Graduate Program

The Communication PhD program has three broad subareas of study- Communication and Cognition; Political Communication; Computational Communication. For more information on each area, as well as the Communication faculty member affiliation to those areas, please visit the Research Areas page on our department website.

The normative time to complete the requirements for the doctoral degree is five years (15 quarters). Advancement to candidacy (ATC), including written and oral qualifying examinations, must be completed by the end of the fourth year, with normative time to ATC at 3 years (9 quarters). Maximum time to degree will be seven year (21 quarters), with extension granted by petition for an eighth year if necessary.

DEGREE: Ph.D.

NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters): 9

NORMATIVE TTD: 15

MAXIMUM TTD: 21

The official Communication PhD Program Degree Requirements are listed in a single-page format on the UCLA Graduate Division website. Sections four through fourteen of this handbook will elaborate on each requirement in varying degrees of detail. If students have any questions or need clarification on specific requirements, they should contact the Communication graduate advisor.

Coursework and Registration Requirements:

The expected course load is 12 units per quarter, meaning students must register for at least 12 units every quarter, even if they’ve completed the program coursework requirement. However, if needed, the minimum course load may be adjusted downward by petition with the approval of the student’s committee chair and the department chair. Students must be registered and always enrolled unless on an official leave of absence.

Coursework requirement for PhD degree:

Students must complete 11 courses (44 units)—of which at least 9 must be 200-level graduate courses—all taken for a letter grade, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. All students are required to take seven core classes + three electives + one TA training class (ANTHRO 495):

• one communication theory and research course (COMM 200)
• one research design course (COMM 220)
• two approved statistics courses, with at least one at the 200 level (e.g., Political Science 200A-D; Psychology 250A-C; Stats 200A-C)
• three seminars that correspond to the three areas of study (COMM 230; 250; 270)
• three elective courses from within our department or elsewhere
• one TA training class (ANTHRO 495).

Any additional elective courses above the 11-course requirement may be taken for a letter grade or S/U grading. Depending on the student’s area of study and prior academic preparation and study, a student may be advised to take other preparatory courses as determined by the faculty adviser.

**It is important to keep in mind that the required stats-sequence courses are not hosted by the Department of Communication. This means there may be seat restrictions applied to the course quotas at the beginning of each quarter. To navigate around this obstacle, students should email the instructor of their respective stats course to request a PTE number. If a student is having difficulty obtaining enrollment, they should reach out to the graduate advisor for assistance.**

All students must complete original research during their first and second years, in the form of a first-year paper and a second-year paper. In general, these two papers will be related to one another, but students may elect to pursue two distinct projects.

At the end of the spring quarter of their first year, students present their research in a written paper and a brief oral presentation to the department’s faculty and graduate students. If original data has not been collected and analyzed by the end of the first year, the presentation must summarize work to date, including a proposal for data acquisition.

At the end of their second year, students present their cumulative research findings in a talk presented to the department’s faculty and students and in a paper. This second-year paper must be approved by the student’s adviser (who will submit a formal grade) and approved by a second reader from the department ladder faculty. The paper should be of publication quality in a top-tier journal in the discipline.

All doctoral students must have a minimum of three quarters as a teaching assistant for courses offered within the department. This training need not be in consecutive terms, but it must be satisfied prior to graduation from UCLA.

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to university requirements, some graduate programs have other precandidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the new Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

Written Qualifying Examination. Students will complete a written examination in the form of a comprehensive paper, the contents of which must be approved by their adviser and one additional department faculty member that will comprise the Qualifying Subcommittee. This paper need not be directly related to the first-year paper and second year paper, although a majority of students are likely to maintain continuity in the topic herein. In general, this paper should include a substantial review of research in the student’s area of specialization. The written examination is due by the end of the seventh quarter.

Written Dissertation Proposal and Oral Examination. 

The written dissertation proposal requires a presentation of the student’s proposed dissertation research. The proposal should include the background and significance of the area of research, the project’s goals, and the methods and tests used to address those goals. Prior to the approval of the written proposal, a doctoral committee must be established that will oversee the proposal and administer the dissertation proposal oral examination (satisfying the requirement of the University Oral Qualifying Examination). The committee is made up of the faculty advisor, at least one additional department faculty member, a third faculty member either from within or outside the department, and a fourth member that must be from outside the department. The written proposal must be approved by the end of the third year (ninth quarter) by the student’s primary advisor unless an extension is granted by the doctoral committee and approved by the department chair.  The examination committee judges the feasibility and worth of the research project and the student’s ability to undertake it in the form of pass/fail/retake (eligibility for one retake is at the committee’s discretion). The committee also may recommend changes in the research design.

Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.

A final oral defense of the dissertation is required. A student is not considered to have passed the final oral examination with more than one “not passed” vote, regardless of the size of the committee. In the event that this occurs, the student may schedule a second oral defense of the dissertation.

The academic year annual review process begins with each student writing a progress review and submitting it to the department around the first week of June. The finished self-review should be sent to the Faculty Mentor, Vice Chair, and Graduate Advisor. It will consist of a 1-page summary of the student’s academic and professional progress, along with a pdf of the student’s up-to-date CV. The 1-page summary should include:

1. List of all courses taken with grades included (for Spring quarter, put your expected grade).
2. Summary of the research projects you are currently engaged in, including your first-year project, and any other research activity.
3. Other accomplishments, awards, and any concerns or additional notes you would like us to know about.

Students’ progress will then be collectively evaluated by all ladder faculty with an analysis of progress toward the degree, as well as specific areas that require improvement, if applicable.

The student’s mentor(s), in conjunction with the Vice Chair, will then write an official performance evaluation letter which will be distributed by the Graduate Advisor to each student over the summer.

First-year Paper Committee

• A student’s faculty committee for their first-year paper is a committee consisting of one member- the student’s faculty advisor. It is the sole responsibility of the faculty advisor to read, review, and approve their student’s first-year paper.

Second-year Paper Committee

• A student’s faculty committee for their second-year paper consists of two members- 1.) their faculty advisor, and 2.) an additional Department of Communication ladder faculty member. Students cannot use department lecturers or adjunct faculty members as their second reader, it must be ladder faculty.

Written Examination Committee (3^rd year, 7^th quarter)

• A student’s faculty committee for their Written Examination has the same structure as their second-year paper committee. It consists of 1.) their faculty advisor, and 2.) an additional Department of Communication ladder faculty member. Similarly, students cannot use department lecturers or adjunct faculty members as their second reader, it must be a ladder faculty member. But it can be a different ladder faculty than the second-year paper, if desired.

Written Dissertation Proposal and Oral Examination Committee (end of 3^rd year)

Dissertation Committee (4^th year, n-1)

• The written dissertation proposal and oral examination committee will likely – primarily for the sake of continuity – remain intact and serve as your Dissertation Committee, with perhaps a minor adjustment in composition here or there. But the structure is the same for both.

• A student’s committee must consist of a minimum of four faculty members. The chair must be a ladder faculty member of the Department of Communication with a >0% appointment. The second member can be a 0% joint appointment in the Department of Communication. The remaining two members can be ladder faculty from either within or outside of the department and can be from a department outside of UCLA. At least one member of the committee must be from outside of the department. Additional committee composition requirements not specified above must adhere to the UCLA Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution. The Communication PhD Program adheres to the UCLA guidelines and policies for constitution of doctoral committees developed by the Graduate Division as published in the Standards & Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA. Students should consult both their faculty advisor and the department graduate advisor prior to assembling their committee

1.) Comm PhD first-year paper_coversheet

– The first-year paper requirement can be marked as complete once the student submits a PDF of their finished paper in combination with the signed cover sheet. Both documents should be submitted to the graduate advisor. A single PDF format is preferred.

2.)  Communication_PhD_second-year paper_coversheet

– The second-year paper requirement can be marked as complete once the student submits a PDF of their finished paper in combination with the signed cover sheet (two faculty signatures are required). Both documents should be submitted to the graduate advisor. A single PDF format is preferred.

3.) Communication_PhD_written qualifying exam_coversheet

– The written qualifying exam requirement can be marked as complete once the student submits a PDF of their finished paper in combination with the signed cover sheet (two faculty signatures are required). Both documents should be submitted to the graduate advisor. A single PDF format is preferred.

4.) Communication_PhD_Degree Checklist- Full Degree Pathway

– The degree checklist does not need to be officially submitted to the department. However, students are encouraged to use it as a resource to aid in the tracking of their own progress throughout the PhD program.

5.) Communication_MS Capstone_coversheet

– This is the appropriate coversheet if a student would like to use their second-year paper as a capstone for the purpose of receiving the optional Comm MS degree. The Comm MS version of the second-year paper can be marked as complete once the student submits a PDF of their paper in combination with the signed cover sheet (three faculty signatures are required). Both documents should be submitted to the graduate advisor. A single PDF format is preferred.

Not required.

Admitted PhD students will receive a comprehensive funding package for up to 5 years. Our typical funding offer includes one or two years of award funding (stipend, registration fees, and if needed, domestic student non-resident tuition for the first year), three or four years of teaching apprenticeships (TA) positions, which usually include fee remission, and potentially extramural fellowship and/or graduate student researcher (GSR) opportunities.

Academic year (October-June) awards are comprehensive and are ordinarily scheduled for the first, and sometimes fifth, year. In some instances, first-year students with teaching experience may be offered a TA position. Students will also receive a minimum of $6K summer support (July-September) in the form of a fellowship during the summer of their first year. In summer years 2-4, the department will try to assist students in identifying a source of funding, most commonly in the form of a TAship, GSRship. However, summer funding is not guaranteed.

For each academic year of TA support (typically years 2-5), the department will offer a TA appointment. If a faculty member offers a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) position for one or more of these years, the GSR position will satisfy/replace the departmental support commitment. Students are encouraged to review TA salaries for a nine-month, half-time appointment and GSR salary scales. Under certain circumstances, TAs and GSRs qualify to have a large portion of their mandatory registration fees (including medical insurance premium) paid by the university and in more limited circumstances, GSRs may qualify to have 100% of non-resident tuition paid. For more information on UCLA’s academic apprentice personnel positions, salary rates, remission rates, and policies go to the Academic Apprentice Personnel Manual.

It is important to note that the department funding guarantee does come with some strings attached.

To remain eligible for the funding package described above, via fellowship, TAship, or GSRship, students must meet and maintain the following conditions:

1. Minimum 3.0 GPA
2. Satisfactory time-to-degree progress
3. Enrollment in at least 12-units per academic quarter, unless an exception has been granted
4. Not exceeding 20 working hours or 50% FTE per week (across all UCLA jobs), unless an exception has been granted
5. Applying for UCLA fellowship opportunities as directed by the department
6. International students must maintain valid visa and work authorization status
7. U.S. citizens must apply for California residency prior to year 2 in the program

Primary types of graduate student funding:

1. Award/Fellowship funding

• Fellowships are a desirable form of PhD student funding. Being supported on a fellowship usually affords the student more time and a greater degree of freedom to focus on their research. Additionally, being awarded a competitive fellowship is an outstanding honor to list on a CV or resume.
• There are three primary internal UCLA fellowships that students are required to apply for- the GSRM, the GRM, and the DYA. Applications are usually due in the beginning of February. Students MUST apply for these fellowships at the department’s discretion in order to receive the funding package outlined in their admissions funding letter. Please note that if a student wins a GSRM award, that will replace the summer department 6K award listed in some admissions funding letters. Similarly, if a student wins a GRM or DYA for the  academic year, they may be asked to work as an ASE at less then 50% FTE while receiving their award funding.

1. Graduate Summer Research Mentorship (GSRM) Fellowship
2. Graduate Research Mentorship (GRM) Fellowship
3. Dissertation Year Award (DYA)

Beyond the required internal fellowship opportunities, there are many external fellowships that students should strongly considering applying for as well. A few of the major ones are:

4615. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship; http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2004/nsf04615/nsf04615.htm. Check their website for deadlines. Application deadline for social sciences is generally in early November.
4616. National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship Program
4617. Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship Program for Minorities. UCLA campus application deadline is in September. For exact date please contact fhu@gdnet.ucla.edu. Last year the deadline was in November.
4618. Google PhD Fellowship Program; https://research.google/outreach/phd-fellowship/. Internal UCLA application deadline is generally in mid-August.
4619. Fulbright U.S. Student Program (IIE)
4620. Jacob K. Javits Fellowship Program at the Department of Education. Check their web site for deadlines.  Application deadline is generally in early October.
4621. The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans. Application deadline is November 1st.
4622. The Social Science Resource Council
4623. Center for the Study of Women Fellowships and Grants

In addition to the above well-known fellowships, there are many other extramural agencies that provide full and partial fellowships for graduate students. We strongly urge our applicants and continuing students to seek out external funding opportunities and apply for every fellowship for which they are eligible.

The UCLA Division of Graduate Education has an online database of extramural funding opportunities called GRAPES available at: https://grad.ucla.edu/funding.  The GRAPES database catalogs over 600 private and publicly funded awards, fellowships, and internships and allows searches by field, academic level, award type, award amount, and other criteria. In addition, there are directories of extramural support that can be found at most university libraries.  You can find a list of these directories at: http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/asis/entsup/extramrl.htm.

2. Teaching Apprenticeships

• First-time TA eligibility requirements:
• All first-time TAs are required to enroll in Anthropology 495 or a similar 495 pedagogy section which includes the Professional Standards and Ethics Training (PSET) online modules and all Foundations of Teaching workshops required by the departmental 495 course. All TAs are required to enroll in their instructor’s Comm 375 Teaching Apprentice Practicum course during each term that they hold a TA appointment. Continuing TAs are responsible for taking the Professional Standards and Ethics Training online modules within their 375 course if they have not already completed it.
• First-time international student TAs must pass the Test of Oral Proficiency (TOP) or qualify for a waiver. The UCLA Academic Senate Graduate Council policy stipulates that graduate students whose first language is not English must pass a campus administered Test of Oral Proficiency (TOP) to be eligible for a teaching assistantship at UCLA. A student is exempt from this testing requirement if they have earned a prior undergraduate degree from an institution at which English was the sole language of instruction. If the student attended a university in the United States, no action is required whatsoever. If the student attended a university outside the United States where English was the sole language of instruction, please see the Requesting an Exemption guidance HERE. Registration for the TOP exam will be available HERE

Students being funded on a TAship for a given quarter will be assigned a course to TA within the department by the Vice Chair and Graduate Advisor. The department TA assignment protocol will unfold as follows:

• Step 1: The department will compile information about TA positions and create Instructor + grad student course preference forms.

• The Grad. Advisor and Vice Chair will prepare information for Department TAs about the course offerings, including course descriptions, instructor names, and lecture and section times and locations. They’ll also prepare a form which TAs will have the option to fill out, indicating their preferences and scheduling constraints.
• Similarly, the Grad. Advisor and Vice Chair will provide Department Instructors with the names and CVs (based on what the department has on file from the end of the previous academic year) of department Ph.D. students who are eligible to TA. They will also provide instructors with a form that instructors can optionally complete, indicating their preferences.

• Step 2: Instructors and TAs will indicate their preferences to the department
• Step 3: Advisor and Vice Chair will apply a principled approach to match TAs to courses and instructors. They’ll individually notify instructors, students, and mentors about the assignments via email. Assignments are made based on the following matching principles:
  • Avoid important schedule conflicts.
  • Accommodate instructor and TA preferences when possible.
  • Match new TAs with experienced instructors and vice versa when possible.
  • Balance across quarters (or use random assignment) in cases where preferences cannot be accommodated.

3. Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) funding:

• Research assistants are appointed to the title Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) and are selected based on scholastic achievement and promise as creative scholars. GSRs assist faculty with scholarly research under the direction and supervision of a faculty member.

The UCLA Division of Graduate Education

The Division of Graduate Education at UCLA is responsible for the overall quality and progress of graduate education at UCLA. The DGE serves as the administrative core for graduate recruitment and admissions. They are responsible for ensuring that departments (and their students) comply with university policy that has been established by the UCLA Academic Senate. On certain issues, a given department can request an exception to centrally established academic student policy.

Between the Graduate Welcome Reception and the awarding of a student’s degree, the DGE will participate in many milestones marking students individual academic progress, and they’ll continually work to ensure that the education students receive at UCLA is of the highest quality. Below is an abridged list of commonly helpful resources offered by the DGE. To see the comprehensive list of DGE services, resources, and policies please visit their website directly.

• Doctoral Student Forms
• Graduate Student Rights and Responsibilities
• Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study (Academic Policies)
• Graduate Student Funding Opportunities
• Graduate Student Funding Recommendations
• Graduate Student Financial Support Manual
• Academic Apprentice Manual (TA and Reader Policies)

Graduate Student Resource Center:

• The UCLA Graduate Student Resource Center (GSRC) is a Graduate Students Association (GSA) initiative that is managed by Student Affairs. The GSRC is a resource, referral, and information center for graduate and professional school students. They offer advice and assistance in dealing with the challenges of graduate school, as well as numerous workshops and programs done in collaboration with campus partners. The GSRC works with GSA to organize the campus-wide Graduate Student Orientation and the Equity, Inclusion & Diversity Graduate Welcome Day. They are also the home of the Graduate Writing Center.

• Graduate Student Resources
• GSRC Services

Graduate Writing Center:

• The Graduate Writing Center is an initiative of the Graduate Students Association, funded by a GSA fee referendum, managed by Student Affairs, and overseen by the Graduate Writing Center Oversight Committee. The Graduate Writing Center came about as the result of a fee referendum, initiated by the Graduate Students Association and approved by the graduate student body in Spring of 2006. The GWC offers the following services:

GWC Writing Consultants

GWC writing consultants are graduate students come from a variety of fields and are trained to work with graduate students from all disciplines. Graduate students may find it helpful to meet with the writing consultants closest to their fields, but this is not required. GWC consultants do not proofread/edit; they work interactively with graduate students to improve their writing skills. Visit the Consultants web page for their bios.

GWC Workshops

The Graduate Writing Center offers a variety of workshops on both general writing issues and specialized topics, such as dissertation and thesis writing. The GWC is available, time and resources permitting, to make workshop presentations for departments or in graduate courses by request. For more information about workshops, visit their Workshops web page.

GWC Thesis/Dissertation Support

GWC offers a number of programs for graduate students who are writing dissertations, dissertation proposals, and master’s theses. They offer a number of summer “boot camps” for doctoral students in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. They also offer STEM writing retreats for graduate students working on dissertations, theses, and publications. Furthermore, the GWC offers a mentoring program for graduate students writing master’s theses and doctoral qualifying papers in the humanities and social sciences. See our Thesis Support web page for more information.

GWC Oversight Committee

The Graduate Writing Center has an oversight committee with graduate student representatives from the GSA Councils as well as ex officio members representing the UCLA faculty and administration. The GWC Oversight Committee advises the GWC Director and makes recommendations about GWC services. The GSA Vice President of Academic Affairs oversees the GWC Oversight committee, so please contact vpaa [at] gsa.asucla.ucla.edu with questions about the committee.

Dashew Center:

• UCLA is home for more than 12,000 international students and scholars studying away from home. The Dashew Center is the place where domestic and international students and scholars meet. They aim to enhance the UCLA experience for international students and scholars with their multicultural programs and services. They also play an integral role in assisting UCLA academic departments with visa services. Moreover, Dashew serves as a resource and learning center for the entire UCLA community to promote global connection, international understanding and cultural sensitivity.

Center for Accessible Education (CAE)

• The Center for Accessible Education serves as a central resource on disability-related information for students, procedures, and services for the University student community. They provide expertise in determining and implementing appropriate and reasonable accommodations for academics and housing.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is here to support your mental health needs as you pursue your academic goals. Our services are designed to foster the development of healthy well-being necessary for success in a complex global environment. We are pleased to offer a variety of services to meet your needs including:

• Crisis counseling available by phone 24 hours a day/7 days a week
• Emergency intervention
• Individual counseling and psychotherapy
• Group therapy
• Psychiatric evaluation and treatment
• Psychoeducational programs and workshops for students, staff and faculty
• Campus mental health and wellness promotion

Take a closer look at the CAPS website to learn about their Services and Beginning Treatment.

For urgent matters or after-hours counseling by phone, please contact CAPS at 310-825-0768. For emergencies, please contact 911.

Case Management for Graduate Students

Students’ personal situations may negatively impact their well-being or academic life. In other instances, students’ actions may disturb campus community members. In these situations, Case Managers are available to receive reports of concern and help determine an appropriate response to assist the student and those who may also be impacted by the situation. Case Managers are available to consult with or provide training for campus community members who would like to better support students of concern. Case Managers must abide by FERPA laws, which means they are a private, not confidential resource.

The Case Managers can assist with the following:

• Academic support including notifying professors regarding missed classes, dropping a class, withdrawal, etc.
• Referrals to campus and community resources
• Emergency housing and/or exploring housing options
• Consultation for the university community regarding students in distress

Graduate Career Services

The Career Center provides many useful services and resources for graduate students as they begin to think about their professional future after UCLA:

• One on One Advising via Zoom
• Resume/Cover Letter/CV Critique
• Career Exploration & Job Search
• Mock Interviews & Negotiation

Workshops/Career Conversations/Boot Camps

• Academic Job Search series, Online Interviewing, Job Search During a Pandemic

Events

• Employer Info Sessions & Case Competitions, Networking with Alumni and Recruiters,
• Employer Panels, Career Fairs

Every Communication PhD student is eligible to receive a department travel grant to offset the cost of presenting research at conferences. Each student will be allotted $1,000 in department funding to use after – or as a supplement to – the DGE’s Doctoral Student Travel Grants for Conferences, Professional Development and Off-Campus Research (DTG).

To learn more about the DTG from the DGE, click here. To check your remaining DTG funds, call DGE Financial Services at (310) 825-1025 or email at askgrad@grad.ucla.edu.

Communication Department Travel Grant Eligibility:

1. Expenses must be allowable under UCLA Travel Policies to be eligible for reimbursement.

Expenses may include:

• Airfare
• Transportation
• Lodging (at a commercial venue; no stays at someone’s home)
• Meals will be reimbursed on an actual basis, subject to the prevailing campus limit (currently $62) for each full day on travel status. The Department of Communication requires receipts.  Flat rate (per diem) reimbursement is not possible.
• Conference/Workshop registration and fees (which may include meals for participants)
• Poster printing

Expenses may not include:

• Computer or other electronics or equipment (e.g., smart phone, tablet)
• Alcoholic beverages
• Groceries
• Transcription services
• Dissertation editing
• Tuition and/or fees for credit-bearing courses
• Recreation/social events
• Incidentals during trip
• Supplies, materials & other costs associated with the research or professional development activity (e.g., software, flash drive, etc.)
• Payment to participants or research study subjects

1. Students must be registered and enrolled both the quarter that they complete the travel and the quarter that they will be reimbursed. If a student seeks reimbursement for conference travel during the summer months, they must be registered and enrolled in the previous Spring and the following Fall quarter. In Absentia students are eligible for reimbursement.
2. Department travel grant funds may only be requested after, or in addition (if it’s a single trip) to the $1,000 allocation from Graduate Division is used.

Student Procedures for Reimbursement:

• Provide documentation, showing that your Graduate Division Travel Grant has already been spent, or will be spent during this trip.
• Indicate the total cost for conference travel, any other sources of funding for the travel (e.g., DTG, other research grants), and the specific refund amount requested from the department.
• Provide either original receipts or photocopies of original receipts.
• Receipts that are not in English must be translated in order to qualify for reimbursement.
• Actual daily currency exchange rates must be provided if you are submitting receipts in non-US currency; use sites such as www.oanda.com and select the relevant dates for each expense.
• After a student’s eligibility is confirmed and their expense documentation has been verified, funds will be reimbursed in the form of a fellowship stipend.

The Communication PhD program is founded on a faculty mentorship model. This means that a student’s faculty advisor will also be their faculty mentor. The role of a mentor is centered on a commitment to advancing both a student’s scholarly and personal development. As you progress in the program, you are certainly encouraged to identify and assemble a team of mentors. Research on graduate mentoring has shown that very few individual mentors were able to meet all their mentees’ needs in all areas. Students should seek to build a network of mentors comprised of faculty, peers, staff, and professionals outside of the university working in career fields that interest them.

Still, upon admittance you will be assigned one faculty advisor who is also your initial faculty mentor. The first step to ensuring a healthy, productive relationship begins with a reflective self-appraisal of your own goals/motivations. Important questions to ask yourself are:

• What are my strengths?
• What skills do I need to develop?
• What kinds of research projects will engage me?
• What type of careers might I want to pursue?

You should also ponder what type of mentorship style you are hoping for from your faculty mentor. This is not only a smart approach for your first mentor, but also as you build your network of mentors. Here is a useful list of qualities to evaluate in current and potential faculty mentors (that you may or may not want). Based on your intuition, experience, and of course conversations with other students, would your prospective mentor:

• assign you research topics automatically? if you asked? would they be fruitful topics for you?
• give you research and reading advice automatically? if you asked? sound advice?
• give you writing feedback automatically? if you asked? helpful, comprehensive, and timely feedback?
• chat with you about the state of the field? if you asked? cogently?
• put you on a big project?
• expect you to devote a certain amount of time to certain research areas? to specific research projects? to non-research activities? (funding constraints may force an advisor to do this)
• share some of your broader interests (academic or otherwise)?
• be someone you’d enjoy hanging out with?
• Stay with the department for the next five years?
• treat your work as relevant to his or hers?
• let you be first or sole author on your papers?
• expend effort in looking out for your best interests?
• successfully help you get a good job?

Once you’ve conducted a thorough assessment of your motivations, strengths/weaknesses, and desired mentorship style, you’ll be better equipped to communicate your needs to your faculty mentor with a greater degree of clarity. Conversely, you should ask about and take into consideration what your faculty mentor is looking for in their mentee. When this sort of open dialogue is established, expectations will be mutually understood and are less likely devolve into a confusing tangle of frustration and disappointment. Put succinctly, it lays the groundwork for a successful, lasting mentor-mentee relationship.

However, sometimes a student and faculty member just don’t work well together, and a change is needed. This is OK. Sometimes two individuals aren’t in sync through no one’s fault. If you find yourself in this situation and would like assistance either communicating your discouragement to your faculty mentor or you would like assistance in identifying a new faculty mentor, the Graduate Advisor and Vice Chair are more than happy to assist. All you need to do is reach out.

University policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for termination of graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing termination of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Special departmental or program policy

A recommendation for academic disqualification is made by the chair of the department after a vote of the faculty at the student-review each term. Before the recommendation is sent to the DGE, a student is notified in writing and given two weeks to appeal in writing to the chair. The student’s appeal is reviewed by a departmental committee, headed by the vice chair of graduate studies, which makes the final departmental recommendation to the DGE.

UCLA is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and by numerous special agencies. Information regarding the University’s accreditation may be obtained from the Office of Academic Planning and Budget, 2107 Murphy Hall.