The following constitutes introductory information regarding the graduate degree program. For a complete outline of degree requirements, see Program Requirements for UCLA Graduate Degrees available in the program office and accessible from the Graduate Division homepage at http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu.
The UCLA Bachelor of Arts degree in French, Italian, Portuguese, or Spanish, or equivalent, is required. Applicants to the Master of Arts program are expected to have a grade-point average of at least 3.4 in upper division courses, especially in those judged germane to the proposed program. Three letters of recommendation and the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are also required. Applicants admitted from elsewhere with preparation considered deficient in view of the intended specialization are required to take specified upper division courses. Such courses may be taken concurrently with graduate courses, but they may not be applied toward the course requirements for the M.A. degree. Before enrolling for the first quarter in the program, new students must consult the program chair concerning the formation of their guidance committee. If students know only the language of their majors, they should prepare in at least one other Romance language during the first graduate year so they can take courses in their minor no later than the second year of graduate study.
Consult the department.
Twelve courses are the minimum requirement, of which six courses (at least five of them graduate) must be in the major language, with specialization either in linguistics or in literature. One course in the history or development of the major language is highly recommended. At least three courses would be in the minor language, also with specialization in either linguistics or in literature. The remaining three courses should be selected in consultation with the guidance committee so as to be logically supportive of the student's major field of study. Linguistics 20 is required as a prerequisite for all students majoring in the linguistics field but is not counted as part of the total number of courses required for the degree. Up to eight units of Romance Linguistics and Literature 596 may be applied toward the M.A. degree. Courses 597 and 598 may not be applied toward the degree.
The comprehensive examination is administered by three members of the guidance committee, appointed by the program chair. The written examination, consisting of one four-hour examination in the major field, one two-hour examination in the minor field, and one oral examination not to exceed one hour, is given each quarter in the second week prior to final examinations. If the examination or any part thereof is failed, the failed portions may be retaken once when the examination is next regularly offered. Only those students who attain a high pass grade on the master's examination are automatically admitted to the Ph.D. program.
The program favors the comprehensive examination plan, but under special circumstances M.A. theses for exceptionally well-qualified students are approved. Students may petition for authorization to write an M.A. thesis only after completion of six courses applicable toward the degree. It is the student's responsibility to choose an appropriate topic and find a professor to direct the thesis. After completion of the thesis, the student must pass a two-hour oral examination testing knowledge of the field of the thesis and general competence. Only those students who attain a high pass on the examination are automatically eligible for admission to the Ph.D. program.
The UCLA Master of Arts in Romance Linguistics and Literature or the UCLA Master or Arts in French, Italian, Portuguese, or Spanish, or equivalent is required, A strong academic record (normally a grade-point average of 3.4 or better), three letters of recommendation and the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test (normally a combined verbal/quantitative score of 1,100 or better) are required.
Formal application is required of all candidates. Applicants who have completed the UCLA M.A. degree in Romance Linguistics and Literature with distinction (high pass) are automatically eligible for admission to the Ph.D. program; those who received middle pass are reviewed like candidates from other institutions; those who received low pass are ineligible for admission. Students whose M.A. program registers deficiencies in scope or quality may be admitted but are required to pass (with grades of B or better) three graduate courses approved by the chair.
Following formal admission, students form a guidance committee in consultation with the chair. Students then meet as soon as possible with their guidance committee to work out a program of courses and set a tentative date for the qualifying examinations. The guidance committee has final authority to prescribe the course of study. Until students have met with this committee and placed themselves under its direction, they are not officially in the Ph.D. program.
The program recognizes two fields of specialization: linguistics or literature.
Linguistics. (1) The present-day grammar of the Romance language of major interest and its relation to the grammar of its sister languages and to language in general, (2) the development of the Romance language of major interest in relation to its sister languages (and possibly other interrelated cultural aspects) from the perspective of historical linguistics, (3) the genetic and typological relationships of the Romance languages to other Indo-European languages and to language in general. The two minors may be other Romance languages, or one other Romance language plus a field of Romance literature.
Literature. One of the following in the literatures of at least two Romance languages: (1) early Romance literature and philology; (2) Renaissance and baroque; (3) modern literature, preferably with emphasis in one century.
The first minor may be one of the preceding fields not chosen for the major. The second minor may be the same field or a new field in another Romance language, or some other related field in the major language or in Romance linguistics.
In each of the two specializations (linguistics or literature) the Ph.D. program consists of a major and two minors. The courses (a minimum program) are distributed as follows: major --five courses; first minor -- three courses; second minor -- two courses. At least one seminar is required in each of the three fields. In addition to those required for the master's degree (or equivalent), at least 10 other graduate courses (of which no more than two 596 courses may be applied), as well as such courses as the guidance committee may prescribe, are required. Linguistics 20 is required as a prerequisite for all students majoring in the linguistics field but is not counted as part of the total number of courses required for the degree.
The qualifying examinations, given by the doctoral committee during the Fall, Winter, and Spring Quarters, consist of (1) a three-hour written examination in the major field; (2) a two-hour examination in the first minor; (3) a one-hour examination in the second minor; and (4) a two-hour University Oral Qualifying Examination in the three fields, at which time the prospectus for the dissertation is also discussed and approved. Failed portions of the examination may be repeated once after any remedial preparation the committee may specify.
The dissertation may be on any subject within the general area of Romance linguistics and literature. If more than five calendar years elapse between advancement to candidacy and the presentation of the dissertation, the program may require revalidation of the qualifying examinations.