General Department Regulations

Quarterly Requirements

• All students must be registered and enrolled or be on an official leave of absence each quarter. Failure to register and enroll will result in a lapse of student status. In order to return to the program following a lapse, the UCLA Application for Graduate Admission must be submitted for readmission consideration. 

• All students must enroll in a minimum of 12 units each quarter.

• Students have until Friday of Week 2 of each quarter to make any changes to their Study List without financial penalty. During Weeks 3 to 10, any changes may result in a fee posted to the BruinBill. Changes made after Week 10 require an enrollment petition, which are subject to approval by the UCLA Registrar.

  • A registered student's Study List of enrolled courses becomes official at midnight on Friday of the second week of each quarter. Students are responsible for all courses and grading basis, as listed on MyUCLA, and cannot receive credit for courses not listed. Errors or omissions should be corrected before instruction ends (before the end of Week 10). Study Lists should be checked after all enrollment transactions.

  • When planning courses for a term, students are responsible for avoiding class conflicts and avoiding conflicting or multiple same-day final examinations. See "Final Examination Policies” on UCLA's Registrar's website, https://www.registrar.ucla.edu/Registration-Classes/Examinations/Final-Examination-Policies. 

• With the exception of Anthropology 597, 598, and 599, Anthropology classes are to be taken for a letter grade unless otherwise designated or requested by the instructor.

• All students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00. Failure to achieve a cumulative 3.00 will result in Departmental leadership to ask your faculty advisor for a recommendation concerning your continuation in the program. This recommendation will be forwarded to the Dean of the Graduate Division for final action. 

• Health insurance is required of all graduate students and is included in the cost tuition. Students with comparable health insurance may waive the UCLA student insurance (UC SHIP). 

Petitions, Forms, Letters

All student petitions, forms, and letters requiring the Chair’s or a Departmental signature/approval must be routed through the Graduate Advisor. Your primary advisor must indicate their knowledge and approval of the petition or form before giving it to the Graduate Advisor. 

A petition is a request for an exception to the stated policy, requirement, or regulation. Petitions and forms can be obtain on the Anthro Student Resources site (link to site will be provided late Summer) or from the Graduate Advisor.

Student Dossiers

The Department keeps a file for each student which includes the documents listed below. If you wish to review your file, you must request so in writing to the Department Chair. Your file is kept for five years after you leave the program. Faculty members are notified each spring regarding the student files that are to be shredded. Files will be kept for an additional five years only upon the request of a faculty member. 

• Graduate school application, including transcripts

• Committee forms (departmental & official nomination forms, appointment notification, etc.)

• Petition forms (i.e. core courses, language requirements, leave of absence, etc.)

• Report forms (i.e. PhD written and oral qualifying exam reports)

• Copies of letters sent to you by the department

• Copies of award contracts 

• PhD language exam forms

• Copies of your written qualifying exams (electronic copy only)

• Copy of your dissertation proposal (electronic copy only)

• Copies of letters written on your behalf (letters of introduction for fieldwork, and/or letters to loan agencies)

What Do I Call Myself?

You are a student until you advance to doctoral candidacy by successfully defending your dissertation proposal (oral qualifying exam). When you pass your proposal defense, you are then a candidate. As a candidate, you may refer to yourself as a PhD Candidate, Doctoral Candidate, or even ABD (all but dissertation). It is useful to use the correct title as it will convey your proper stage in the program.