Filing Doctoral Dissertation – Before and After
Before Filing Your Dissertation
Formatting and Use of Human Subjects
For guidance in the final presentation of the manuscript, you should consult the thesis and dissertation adviser, Office of the University Archivist, 21560 Young Research Library, and Policies and Procedures for Thesis and Dissertation Preparation and Filing. You are encouraged to attend one of the orientation meetings on manuscript preparation and filing procedures which are conducted by the thesis and dissertation adviser and the Graduate Division each quarter. Orientation meeting dates are listed on the Registrar’s Calendar and announcements are sent out and posted in libraries each quarter.
If your research entails the use of human subjects (questionnaires, interviews, etc.), in addition to receiving the approval ofthe doctoral committee, you must also seek the approval of the appropriate Human Subject Protection Committee (HSPC) at UCLA, prior to the initiation of your research project. Additional information regarding application procedures may be obtained from HSPC, (310) 825-7122.
Registration and Filing Fee
In order to file your dissertation, you must be registered or have paid a Filing Fee instead of registering. If you have completed all requirements for your Ph.D. except the filing of your dissertation, you may be eligible to pay a Filing Fee during the quarter in which the degree is to be awarded instead of registering. To be eligible, the following conditions must be satisfied: (1) all formal requirements for the degree, except for filing the dissertation must be completed before the first day of classes; (2) 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; (3) during the quarter in question, the dissertation committee suggested only stylistic and/or typographical changes in the dissertation; and (4) you must have been registered in the immediately preceding academic quarter. For more information on the Filing Fee, refer to pp. 21-22 of Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.
To be eligible to file a dissertation during a Summer Session, you must either pay the Filing Fee (if eligible by satisfying the conditions above) or be registered and enrolled in at least four units in a Summer Session. This means that if you are registered during the immediately preceding Spring quarter, you pay the filing fee to file your dissertation in Summer; if you are not registered during the immediately preceding Spring Quarter, you must register and enroll in four units in a 599 course for one Summer Session in order to file your dissertation during Summer Session.
To establish eligibility to pay the Filing Fee, you need to submit a Filing Fee application signed by the chair of the Dept. and the chair of your doctoral committee to 1255 Murphy Hall.
After Filing Your Dissertation
1) Provide (via CD or e-mail) an electronic PDF copy of your dissertation to the department.
2) Fill out the Alumni Survey and provide your most up-to-date contact information.
3) On URSA, declare non-attendance for the following quarter (not the quarter you have filed, but the quarter AFTER). This will ensure that the Registrar’s Office does not automatically assess the next quarter’s fees.
4) Review what happens to your various accounts (i.e. UCLA Logon ID, URSA, MyUCLA, etc.). For some useful tips on what to do before you graduate, click here .
5) If you would like to keep (or create) your “@ucla.edu” e-mail address, sign up for lifetime forwarding on Bruin OnLine.
6) Return any department building / office keys to the main office.
7) Return your library books.
8) Review the Registrar’s FAQ on diplomas.
9) Review your post-graduation health insurance options, including the “SHIP GAP Plan” (available to students who were registered in the previous term and who were enrolled in student SHIP during that term).
Doctoral Hooding Ceremony
If you file your dissertation by the quarterly filing deadline, you are automatically invited to participate in the hooding ceremony held once a year every June.
You may find more information about the ceremony at the Graduate Division website .*If you file in the summer quarter, you may participate in the following June’s hooding ceremony.