The principal characteristic of graduate study is the pursuit of new knowledge through research. At UCLA graduate students benefit from -- and contribute to -- the resources of one of the outstanding research universities in the country. A distinguished faculty committed to research and teaching, an extensive library system ranked among the best in the nation, and excellent research centers, institutes, and laboratories in virtually every major discipline all provide an extraordinary scope of opportunities for graduate endeavor.
Graduate training at UCLA takes place in the classrooms, the laboratories, the libraries, in specialized seminars, through independent research, and in teaching experiences. As a graduate student, your education is enriched by the several hundred postdoctoral fellows and visiting scholars from other universities who engage in research and teaching at UCLA every year. This unique research environment promotes the quality of original work and study which is the hallmark of graduate education.
The degree of Master of Arts or Master of Science, or one of several professional degrees such as Master of Business Administration or Juris Doctor, is intended to develop your mastery of a field and prepare you for the practice of a profession. The doctoral degree (Ph.D., Ed.D., etc.) is designed to prepare you for creative activity and original research, often in association with college or university teaching.
The UCLA Graduate Division is responsible for administering policy established by the Academic Senate's Graduate Council for master's, doctoral, and professional degree programs other than those in law, medicine and dentistry. It oversees graduate recruitment and admissions, fellowships, teaching assistantships, graduate student researcher appointments, and other graduate student support, affirmative action, and the maintenance of high quality standards in all UCLA graduate programs. The dean of the Graduate Division also serves as vice chancellor -- academic affairs.
The Graduate Council is a standing committee of the UCLA Academic Senate. In keeping with the University's philosophy of shared governance, the council is responsible for the establishment of policy and standards for graduate education at UCLA; the approval, review, and monitoring of graduate degree programs; and recommendations regarding fellowships and assistantships.
After admission to a department, program, or school, each graduate student is assigned a graduate adviser who assists the student in program planning and completing degree requirements. The graduate adviser is available for counseling whenever needed; departments usually require at least one student consultation each term. When the master's or doctoral committee is established, the faculty chair of that committee often assumes the adviser's role.
UCLA's Graduate Students Association (GSA) shares an equal voice with the Undergraduate Students Association in the governance of the Associated Students. For more details on the GSA, see Student Activities in the About UCLA section of this catalog.