ucla thesis filing deadline

• Locations and Hours
• UCLA Library
• Research Guides
• Research Tips and Tools

Graduate-Level Research: Services, Resources and Tips

• Submitting a Thesis/Dissertation
• Researching An Advisor
• Finding/Researching A Dissertation Topic
• Other Research Tips

UCLA Policies

Writing help.

• UCLA Calendars This page on the Registrar's Web site links to the UCLA Academic Calendars, which include filing deadlines.

The UCLA Library no longer has a Thesis and Dissertation Advisor. All aspects of submitting theses or dissertations are handled in the Graduate Division, including creating an embargo on the availability of the dissertation.

• Thesis and Dissertation Formatting and Filing Information
• UCLA Thesis and Dissertation Filing Requirements
• UCLA Graduate Writing Center The Graduate Writing Center offers individual consultations and group workshops, including dissertation and master's thesis "boot camps," to all registered UCLA graduate and professional school students.
• << Previous: Other Research Tips
• Last Updated: Jul 19, 2024 2:06 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.ucla.edu/grad

M.S. Program

Advising The vice chair for graduate studies is the chief graduate adviser and heads a committee of faculty advisers who may serve as academic advisers. The research interests of the members of this committee span most of the major areas of statistics. During their first quarter in the program students are required to meet with an academic adviser who assists them in planning a reasonable course of study. In addition, the academic adviser is responsible for monitoring the student’s degree progress and approving the study list each quarter. After the student identifies a thesis topic, the chair of the thesis committee becomes the student’s academic adviser.

Continuing students should meet with either the vice chair for graduate studies or their academic adviser at least once each quarter and a record of this interview is placed in the student’s academic file. Each fall a committee consisting of all regular departmental faculty meet to evaluate the progress of all enrolled M.S. degree students. This committee decides if students are making satisfactory progress, and if not offers specific recommendations to correct the situation. For students who have begun thesis work, the determination of satisfactory progress is typically delegated to the academic adviser. Students who are found to be consistently performing unsatisfactorily may be recommended for termination by a vote of this committee.

Areas of Study The strengths of current and prospective faculty dictate the specific fields of emphasis in the department: applied multivariate analysis; bioinformatics ( Center for Statistical Research in Computational Biology ); computational and computer-intensive statistics; computer vision; cognition; artificial intelligence; machine learning ( Center for Vision, Cognition, Learning, and Autonomy ); social statistics ( Center for Social Statistics ); experimental design and environmental statistics.

Foreign Language Requirement None.

Course Requirements 44 units of course work are required for the M.S. degree, of which at least 32 units must be graduate courses (200 series), while the remaining 12 units may be approved upper division (100 series) courses. With consent of either the vice chair for graduate studies or their academic adviser, students may take up to 20 units of the required 44 units in other departments provided that these courses are in professional or scientific fields closely related to research in statistics. All courses must be passed with the grade of B- or better and students must maintain an overall grade-point average of 3.0 or better. Students may enroll in Statistics 596 any number of times and may apply up to eight units of 596 courses toward the 44-unit requirement and the 32-unit graduate course requirement for the M.S. degree, provided a B- or better (not the grade of S) is received in these courses. Students are required to enroll in Statistics 290 for at least three quarters, and are strongly encouraged to take Statistics 200A-200B-200C, 201A-201B-201C, and 202A-202B-202C in their first year.

Students with gaps in their previous training are allowed to take, with the approval of their academic adviser, undergraduate courses offered by the department. However, Statistics 100A-100B-100C, 101A-101B-101C may not be applied toward course requirements for a graduate degree in the department. Students who need a basic refresher course are encouraged to take Statistic 100A-100B.

Teaching Experience Not required. Students who wish to serve as teaching assistants in the department must have taken or be currently enrolled in Statistics 495A-495B-495C.

Field Experience Not required.

Capstone Plan This plan is not available to master’s degree students.

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

This plan is for master’s degree students only. Students must find a thesis adviser, who approves the topic and form of the thesis. Students must nominate a thesis committee consisting of the adviser and at least two other faculty members who are eligible to serve on thesis committees, and the committee must be appointed by the Graduate Division. The final thesis must be approved by the thesis committee.

Time-to-Degree Students are expected to complete the requirements for the M.S. degree in six quarters of full-time study. In order for a student to complete their degree, they must submit an electronic version of the final thesis to [email protected] .

For Students Who Entered Before Fall 2022 Please click this link . Then navigate to “Program Requirements” in the tab that opens and select the academic year when you matriculated.

Timeline to Filing Your Thesis

• By Fall of your 2nd year, choose your Faculty Adviser and discuss with your faculty adviser who will be on your committee.
• Complete and submit the Nomination of Master’s Committee Form at least the quarter before you Advance to Candidacy.
• Submit the Master’s Advancement to Candidacy Petition Form along with a copy of your unofficial transcripts by week 2 of the quarter you expect to graduate.
• File thesis. Before you file your thesis, Committee members will approve your thesis before you file online. You must send your complete draft to all committee members at least three weeks before the thesis filing deadline.
• If you still need more time and after you’ve advanced choose to do a Filing Fee instead, you must read this website carefully: https://grad.ucla.edu/academics/graduate-study/filing-fee-application /
• You must also complete the Filing Fee application found here: https://grad.ucla.edu/gasaa/etd/filingfee.pdf
• Important dates and workshops are found here: https://grad.ucla.edu/academics/calendar/thesis-dissertation-filing-deadlines-and-workshops/
• Should you choose the Filing Fee for a specific quarter, you must be registered and enrolled the quarter before AND you must submit a complete first draft of your thesis to all committee members at the time you submit your filing fee application. (In order to apply the filing fee, students must be registered and enrolled in at least 2 units the quarter before.)

Please bookmark the following links for the school’s more detailed calendar and deadlines: https://www.registrar.ucla.edu/Term-Calendar https://grad.ucla.edu/academics/calendar/

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.

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination — Special Departmental / Program Policy for the M.S. Program A student who does not complete all the requirements for the M.S. degree within nine quarters of full-time study is subject to a recommendation for termination. The graduate vice chair decides in each case whether a recommendation for termination is warranted. A student may appeal a recommendation for termination to the Graduate Studies Committee, which makes the final departmental decision.

Faculty Research Interest See the faculty directory listing for current members and their interests at https://statistics.ucla.edu/index.php/people1 .

Articulated Masters Program Applications are accepted once a year. All students who are interested in articulated M.S. degrees must apply online by the deadline Feb. 1 as all other M.S. applicants do (same requirements and the same procedure). You must apply as a “new” student and not “continuing”. The admission committee will then make recommendations in the M.S. admission process.

Please note that the Articulated Degree Program should not be confused with a Concurrent Degree Program. The UCLA Graduate Division explains the difference between the two at this link . For more information please carefully read the section entitled Individually Designed Articulated Degree Program at this link .

Extension of graduate thesis and dissertation submission deadlines

Dear Colleagues:

To ensure that graduate students are impacted as little as possible by the rapidly changing events associated with COVID-19, the Graduate Council has voted to extend dissertation, thesis and capstone project filing deadlines from March 20, 2020 to April 10, 2020 for the winter 2020 quarter. The Graduate Division is working closely with the Registrar to implement this change.

The Graduate Council will re-evaluate this policy in early spring in accordance with campus recommendations regarding COVID-19.

Please forward this information to the staff and/or faculty in your department.

With best wishes,

Robin L. Garrell

Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate Division

Andrea M. Kasko Chair of the Graduate Council

Recommended COVID-19 resources

Campus support

COVID-19 information

For journalists

UCLA faculty members are available for interviews with news media on a wide range of topics related to COVID-19, including public health and epidemiology, virology and vaccines, mental health, education, law, politics and the economy.

Have a comment about the information on this site? Send us a message

Filing Deadlines and Fees

UCLA has specified dissertation filing deadlines each quarter. Degrees to be officially conferred during a particular quarter must be filed by the posted filing deadline for that quarter. If you file your dissertation by the official filing deadline, your degree date will be the filing deadline date.

University Filing Deadline:

For detailed filing deadline and filing fee status deadlines, please visit Dissertation Filing Deadlines website .

• Tuition and fees
• Filing Fee Status fee

Search Website Search

Summer Dissertation Programs 2024

If you missed the deadline for a program, we may be able to accommodate you. register for the program and email [email protected] to let us know that you've filled out the form (and for which program)..

The Graduate Writing Center holds several programs during the summer to support graduate students who are at the dissertation, dissertation proposal, or master's thesis writing stages. Programs are free of charge to UCLA graduate students who participate. Note: All summer programs will be held via Zoom unless otherwise indicated. We encourage you to participate and have a productive summer!

How to Apply: Submit an application by the deadline indicated for the specific program. We screen to make sure participants are in the appropriate fields and at the appropriate stages, but we otherwise accept as many people as we can.

Eligibility: Only UCLA graduate and professional students are eligible to apply. Participants should also be at the appropriate stage and in an appropriate field for the program to which they apply.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]

1) Dissertation Boot Camp (Humanities & Arts)

This program targets humanities and arts graduate students who have advanced to candidacy and are at the dissertation-writing stage. The program will teach writing strategies and provide structure to help participants produce a draft of a dissertation chapter. Graduate students from social science fields who use humanities approaches, such as historians or political science students who focus on theory, may also apply to this program. This program will meet via Zoom on Mondays, 4:00–7:00 PM, for 6 weeks, July 8–August 12. Deadline to apply: Friday, June 28th.

CLICK to see application instructions and program details.

How to Apply for the Humanities & Arts Dissertation Chapter Boot Camp : Interested graduate students must fill out the application Google form linked here (your application will be kept confidential) by Friday, June 28th . Space is limited.

Preparation for the Humanities & Arts Dissertation Boot Camp (for those accepted)

First Session Preparation and Homework :

Before the first session, participants should

• read/skim a dissertation recently completed in your department, preferably one chaired by your dissertation committee chair, to get a sense of overall structure (search ProQuest Dissertations/Theses database by advisor);
• a) type of content (primary source analysis, secondary criticism, theory, historical or biographical background, etc.); and
• b) form (narrative arc, argument, and language that signposts what the writer is doing);
• organize your notes, sources, and data for the analytical dissertation chapter you will work on during the program. Bring all relevant materials into a single physical and/or electronic location to simplify your workflow.

Participants should bring to the first session

• your brief sketch of the sample dissertation chapter you reviewed; and
• a 1-2 page outline of the analytical dissertation chapter you will work on during the program. If you are in the very early stages, a bulleted list of the topics and ideas you plan to address in the chapter would be fine.

Homework for Subsequent Sessions: Each session after the first will require 5 to 10 pages of new writing (of the dissertation draft). There may be additional reading and homework assignments to reinforce writing strategies.

Strongly Recommended Reading: Joan Bolker. Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day . 1998. (Available at the UCLA bookstore.) We recommend a more careful reading of chapters 3, 4 and 8, but the entire book is worth skimming.

Not sure whether you should apply to the Humanities or Qualitative Social Sciences Dissertation Boot Camp?

Your dissertation fits well with the humanities if one or more of the following applies:

• you study texts, aesthetic objects, or theories;
• you don't have separate chapters on literature review and methods;
• you don't work with human subjects (in a manner requiring IRB approval);
• and/or your chapters are organized in a purely topical way.

Your dissertation fits well with the qualitative social sciences if one or more of the following applies:

• you have separate methods and literature review chapters;
• you work with human subjects and went through the IRB process;
• you do descriptive or ethnographic research based on interviews and observations;
• your data analysis involves coding;
• and/or you write your findings in results and discussion chapters.

Some research--such as oral histories, ethnographic studies, and studies of language and performance--falls in between humanities and qualitative social sciences, but we usually group projects involving human subjects with qualitative social sciences. Oral historians who don't code their interviews may fit better with the humanities. If you are not sure which section to choose, please consult with the GWC Director (Marilyn Gray: [email protected] ).

Deadline to apply: Friday, June 28th.

2) Dissertation Boot Camp (Qualitative Social Sciences)

This program targets graduate students using qualitative social science research methods or mixed methods with a qualitative emphasis. Graduate students who apply to this program should have defended their proposals, begun their data collection and analysis, and be ready to write (or already writing) the results and discussion chapters (or sections). It is okay if you have not finished all data collection and analysis before the bootcamp begins. The program will address writing issues specific to qualitative research as well as general writing and organizational strategies. You are also welcome to apply if you use mixed or quantitative methods but intend to work on a descriptive or qualitative section. This program will meet via Zoom on Wednesdays, 3:30–6:30 PM, July 10–August 14. Deadline to apply: Friday, June 28th.

How to Apply for the Qualitative Social Sciences Dissertation Chapter Boot Camp : Interested graduate students must fill out the Google application form linked here (your application will be kept confidential) by Friday, June 28th .

Preparation for the Qualitative Dissertation Boot Camp (for those accepted)

• a) type of content (data analysis, relevant empirical literature, theory, historical background, cultural context, etc.); and

3) Dissertation Proposal Boot Camp (Social Sciences)

The Social Sciences Dissertation Proposal Boot Camp is designed to help graduate students make substantial progress on a draft of their dissertation proposals. Sessions will cover strategies for writing the components of the proposal as well as managing the process. For guidance concerning research design, methodology, and other field-specific issues, please consult with faculty mentors. This program will meet via Zoom on Tuesdays, 3:00–5:00 & Thursdays, 3:00–4:00 PM, July 9–August 15. Deadline to apply: Friday, June 28th.

How to Apply : Interested graduate students must fill out the Google application form linked here (your application will be kept confidential) by Friday, June 28th . Space is limited.

Homework for those accepted to the Social Sciences Dissertation Proposal Boot Camp:

For the first session , participants must bring the following:

• Annotated Bibliography : bring a bibliography of your secondary and theoretical sources. Select four or five of the most important theoretical and secondary sources and write a paragraph or two about each. Also make sure that you have organized notes for your other sources. For the other sources that will be discussed in your literature review, we recommend writing at least a short annotation (2-3 sentences) for each one.
• Project description (from application): bring a 200-300 word description of your dissertation project. Please be prepared to articulate your research topic succinctly.
• Research questions: bring in a printout of your specific research questions, or if appropriate, your hypotheses and aims.
• Recommended Reading : Joan Bolker. Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes A Day . 1998. Chapters 1, 3 and 4. (Available at the UCLA bookstore.)

For subsequent sessions : Each session will have a required writing assignment related to your proposal. There may also be required readings that we will make available electronically.

Not sure whether you should apply to the Humanities Prospectus or Social Sciences Proposal Boot Camp?

4) Dissertation Prospectus Boot Camp (Humanities & Arts)

The Humanities Dissertation Prospectus Boot Camp is designed to help graduate students in the humanities and/or those conducting interdisciplinary research make substantial progress on a draft of their dissertation prospectuses. The goal is to demystify the dissertation prospectus. Sessions will cover strategies for writing the components of the prospectus as well as managing the writing process, deadlines, and committee. Guidance will include field-specific components like research design and methodology; however participants will also be encouraged to consult with their faculty advisors/mentors throughout the process. This program will meet via Zoom on Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4:00–5:30 PM, for 6 weeks, July 9–August 15. Deadline to apply: Friday, June 28th.

How to Apply : Interested graduate students must fill out the Google application form linked here (your application will be kept confidential) by Friday, June 28th .

Homework for those accepted to the Humanities & Arts Prospectus Boot Camp:

For the first session, participants must bring in the following:

• Annotated Bibliography: bring a bibliography of your secondary and theoretical sources. Select four or five of the most important theoretical and secondary sources and write a paragraph or two about each. Also make sure that you have organized notes for your other sources. For the other sources that will be discussed in your literature review, we recommend writing at least a short annotation (2-3 sentences) for each one.
• Reading Assignment : In preparation for the first session, please read: Joan Bolker. Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes A Day . 1998. Chapters 1, 3 and 4. (Available at the UCLA bookstore.)

For subsequent sessions: Each session will have a required writing assignment related to your prospectus. There may be additional required readings that we will make available electronically.

Your dissertation fits well with the social sciences if one or more of the following applies:

Deadline to Apply: Friday, June 28th.

5) In-Person Summer Writing Retreat (All Fields)

This program is for graduate or professional students who are writing large-scale projects like master's theses or capstones, doctoral dissertations or proposals, or manuscripts for publication. The program provides dedicated time to focus on your writing in the cozy setting of the renovated R.I.S.E. Center. This program is scheduled for July 16-18 on campus. Deadline to register is Friday, July 12th.

Daily Schedule: 9:30-10:00: Coffee and Check-in 10:00-12:00: Individual work 12:00-1:00: Lunch break 1:00-2:00: Optional workshop/discussion 2:00-4:00: Individual work

How to Sign Up for the Writing Retreat : Fill out the web form by Friday, July 12th . (This program is now full.)

Deadline to Apply: Friday, July 12th.

6) Online Summer Writing Retreat (All Fields)

This program is for graduate or professional students who are writing large-scale projects like master's theses or capstones, doctoral dissertations or proposals, or manuscripts for publication. The program provides dedicated time to focus on your writing and has online and in-person options. For STEM students, it additionally offers workshops related to scientific writing issues. To read more and register, please see the program description below. This program is currently scheduled for July 22-25 . Deadline to register is Thursday, July 18th.

SCHEDULE, July 22 – 25 (via Zoom)* (Please note that the schedule is in the process of being finalized and may change)

Daily Schedule: 9:00-10:00: Online productivity workshop & discussion 10:00-12:00: Online writing group 12:00-1:00: Lunch break 1:00-2:00: Online workshops or individual work 2:00-4:00: Online writing group

Morning Online Productivity Workshops (9-10 am) Morning workshops will address project organization, time management, and productivity tips.

Online Writing Group We will use our usual two-hour writing group format with brief check-ins and check-outs plus a break in the middle.

How to sign up for the Writing Retreat : Fill out the web form (click here) by Thursday, July 18th .

Morning Productivity Writing Workshops (9-10 am)

Monday, July 22nd, 9:00–10:00 AM — Project Organization for Writing In this workshop, we will discuss how to set up an organized system for a large-scale research and writing project, especially the writing components.

Tuesday, July 23rd, 9:00–10:00 AM—Time Management and Productivity Tips for Writing In this workshop, we will discuss effective strategies for time management, goal setting, and productivity when conducting large-scale research and writing projects, especially for the writing components.

Wednesday, July 24th, 9:00–10:00 AM — Demos of Tools Writing consultants will demo a couple of organizational tools and how they use these tools to support writing.

Afternoon Scientific Writing Workshops (1-2 pm)

Monday, July 22nd, 1:00–2:00 PM — Strategies for Writing Effective Scientific Papers This workshop will address basic principles for writing scientific papers and offer strategies for avoiding common pitfalls. We will also introduce key points from Joshua Schimel's book Writing Science on developing good narrative structure and clarity to make writing engaging and impactful.

Tuesday, July 23rd, 1:00–2:00 PM — Creating Effective Figures and Visual Aids This workshop focuses on strategies for designing effective figures and visual materials. The workshop will also introduce different software packages that can be used to create high-quality figures and offer further resources for learning these programs.

Wednesday, July 24th, 1:00–2:00 PM — Strategies for Publishing Scientific Papers This workshop will focus on the process of getting an article published that most differ from other graduate writing projects, such as selecting appropriate journals and interacting with editors. We will also discuss strategies for revising articles for a target journal.

Further Resources

Advice for Thesis Writing If you haven’t seen a final thesis or dissertation in your field, we recommend looking one from your department in the ProQuest Dissertation database available through the UCLA Library. This database allows you to search by institution, advisor, and manuscript type (master's thesis versus dissertation).

Optional Reading: Joan Bolker. Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes A Day . 1998. Paul Silvia. How to Write a Lot . 2007.

Previous Workshops and Programs

Click here to see an archive of past programs and workshops .

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]

The UCLA Linguistics Department’s normal business hours are M-F 8am-12pm, 1-4pm. Office schedule and availability may change based on UCLA protocol ( www.covid-19.ucla.edu). Masks are optional but strongly recommended indoors. All UCLA affiliates and visitors must self-screen for symptoms before coming to campus.

The Department of Linguistics

Advancing to master’s candidacy and filing the thesis.

In order to advance to candidacy, M.A. students must complete the following steps:

*Note: The Graduate Division normally takes 2 weeks to process paperwork. Please allow sufficient time when submitting paperwork.

1) Foreign Language Petition

Please submit the Language Petition form, along with any supporting documents, to the Graduate Advisor for approval. Refer to the Program Requirements  for information on how to satisfy the foreign language requirement. To use coursework at a different institution to fulfill the requirement, students need to submit official transcripts showing relevant coursework.

2) Nomination of Master’s Committee Form

All thesis committees require approval from the Graduate Division. To nominate their thesis committees, students fill out the Nomination of Master’s Thesis Committee form and submit it to the Graduate Advisor. For Thesis Committee Regulations, please see p. 8 of Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA .

3) Master’s Advancement to Candidacy Petition

It is each student’s responsibility to file the advancement to candidacy petition for the master’s degree in the department no earlier than the quarter preceding his or her expected date of graduation, and no later than the second week of the quarter in which you expect the award of the degree. Students who plan to file the M.A. thesis in the Spring can submit their advancement petitions in Winter or Spring by Friday of Week 2.

*Please note that students have one calendar year from the date of advancement to candidacy to complete all requirements for the degree by filing your thesis.

A copy of all M.A. thesis proposals (written in APPLING 200/400) must be submitted to the department.

Before Filing The M.A. Thesis

Formatting and use of human subjects.

Effective Spring 2012, all students are required to file their theses and dissertations online. For guidance in the final presentation of the manuscript, students should consult the thesis and dissertation adviser, Office of the University Archivist, 21560 Young Research Library, and Thesis and Dissertation Preparation and Filing . Students are encouraged to attend one of the orientation meetings on manuscript preparation and filing procedures presented by the thesis and dissertation adviser and the Graduate Division each quarter. Orientation meeting dates are listed on the Graduate Division’s Thesis and Dissertation Filing Deadlines and Workshops page.

Research that entails the use of human subjects (questionnaires, interviews, etc.) must also receive approval from the appropriate Human Subject Protection Committee at UCLA, prior to the start of data collection. Additional information regarding application procedures may be obtained from HSPC, (310) 825-7122.

Registration and Filing Fee

In order to file, students must be registered full-time (12 units during the academic quarter, or 4 units during the summer), or pay a filing fee (~$150) in lieu of registration.

Students who have completed all of the requirements for the M.A. except filing the thesis may be eligible to pay a filing fee during the quarter in which the degree is to be awarded. To be eligible, students must meet the following criteria:

• All formal requirements for the degree, except for filing the thesis, must be completed before the first day of classes
• Since last being registered and up to the first day of classes, the combined use of University facilities and faculty time must not exceed 12 hours
• During the quarter in question, the thesis committee suggests only stylistic and/or typographical changes in the thesis.

To establish eligibility to pay the filing fee, students should submit a Filing Fee Application signed by the Chair of the Department and the chair of their thesis committees to 1255 Murphy Hall. Please consult the Graduate Advisor before submitting a filing fee application.

After Filing The M.A. Thesis

After filing the m.a. thesis, students should:.

1) Provide (via CD or e-mail) an electronic PDF copy of their theses to the department.

2) Fill out the Alumni Survey and provide current contact information.

3) Declare non-attendance for the quarter AFTER the one in which they filed via URSA. This measure will ensure that the Registrar’s Office does not automatically assess the next quarter’s fees.

4) Review various account policies (i.e. UCLA Logon ID, URSA, MyUCLA, etc.). Tips for graduating students are available on the UCLA Registrar website .

5) If students would like to keep (or create) “@ucla.edu” e-mail addresses, they can sign up for lifetime forwarding on the  Bruin OnLine website .

6) Return any department building / office keys to the main department office.

7) Return all library books.

8) Review the Registrar’s FAQ on diplomas .

9) Review post-graduation health insurance options, including the “SHIP GAP Plan” (available to students who were registered in the previous term and were enrolled in student SHIP during that term).

Commencement Ceremonies

M.A. students may participate in the Humanities II Commencement ceremony that is normally held on the Saturday following Finals week.

For more information, please contact the Graduate Advisor.

• Department Overview
• Job Opportunties
• Graduate Students
• Ph.D. Recipients
• Faculty Office Hours
• TA Office Hours
• In Memoriam
• What is Linguistics?
• Prospective Students
• Majors and Minor
• Opportunities
• American Sign Language
• Bruin Linguists Society
• Student Resources
• The Graduate Program
• For Prospective Students
• For Current Students
• Course Schedule
• Undergraduate Courses
• Current Proseminars
• Archive of past proseminars
• Summer Courses
• Course Technology Requirements
• Overview of Research
• UCLA Working Papers
• Psycholinguistics Laboratory
• Digital and other research resources
• Visiting Scholar Requirements
• Room Reservation Request
• Key Loan Request
• General Information for Students
• For Department Members

Music Composition

Graduate student resources.

Program Information

Students in the M.A. and Ph.D programs can specialize in Composition or in Composition for Visual Media. The cross-pollination between the specializations distinguishes the program. All students are expected to acquire and master advanced skills, which involves continued intensive study of music theory, counterpoint, orchestration, analysis, technology, performance, the traditional Western canon and its history, in tandem with the study of popular, jazz, rock, folk, and non-Western traditions.

Both the M.A. and Ph.D programs emphasize the collaborative relationship between composers and performers in such a way that a simulated professional experience is achieved. Composition students have the opportunity to take film music courses and world music for film. Film music composers have the opportunity to broaden their horizons by being part of a true composition program, and this gives composers stylistic depth and breadth.

By the end of the M.A., students will be thoroughly prepared to enter the professional arena, graduating with the tools they need to compose music for multiple purposes, be it for a concert piece, a film, or an opera. The Ph.D. program is designed in a two-fold manner: graduate composers are trained to become both practicing artists in their field and to become mentors for the next generations of artist-scholars.

As you progress through your programs, pause to explore the resources we’ve gathered to assist you in navigating your studies. This page contains program checklists, petitions and forms, exam details, enrollment requests, and recital information for all our graduate students in The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.

We aim to support you in achieving your academic aspirations and succeeding in your educational journey. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our office with any questions you may have. Let’s work together to create a roadmap for your success and celebrate your achievements along the way!

Office of Student Affairs 1642 Schoenberg Music Building UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music 445 Charles E Young Drive E Los Angeles, CA 90095-1616 Phone:  310-206-5802

Graduate Music Composition Forms and Petitions

Graduate Departmental Course Petition

This petition is used to substitute courses taken within the department or an outside department and have them count towards a degree required course. Students are only able to substitute courses taken at UCLA only. Students requesting transfer of credit from an outside institution must use Graduate Division’s Graduate Degree Petition.

Music Department 596 Request Form

This form serves as a course proposal for enrollment into the 596 courses directed to individual studies. Prior to completing this petition, the student must contact the instructor they plan to complete their assignment with to confirm they will be available to work with the student in the requested quarter. This petition must be approved by relevant faculty and filed with the SAO prior to enrollment.

MA Committee Request Form

Use this form to submit a MA Committee request in Spring quarter of the student’s 2nd year. SAO Note: Graduate Division regulations for master’s committees are at the bottom of the form.

Nomination Master’s Committee Form, Graduate Division

This form is used to nominate your master’s committee with the Division of Graduate Education. Once all signatures are completed, the SAO will submit the form to the Division of Graduate Education. Allow two weeks for processing after the nomination has been submitted by the SAO to the Graduate Division.

PhD Exam Committee Request For Departmental Written Qualifying Exam

Students will select their qualifying exam committee and constitute it amongst the department using this form.

PhD Doctoral Committee Request & Dissertation Approval Form

This form is used to request the department approval of the student’s doctoral committee and dissertation topic. This will be submit in conjunction with the Nomination of Doctoral Committee Form.

Nomination Doctoral Committee Form, Graduate Division

This form is used to nominate your doctoral committee with the Division of Graduate Education. Once all signatures are completed, the SAO will submit the form to the Division of Graduate Education. Allow two weeks for processing after the nomination has been submitted by the SAO to the Graduate Division.

Language Petition  

* Not a DocuSign form * Once you have completed your language requirement, please complete this form, sign, and submit to Bria Russ.

Composition Specialization

A reading knowledge of one foreign language is required. Students must select from French, German, Italian, or Spanish.

Students may fulfill the language requirement by:

• Completing the third level of the regular undergraduate series or equivalent
• Passing the 1G language study course with a grade of B (3.0) or better
• Passing the UCLA Foreign Language Placement Test in one of those languages.
• Students whose native language is not English may use English as a foreign language.

Composition for Visual Media Specialization

There is no foreign language requirement.

MA Committee Constitution, MATC, and MA Thesis

Step 1: MA Committee Nomination

It is the students’ responsibility to put together a faculty committee to guide their thesis in consultation with the committee chair. The committee is composed of three faculty members, consisting of:

• The major teacher.
• Two (2) members nominated by the student.

At least two (of the three) faculty must be members of the Academic Senate (the SAO will have a list of Senate faculty members).

Step 2 : Submit the MA Committee Request Form

The student must contact all of the committee members personally. Once the student has received confirmation that their three faculty members agree to be on their committee, the student must submit a MA Committee Request Form.

Step 3 : Submit the Nomination Master’s Committee Form, Graduate Division

After the departmental form and dissertation is approved, the student must complete the Nomination of Master’s Committee Graduate Division form. This form is completed vis DocuSign and submitted to the Division of Graduate Education by the SAO for approval.

Step 4: Master Advancement to Candidacy Form (MATC)

This is the process of certifying that the student either has or will have satisfied the degree requirements by the end of the quarter. The Division of Graduate Education Master’s Advancement to Candidacy Petition will be initiated by the SAO no later than the second week of the quarter in

which the student expects the award of the degree.

Step 5: Submit the MA Thesis and File

The thesis will be an original composition of significant length and or breadth. For Composition for Visual Media Specialization, that original composition will be cues for a work of visual media (which may be an original or a pre-existing work), or possibly cues for more than one work of visual media.

Once the student’s thesis is approved, the student can File Your Electronic Thesis or Dissertation (ETD)

M.A./Ph.D and Ph.D Qualifying Exams and Dissertation

The M.A./Ph.D. and Ph.D. exam takes place in the first two weeks of the Winter quarter of the third year for entering Ph.D. students, and the fourth year for entering MA students. The four written examinations are spread over a two-week period but should be completed within three weeks. Repeat examinations may be scheduled in consultation with the exam committee after a stipulated period of time (typically after one entire year). Students will take MUSC 598 (4 units each, with members from their committee) to fill their 12 unit requirements through the Oral Qualifying Exam and MUSC 599 (12 units) once the student has Advanced to Candidacy.

Step 1: Submit the PhD Exam Committee Request For Departmental Written Qualifying Exam

Composition Specialization exam committee consists of:

• The faculty members who taught Music 254 or Music 255,
• The faculty members who taught Music 256
• The faculty members who taught the 200-level Musicology course whose topic covers some aspect of music after 1900
• The faculty members who taught the student’s principal breadth adviser.

Composition Visual Media Specialization exam committee consists of:

• The faculty members who taught Music 255
• The faculty members who taught Music 260A or Music 260B

Step 2: Ph.D. 4 Pieces Examination

Composition Specialization consists of:

• Analysis of pre-1900 music (based upon coursework in either Music 254 OR 255)
• Analysis of post-1900 music (based upon coursework in Music 256)
• Topics in 20th-or 21st-century music (based upon their 20th-or 21st-century Musicology seminar)
• The breadth area (based upon coursework in ONE of their two breadth area courses).

Composition Visual Media Specialization consists of:

• Analysis of pre-1900 music (based upon coursework in Music 255)
• Topics in music for visual media (based upon coursework in either Music 260A OR 260B)

Step 3: Defense of the WQE Departmental Oral exam #1

Schedule with the WQE exam committee to meet and go over the exams let SAO know which date is scheduled.

• Taken in the third or fourth week of winter quarter
• Could be an hour to 2 hours
• Separate the WQE from OQE about a week.

Step 4: Defense of the WQE Departmental Oral exam #2

A presentation of all aspects of four compositions specified by the composition faculty in the previous year, including (but not limited to) the historical context, analyses, and significance of the works to other works in similar or identical genres.

• The Four Pieces Exam is given before the entire composition faculty.
• This examination is scheduled by the composition faculty for the fifth or sixth week of winter quarter.

Step 5: Dissertation Proposal

The dissertation proposal should include a detailed description of the expected length, instrumentation, and goals of the proposed dissertation composition, including the source of text, if applicable. It should also include a detailed description of the proposed monograph; the monograph must demonstrate the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.

Step 6: Nominate Doctoral Committee

The composition of the doctoral committee must adhere to these rules:

• The chair (or one of the co-chairs) must come from the home department and be a ladder faculty member of the Composition Division.
• A minimum of two of the four members need to be from one of the three UCLA School of
• Music Departments (Adjuncts may serve if they are certified and approved by the Committee on Degree Programs).
• A third member needs to be a UCLA faculty member, though need not be in the School of Music
• Two of the three UCLA-affiliated members must be at the Associate rank or higher.
• The fourth member can be either from UCLA or its academic equivalent at another accredited university or college (for non-UCLA, must have senate faculty appointment).

These four members of the committee must be in the professorial ranks. If the student’s primary teacher is not in this category, they must be included as a fifth member of the committee. The student must contact all of their committee members personally.

Step 7: Committee Appointed by the Division of Graduate Education (DGE)

NOTE: Students CANNOT take the OQE until their Doctoral committee is officially constituted by the Graduate Division.

Step 8: Schedule University Oral Qualifying Exam (OQE)

Students should coordinate their University Oral Qualifying Exam date with their committee. Once you have confirmed the structure of your committee and nominated the committee formally with the Division of Graduate Education, you may then hold your University Oral Qualifying Exam.

Step 9: Advance to Candidacy (ATC)

If you receive a pass on your OQE from your committee, you will Advance to Candidacy (ATC). The student’s Committee Chair will need to contact the SAO to submit the Oral Qualifying Exam and ATC Request form for the Division of Graduate Education Approval.

Step 10: Dissertation Writing and Dissertation Year Award

After the student has formally advanced to candidacy (ATC), they begin work on their dissertation and enroll each quarter in MUSC 599 under the direction of their Committee Chair.

Helpful information: Students are encouraged to apply for external funding opportunities, such as the Dissertation Year Award , in Winter quarter when the application deadline is posted.

Step 11: Dissertation Defense and File

Students are required to schedule their dissertation defense with their committee and let the SAO know the scheduled date. Once passed, the student will File Your Electronic Thesis or Dissertation (ETD) .

Students who no longer plan to take courses, be employed by UCLA, receive financial support, or access certain campus services may submit the Filing Fee Application . Students may use the Filing Fee application only if they were registered for the previous academic term, and satisfy the eligibility criteria.

First-Year New Student Checklist

Welcome, new Bruins! Make your transition from high school to college smoother by following this list of important dates and deadlines for first-years entering UCLA.

Please make sure to check your spam/junk folders for responses. We recommend adding "@admission.ucla.edu" as a safe sender to ensure you receive all of our communications.

To easily import these dates into your digital calendar, an  iCalendar file is available for download. This is compatible with a large number of products including  Google Calendar ,  Apple Calendar  and more.

Fall Quarter 2024

March to may.

We recommend adding "@admission.ucla.edu" as a safe sender to ensure you receive all of our communications. It is also recommended that you periodically check your spam/junk folders for responses and/or email communications from our office.

You’ll need your UCLA ID Number from your admit letter . Your Logon ID and password will be your key for logging in to secure sites at UCLA. Activate your Logon ID .

Financial Aid and Scholarships

If you filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the California DREAM Act Application on or before May 2, you will be able to access information about financial aid and scholarships awarded to you at UCLA, when it becomes available.

You’ll need your UCLA Logon ID to view your Provisional Award Letter (PAL) information. Your PAL is not expected to be available until the end of April or early May due to FAFSA delays. Some scholarships may be reflected on your first PAL, while others may be offered on subsequent award notifications.

California residents can utilize the University of California Net Price Calculator to estimate costs and financial aid.

For more information, visit Newly Admitted Students Financial Aid Guidance .

You must review the provisions of your contract by visiting the MyApplication Status  website as soon as possible. You  must  meet the conditions stated in the Admission Contract to maintain your admission status.   If, after reviewing the contract, you find that you won’t be able to meet one or more of the provisions (especially if any of the course information you reported to us has changed or you received poor grades), please follow the steps for reporting changes .

Review the University of California’s immunization requirement before submitting your Statement of Intent to Register. You must complete the UC Immunization Requirement or an academic hold may be placed on your account.

Learn more about completing these requirements before the deadline from the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center .

Please accept (or decline) your offer of admission .

For this year, the University of California announced that all nine of its undergraduate campuses will extend their Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) deadline for first-year undergraduate students to May 15 . UC campuses have made this decision for students and their families impacted by the current delays to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 

View the Housing portal for more information.

The university uses email as the primary method to send critical information, so check email regularly.

When you accepted the offer of admission, you selected your official email address at UCLA, so that is the inbox where UCLA departments will send information.

If you selected the @ucla.edu email address you can read email at g.ucla.edu .

You also had the option of selecting your own email address such as @gmail.com or @icloud.com.

May to July

Bruin to Bruin sessions are designed for you to begin connecting with UCLA as a newly admitted Bruin. These interactive presentations provide an opportunity to learn critical academic and logistical information for making a smooth transition to UCLA, get your general questions answered, and begin building your community on campus.

Your Bruin to Bruin session will be hosted by a New Student Advisor (NSA) who will review the New Student Checklist’s important dates and deadlines, including placement exams, academic requirements, choosing classes, housing and parking deadlines, and much more.

The day before your Bruin to Bruin session date you will be emailed a Zoom link and password; please check your email for this information in order to enter your session.

You will be able to view all available sessions and register for your Bruin to Bruin session through MyUCLA.

Before the end of your last pre-UCLA class,  report changes in your high school academic record or mailing address .

International students should review the I-20 and student visa process.

All incoming freshmen must demonstrate their proficiency with critical reading and analytical writing in English by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR).

The following scores on standardized tests satisfy ELWR:

• 30 or better on ACT English Language Arts; 63 or better on ACT English and ACT Reading.
• 680 or higher on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section of the SAT.
• 3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement Examination in English (Language or Literature).
• 5 or higher on an International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examination in English (Language A only) or 6 or higher on a Standard Level Examination in English (Language A only).
• Complete a UC transferable college course in English composition with a grade of C or better before enrolling at UCLA.

Admitted students who have not satisfied ELWR by June 1 are required to complete the Informed Placement Process (IPP) at UCLA.  The IPP was previously known as the Analytical Writing Placement Exam. 

In order to have a placement for fall enrollment, you will need to complete the IPP at least 2 weeks prior to your New Student Orientation . Once you sign up, you will be emailed with dates and sign-up instructions. There is a fee of $167 for the IPP. Students will be billed after they take it unless they have a fee waiver. During Summer 2024, the IPP test dates are: June 24, July 8, July 15, July 31, and August 15.

About 2–3 weeks after you complete the IPP, you can log in to see if you satisfied the ELWR using your UCLA Logon ID. Please go to your Degree Progress/Audit Report and look under "Entry Level Writing/ESL Requirement" to see which English Composition course you will start with. If you don't see a result, your New Student Advisor can advise you when you attend your New Student Orientation . 

Results of the IPP won’t affect your admission to UCLA. The results will determine if you need to take a course that fulfills the Entry-Level Writing Requirement and which English Composition course you should enroll in.  

The Pre-Orientation Planner is a survey that will help us tailor our counseling at New Student Orientation to meet your needs. You must submit your  Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) before you can access the survey, which you must complete in order to register for New Student Orientation.

Log in to the Pre-Orientation Planner .

You are strongly encouraged to attend New Student Orientation as it is one of your first steps in becoming a UCLA Bruin. You’ll connect with other new students, learn about the campus and many of the services available to Bruins, meet with academic advisors, enroll in your first college classes and much more.

You’ll receive information soon after you submit your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) . Beginning May 28 at 3 p.m., you can sign up for a session. You’ll need your UCLA Logon ID to do so. You will receive a link to an online module called “Preparing for New Student Orientation” that you should complete before your orientation session.

If you’re unable to attend a session, you’ll need to contact New Student & Transition Programs so they can advise you on how to enroll and other critical matters.   

Contact Information New Student & Transition Programs Phone: (310) 206-6685 Email: [email protected]

You should determine if you need to take the online  Math Diagnostic Test (MDT) if you plan to enroll in one of the following classes:

• Math 1 Pre-Calculus
• Math 3A Calculus (for Life Science Students)
• Math 31A Differential and Integral Calculus (for Physical Sciences Students) 
• Math 31AL Differential and Integral Calculus Laboratory (for Physical Sciences Students)

Students should take the MDT by July 1 if any of these are true:

• They do not have AP credit for Math 31A
• They do not have transferred course credit from a community college or 4-year institution for Math 1, Math 3A, Math 31A, or Math 31AL. High school course credit cannot be used to waive these courses.
• They are waiting for results from 2024 AP Calculus AB or BC exam

Check your Degree Progress/Audit Report on MyUCLA to confirm credit for AP test results or transferred courses.

Check the  AP Credit Enrollment Information  website to see if you are exempt from the MDT based on your AP exam score.

Check the  UCLA Catalog  to see if your major requires one of these courses.

The exam is available online beginning May 1. It must be completed July 1 so that your placement is available when you register for classes during New Student Session. There is a $20 non-refundable charge since the test is operated by a third party – ALEKS Placement, Preparation and Learning (ALEKS PPL).

You must take the online Chemistry Diagnostic Test if you plan to enroll in Chemistry 14A, Chemistry 14AE, Chemistry 17, Chemistry 20A or Chemistry 20AH during fall quarter. The exam is available online beginning May 1 and must be completed before July 1 so that your placement recommendation is available when you register for classes during New Student Orientation. There is no charge for taking this examination and the results are advisory, not mandatory.

Before July 1, submit your BruinCard photo .

Be sure to  send us official high school transcripts .

Be sure to  send us test scores  (AP and IB). We strongly encourage students to send previous year's exams by July 15 .

July to September

Take a moment to apply for parking .

Your New Student Advisor will review your records, discuss if you need to take any remaining placement exams (this may include foreign language exams), and they will provide you with contact information for the respective departments.

During New Student Orientation , you will  register for your fall quarter classes .

The UCLA Degree Audit evaluates your progress toward meeting graduation requirements in your major. It’s a critical tool for selecting classes and plotting your academic course. It will be explained in-depth at New Student Orientation . After that, you can create your own audit by logging in to MyUCLA  with your UCLA Logon ID.

If you have taken UCLA-transferable college courses in high school, submit your official transcripts for this work as soon as possible. Depending on how early we receive the transcripts, credit for this work may be reflected on your audit at New Student Orientation .

September to November

The financial aid disbursement will appear on your BruinBill.

Pay the amount due for tuition and other fees .  

Note: A new undergraduate student who cancels registration or withdraws from their first/admit quarter on or before the Friday of the third week must reapply to UCLA for undergraduate admission. Admission is not guaranteed.

You must enroll in or waive UC Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP)

View the academic calendar for fall quarter .

Participate in True Bruin Welcome Week .  

All incoming students must go through a mandatory education program that covers topics including sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking.

The requirement is to complete one online module.

More information will be sent to students via email in mid-June.

You must review the University of California’s immunization requirements before you submit your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR). You must complete the requirement or an academic hold may be placed on your account.

Mosafer Centennial Fund for Near Eastern Scholars

CNES is no longer accepting applications for AY 2024-25. Next application cycle will open in Spring 2025.

Awards support travel for research or conference presentations The award will provide financial support to UCLA graduate students to attend conferences or travel for pre-dissertation and dissertation research. Applicants may be students from any discipline. Read more about this fund here .

AWARD AMOUNT The award amounts vary and cannot exceed $5,000. The awards may be used during either summer or the academic year corresponding to the application cycle. For example, awards awarded for the AY 2024-25 can be used either in Summer 2024 or in Fall 2024/Winter 2025/Spring 2025.

APPLICATION CNES is no longer accepting applications for AY 2024-25.  HOW TO APPLY All elements of the fellowship application are online and must be submitted by the advertised deadline. Letters of recommendation must also be submitted online by the advertised deadline. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered for funding. Any elements to be uploaded should be in DOC or PDF format, with the file extension appended.

Application Requirements: 1. Curriculum vitae (no more than three (3) pages of 12-point font)

2. Unofficial university transcripts 3. Proposed conference or research funded activities:  Indicate whether award would support conference travel or research travel. Provide the dates (summer or during fall/winter/spring quarter) and location of the conference or research travel activity. For conference travel include an acceptance letter/email. 

4. Proposal:  brief description of the research or conference travel proposed (no more than two (2) double-spaced pages of 12-point font). Describe the research project in terms that can be understood by an academic audience who may not specialize in your chosen field. For research travel include a detailed outline of the research agenda (e.g. weekly research activities, research locations such as archives and libraries, etc.) and explain how the grant would further the project. Explain how your research will address pedagogical concerns or generate innovative approaches to teaching and advance knowledge of MENA societies, histories, or cultures.  5. Itemized budget (no more than one (1) page of 12-point font): include items such as international and in-country travel, visa fees, overseas housing, library or archival fees, etc. While the maximum award amount is $5000, the actual award amount is based on overseas project costs and justifiable project-related expenses and available funding. 6. Letter of recommendation: include one letter of recommendation from the applicant's principal faculty advisor or committee chair. The recommender should address the relevance of the proposed research for the applicant's dissertation project, as well as the applicant's overall academic and professional potential. All recommendations must be submitted through the online system by the advertised deadline. The applicant will provide the name and contact information of the recommender in the online application; once the application has been submitted, the recommender will receive an automated email from the system, instructing them where and how to upload their recommendation. Applicants should therefore ensure that they submit the application well in advance of the advertised deadline, and that they have provided the correct contact information for their recommender. A submitted application can be edited up until the deadline.

In order for funding to be disbursed, Mosafer fellow's research and travel plans must abide by UCLA COVID-19 Protocols  and the student's research and travel abroad may require an approved  Field Safety Plan . CONTACT Badema Pitic, CNES Assistant Director E-mail: [email protected].

UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies

10286 Bunche Hall • Los Angeles, CA 90095-1480

Campus Mail Code: 148003

Tel: (310) 825-1181

Email: [email protected]

Click here to join our email list

© 2024 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved. Privacy & Terms of Use