Students admitted with the M.A. from other institutions are required to take an examination at the end of the first year for diagnostic purposes. Candidates who hold the M.A. from UCR must be recommended by the faculty to continue for the Ph.D. Minimum course requirements. In practice, doctoral students usually find that more than the minimum is advisable for doctoral training. As part of their preparation in their major area of specialization, students present a paper of 40 to 50 pages in length, representing scholarly research and analysis in their chosen field of study. The long paper will form the basis of the doctoral dissertation.
Students choose two areas of concentration as examination areas.