Year 2 guide

To Do Before School Starts:

Update your contact information, reporting new mailing addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses to your Graduate Student Affairs Officer.

If you are not already a California resident, contact the Residency Deputy, Anna Ibarra, in 1105 Murphy, to apply for residency.

Be sure to sign up for Bruin Direct (direct deposit) if you haven't already. http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/gss/library/bdintro.htm

If you are an international student and you have not taken the Test of Oral Proficiency, please take it as soon as possible. Please see www.oid.ucla.edu for details.

Fall Quarter:

You must be enrolled in 12 units by the end of Week 2. Make sure you are enrolled in MCDB 296 and 596.

You will need to take a 495 (TA training) course in either Fall or Winter of this year. Remember: this course is not offered in the Spring.

Start thinking about which MCDB faculty members, and which outside member, you would like to have on your Doctoral Committee. If you have any questions please see your Graduate Student Affairs Officer.

Winter Quarter:

You must be enrolled in 12 units by the end of Week 2. Make sure you are enrolled in MCDB 296 and 596.

If you did not take 495 in the Fall, you will need to enroll in it this quarter.

You must declare your Doctoral Committee by the end of Winter. You will need to send your Graduate Student Affairs Officer an email with the names and ranks (Professor or Associate Professor only) of your committee members. Be sure to also state who the Chair will be, and the department of the outside member. Please see your Graduate Student Affairs Officer for additional information.

After your committee is declared, talk to your Graduate Student Affairs Officer about scheduling your first doctoral committee meeting in the Spring.

Spring quarter:

You must be enrolled in 12 units by the end of Week 2. Make sure you are enrolled in MCDB 296 and 596.

You will need to complete your Departmental Written Qualifying Exam (DWQE) this quarter, which includes one mini-research proposal based on a previous course and one paper that will outline your thesis research. You will present the second paper at your first doctoral committee meeting which will also take place this quarter. Please see the Graduate Handbook for details.

Other:

Check your BAR account every month. Pay bills by the 20th of the month to avoid holds.

You will TA your first course sometime this year. Make sure to discuss with your mentor the best time for this requirement to be satisfied.

Notify your Graduate Student Affairs Officer immediately if you decide to reconstitute your graduate committee so that she can begin processing the paperwork.