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English Graduate Union |
FREQUENTLY ASKD QUESTIONS The following is a list of frequently asked questions about life in our program. For more information see the Guide to Graduate Study in English at UCLA. ACADEMIC What are seminars like? Seminars meet once a week for three hours. 3 to 15 or more students enroll in the seminars. The expectations vary, but in addition to doing the reading for the week and participating in discussion, professors generally assign a 15-25 page seminar paper and a 10-20 minute oral presentation. How many seminars do I have to take? You must take a minimum of fourteen seminar courses. 11 of these seminars must be taught by an English department professor. After you have satisfied the fourteen-course requirement, you may take classes “S/U” (pass/fail) with instructor approval. If you already hold a MA, after your first quarter at UCLA, you may petition to have up to six graduate courses at your previous institution applied toward the fourteen-course requirement. What is the breadth requirement? You must take at least three seminars that focus on literature before 1780 and at least three on literature after 1780. Classes taken in an M.A. program may fulfill this breadth requirement. Note that not all courses offered by the department will be accepted toward this requirement. For example, theory and folklore courses are not generally accepted. Please consult the Graduate Counselor (Michelle Harding) if you have questions. Can I take courses in other departments and have them count toward my fourteen? Courses taught by English Department faculty in other departments can be applied toward your fourteen-course requirement without petitioning. You can petition to have up to three seminars from other departments to count toward your 14 course requirement. It is also possible to petition for departmental approval of an undergraduate course taken for graduate credit or an independent study. Again, ask the Graduate Counselor if you have questions. Some students use their three outside courses to pursue the Concentration in Women's Studies. Concentrators are required to take the three introductory courses in the Women's Studies Graduate Program and to submit a research paper. The concentration allows students enrolled in English to TA for the Women's Studies Program and to reflect this specialization on their CV. What is the foreign language requirement? The department requires that you demonstrate “reading knowledge” of two foreign languages, or a superior proficiency in a single language. You can demonstrate reading knowledge passing a reading examination (which consists of a translating a passage with the help of a dictionary), by passing (with a grade of B or higher) an upper-division literature course in the original language, or by petitioning to have previously done work accepted that meets the above criteria. (It is probably in your best interest to choose the “S/U” grading option for your language classes, as a grade of “Satisfactory” indicates that you have done work of at least “B” quality.) The departmentally approved languages are French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Latin, but you may petition the Graduate Committee to allow other languages. You must petition to test in other languages or if you want to pursue superior proficiency. The first language requirement must be satisfied during the first two years in the program, and the second before you are admitted to the Second Qualifying Examination. Copies of passages used on previous language exams are available in the ERR. How do I demonstrate “superior proficiency”? You can demonstrate “superior proficiency” by either passing (with a grade of B or higher) three upper level division classes or passing an oral exam. The oral exam consists of translating two or three passages for an examiner. How can I improve my language abilities if I’m not ready to take an exam? You can of course take regular undergraduate language classes, but this can be time consuming. Take a careful look at the language offerings each quarter; some departments offer graduate level courses specifically designed to help students pass reading exams. You can also take intensive language classes over the summer, but you will most likely have to pay for them (more than $1,200). (With all language classes, the “S/U” grading option is highly recommended. See above). What is an incomplete? If you are having trouble completing your coursework by the end of the quarter, you can (with instructor approval) take an incomplete. You can then turn in your essay at a later date without a penalty. Your grade in the class will appear as an “incomplete” on your transcript for one quarter; if you do not complete your work during that quarter (and/or if your professor fails to complete the paperwork required to change the grade during that quarter), the grade will lapse to an “F” until you finish the work for the class. What are the consequences of taking incompletes? While the incomplete or “F” grade is temporary, trying to finish papers from previous quarters while continuing with seminars and teaching can be overwhelming. Having these grades on your transcript can make you a less attractive candidate for fellowships and other employment/funding opportunities that require a transcript. Work for incompletes from the first two quarters of your first year must be completed by the Fall Quarter of your second year, or you may be denied teaching. What are the Part I Exams? After you have satisfied the fourteen-course requirement, you can take your Part I exam. The Part I Exam is a two-hour oral examination in which you will be tested on your knowledge of three reading lists of your choosing. At least two of these lists must be historical (Renaissance, Victorian, Nineteenth-Century American, etc.); your third list can be another historical list or a genre or special field list (Novel, Literary Criticism, African American Literature, etc.). Departmentally approved reading lists are available on the English department website or in the Grad Counselor’s office. You may petition to be tested on a third list of your design. What are the Part II Exams? The Part II exam is basically a two-hour oral examination that addresses viability of your dissertation. You are required to find a chair, two other professors from our department, and one outside reader who are willing to take part. You will be expected to prepare a prospectus (generally 25-50 pages) to go over with the four members of your committee. COMPUTERS AND COPIERS Self-Service Copying and Printing BruinCard-operated copying (photocopiers and microform/reader printers) and printing are available in the libraries. Further details are available on a downloadable Adobe PDF information sheet. UCLA students, faculty, and staff use their BruinCards. Value can be added online through the BruinCard Web site, at the BruinCard machines located in the campus libraries listed below and other locations across campus, or by automatic payroll deduction (UCLA permanent employees only). How do I get a UCLA email account? To create a BOL (Bruin Online) account, visit http://www.bol.ucla.edu/services/accounts/. You can get remote access to your email account by going to www.my.ucla.edu. You can also set up a humnet email account. These accounts can be accessed through http://mail.humanities.ucla.edu. Notify Michelle if you would like to set up a humnet account. Where can I find computers and print for free? There are two Graduate Computer Labs in Humanities A80 and A95. There is a total of 14 workstations and 2 printers. In addition, there are 2 workstations in each of the TA offices. The computer lab policy is posted at http://www.english.ucla.edu/resources/lab_policy.pdf. Are there other computers on campus that I should know about? If you need a program that isn’t on our computers, your best bet is to go to the CLICC classrooms in Powell. The classrooms are often closed for classes and space is limited, so be sure to check classroom availability on the whiteboard outside of the classrooms. FINANCIAL When do I get paid? Stipend checks are normally distributed one week before the quarter begins. Automatic deposit facilitates receipt of your check. Ask Michelle if you have questions; if something goes wrong with your stipend, it is not in your best interest to go to Murphy Hall without consulting her first. Why should I check my URSA account? You should check your URSA account every month for school fees, medical bills, printing charges, overpayments, holds, and underpayments. While the department pays most of our fees, we are responsible for a portion of them. Failing to pay your URSA bills on time (by the 20th of each month) will cause your classes to be dropped and hold to be placed on your account. There is also a fee for late payments. How can I make some extra cash during the school year? The easiest way is to work as a “reader,” grading paper for one of the professors in the department (pay is usually about $500 per quarter). You can also seek work as a research assistant. In addition, the Graduate Counselor and other people in the department often send out information regarding off-campus employment opportunities through email. When do I get a raise? You will receive a raise after you have taught for one year and a second raise after your Part II exams. Be sure to notify Nora when you pass your Part II exams as she can get you the extra cash immediately. Also, the union negotiates a raise of approximately 2% in October of each year. What can I do during the summer? The Graduate Division offers a limited number of summer fellowships to support research. There are teaching opportunities through AAP that are open to first-year graduate students; those with university teaching experience are eligible to teach summer classes in the department. MEDICAL What is covered by our insurance? How do I go about receiving medical attention? We all have GSHIP, the Graduate Student Health Insurance Plan. (If you have your own insurance, notify the Graduate Counselor ASAP. If you opt out, the cost of GSHIP will be reimbursed to you each quarter). The main hub of healthcare activity is the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center on South Campus. MOST services here are free (there may be charges for some lab work, immunizations, etc), but you usually have to get a referral to see a specialist (dermatologist, physical therapist, etc.). The co-pay for prescriptions is either $15 or $30 billed to your bar account. Call 310.825.4073 to make an appt. or refill a prescription or you can make an appt. on the web. Coverage on this plan is year-round, including summers and breaks. Student Psychological Services is another part of the health plan, located in the Math Sciences Building 4th floor, 310.825.0768. SPS offers short-term therapy (about 10 sessions) as well as psychiatric appointments. For long-term care, there are a few options, including Behavioral Health Services. Dental is included in this plan through CIGNA Dental Care Program: 100% Coverage for regular teeth cleaning and reduced fees for oral surgery, root canals, orthodonics, etc. There is a co-pay for fillings. Make sure you check with the off-campus dentist you’re assigned (you’ll get a name in the mail) to see what the prices will be. In the past, graduate students in our program have used the “enggrads” mailing list to get advice on a good dentist. Eye care is also covered and is offered through the Ashe Center and a limited number of off-campus providers. Our plan includes discounts on eyewear. To find out more specifics about GSHIP, go to http://www.studenthealth.ucla.edu. TRANSPORTATION I was thinking about driving to school… Parking permits are available for $171 per quarter (see Jeannette); one-day permits for $7 are available from information kiosks marked on the campus map. Beware that one-day permits for the closer lots are limited and you are more likely to get assigned a spot with a twenty minute walk to North campus. Other parking packages are available. There are private parking lots in Westwood, but they are relatively expensive and tend to fill up quickly. If you just need to drop something off on campus, there are a few metered parking spaces that cost 25 cents for 8 minutes and only accept quarters. You might also want to consider carpooling. Or maybe I’ll take the bus… The easiest way to get to campus is via the Big Blue Bus, which services Santa Monica, Westwood, and other parts of the Westside. Riding the Big Blue Bus has been free for UCLA students during the past, but there may be a charge this year. MTA buses also come to campus, but are much more expensive, even with a student discount (approximately $30 per month). OTHER I’ve heard that Fall Quarter of the second year is difficult. Why? Well, you’ll have to make the transition to teaching and taking classes at the same time. Also, you won’t be paid for your teaching until November 1 (though a modest advance is available through the department) so the money can get tight. Where can I have my legal questions answered? UCLA law students offer free advice to UCLA students on legal matters; check with Graduate Student Support. You can also try The Legal Grind, a coffee shop where lawyers make themselves available for “a cup of coffee” (literally or metaphorically). Where can I get tax advice? The easiest way to get tax advice is to contact Kyle Cunningham (825-0636), the tax advisor at Graduate Student Support. Also, during the spring graduate students from the business school offer to help students with their taxes free of charge. Where can I buy tickets for events on campus? Go to the student ticket office. See http://www.uclalive.org or call the UCLA Ticket Office at 310-825-2101 during business hours. Student discounts on UCLA events are available; they also have discount tickets for some off-campus movies and other events. What athletic facilities are available to me as a UCLA student? At the Wooden Center, you can find weight machines, treadmills, showers, etc. You can rent a locker on a quarterly or yearly basis. You can also use the tennis courts and pools at the Sunset Recreation Center and the UCLA marina in Marina del Rey. For a full listing of classes, schedules, and facilities, pick up a schedule at the Wooden Center or go to http://www.recreation.ucla.edu/. Where can I leave books and personal belongings? YRL rents lockers to students on a quarterly basis. Go to the cashier in the lobby of YRL for more information. Where can I leave my tasty lunch? There’s a fridge in the Grad Lounge. |
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| Last Modified: October 9, 2007 | |||||