Departmental Scholar Program

UCLA Samueli Engineering DEPARTMENTAL SCHOLAR PROGRAM 

*Subject to Change*

The Departmental Scholar Program (DSP), for The Samueli School of Engineering, allows exceptional juniors to pursue their bachelor’s and master’s degrees simultaneously.  The program offers advanced students access to graduate level classes and an opportunity to do graduate level research under the direct supervision of the School’s distinguished faculty.  Departmental Scholars remain undergraduate students with permission to take graduate level courses that will be applied toward the Master’s Degree.

Note: The Computer Science Department is unable to accept DSP applications at this time.

Eligibility

To apply for the Departmental Scholars Programs, students must meet the following minimum requirements:

  • Completion of 24 courses (96 quarter units) at UCLA or a similar institution
  • A 3.700  CUMULATIVE GPA (UC COURSES ONLY)
  • A 3.700 GPA  MAJOR FIELD UPPER DIVISION GPA (UC COURSES ONLY)
  • Officially declared in a major

Student must have completed 24 courses or 96 quarter units at UCLA, or the equivalent at another institution, and have completed the requirements in preparation for a major.  Departments will designate only exceptionally promising students as Departmental Scholars, subject to approval of the Graduate Council. The Departmental Scholar will be admitted provisionally to the Los Angeles Graduate Division in his or her department.  In order to obtain both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree, the Departmental Scholar must fulfill requirements of each of these programs. No course may be used to fulfill the requirements of both these degrees.  An application and recommendation letters from your faculty advisor and department’s graduate Vice Chair are additionally required.

Application Process

We recommend student apply to the Engineering DSP during his/her junior year, no later than 4 quarters prior to the student’s expected degree term.
We will not accept applicants who are in their senior year and final year at UCLA.

Please note that only courses taken in the Department Scholar effective term, or later, can be applied toward the M.S. degree.

Complete application form Dept_Scholar_Application_rev_Sept2020
1. Two letters of recommendation must have full name, title, department, signature and must be done on letterhead (see 1a. and 1b. below)
a. Obtain recommendation letter from a faculty member in your department, letter must be done on department’s letterhead
b. Obtain letter of support from your department’s Graduate Vice Chair, letter must be done on department’s letterhead
2. Application must be submitted electronically to Myrna Reneau (myrna@seas.ucla.edu) with a cc: to Michel M Campbell (michel@seas.ucla.edu)
3. Review your Degree Audit Report (DARS) to check for accuracy and to make sure that your Technical Breadth Area (TBA) is declared
4. Submit application form with Statement of Purpose as one .PDF document Statement of Purpose

Review Process

Application process may take up to 3 months.
After submission of application materials, the Office of Academic and Student Affairs (OASA) will verify that GPA and units requirements are met and that application and supplement materials are completed; documents will be uploaded for review by the Dean of Graduate Division.  Subject to Graduate Division approval, and the Office of Academic & Student Affairs (OASA), the student will be formally admitted to the Departmental Scholar Program and notified by email.

Additional Information

  • Requirements for the Bachelor’s degree are detailed at https://www.seasoasa.ucla.edu/curricular-requirements-department-information/
    and can be reviewed with the Office of Academic and Student Affairs
    academic counselors https://www.seasoasa.ucla.edu/counselors/
  • Course Requirement for the M.S. degree can be discussed with the department graduate counselor listed at
    https://www.seasoasa.ucla.edu/exceptional-student-admissions-program/#department
  • No course may be used to fulfill the requirements of both the B.S.and M.S.degrees.
  • Enrollment in Graduate Level Courses: Because all graduate level courses are restricted to graduate students, Departmental Scholars will need to obtain enrollment permission from your counselor.
  • Graduate Record Exam: Departmental Scholars are not required to take the GRE. However, students planning to apply to other programs or universities or the PhD program are required to take the GRE general test.

Questions regarding eligibility for the Department Scholar Program can be referred to Myrna Reneau (myrna@seas.ucla.edu) or
Michel Campbell (michel@seas.ucla.edu) in the HSSEAS Office of Academic & Student Affairs

Revised: 03/06/2024