Committee Formation Guidelines

IT IS THE STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT THE APPROPRIATE PAPERWORK IS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE ADVISOR ON TIME AND COMMITTEES ARE OFFICIALLY FORMED BEFORE COMPLETING CERTAIN MILESTONES. FAILURE TO SUBMIT THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK ON TIME MAY RESULT IN MILESTONE DELAYS.

Obtaining Signatures

Unless an ink signature is explicitly required (the Graduate Advisor will inform you), an email approval or DocuSign signature will be accepted. Please see the instructions on the appropriate form for more information. The Graduate Advisor will assist in obtaining the signatures of the Chair or Vice Chair on your behalf.

M.A Capstone Committee

By the end of Week 5*, fourth quarter, you must nominate your M.A committee. The committee consists of a minimum 3 faculty members. All committee members must sign the “M.A Capstone Committee Nomination Form”, https://ucla.app.box.com/v/macapstonecom, indicating their willingness to serve as a member of your committee .

• All 3 members must hold one of the following academic ranks in Anthropology: (1) professor (any rank), (2) professor or associate professor emeritus, (3) professor-in-residence (any rank), (4) acting professor or acting associate professor.

• A faculty member holding a joint appointment in Anthropology and another department will serve as an Anthropology member 

• Adjunct professors may only serve following approval by the UCLA Committee on Degree Programs 

• Acting Assistant Professor may serve as a committee member but not as chair. 

• The committee chair and at least one other member must hold an academic appointment in Anthropology

• Additional members, meaning a fourth or fifth member, from any of the above titles as well as those with the title of Lecturer may be appointed to the committee and/or serve as Co-Chair, and will have the same voting rights and responsibilities as the other committee members.

• By petition to the Graduate Division, one of the three members may be a faculty member from another UC campus who holds one of the appointment levels listed above. 

The nomination will be reviewed during the Student Review faculty meeting. If endorsed, the Graduate Advisor will confirm the endorsement via email with the student and committee members.

*The deadline will be provided by the Graduate Advisor at the start of each academic year. The actual deadline may fall between Week 5 to Week 7.

Committee Responsibilities

• Committee members are to assist you in planning and revising a program of study

• Committee members will assist in formulating, shaping, and evaluating a research paper proposal 

• Committee members will evaluate your research paper and ultimately make a recommendation to the faculty concerning the award of your MA and your continuation in the doctoral program

Student Responsibilities

• You are responsible for initiating and following through, in a timely manner, all required paperwork (i.e., petitions, letters of recommendation, etc.). 

• You are responsible for keeping each committee informed and updated on your degree progress, plans, and research.

Reconstituting Your Committee

If you need to reconstitute your committee after faculty endorsement, please inform the Graduate Advisor.

M.A Thesis Committee

By the end of Week 5*, fourth quarter, you must nominate your M.A thesis committee. The committee consists of a minimum 3 faculty members. All committee members must sign the “M.A Thesis Committee Nomination Form”, https://ucla.box.com/v/MAcomnom, indicating their willingness to serve as a member of your committee 

• All 3 members must hold one of the following academic ranks in Anthropology: (1) professor (any rank), (2) professor or associate professor emeritus, (3) professor-in-residence (any rank), (4) acting professor or acting associate professor.

• A faculty member holding a joint appointment in Anthropology and another department will serve as an Anthropology member 

• Adjunct professors may only serve following approval by the UCLA Committee on Degree Programs 

• Acting Assistant Professor may serve as a committee member but not as chair. 

• The committee chair and at least one other member must hold an academic appointment in Anthropology

• Additional members, meaning a fourth or fifth member, from any of the above titles as well as those with the title of Lecturer may be appointed to the committee and/or serve as Co-Chair, and will have the same voting rights and responsibilities as the other committee members.

• By petition to the Graduate Division, one of the three members may be a faculty member from another UC campus who holds one of the appointment levels listed above. 

The nomination will be reviewed during the Student Review faculty meeting. If endorsed, the Graduate Advisor will complete the official form to Graduate Division for final review and approval following advancement to Master's candidacy. You will receive an email from the Graduate Division if the committee is approved. Failure to have an officially appointed thesis committee by the time a student begins the process on ETD may result in delays in the filing process and degree conferral.

*The deadline will be provided by the Graduate Advisor at the start of each academic year. The actual deadline may fall between Week 5 to Week 7.

Committee Responsibilities

• Committee members are to assist you in planning and revising a program of study

• Committee members will assist in formulating, shaping, and evaluating a thesis proposal 

• Committee members will evaluate your thesis and ultimately make a recommendation to the faculty concerning the award of your MA and your continuation in the doctoral program

Student Responsibilities

• You are responsible for initiating and following through, in a timely manner, all required paperwork (i.e., petitions, letters of recommendation, etc.) 

• You are responsible for keeping each committee informed and updated on your degree progress, plans, and research.

Reconstituting Your Committee

If you need to reconstitute your thesis committee after official appointment by the Graduate Division, please inform the Graduate Advisor.

Departmental Doctoral Committee (3-Member)

By the sixth/ninth quarter in the doctoral program you must nominate a 3-member Anthropology* departmental doctoral committee. All committee members must sign the "Doctoral and PhD Committee Nomination Form", https://ucla.box.com/v/PhDcom, indicating their willingness to serve as a member of your committee. All 3 members must hold one of the following academic ranks: 

• Professor (any rank)

• Professor or associate professor emeritus

• Professor-in-residence (any rank)

• Acting professor or acting associate professor

Committee Responsibilities

• Members will assist you in planning and revising a program of study.

• Students entering the program with a graduate degree:

  • Members will review your previous Masters thesis or research paper(s) written while in graduate status. This provides them with the opportunity to evaluate your background and assist you in developing both your short and long-term program of study.

  • Members will make a recommendation concerning your admission to the doctoral program to the faculty during the Student Review meeting when you have completed the requisite requirements. 

Student Responsibilities

• You are responsible for initiating and following through, in a timely manner, all required paperwork (i.e., petitions, letters of recommendation, etc.). 

• You are responsible for keeping each committee member informed and updated on your degree progress, plans, and research.

If the 3-Member Departmental Doctoral Committee will continue to serve on the 4-Member Doctoral Dissertation Committee and the student has been approved to continue the Ph.D. requirements following a Student Review Meeting, the student may begin their written qualifying examinations while the 4th, “outside”, member is pending.

*Students may petition a UCLA faculty member outside of UCLA Anthropology to be considered one of the three inside members.  Information regarding this process can be found towards the bottom of this page.

Doctoral Dissertation Committee (4-Member)

The quarter before you plan to take your doctoral qualifying examinations you must submit an updated "Doctoral and PhD Committee Nomination Form" with the information and signature of your 4th, outside member*. Please stop by the Graduate Advisor's office to obtain your previously submitted the form. The signed form must be submitted to the Graduate Advisor by the end of Week 5**, eighth/11th quarter in the doctoral program as your committee must be endorsed by the faculty at the quarterly Student Review. 

If endorsed and the foreign language requirement is fulfilled or waived, the Graduate Advisor will complete the official form to Graduate Division for final review and approval. You will receive an email from the Graduate Division if the committee is approved. Students who do not have an officially appointed Doctoral Committee will not be able to schedule their Oral Qualifying Exam. The Graduate Division will not recognize the Report on the Oral Qualifying Exam if a student does not have an officially appointed committee, and thus will not process the Advancement to Doctoral Candidacy.   

• The Doctoral Committee consists of 4 faculty members from UCLA – Three of the four members are from Anthropology***, “inside members”, and the fourth member must hold an appointment “outside” of the department. 

• Faculty members who hold a joint appointment in Anthropology and another department may serve only as an “inside” member

• All 4 members must hold one of the following academic ranks: 

  • Professor (any rank), 

  • Professor or Associate Professor Emeritus

  • Professor-in-Residence (any rank)

  • Acting Professor Acting Associate Professor

• Two of the four members must be tenured – Professor or Associate Professor (regular or in-Residence series).

• The chair must hold an appointment in Anthropology (any rank, regular or in-Residence series) or Professor or Associate Professor Emeritus.

• Additional members (fifth or more) may be nominated and have the same voting rights and responsibilities as other committee members – this includes Adjunct Professor and Adjunct Associate Professor.

• By petition, one of the minimum four members may be a faculty member from another UC campus who holds one of the appointments listed above.

• Your official Doctoral Committee is appointed by the Dean of Graduate Division 

• All members appointed by the Dean of Graduate Division must be present for the oral qualifying exam.

*The “outside” member is usually from another department at UCLA. Faculty members who hold joint appointment in Anthropology and another department may serve only as an inside member. Students may petition to have a faculty member from another University inside or outside of the UC system and from the same field serve as your outside member. The updated "Doctoral and PhD Committee Nomination Form" must be accompanied with evidence the faculty member holds a regular series appointment at a University that offers accredited graduate degrees, a copy of their CV, and if necessary a statement regarding arrangements to finance the travel expenses to attend the oral qualifying exam or, if required, the final oral defense. Note: Neither the Department nor the Graduate Division has funds to finance travel expenses.

**The deadline will be provided by the Graduate Advisor at the start of each academic year. The actual deadline may fall between Week 5 to Week 7.

***Students may petition a UCLA faculty member outside of UCLA Anthropology to be considered one of the three inside members.  Information regarding this process can be found towards the bottom of this page.

For additional information and FAQs, please see "Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution".

Committee Responsibilities

• Anthro (“inside”) members assist in designing a long-term program of study, administer and approve the PhD language requirement, administer and evaluate the written portion of the PhD qualifying examination.

• The 4 member PhD Doctoral Committee assess and monitor your overall progress, administer the oral qualifying exam, and review and evaluate your dissertation.

Student Responsibilities

• Timely initiation of and follow through on all requirements and necessary paperwork,

• Keeping each committee member informed of your degree plans, progress, and research.

Reconstituting Your 4-Member Doctoral Committee

If you need to reconstitute your Doctoral Committee after official appointment by the Graduate Division, please inform the Graduate Advisor.

Petitioning to have an outside member serve as an inside member

Students may petition a UCLA faculty member outside of UCLA Anthropology to be considered one of the three inside members for their doctoral committee.  The faculty member must still hold an eligible rank – Professor (any rank), Professor or Associate Professor Emeritus, Professor‐in‐Residence (any rank), Acting Professor Acting Associate Professor – and committee formation must still meet all other requirements. In order to petition an outside member to be considered an inside member:

1. Student discusses their committee plans with their Chair/Co-Chairs. If Chair/Co-Chairs support the plan, student must also inform their other committee members.

2. Student will need to contact the Graduate Advisor to initiate the request and the name of the external faculty member. If applicable, please also provide the following information:

a. Reconstituting* a previously formed committee: Adding or removing members, having a member serve as Co-Chair, changing Chair/Co-Chair(s), etc.

b. The change is time-sensitive (e.g. you will be filing/submitting your capstone, thesis, or dissertation the same quarter).

3. The Grad Advisor will give the student the petition with an attachment (cc’ing the Chair/Co-Chairs and the external faculty member) which explains the following:

a. The external faculty member will need to administer one of the three written qualifying exams if the student has not yet completed their written qualifying exams.

b. The external faculty member cannot participate in our Department’s faculty meetings and will thus not be able to speak on the student’s behalf during the quarterly Student Review meetings (a closed faculty meeting). They can, however contribute to the Student Review in a written form that can be read out loud by the student’s Chair or the Vice Chair during the meeting. 

c. If the petition also results in a reconstitution (see 2a) of a previously faculty-endorsed committee, another faculty endorsement of the committee is required.

4. Student will fill out the petition and provide an explanation for the external faculty member to count as an inside member.

5. Once petition is returned to the Grad Advisor by the student, the Grad Advisor will set up the petition in DocuSign. The petition must be signed by the student, student’s Chair/Co-Chairs, and the external member.

6. After the student, student’s Chair/Co-Chairs, and the external member sign, the petition will be automatically routed to the Vice Chair for their review and signature.

7. If approved by the Vice Chair, the Grad Advisor will arrange for the external faculty member to sign the student’s committee nomination form (if not signed already)

8. Faculty endorsement:

a. For a newly formed committee, the faculty endorsement occurs as usual during a Student Review meeting. 

b. If the committee is also being reconstituted (see 2a), faculty endorsement of the committee formation is required. This will occur during a quarterly Student Review meeting. Since the Student Review meeting is usually held towards the end of each quarter, the Grad Advisor will request that the review be held during the next faculty meeting if the reconstitution is time-sensitive. 

i. Faculty meetings are not held during the Summer. Any reconstitutions or approvals needed for a Summer action will need to be done by the preceding Spring.

9. Following faculty endorsement, the Grad Advisor will inform the student and prep the official Grad Division committee form, if needed. 

a. Note: For students who have already advanced to doctoral candidacy, reconstitutions of officially appointed committees by the Grad Division require that the reconstitution form be signed by all involved members (members staying, added, removed).

*Please note that all reconstitutions of a committee which was previously endorsed by the faculty will require another faculty endorsement to move forward with the reconstitution. Students who wish to reconstitute their committee must discuss their plans with their Chair/Co-Chairs and inform the other members.