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.