Spring Break Dissertation Boot Camp 2014

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

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 dissertation structure, organizational strategies, and both general writing issues and writing issues specific to scientific writing.

Participation eligibility : Participants must be registered UCLA graduate students (or in their filing fee quarter) who are in the process of writing their dissertations. Participation also requires submitting a completed application by the deadline indicated for the program. Participants should be at the indicated stage because space is limited. Dissertation Boot Camps and Workshops are free of charge for registered UCLA graduate students, and only UCLA graduate students are eligible to participate.

SCHEDULE, March 24th 26th:

Core Session (Required):

Monday, March 24th, 5:30–8:00pm: Overview of Dissertation Structure and Writing Strategies
(Topics: Time Management, Writing Process and Strategies, Dissertation Structure.)

Additional Sessions (Recommended):

Tuesday, March 25th, 4:005:00pm. Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Filing Workshop
(Topics: UCLA Electronic Filing Procedures and Requirements)
Graduate Division representatives present the online filing process for theses and dissertations

Tuesday, March 25th, 5:308:00pm. Strategies for Writing Scientific Papers
(Topics: Scientific Writing Overview, Tips for Avoiding Common Pitfalls)
Recommended for people at the early stages of writing their articles/chapters, but all are welcome.

Wednesday, March 26th, 5:30–8:00pm: Final Stages and Components of the Dissertation
(Topics: Global Introductions, Methods, and Discussions/Conclusions; Other Tips for the Final Stages)
Recommended for people approaching the end of their dissertations, but all are welcome.

How to Apply for the Sciences Dissertation Camp :
Interested graduate students should fill out the web application (linked here) by Wednesday, March 19th .

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

Monday Session Homework : In preparation for the Monday 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. Please also bring an outline of your dissertation--the more detail, the better--but rough is OK.

Wednesday Session Homework: Bring a revised and more detailed version of the outline of your dissertation. If you have a draft of your introductory chapter(s), please bring it/them as well.

Optional 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.

If you have any questions, please contact gwcprograms@gsa.asucla.ucla.edu.

Previous Workshops and Programs

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