UCLA Graduate Division Programs: Admission and Requirements

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) offers a wide array of graduate programs across various disciplines. This article provides a detailed overview of the requirements and processes associated with graduate studies at UCLA, drawing from the UCLA General Catalog and specific program guidelines.

General Requirements for Graduate Programs

The UCLA General Catalog serves as the primary source of information regarding officially approved courses and curricula. However, it's important to note that all courses, course descriptions, instructor designations, curricular degree requirements, and fees are subject to change or deletion without notice. Students should consult the Catalog for the most up-to-date information.

Academic Standing and Residence

To maintain good standing, graduate students must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 ('B') in all courses taken in graduate status at the University. Additionally, students must complete at least three quarters of academic residence, which includes registration and enrollment, with at least two quarters at UCLA. Academic residence is defined as completing at least one course (four units) in graduate or upper-division work during a quarter. A quarter of residence can also be earned through summer study: either by enrolling in two six-week Summer Sessions, taking at least two units of upper division and/or graduate work in each session, or by enrolling in one eight-week Summer Session for at least four units of credit.

Advancement to Candidacy

For master's degrees, students are responsible for filing advancement to candidacy forms in their major department no later than the second week of the quarter they expect to receive the degree. Failure to do so will delay the degree conferral. Advancement to candidacy cannot occur until any foreign language requirements have been satisfied. After advancement, candidates have one calendar year to complete all degree requirements, after which a petition to extend candidacy is required.

Doctoral students are advanced to candidacy after completing course and language requirements, as well as written and oral qualifying examinations. The academic residence requirement for doctoral advancement to candidacy is four quarters of registration, with three (typically the last three) in continuous residence at UCLA. The Candidate in Philosophy degree (if offered by the program) is awarded for the quarter in which the student is advanced to candidacy. The Graduate Division advances a student to candidacy upon receiving the report on the University oral qualifying examination, provided all conditions are met.

Registration Requirements

Students using university resources such as courses, faculty time, library facilities, or receiving University funds must register in the final term they expect to receive their degree. A waiver of registration may be petitioned if special circumstances (not related to manuscript preparation) prevent completion of requirements before the next term's instruction begins, accompanied by a letter from the graduate adviser or department chair.

Transcripts

Complete official transcripts are typically available approximately 30 working days after the last day of the term. For graduating students, transcripts with the graduation date included are available approximately seven weeks after the end of the term.

Doctoral Dissertation Committee

In instances where ten years have passed since advancement to candidacy, the doctoral committee chair must provide written justification to the Graduate Division explaining why the student should be allowed to graduate without repeating coursework, examinations, or language requirements. In such cases, a final oral examination (defense of the dissertation) with all committee members present is required.

Doctoral students must complete at least two years of academic residence, including one year in continuous residence at UCLA. If the master’s degree was earned at UCLA, one year of the residence requirement may be met towards the doctorate. If a final oral examination is required, all committee members must be present and record a decision of “passed” or “not passed.” A student is not considered to have passed with more than one “not passed” vote. The final oral examination may be waived with the written consent of all members of the doctoral committee.

Specific Program Requirements: The Anderson School of Management (MBA)

The John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management offers various degrees, including the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.).

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M.B.A. Curriculum

The M.B.A. program requires a total of 94 units of coursework, encompassing the management core (including Foundations of Inclusive Leadership), advanced electives, and a Capstone Project. The management core provides fundamental techniques and disciplines essential for management practice. Foundations of Inclusive Leadership prepares students to become effective leaders. Advanced electives offer specialized knowledge for specific management fields. The Capstone Project allows students to apply their knowledge to real-world strategic issues.

Coursework Breakdown

Management Core: Covers fundamental management principles.
Advanced Electives: Chosen by students to focus on areas of specialization, with up to twelve units of free electives from any University department (courses numbered 100 or more). A maximum of eight units of Management 596 courses may be applied toward the 94-unit requirement, counting as free electives.
Capstone Project: A final project in the second year, allowing application of learned knowledge to strategic issues in real organizations.

Waivers and Concurrent Degrees

Students with extensive experience in Accounting, Economics, Finance, and Marketing may waive equivalent core courses by examination. Those who successfully waive a course do not reduce the total units required but can take more advanced electives. Students holding a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license may waive the core accounting course without taking the waiver exam.

The M.B.A. program offers concurrent degree programs allowing students to complete two degrees with a limited number of overlapping units. Students should consult with the other program for their course and unit requirements. Students are expected to complete all required MBA core courses (unless waived), internship requirement and capstone project requirement.

Specific unit requirements for concurrent degree programs:

M.B.A. and J.D.: 80 Management units, with the remaining 14 units fulfilled from the School of Law.
M.B.A and M.D.: 76 Management units, with the remaining 18 units fulfilled from the School of Medicine.
M.B.A and M.U.R.P.: 76-82 Management units, with the remaining 12-18 units fulfilled from the Urban and Regional Planning program.
M.B.A and M.P.H.: At least 88 Management units, with the remaining 6 units fulfilled from the Public Health program.
M.B.A. and M.P.P.: At least 88 Management units, with the remaining 6 units fulfilled from the Public Policy program.
M.B.A and M.A.: At least 88 Management units, with the remaining 6 units fulfilled from the Latin American Studies program.
M.B.A and M.S.: At least 84 Management units, with the remaining 10 units fulfilled from Computer Science.
M.B.A and M.L.I.S.: At least 88 Management units, with the remaining 6 units fulfilled from the Library and Information Studies program.

Internship and Capstone Project

M.B.A. candidates must complete a minimum one-quarter internship with a company in their proposed area of study. The preferred time for this is the summer between the first and second years. Candidates should devote at least 120 hours to their internship and provide regular activity reports to their faculty adviser. The capstone project requirement can be fulfilled through the Applied Management Research Capstone, Advanced Topics in Management Capstone, Business Creation Capstone, or an approved Special Project.

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Time to Completion and Disqualification

The full-time M.B.A. must be completed within two calendar years of admission. Failure to meet the program's requirements may result in academic disqualification. This includes failing to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or failing examinations.

Specific Program Requirements: Department of Education

The Department of Education offers the Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree, the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree, the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Education, and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Special Education (with California State University, Los Angeles).

General Information

Upon admission, students are assigned a faculty adviser who directs their academic affairs, assisted by the Office of Student Services.

Master of Arts (M.A.) in Education

The M.A. in Education requires students to complete nine (36 units) graduate (200-series) or upper division (100-series) courses. Students must select two research methods courses (8 units) approved by their faculty adviser. Additional courses may be selected from Education or other departments with the consent of the adviser and division head.

For all divisions, students either take a comprehensive examination or engage in a capstone project. The examination or project covers central topics in the selected division and field of emphasis, designed to measure breadth and depth of knowledge. The comprehensive examination is offered twice yearly and is graded pass, pass with honors, or fail. Students who fail are given a second opportunity, and potentially a third opportunity with a two-thirds majority vote of all divisional faculty.

Before beginning thesis work, students must obtain approval of the subject and general plan from the department and the thesis committee chair. The thesis committee must be formed, and a petition for advancement to candidacy must be filed no later than one quarter prior to completing course requirements.

Master of Education (M.Ed.)

The M.Ed. degree requires students to complete nine (36 units) graduate (200- or 400-series) or upper division (100-series) courses. At least five courses (20 units) must be in the professional education (400) series. A field experience, minimally approximating one course, is required for all M.Ed. students.

Specific emphases within the M.Ed. program have different requirements:

Student Affairs emphasis: Requires 14 courses (56 units), including seven graduate courses.
Teacher Education and Administrative Credential (Principal Leadership Institute) emphases: Do not allow 500-series courses to be applied toward the degree.
Transformative Coaching and Leadership emphasis: Requires 9 courses (36 units).

Teaching Observations and Student Teachings are required for students in the Teacher Education Program if earning the California state teaching credential.

All M.Ed. students are required to complete a capstone project:

Student Affairs emphasis: Students complete a portfolio reflecting on theories, foundations, and values of the student affairs profession.
Transformative Coaching and Leadership emphasis: Students complete a portfolio addressing coaching philosophies and teaching approaches.
Teacher Education emphasis: Students complete an inquiry project with essays on cultural, linguistic, and pedagogical practices.
Administrative Credential (Principal Leadership Institute) emphasis: Students complete a portfolio linking theories to practices in leadership, teaching, equity, and professional growth.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Education

At the time of admission, students are assigned a faculty adviser who directs their academic affairs. Students are required to find a faculty member who agrees to serve as their dissertation chair. The department does not have a foreign language requirement for the Ph.D. degree.

The program of study is determined by the student and faculty adviser and must conform to division and department requirements. A total of 18 courses (72 units) are required, including:

A sequential three-quarter research practicum (299 A-B-C).
Four research methods courses (16 units).
The remainder of the courses to complete the required total of 18 courses (72 units) may be chosen by the student.

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy.

A written examination is taken after completion of appropriate course work. Students taking the doctoral screening examination ordinarily are not allowed to take more than nine courses before taking the examination.

The written qualifying examination tests the core knowledge of the division and selected emphasis. The oral examination is conducted by the student’s doctoral committee, which selects topics from both education and the cognate discipline(s) that are related to the student’s written research proposal.

Specific Program Requirements: Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology (MCDB)

Master's Degree

Students must complete a minimum of 40 units of coursework. Of these 40 units, up to twelve units can be 500-series coursework. No more than eight units can be upper division (100-series) coursework while in graduate status.

During the first quarter of graduate study, students are required to complete BIOL CH 266A (two units). Additional 200-series courses must be taken to complete the minimum of 40 units required for the degree. Although a maximum of twelve units of 500-series coursework can be applied towards the 40 units required for the master’s degree, students are required to enroll in MCD BIO 596 or 598 during each quarter of study. MCD BIO 294 must be taken each quarter, concurrently with MCD BIO 596 and MCD BIO 598.

Students complete a Master’s thesis based on original laboratory research. Before beginning work on the thesis, students must obtain approval of the subject and general plan from the Master’s thesis committee, which consists of three faculty.

Doctoral Degree

Genetics and Genomics (Human Genetics Ph.D. Students are required to enroll full time in a minimum of 12 units each quarter. In addition to basic course requirements, all students are required to take Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology 296 and 596 or 599 each quarter. The majority of the didactic course requirements for molecular biology, cell biology, and research ethics are completed during the first year of study.

The department considers teaching experience to be an integral part of the graduate program. Students are expected to complete a minimum of two quarters as a teaching assistant in departmentally approved courses. In general, students serve as teaching assistants for one quarter in the second year and for one quarter in the third year.

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy.

The written and oral qualifying examinations should be completed and passed by the end of fall quarter of the third year of graduate study. The written qualifying examination must be passed before the University Oral Qualifying Examination can be taken.

Written Qualifying Examination

Students must formally constitute and meet with their doctoral committee. The purpose of the meeting is for the committee to evaluate the student’s understanding of the rationale and background for the proposed dissertation research and to provide feedback to the student on its feasibility and experimental strategy. Students prepare a written description of the scientific background of the dissertation research project, the specific aims of the project, preliminary findings, and an experimental plan for addressing the specific aims. This dissertation proposal has a maximum length of 10 pages, excluding references, and is submitted to the students’ doctoral committee in advance of the examination.

University Oral Qualifying Examination

This examination is chaired by an MCDB doctoral committee member other than the student’s adviser, and is conducted by the doctoral committee. The thesis adviser serves on the doctoral committee and votes, but does not participate verbally. The examination focuses on the discussion and defense of an original written research proposal, as well as on general biological questions. The topic of the original research proposal requires advance approval of the student’s doctoral committee, and may not be the anticipated dissertation research topic, or an active or anticipated research project in the laboratory of the student’s adviser.

The student’s oral presentation and examination are expected to demonstrate: (1) a scholarly understanding of the background of the research proposal; (2) well-designed and testable aims; (3) a critical understanding of the technical applications to be employed in the proposed research; and (4) an understanding of potential experimental outcomes and their interpretation. This examination is graded Pass, Conditional Pass, or Fail.

General Admission Information

Application Process

The UCLA application for graduate admission should be used for all programs except for the M.D. in Medicine, the J.D., S.J.D, and L.L.M. in Law, the D.D.S. in Dentistry, and M.B.A. and M.F.E. Applicants must decide which program is most appropriate before submitting an application. First-time applicants or those who applied previously but were not admitted must complete all parts of the application. Those who were admitted within the last year but did not register should select "Renewal" from the dropdown menu at Application Type and submit any additional or updated information.

Application Deadlines and Fees

Consult the specific UCLA graduate program for deadlines. Applications to some programs may be considered after the stated deadline if enrollment limitations have not been exceeded. Participants in the Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship Program are eligible for a deferral of the application fee. Event-based waivers may waive the application fee for 2025-2026 PhD and state-supported doctoral programs.

Required Application Materials

Applicants are typically required to submit a statement of purpose and a personal statement. The statement of purpose should address the applicant's reasons for pursuing graduate study, relevant experiences, skills gained, and why the specific UCLA program is the best fit for their academic goals. The personal statement provides an opportunity to share additional information about educational, personal, cultural, economic, or social experiences that have shaped the applicant's academic journey, including any challenges or barriers faced.

Admission Criteria

The faculty of each graduate program evaluate applicants who meet the minimum requirements. Regular graduate admission requires an overall scholastic average of B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or better. However, departments can admit applicants who do not meet this GPA requirement through the "Dean’s Special Action" (DSA) process if other aspects of the application suggest readiness for graduate study.

Notification and Deferrals

UCLA announces decisions for fall applications starting in February and continuing through the summer. Each program has a different review period that follows its admission deadline. In most cases, UCLA does not offer deferrals for graduate admission, with exceptions for active military service or Graduate Council-approved temporary allowances.

Additional Resources

UCLA provides various resources for graduate students, including housing, parking, childcare centers, recreation centers, a Graduate Writing Center, a Graduate Student Resource Center, graduate career services, professional development workshops, and counseling services.

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