Required courses listed in only one or two of these options can, in some circumstances, be applied towards a graduate degree, but require a petition. If students earned a master's degree at UCLA, one year of this requirement will have been met. In most cases a longer period of residence is necessary, and from three to five years is generally considered optimal. Residence earned through Summer Sessions enrollment is limited to one third of the degree requirements. To maintain satisfactory progress toward the degree, UCLA requires at least a B average in all courses taken in graduate standing at the University and in all courses applied toward a graduate degree, including those taken at another UC campu s.
Doctoral programs are individualized and permit a high degree of specialization.
The University does not specify course requirements for doctoral programs. Individual programs set their own requirements, which may include specific courses, and these must be completed before students take the University Oral Qualifying Examination. Students determine their course of study in consultation with a graduate adviser until the doctoral committee is appointed. Once all departmental and foreign language requirements are met, the department chair consults with the student and then nominates a doctoral committee. To determine qualifications for advancement to candidacy, the committee administers the University Oral Qualifying Examination and, at its option, a written examination.