Spring Break Dissertation Boot Camp 2013

Summer Dissertation Boot Camps are free of charge for registered UCLA graduate students, and only UCLA graduate students are eligible to participate.

The Graduate Writing Center is moving the dissertation program for graduate students in sciences, engineering, and quantitative social sciences to spring break instead of early summer, starting this year (2013).

Participation requirements : Participants must be registered UCLA graduate students (or in their filing fee quarter) who are at the stage of writing the dissertation. Participation also requires submitting a completed application by the deadline indicated for the program. Participants must be at the appropriate stage of writing because space is limited and we need to make sure participants are eligible and ready.

Spring Break Week, March 25 – 28

SCIENCES DISSERTATION BOOT CAMP (Sciences, Engineering, & Quantitative Social Sciences)

This program targets graduate students who have defended their proposals, completed the majority of their research and data analysis, and are ready to write or already writing their dissertation. This program will address writing issues specific to scientific writing as well as general writing and organizational strategies.

The sciences dissertation boot camp will take place March 25-28 as follows:

Core Sessions (Required):

Tuesday, March 26th, 5:30–8:00pm: Overview of Dissertation Structure and Writing Strategies
(Topics: Time Management, Writing Process and Strategies, Dissertation Structure.)

Wednesday, March 27th, 5:30–8:00pm: Final Stages and Components of the Dissertation
(Topics: Comprehensive Introductions, Literature Reviews, and Discussions/Conclusions.)

Supplemental Sessions (Recommended):

Monday, March 25th, 12:00–1:30pm. Writing a Scientific Paper
(Topics: Scientific Writing Overview, Tips for Avoiding Common Pitfalls)

Tuesday, March 27th, 12:00–1:00pm. Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Filing Workshop
(Topics: UCLA Filing Procedures and Requirements, Electronic Filing)
**Please note that this workshop was earlier listed incorrectly as occurring on Wednesday.

Thursday, March 28th, 12:00–2:00pm. Revising Longer Texts Workshop
(Topics: Revising for Structure and Transitions.) Bring a hard copy of the part of your dissertation draft you would like to work on during the hands-on writing activities.

Thursday, March 28th, 5:30–8:00pm. Editing Skills and Strategies Workshop
(Topics: Editing Strategies, Style and Grammar Issues, Passive Voice.) Bring a hard copy of the part of your dissertation draft you would like to work on during the hands-on writing activities.

How to Apply for the Sciences Dissertation Chapter Boot Camp :
Interested graduate students should fill out the application (linked here) and return it electronically (to gwcprograms@gsa.asucla.ucla.edu) by Wednesday, March 20th . Please put the words "sciences dissertation boot camp" in the subject line of the email.

Preparation for the Sciences Dissertation Boot Camp (for those accepted)

Tuesday Session Homework : In preparation for the Tuesday session, read/skim a dissertation recently completed in your department, preferably one chaired by your dissertation committee chair, to get a sense of structure and organization. We also recommend bringing a fairly detailed outline of your dissertation.

Wednesday Session Homework: In preparation for the Wednesday evening session, bring a 300-500 word abstract. We also recommend bringing a fairly detailed outline of your dissertation.

Optional (but 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.

Please note : for guidance on field-specific issues, participants should consult faculty advisors/mentors during the course of these programs.

Previous Workshops and Programs

Click here to see an archive of past programs and workshops.