Hours: Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm B11 Student Activities Ctr (310) 267-4805 gwc@gsa.asucla.ucla.edu Graduate Writing Center Location
2020 Summer Programs will be conducted via Zoom.
The Graduate Writing Center holds several programs during the summer to support graduate students who are at the dissertation and dissertation proposal stages. Programs are free of charge to those who participate. Plan to participate and have a productive summer!
How to Apply: Submit an application by the deadline indicated for the specific program. Space is limited, but we try to accept as many people as we can.
Eligibility: Only UCLA graduate and professional students who have been registered during the academic year are eligible to apply. Participants must also be at the appropriate stage for the program to which they apply.
The Humanities Dissertation Prospectus Boot Camp is designed to help graduate students make substantial progress on a draft of their dissertation prospectuses. Sessions will cover strategies for writing the components of the prospectus as well as managing the process. For guidance concerning research design, methodology, and other field-specific issues, please consult with faculty advisors/mentors. This program will meet Mondays & Wednesdays, 2:30–4:00 PM via Zoom, for the 6 weeks of Summer Session A (June 22nd–July 29th).
How to Apply: Interested graduate students must fill out the Google application form linked here (your application will be kept confidential) by no later than Monday, June 15th.
Homework for those accepted to the Humanities & Arts Prospectus Boot Camp:
For the first session, participants must bring in the following:
For subsequent sessions: Each session will have a required writing assignment related to your prospectus. There may be additional required readings that we will make available electronically.
Not sure whether you should apply to the Humanities or Qualitative Social Sciences Dissertation Boot Camp?
Your dissertation would fit better with humanities if one or more of the following applies:
Your dissertation would fit better with qualitative social sciences if one or more of the following applies:
Some research--such as oral histories, ethnographic studies, and studies of language and performance--falls in between humanities and qualitative social sciences, but we usually group projects involving human subjects with qualitative social sciences. Oral historians who don't code their interviews may fit better with the humanities. If you are not sure which section to choose, please consult with the GWC Director (Marilyn Gray: mgray@saonet.ucla.edu).
Deadline to Apply: The application deadline has passed.
This program targets humanities and arts graduate students who have advanced to candidacy and are at the dissertation-writing stage. The program will teach writing strategies and provide structure to help participants produce a draft of a dissertation chapter. Graduate students from social science fields who use humanities approaches, such as historians or political science students who focus on theory, may also apply to this program. This program will meet Mondays & Wednesdays, 5:30–7:00 PM via Zoom, for the 6 weeks of Summer Session A (June 22nd–July 29th).
How to Apply for the Humanities & Arts Dissertation Chapter Boot Camp: Interested graduate students must fill out the application Google form linked here (your application will be kept confidential) by no later than Monday, June 15th. Space is limited.
Preparation for the Humanities & Arts Dissertation Boot Camp (for those accepted)
First Session Preparation and Homework:
Before the first session, participants should 1) read/skim a dissertation recently completed in your department, preferably one chaired by your dissertation committee chair, to get a sense of overall structure (search ProQuest Dissertations/Theses database by advisor); 2) review and do a brief outline/sketch (1-page maximum) of the structure of one of the analytical chapters in the sample dissertation, paying attention to a) type of content (primary source analysis, secondary criticism, theory, historical or biographical background, etc.); and b) form (narrative arc, argument, and language that signposts what the writer is doing); 3) organize your notes, sources, and data for the analytical dissertation chapter you will work on during the program. Bring all relevant materials into a single physical and/or electronic location to simplify your workflow.
Participants should bring to the first session
1) your brief sketch of the sample dissertation chapter you reviewed; and 2) a 1-2 page outline of the analytical dissertation chapter you will work on during the program. If you are in the very early stages, a bulleted list of the topics and ideas you plan to address in the chapter would be fine.
Homework for Subsequent Sessions: Each session after the first will require 5 to 10 pages of new writing (of the dissertation draft). There may be additional reading and homework assignments to reinforce writing strategies.
Strongly Recommended Reading: Joan Bolker. Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day. 1998. (Available at the UCLA bookstore.) We recommend a more careful reading of chapters 3, 4 and 8, but the entire book is worth skimming.
This program targets graduate students using qualitative social science research methods or mixed methods with a qualitative emphasis. Graduate students who apply to this program should have defended their proposals, completed the majority of their data collection and analysis, and be ready to write (or already writing) the results and discussion chapters (or sections). The program will address writing issues specific to qualitative research as well as general writing and organizational strategies. You are also welcome to apply if you use mixed or quantitative methods but intend to work on a descriptive or qualitative section. This program will meet Mondays & Wednesdays, 5:30–7:00 PM via Zoom, for the 6 weeks of Session A, June 22nd–July 29th.
How to Apply for the Qualitative Social Sciences Dissertation Chapter Boot Camp: Interested graduate students must fill out the Google application form linked here (your application will be kept confidential) by no later than Monday, June 15th.
Preparation for the Qualitative Dissertation Boot Camp (for those accepted)
Before the first session, participants should 1) read/skim a dissertation recently completed in your department, preferably one chaired by your dissertation committee chair, to get a sense of overall structure (search ProQuest Dissertations/Theses database by advisor); 2) review and do a brief outline/sketch (1-page maximum) of the structure of one of the analytical chapters in the sample dissertation, paying attention to a) type of content (data analysis, relevant empirical literature, theory, historical background, cultural context, etc.); and b) form (narrative arc, argument, and language that signposts what the writer is doing); 3) organize your notes, sources, and data for the analytical dissertation chapter you will work on during the program. Bring all relevant materials into a single physical and/or electronic location to simplify your workflow.
Participants should bring to the first session 1) your brief sketch of the sample dissertation chapter you reviewed; and 2) a 1-2 page outline of the analytical dissertation chapter you will work on during the program. If you are in the very early stages, a bulleted list of the topics and ideas you plan to address in the chapter would be fine.
The Social Sciences Dissertation Proposal Boot Camp is designed to help graduate students make substantial progress on a draft of their dissertation proposals. Sessions will cover strategies for writing the components of the proposal as well as managing the process. For guidance concerning research design, methodology, and other field-specific issues, please consult with faculty mentors. This program will meet Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4:30–6:00 PM via Zoom, for the 6 weeks Summer Session A, June 23rd–July 30th.
How to Apply: Interested graduate students must fill out the Google application form linked here (your application will be kept confidential) by no later than Monday, June 15th. Space is limited.
Homework for those accepted to the Social Sciences Dissertation Proposal Boot Camp:
For the first session, participants must bring the following:
For subsequent sessions: Each session will have a required writing assignment related to your proposal. There may also be required readings that we will make available electronically.
This program targets graduate students who are already writing toward their doctoral dissertation or master's thesis, such as manuscripts for publication, proposals, or dissertation/thesis chapters. The program provides a virtual space and time to focus on your writing. It will also offer workshops that address thesis and dissertation structure, writing strategies, and scientific writing issues. This program will meet June 29th–July 2nd, 9:00 AM–4:30 PM via Zoom.
Schedule (all days):* 9:00-9:15: Check in 9:15-10:00: Goal setting and productivity sessions 10:00-12:00: Individual work 12:00-1:00 Lunch break 1:00-4:30: Workshops and individual work 4:30-5:00: Check out
*Full attendance is required, but you may miss a few hours to attend lab meetings or other required appointments.
Morning Goal Setting and Productivity Sessions (Required) Every morning we will address goal setting and productivity strategies for managing writing projects efficiently. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss how their work is going and share tips.
Workshops (Recommended): Attending workshops is not required, but we recommend attending the ones that are relevant to you at your current stage of writing.
Monday, June 29th, 1:00–2:00 PM Writing the Sciences Dissertation This workshop will focus on writing the final dissertation components, including global introduction and background sections, global conclusions, and abstracts. We will also discuss strategies for editing and integrating articles/chapters. If you have started writing global introduction or conclusion chapters, we encourage you to bring them with you. Recommended for people approaching the final stages of their dissertation writing, but all are welcome.
Tuesday, June 30th, 1:00–2:00 PM Getting Started on the Dissertation This workshop will discuss how to develop an effective writing process in the sciences, as well as project management and time management strategies. This workshop will also address common dissertation structures and provide strategies for improving organization and flow both within and across articles/chapters of the dissertation. Please bring an outline of your dissertation or dissertation proposal if you have one. Recommended for people working on their dissertation proposal and people at the early stages of writing their dissertation articles/chapters, but all are welcome.
Wednesday, July 1st, 1:00–2:00 PM Strategies for Writing Scientific Papers This workshop will focus on strategies for self-editing structure and style in scientific writing. We will review in depth tactics for improving flow, clarity, and conciseness, as well as general tips for healthy writing. Recommended for people at all writing stages.
Thursday, July 2nd, 1:00–2:00 PM Writing Group/Peer Review This session will be a writing group peer review feedback session for anyone who would like to discuss their current writing.
How to Apply for the Writing Retreat: Interested graduate students should fill out the web application (linked here). Applications due Tuesday, June 23rd.
We will let you know whether you are accepted and send further details shortly after the deadline.
Preparation for the Writing Retreat (for those accepted)
In preparation for the program, read/skim a master's thesis or dissertation recently completed in your department, preferably one chaired by your advisor that uses similar methods. (You can do this through the ProQuest Dissertations database available through the UCLA Library.) This exercise will help you get a sense of structure and organization as well as demystify what the end product looks like. Please also bring an outline of your thesis or dissertation--the more detail, the better--to aid you in discussing your project during the program.
Optional Reading: Paul Silvia. How to Write a Lot. 2007.
Please Note: For guidance on field-specific issues, please consult faculty advisors/mentors.
If you have any questions, please contact gwcprograms@gsa.asucla.ucla.edu.
Click here to see an archive of past programs and workshops.