Welcome to Honors Programs

Departmental Scholar Program Guidelines

The Departmental Scholar Program (DSP) allows exceptional UCLA students to pursue the bachelor's and master's degrees simultaneously. Please refer to the DSP overview page to see if you qualify for this program.

For additional information on and counseling for the DSP Program, please call 825-1553 or come by the Honors office (A-311 Murphy) and make an appointment with Honors Counselor, Tracey Martin.

Nomination Procedure

1. The department may nominate a student at any time during the academic year. Nomination and approval must take place at least one full quarter before graduation. (Nomination forms are available in the department and Honors Programs.)
2. The Chair of the department begins the nomination procedure by completing the "Departmental Scholar Nomination Form." (The Chair must justify a retroactive nomination or any exceptions to the eligibility requirements in a memo attached to the nomination form.)
3. In addition, the College requires 2 Letters of Recommendation from two faculty members. The student must submit these letters directly to their department for inclusion in the nomination packet.
4. The nomination form, together with a copy of the students's transcript and letters of recommendation, is sent to the Assistant Vice-Provost of Honors, for review.
5. Upon approval by the Assistant Vice-Provost of Honors and the Dean of Graduate Division, the student is formally admitted to the Departmental Scholar Program.
6. Although the student will be concurrently enrolled in undergraduate and graduate coursework, the student remains an undergraduate in status and is subject to all rules and regulations affecting UCLA undergraduates.

1. Students should consult the graduate advisor in their department regarding specific course requirements for the master's degree.
2. Students must fulfill the unit requirements for both degrees (e.g., 180 units for the bachelor's, and an additional 36-44 units for the master's).
3. No course may be used to fulfill requirements for both degrees.
4. Students may request to exceed the 216 unit maximum by the number of units required for the master's by filing a blue petition at Honors Programs.
5. Prior to the second week of the quarter of graduation students must file a "Petition for Advancement to Candidacy" with the departmental graduate advisor.  On this petition students indicate the courses to be applied to the master's degree. Graduate courses completed prior to effective quarter of admission to the Departmental Scholar Program may not be applied to the master's degree.

Interdepartmental and Individual Majors: Students completing an interdepartmental major or individual major may be nominated as a Departmental Scholar in any of the Letters and Science departments affiliated with the major.

Graduate Record Exam: Departmental Scholars are not required to take the GRE (exception: students pursuing a master's degree in Computer Science). However, students planning to apply to other programs or universities are advised to take the GRE.

Letters of Recommendation: Departments may or may not require students to submit letters of recommendation with the nomination form.

Financial Aid and Fellowships: Departmental Scholars, although pursuing graduate coursework, are not eligible for graduate financial aid, grants or fellowships. Departmental Scholars may apply for Undergraduate Financial Aid as continuing students. Departmental Scholars are eligible for all undergraduate research awards, including those administered by Honors Programs.

Graduate Housing: Departmental Scholars are not eligible for residence in graduate housing.

Enrollment in Graduate Level Courses: If a course is restricted to graduate students, Departmental Scholars must obtain a Permission To Enroll (PTE) number from the departmental advisor or professor. (For enrollment purposes, students should retain the acceptance letter from Graduate Admission as verification of Departmental Scholar status.)

Library Privileges: Departmental Scholars are eligible for graduate library borrowing privileges at the Charles Young Research Library.

Degree Candidacy Form: Departmental Scholars should indicate on the degree candidacy form the quarter in which both degree programs will be completed as the quarter of graduation. This form may be picked up at Honors Programs, A-311 Murphy.

Latin Honors: Latin Honors are calculated on the basis of all University of California coursework. Because courses applied on the master's will be posted on the undergraduate transcript, these grade points and units are included when calculating Latin Honors upon graduation.

Withdrawal from the DSP: Departmental Scholars deciding to graduate before completing the requirements for the master's should consult the departmental graduate advisor and the Honors Programs counselor.