect to receive an M.A. degree in Latin take an examination in all three of Latin 200A-200B-200C, and must earn a grade of B+ or better on each of these examinations.

Essay Requirement

As part of the requirements for this plan, students also submit a revised seminar paper in winter quarter of their second year. A student must receive a grade of at least A- on this paper in order to qualify for a terminal M.A. degree or to be admitted to the Ph.D. program. In consultation with a faculty mentor, the student revises a paper previously submitted in a seminar in the M.A. program. A committee of two faculty members evaluates the revised paper. Shortly after submitting this paper in winter or spring quarter of the second year, the student presents it at a departmental seminar and leads discussion on relevant bibliography agreed upon with the faculty mentor. Students who elect to receive an M.A. degree in Latin also must satisfy the essay requirement.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

Adequately prepared students taking a normal course load of three courses per quarter are expected to complete the M.A. degree in six quarters. Entering students whose initial level of preparation is not fully adequate will be allowed one or two quarters to remedy deficiencies before beginning the regular M.A. program. Students serving as teaching assistants (normally not in the first year of study) are permitted to count the required course 375 as one of the three courses constituting the normal load per quarter.

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

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

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

Special Departmental or Program Policy

A student may be recommended for termination for failure to correct deficiencies in performance the term following notification of these deficiencies by the graduate adviser. A student may appeal a recommendation for termination by the graduate adviser to the departmental faculty.