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Thesis Committee and Oral Qualifying Exam

Oral Qualifying Examination

The written specialty examination for admission to the Ph.D. program should be taken by the end of the sixth quarter in residence. Once this examination is passed and students have chosen a research area for the dissertation, within a reasonable time frame agreed on with the dissertation advisor, they form a doctoral committee and schedule the University Oral Qualifying Examination. This examination is based on a proposed dissertation topic. Passing the examination is a requirement for continuance in the doctoral program.

Nominating a Ph.D. Committee

Please see Student Affairs Officer and refer to Standards & Procedures for Graduate Study at https://grad.ucla.edu/gasaa/library/spfgs.pdf.

• Complete the Doctoral Committee Nomination Form
• A list of the 'inside' degree committee members can be obtained in the Graduate Program Office.
• With the guidance of your advisor and the Specialty Area representatives associated with your written qualifying examination, contact the various faculties and obtain their approval to be on your committee.
• Return the nomination form to the SAO for review and to obtain the authorized signature.
• The form will be taken to Graduate Division at 1255 Murphy Hall.

Interdepartmental Degree Programs

• The three committee members from the student's "department" must be selected from a list of faculty members who actively participate in the program. This list will be prepared by the chair of the interdepartmental degree committee and submitted to the Graduate Division at the beginning of each Fall term.
• The one "outside" member will be selected from eligible UCLA faculty whose names do not appear on the list of faculty members who actively participate in the interdepartmental program. Two different departmental affiliations must be represented among the four members of the doctoral committee.

Ph.D. Committee Approval

A notification from the Graduate Division will be sent to you and to the department.

• Dates for the 1^st Oral Examination cannot be made until the Doctoral Committee Approval Form is received from the Graduate Division. Committee Chair and members are informed.
• First Oral — (You must be registered)
• Submit a memo to SAO with the final defense date, committee members, title, room, and location.
• All committee members are required to attend the first oral examination. This exam is not open to all
• The student's dossier with the signature is given to the chair of the committee before the exam.
• Signatures must be obtained from all committee members signifying whether you have passed.
• The dossier and signature sheets (signed in blue ball point ink) are returned to SAO by the advisor.
• An original signature sheet is given to the Graduate Division at 1255 Murphy Hall.
• Graduate Division will notify the department that you have been officially advanced to canddacy.