Applicable only to students admitted during the 2012-2013 academic year.

Biomathematics

School of Medicine

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Biomathematics offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Biomathematics, and the Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Clinical Research.

Admission

Program Name

Biomathematics

Address

David Geffen School of Medicine
5303 Life Sciences
Box 951766
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1766 

Phone

(310) 825-5554 

Email

gradprog@biomath.ucla.edu  

Leading to the degree of

M.S., Ph.D. 

Admission Limited to

Consult department. 

Deadline to apply

January 15th 

GRE (General and/or Subject)

GRE: General and Subject

Consult department for additional information 

Letters of Recommendation 

3, from faculty competent to evaluate qualifications for pursuing graduate study and a creative research career; additional letters are welcomed and may be requested 

Other Requirements

In addition to the University's minimum requirements and those listed above, all applicants are expected to submit the departmental supplement, and statement of purpose.

High academic achievement in one scientific or mathematical field is required for admission. It is not necessary for an applicant to be proficient in both mathematics and biology, although some prior preparation in both fields is desirable. 

Master's Degree

Areas of Study

Consult the department.

Advising

The admissions and advising committees confer with incoming students about their goals and prior preparation. Students are assigned a major adviser, most likely the chair of the advising committee, and possibly additional special advisers to assist with specific aspects of training. Students meet with their adviser at least once a quarter. For students who advance to the doctoral program, doctoral committees replace the previous advisers as soon as the committee is formed. Doctoral committee membership must be approved by the advising committee chair and department before it is sent to the Graduate Division for appointment.

Assessments of progress are developed and reported to the advising committee by the student's adviser(s) or dissertation committee on the basis of grades, research, the written comprehensive examination, and personal observations on progress and ability.

In addition to the formal advising process, all faculty are available to students for individual instruction and informal counseling.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Master's degree candidates must complete five graduate-level courses in biomathematics, three of which must be chosen from Biomathematics 201, 202 or 210, M203, and 204. If any of these four courses were completed as an undergraduate, the student may petition the department to count them in fulfillment of this requirement of specific background in biomathematics; however, in accord with Academic Senate regulations, they cannot be applied toward the minimum requirements stated below for the master's degree.

The master's degree candidate must complete the University minimum requirement of nine (36 units) of graduate and upper division courses taken in graduate standing, five (20 units) of which must be graduate courses. No more than two 596 courses may be applied toward the required nine courses, and none may be applied toward the graduate course requirement.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

A written comprehensive examination administered by a committee consisting of at least three faculty members appointed by the chair, with approval of the advising committee chair, covers material presented in the coursework. This examination is usually given during the summer.

Thesis Plan

Every master's degree thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student's ability to perform original, independent research.

In general, students are required to follow the comprehensive examination plan. Permission to undertake a thesis plan must be given by the departmental advising committee, which must approve the thesis committee and plans for the thesis.

Time-to-Degree

Students who are well-prepared should be able to complete the degree within four full-time quarters.

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The admissions and advising committees confer with incoming students about their goals and prior preparation. Students are assigned a major adviser, and possibly additional special advisers to assist with specific aspects of training. Students meet with their adviser at least once a quarter. Doctoral committees replace the previous advisers as soon as the committee is formed. Doctoral committee membership must be approved by the advising committee chair and department before it is sent to the Graduate Division for appointment.

Assessments of progress are developed and reported to the advising committee by the student's adviser(s) or dissertation committee on the basis of grades, research, the written comprehensive examination, and personal observations on progress and ability.

In addition to the formal advising process, all faculty are available to students for individual instruction and informal counseling.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Students must complete the requirements for a field of special emphasis in biology. Students confer with their advisers to develop a coherent plan for biological or biomedical training that includes 24 units of upper division and graduate courses. At least 16 units of this coursework must be graduate-level. No more than four units of seminars graded on a Pass/No Pass or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis may be counted toward the requirements. A letter-graded course must be completed with a grade of B or better to be counted toward the requirements. The department maintains a list of suggested coherent course sequences, including those for genetics, microbiology/immunology, molecular biology, neuroscience, organismic biology/ecology/evolution, and physiology.

Students petition the curriculum committee for approval of their biological training program. Students who enter the program with previous upper division or graduate training in biology or biomedicine may petition to reduce the 24-unit requirement. Students who hold a master's degree in a biological science are expected to take one additional graduate course. Completion of the first two years of medical school will generally be accepted in satisfaction of the requirements.

Foreign Language Requirements

None.

Course Requirements

The following courses are required: The core methodology courses, Biomathematics 201, 202 or 210, M203, and 204, plus two graduate Biomathematics courses from an approved list of electives in modeling application in biology/medicine.

Applied Mathematics . Students must complete 24 units of graduate or upper division courses in applied mathematics or statistics with a grade of B or better. Eight units may be in upper division courses.

The department maintains a list of representative courses in engineering, mathematics, physics, theoretical computer science, and theoretical or computational statistics that are relevant to biomathematics. Students confer with their advisers to develop a coherent plan appropriate to their research area and to petition the curriculum committee for approval of courses not already listed. Students who enter with considerable preparation in applied mathematics may petition to reduce the 24-unit requirement. Students who hold a master's degree in mathematics are expected to take one additional graduate course.

Biology . No formal requirement beyond preparation for the field of major biological emphasis.

Independent Research. During the first two years students are required to take at least four units of Biomathematics 596 with a member of the department or a mentor from an affiliated training program. As students progress through the program, there is an increasing emphasis on research and encouragement to publish. Failure to advance in capacity for independent, creative research is a primary indication for recommended withdrawal from the program.

The following courses are recommended:

Mathematics . By individual study or coursework, students should have strength, at the upper division level, in linear algebra, differential equations, probability and statistics, and real and complex analysis. Offerings in the Department of Mathematics are especially recommended.

Statistics . Additional training in biostatistics is highly recommended.

Computer Methods . Students should be proficient in Matlab, Latex, and a lower level programming language such as C or Fortran and be acquainted with numerical methods needed for their area of research. The numerical analysis sequence in the Department of Mathematics or supervised independent study is suggested.

Biology and Biological Chemistry . A broad background is expected, from molecular to organ-system levels. This probably will be provided in requirements for the field of major biological emphasis; supplemental coursework is advised, if needed.

Teaching Experience

One teaching preceptorship (Biomathematics 596) is required. Students participate fully in the planning and delivery of one course in Biomathematics or a related subject. The emphasis is on training in all aspects of preparing for and offering a course; this is not a service-oriented teaching assistantship.

The preceptorship requirement can also be satisfied through service as a teaching assistant for two quarters at UCLA or by presenting a course in excess of 10 hours that covers recommended skills for graduate students in scientific computing (e.g., Matlab, Latex, and a lower level programming language).

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

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 pre-candidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.

In the summer the department offers written qualifying examinations to test competence in biomathematics in core methodology and the electives in modeling applications. No written qualifying examination is required in the field of major biological emphasis. Full-time students must take these examinations by the end of two academic years of study and part-time students by the end of three years. The brochure, Policies for the Written Comprehensive Examinations for the Doctorate in Biomathematics, is available from the department.

The required coursework and the written qualifying examinations must be successfully completed before students proceed to the University Oral Qualifying Examination. In exceptional cases a student who has completed all required courses except for the requirements in either the field of special emphasis in biology or in applied mathematics may petition the curriculum committee to take the University Oral Qualifying Examination. Compelling evidence must be presented to the committee to demonstrate that there has been substantial progress towards completion of these requirements and that the choice of subject matter or methodological training that would complete the requirements strongly depends on the direction the proposed research eventually takes. If the petition is approved, the curriculum committee formally reduces the 24-unit requirement, but only with the clear understanding of the student and the doctoral committee that the remaining training will be completed as an integral part of the dissertation research.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination, administered by the doctoral committee appointed by the Graduate Division, critically probes the quality, scope, and feasibility of the student's proposed dissertation work. The examination also explores the strength and integration of the student's biomathematical, mathematical, and biological research knowledge in the intended area of research.

Advancement to Candidacy

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

Doctoral Dissertation

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.

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

Full-time students with no deficiencies upon admission and sufficient prior upper division training in biology and mathematics should be able to complete the program in five years (15 academic quarters plus research and/or individual instruction during the summers). Such students complete the departmental written qualifying (comprehensive) examinations at the end of the second year, identify their research field and mentor by the end of Fall Quarter in their third year, and complete all formal course requirements by the beginning of the fourth year.

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

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 student may appeal a recommendation for termination from the advisory committee to the departmental chair within two weeks of being notified by the committee. The chair then initiates a faculty review of the recommendation. Factors considered in the review are biomathematical research aptitude, progress toward completion of degree requirements, performance on the required examinations, and course grades.

PAGE 2 -- Clinical Research