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

Neurobiology

School of Medicine

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Neurobiology offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Neurobiology.

Admission

Program Name

Neurobiology

Address

Program is not accepting applications for 2013-2014
73-235 CHS 
Box 951763
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1763 

Phone

(310) 825-9553 

Email

neurobio@mednet.ucla.edu  

Leading to the degree of

M.S., Ph.D.

The Neurobiology department admits only applicants whose objective is the Ph.D. 

Admission Limited to

Program is not accepting applications for 2013-2014 

Other Requirements

In addition to the University's minimum requirements, all applicants should submit a statement of purpose and describe why they wish to enter a doctoral program in fundamental neuroscience. The statement should include a description of past research experience in the life or physical sciences and psychology, and future career plans.

Applicants must have a bachelor's degree in a physical or life science, neuroscience, psychology, or in a premedical curriculum. Introductory courses in general and organic chemistry, biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, and physics are highly recommended. Courses in genetics, psychology, neuroscience, psychobiology, physiology, and statistics are recommended. 

Master's Degree

Advising

The graduate or faculty adviser monitors progress on a quarterly basis. The graduate adviser discusses progress with the student on an annual basis.

Areas of Study

See under Doctoral Degree.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

The M.S. degree requires a minimum of 40 units of graduate coursework. The required courses are the core courses Neurobiology M200A-G (32 units), two advanced topics courses (Neurobiology 298A-298B-298C), one ethics course (Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics C234 or Neuroscience 207), three molecular biology, cell biology, or neuroscience seminar or journal club courses (Neurobiology 296, Molecular Biology 298), and a total of three quarters of  laboratory experience (Neurobiology 596).

Teaching Experience

Not required but recommended.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

Under the written comprehensive examination plan students must demonstrate a grasp of the general principles of the required coursework, as well as a general understanding of neurobiology. Details can be found in the description of the written qualifying examination under Doctoral Degree.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

The time-to-degree is normally six quarters (two academic years).

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The graduate program has a strong commitment to regularly monitor the progress of graduate student academic and scholarly activities, including the completion of dissertation research, in order to facilitate timely progress and completion of the degree within five years of matriculation to graduate study. Advising is done through regular meetings with the student, department graduate student adviser and student affairs officer, and with the student, faculty dissertation adviser, and doctoral committee. First-year students admitted directly to the department are advised by a member of the Graduate Program Committee. At the end of Spring Quarter of the first year, the student is expected to develop an affiliation with a faculty member who acts as the mentor and research professor. The faculty adviser monitors progress on a quarterly basis. The graduate adviser discusses progress with the student on an annual basis.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

Neurobiology faculty offer instruction in fundamental neuroscience and provide advanced neuroscience research training. Fields of emphasis are: (1) synaptic and neuronal communication; (2) neuronal structure, circuitry and connectivity; (3) nervous system function, including vision, sleep, autonomic function, movement, and perception; (4) synaptic and neuronal plasticity, including learning and memory; (5) developmental neurobiology; (6) nervous system disease, neuronal repair and recovery of function; and (7) neuroendocrinology and sexual differentiation. These areas are mainly studied using genetic, cell biological, imaging, neuroanatomical, electrophysiological and behavioral approaches.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

(1) Neurobiology M200A-M200B-M200C-200D-200E-M200F-M200G
(2) The departmental seminar and journal club, Neurobiology 296 and six quarters of the lecture series, Neurobiology 270
(3) Two four-unit elective courses approved by the Graduate Program Committee.
(4) One ethics course, Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics C234 or Neuroscience 207
(5) Three advanced topics courses, Neurobiology 298A-298B-298C
(6) Rotation through three research laboratories during the first year, one quarter per laboratory (Neurobiology 596)

The Department of Neurobiology graduate degree program is an affiliate of the UCLA ACCESS Program, and students are referred to that program for questions about course requirements related to the ACCESS Program.

Teaching Experience

To prepare students to teach at the professional level, they are required to gain teaching experience in two undergraduate Life Science courses. During their second and third years, students normally teach in a Life Science or Neuroscience undergraduate course offered by the College of Letters and Science. Advanced students, with permission of the instructor and the Graduate Program Committee, also have the opportunity to teach in the Neuroscience section of the medical school curriculum in lieu of the second undergraduate teaching experience.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examination

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.

The written qualifying examination is normally taken during Spring Quarter of the second year of graduate study. The written examination must be completed by August 1 following the second year of graduate study. For this examination students are required to write an in-depth commentary on a significant, recently published original research article (or articles that are highly related) on a topic in neurobiology that is related to the student's research interests. Students should consult the Preview and Mini-Reviews in Neuron as examples of the scholarly style and format of the commentary. Students choose the research article or articles for the written qualifying examination in consultation with their mentor.

The examination consists of two parts: (a) a review and critique of the historical context, and findings of the article or articles; and (b) a detailed proposal for the next series of studies based on the findings reported in the article or articles. The examination is limited to at least 14 and no more than 16 typewritten (font size 11 or 12), double-spaced pages, two figures, and up to three pages of references.

The written qualifying examination is not administered to a student who: is on academic probation (cumulative gradepoint average below 3.0); receives less than a B- in each of the departmental core courses; fails to satisfy specific academic requirements following conditional entry into the program; or fails to make normal progress in scholarly and research activities. Students who are not eligible to take the examination may be recommended for termination of graduate study on August 1 after the third year in the program.

Students, in consultation with their mentor, choose a three-member faculty committee to grade the examination. The examination committee consists of faculty members from the department. Faculty from outside of the department may serve on the committee only with permission of the Graduate Program Committee. All faculty participating on this committee must be members of the Academic Senate. The student's mentor may not serve on the examination committee. The examination committee grades the written qualifying examination on a pass or fail basis.

Students who fail the examination are counseled by the graduate adviser and appropriate faculty, and may be placed on academic probation for failure to make normal progress in their scholarly activities. The student will be given a second chance to take the examination within three months of the administration of the original examination. Failure of the examination for a second time usually results in a recommendation of dismissal from the graduate program. However, the examination committee may give a third examination within six months of taking the original examination, if they determine that the student has sufficient promise to finish the doctoral program. A third failure will result in a recommendation for dismissal from the graduate program.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination is normally taken within 12 months of passing the written examination. The oral examination is a presentation of an original research proposal that forms the basis of the doctoral dissertation. The format of the examination involves the presentation of an original dissertation proposal by the student. The student presents the dissertation project in a 30-to 45-minute seminar to all members of the student's doctoral committee. The doctoral committee also evaluates the student's general knowledge in neurobiology. The student, in consultation with the faculty adviser, selects the doctoral committee, following published university guidelines, which must be approved by the Graduate Division before administration of the examination. This committee schedules, administers and evaluates the examination. The student will either pass or fail the examination.

Students who fail the University Oral Qualifying Examination are counseled by the student's faculty dissertation adviser and committee, placed on probation and given a second chance to take the examination within six months of the administration of the original examination. Failure of the examination for a second time usually results in a recommendation for dismissal from the graduate program. However, a third examination may be given at the discretion of the dissertation committee, if the student has shown sufficient promise to finish the doctoral program. The third examination should be scheduled within 12 months of the administration of the original examination. A third failure will result in a recommendation for dismissal from the graduate program.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy and awarded the Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil.) degree 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 the Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

Normal progress is defined in the following:

First year

Students who are admitted directly into the department are required to complete Neurobiology M200A-M200B-M200C-200D-200E-M200F-M200G (core course series). Students are required to receive a grade of Satisfactory for Neurobiology 270 and Neurobiology 296. Students who are admitted through the ACCESS Program are required to complete the ACCESS curriculum. All students must satisfactorily complete the three required laboratory rotations.

Second year

Students complete electives and are required to receive a grade of Satisfactory for Neurobiology 270 and Neurobiology 296. Students should take Neurobiology 298A-298B-298C and other courses essential to their planned research and teaching experience. At the end of the year, students are required to complete the written qualifying examination. Students admitted through the ACCESS Program must finish the Neurobiology M200A-200G series.

Third year

Students continue the activities of the second year as needed. By the end of their third year students are required to successfully complete the University Oral Qualifying Examination and begin dissertation research.

Fourth year

Students complete research, prepare and defend the dissertation. A required public presentation of the results is followed by final questions by the dissertation committee in closed session.

Fifth year

Students complete final preparation of the dissertation. Extension of the student's program beyond five years is strongly discouraged.

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

The departmental graduate student adviser, after consultation with the student's faculty research or dissertation adviser and the Graduate Program Committee, makes a recommendation for termination of graduate student status to the Dean of the Graduate Division. Students may be recommended for termination of graduate student status if they are on scholastic probation or are judged to be unqualified to meet the academic requirements for the degree. In exceptional circumstances, students in the doctoral program will be given the opportunity to work toward the master's degree.

In addition to the standard reasons mentioned above under University Policy, students may be placed on departmental probation and subject to a recommendation for termination of graduate student status for:

Failure (repeated) to achieve a grade of Satisfactory in Neurobiology 270 or 296

Failure to match with a Neurobiology faculty member for research training after three 596 laboratory rotations

Failure to satisfy specific academic and scholastic requirements upon conditional entry

Failure to obtain a grade of (S)atisfactory for departmental seminars and advanced topics courses

Failure to complete the written qualifying examination by August 1 following the end of the second year of graduate study

Failure to complete the University Oral Qualifying Examination within 12 months of completing the written qualifying examination

Failure to make normal progress in scholarly and research activities (12 quarters in pre-candidacy and 9 quarters in candidacy)

Students who are placed on probation are counseled by the graduate and faculty advisers concerning the reasons for the probationary status. Students will normally be given: a) one additional rotation opportunity (fourth rotation) to match with a Department of Neurobiology faculty member for their research training; b) one academic year to remove any scholastic deficiencies in their required departmental course work; c) three academic quarters to establish minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.0; and d) one (or in special circumstances two) additional opportunity to pass the master's comprehensive examination, or the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Students will be immediately recommended for termination of graduate student status for:

Failure to match with a Neurobiology faculty member for research training after four 596 laboratory rotations

Failure to take the written qualifying examination by August 1 after the fourth year of graduate study

Failure to pass the master's comprehensive examination a third time

Failure to pass either the written or oral qualifying examinations a third time

Failure to improve deficiencies in normal progress of scholarly and research activities

A student also may be recommended for termination based on a demonstrated absence of interest in any of the research specialties in which the department can offer guidance. A student may present an appeal of termination to the department's Graduate Program Committee.