Oral Biology

A total of 36 units is required to satisfy the degree requirements. This required course work consists of six core courses (Oral Biology 201C, 209, 212, 215A, 260 (for three quarters), and 275), and four units each of Oral Biology 596 and 598. These courses should be taken primarily during the first year of graduate study. Students also must take a minimum of thirteen units of additional elective course work from any of these courses: Oral Biology 201A, 205A, 205B, 206, 208, 215B, 226, 227, 228, 229A, 299B, or from other departmental courses either at the upper division or graduate level. The elective courses should be essential to or add to the enhancement of understanding in the research area.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

None.

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.

The purpose of the thesis is to demonstrate the student's ability to design and carry out a research project, and to analyze and present the resulting data. The results of thesis research are expected to be of publishable scientific quality. The subject of the thesis must be approved by the graduate adviser and research mentor. Students prepare and send a proposal of the research project to the graduate adviser at the end of their first year of study.

Time-to-Degree

Time-to-degree varies in accord with the program track students select. Some students may be capable of completing the degree requirements in less time than stated here.

Master's degree only: Six quarters.

First year: Students begin required and elective course work, laboratory rotations, select mentor and thesis committee members, and begin research.
Second year: Students complete required and elective course work, complete research, analyze data, write, defend, and file thesis.

Master's degree combined with UCLA D.D.S. program: 12 quarters.

First year: Students begin D.D.S. curriculum and training and M.S. required and elective course work.
Second year: Students continue D.D.S. curriculum and training and M.S. elective course work, enroll in Oral Biology 596 and complete research proposal.
Third year: Students continue D.D.S. curriculum and training and M.S. elective course work, enroll in Oral Biology 596 and 598, continue research.
Fourth year: Students complete D.D.S. curriculum and training and M.S. elective course work, enroll in Oral Biology 596 and 598, complete research, analyze data, write, defend, and file thesis.

Master's degree combined UCLA Dental Residency Certificate Program: Nine quarters.

First year: Students begin clinical training and M.S. required and elective course work.
Second year: Students continue clinical training and M.S. elective course work, enroll in Oral Biology 596 and complete research proposal.
Third year: Students continue clinical training and M.S. elective course work, enroll in Oral Biology 596 and 598, complete research, analyze data, write, defend, and file thesis.

MAXIMUM TTD

Advising

New students are advised by the Ph.D. program graduate adviser. Students are expected to identify the research area and a mentor by the end of their first year of study. Students are then advised by the graduate adviser in consultation with the research mentor and the doctoral committee members.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

The major fields include bacterial and fungal pathogenesis; biochemistry; calcified tissue metabolism and developmental biology; cancer biology; immunology; neuroscience; pharmacology and therapeutics; salivary diagnostics; and virology.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

A total of 36 units of core courses is required: Biochemistry CM253, C267A, M267B, Oral Biology 209, 260, 596, 597, 599. Students also must take a minimum of four units of additional elective course work from any of these courses: Oral Biology 201A, 201B, 201C, M204, 205A, 205B, 206, 208, 214, 215A, 215B, 226, 227, 228, 229A, 229B, 234, 273, 275, or from other departmental courses either at the upper division or graduate level. The elective courses should be essential to or add to the enhancement of understanding in the research area.

Teaching Experience

Participation in teaching activities either by assisting the faculty in a one-quarter oral biology course offered to dental students or in a Teaching Assistantship offered by another department is required. Students are expected to participate fully in the planning and delivery of the course.

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.

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

The timing of the University Oral Qualifying Examination depends on the specific program track in which the student is enrolled. Students should see the Time-to-Degree section for details. During the year specified, the student is responsible, with the advice and consent of the graduate adviser, for organizing the doctoral committee. Faculty members constituting the doctoral committee include the student's research mentor and two others from the student's areas of emphasis. Two of three members must be from the Section of Oral Biology or Dentistry. The fourth member must come from a university department outside of the School of Dentistry. The doctoral committee is responsible for approving the course of the student's doctoral study and for conducting a review of the student's progress.

After the completion of the core course requirements, it is expected that students complete the University Oral Qualifying Examination. Briefly this examination includes a written research proposal and its oral defense before the doctoral committee. At the end of the oral defense, students give a 15-minute presentation for the proposed research for the doctoral dissertation.

Students prepare a 15 to 20 page written research proposal on a topic unrelated to the dissertation research. It may be in the same general area as the student's research interests, for example, molecular pathogenesis, but it must not be closely related to the student's own research, or any research being conducted in the doctoral mentor's laboratory. The proposal is in the format of an NIH grant application, and includes background, current research status, a novel working hypothesis and three specific aims to test the hypothesis. Students may consult with their mentor on the appropriateness of the topic. However, the mentor is not allowed to provide the students with any help in preparing for the oral qualifying examination.

Following the oral examination, the doctoral committee makes a decision in the following manner: to vote pass on the oral examination and advance the student to candidacy; to vote fail and allow the student to repeat the examination; or, to vote fail and recommend termination of graduate study. The committee's decision is based on the quality of the written proposal, the adequacy of the oral presentation, the overall record at UCLA as reflected in course work, and the research ability as judged by an abstract of the research submitted with the proposal and the research mentor's written assessment.

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 the Dissertation)

The final oral examination is required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

Time-to-degree varies in accord with the program track students select.

Doctoral degree only: Twelve to 15 quarters.

First year: Students complete the required Oral Biology core courses and begin the laboratory rotations.
Second year: Students select a research mentor and laboratory, complete elective course work, work with the mentor to select the doctoral committee, prepare for and take the University Oral Qualifying Examination. Students may also begin dissertation work in the selected laboratory.
Third year: Students engage in dissertation research and complete any elective courses necessary for completion of the didactic portion of the doctoral degree requirements.
Fourth year: Students engage in dissertation research. Approximately six months before the expected completion of the research and the final oral examination, students prepare for a midstream seminar examination. Students present to the doctoral committee a midstream seminar that outlines their research achievements. Students must pass this examination prior to taking the final oral examination. Finally, students prepare, defend, and file the dissertation.
Fifth year: Students who were unable to complete the program within four years engage in the same activities as in the fourth year.

Doctoral degree combined with UCLA D.D.S. program: 21 quarters.

First year: Students begin D.D.S. curriculum and training and doctoral laboratory rotations and required and elective Oral Biology course work.
Second year: Students continue D.D.S. curriculum and training and begin doctoral research course work.
Third year: Students continue D.D.S. curriculum and training and doctoral research while completing Oral Biology course work.
Fourth year: Students complete course work in fall and winter Quarters, complete University Oral Qualifying Examination.
Fifth year: Students continue D.D.S. curriculum and training at 25% time and continue doctoral research.
Sixth year: Continue D.D.S. curriculum and training at 25% time and continue doctoral research.
Seventh year: Students complete D.D.S. curriculum and training and doctoral research. Approximately six months before the expected completion of the research and the final oral examination, students prepare for a midstream seminar examination. Students present to the doctoral committee a midstream seminar that outlines their research achievements. Students must pass this examination prior to taking the final oral examination. Finally, students prepare, defend, and file the dissertation.

Doctoral degree combined UCLA Dental Residency Certificate Program: Time-to-degree varies in accord with length of certificate program selected.

First year of doctoral program: Students complete the required core courses and the laboratory rotations. Students select a research mentor and begin research.
Second year of doctoral program: Students complete course work, continue research, prepare for and take the University Oral Qualifying Examination.
Dental certificate program years: Two to four years depending on the program selected. Students concentrate on certificate curriculum and clinical training and continue research.
Final year: Students concentrate on certificate curriculum and clinical training (50% time). Approximately six months before the expected completion of the research and the final oral examination, students prepare for a midstream seminar examination. Students present to the doctoral committee a midstream seminar that outlines their research achievements. Students must pass this examination prior to taking the final oral examination. Finally, students prepare, defend, and file the dissertation.

MAXIMUM TTD

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

In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may be recommended for termination for failure to show satisfactory progress in research activities.

The program chair and the program director together recommend termination in writing to the departmental chair (who is also the dean of the school).

A student may appeal a recommendation for termination in writing to the Faculty Review Committee. The Review Committee consists of three members. One member is the student's mentor, one is appointed by the departmental chair and one is appointed by the student. If the student does not have a mentor, the departmental chair appoints two members.

The Committee reviews the student's record and conducts a personal interview with the student. The Committee's recommendation is communicated in writing to the departmental chair, with copies to the student and program chair. The recommendation is specific and may be for one of the following (but is not limited to these options): a leave of absence for a specified period of time to remove Incomplete grades or review academic goals; continuance for a specified period of time with stated expectations of improvement in performance; or, termination of graduate study.

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