UCLA
Graduate Writing Center

Summer Dissertation Programs 2012

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 holds several programs during the summer to help graduate students who are at the dissertation and dissertation proposal stages. Most programs meet once a week for approximately 2.5 hours during either Summer Session A or Summer Session C. Plan to participate and have a productive summer!

Please Note : Participation requires submitting an application by the deadline indicated for the program because space is limited and we need to make sure participants are eligible and ready.

For guidance on field-specific issues, participants must be able to consult faculty advisors/mentors during the course of these programs.

Eligibility: Our summer programs do not require formal registration during the summer, but you must be a registered UCLA graduate student during spring 2012 and be at the appropriate stage for the program to which you apply.

1) DISSERTATION BOOT CAMP (HUMANITIES & ARTS FOCUS)--click to expand

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 people produce a draft of a dissertation chapter. Graduate students from social science fields who use humanities approaches, such as textually-oriented historians or political science students who focus on theory, may also apply to this program. This program will meet for the 6 weeks of Summer Session A (Wednesday, 5:30-8:00pm, June 27th; then Thursdays, 5:30–8:00pm, July 5th–August 2nd).

How to Apply for the Humanities & Arts Dissertation Chapter Boot Camp : Interested graduate students must fill out the application (linked here) and return it electronically (to gwc@gsa.asucla.ucla.edu) by no later than Friday, June 15th . Please be sure to put the exact words "humanities dissertation boot camp" in the subject line of the email. Space is limited.

Not sure whether you should do the Humanities or Qualitative Social Sciences Dissertation Boot Camp? Your dissertation would fit better in the humanities category if one or more of the following applies: you study texts and/or aesthetic objects; you don't have separate chapters on literature review and methods; you don't work with human subjects (in a manner requiring IRB approval); and your chapters are organized in a purely topical way. Your dissertation would fit better in the qualitative social sciences category if one or more of the following applies: you have separate methods and literature review chapters; you work with human subjects and went through the IRB process; you do descriptive or ethnographic research based on interviews and observations; your data analysis involves coding; and/or you write your findings in results and discussion chapters. Some research falls in between humanities and qualitative social sciences, such as ethnographic studies, and studies of language and performance. We will be covering issues related to ethnographic writing in the qualitative dissertation boot camp but not in the humanities boot camp. If you are not sure which section to choose, please consult with the GWC coordinator (Marilyn Gray: mgray@saonet.ucla.edu ).

Preparation for the Humanities & Arts Dissertation Boot Camp (for those accepted)

First Session Homework : Participants must bring an outline (as detailed as possible) of the dissertation chapter they'll be working on during the Boot Camp, organized notes on the dissertation chapter's primary, secondary, and theoretical sources, and a bibliography of all chapter-relevant secondary sources (append annotations when helpful). We strongly recommend organizing the current chapter's notes and materials into a binder and all chapter-relevant electronic files into a dedicated folder on your computer. Before the first 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.

Homework for Subsequent Sessions: Each session after the first will require five to ten pages of new writing. There may be additional reading and homework assignments to reinforce writing skills and strategies.

Required Text: Joan Bolker. Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day. 1998. (Available at the UCLA bookstore.) Read before first session.

2) DISSERTATION BOOT CAMP (Qualitative Social Sciences Focus)--click to expand

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 research and data 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. The program will also provide a collaborative environment to help people make weekly progress on their dissertations. This program will meet for the 6 weeks of Summer Session A (Mondays, 5:30–8:00pm, June 25th–July 30th).

How to Apply for the Qualitative Social Sciences Dissertation Chapter Boot Camp : Interested graduate students must fill out the application (linked here) and return it electronically (to gwc@gsa.asucla.ucla.edu) by no later than Friday, June 15th . Please be sure to put the exact words "qualitative social sciences dissertation boot camp" in the subject line of the email. Space is limited.

Not sure whether you should do the Humanities or Qualitative Social Sciences Dissertation Boot Camp? Your dissertation would fit better in the humanities category if one or more of the following applies: you study texts and/or aesthetic objects; you don't have separate chapters on literature review and methods; you don't work with human subjects (in a manner requiring IRB approval); and your chapters are organized in a purely topical way. Your dissertation would fit better in the qualitative social sciences category if one or more of the following applies: you have separate methods and literature review chapters; you work with human subjects and went through the IRB process; you do descriptive or ethnographic research based on interviews and observations; your data analysis involves coding; and/or you write your findings in results and discussion chapters. Some research falls in between humanities and qualitative social sciences, such as ethnographic studies, and studies of language and performance. We will be covering issues related to ethnographic writing in the qualitative dissertation boot camp but not in the humanities boot camp. If you are not sure which section to choose, please consult with the GWC coordinator (Marilyn Gray: mgray@saonet.ucla.edu ).

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

First Session Homework : Participants must bring an outline (as detailed as possible) of the current dissertation chapter and organized notes on the current dissertation chapter's relevant sources/data. We strongly recommend organizing the current chapter's notes and materials into a binder and all chapter-relevant electronic files into a dedicated folder on your computer. Before the first 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.

Homework for Subsequent Sessions: For each session after the first meeting, participants must complete a required writing assignment of a minimum of four to five pages of new writing. There may also be other required reading and homework assignments to reinforce writing skills and strategies.

Required Reading for First Session: Joan Bolker. Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day. 1998. (Available at the UCLA bookstore.)

Reading for Subsequent Sessions : There may be additional readings that we will make available electronically.

3) DISSERTATION BOOT CAMP (Sciences, Engineering, & Quantitative Social Sciences)--click to expand

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 article chapters or results and discussion chapters. 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 June 21, 22, and 23 as follows:
Thursday, June 21, 5:30–8:30pm: Finishing and Filing (Topics: Comprehensive Introductions, Literature Reviews, and Conclusions; Nuts and Bolts of Filing; Audience: People who have already written all or most of their substantive chapters/articles and are at the phase when they need to compile everything and file.)
Friday, June 22, 5:30–8:30pm: Getting Started (Topics: Time Management and Organization; Writing Process and General Strategies; Audience: People in the early stages of writing their dissertation chapters/articles.)
Saturday, June 23, 10:00am–6pm. Writing, Revision, and Editing Workshop (Topics: Concrete Writing Strategies and Acitivites Related to Drafting, Revision, and Editing; Audience: People at any stage of dissertation writing who have part of a dissertation draft to work on during the hands-on writing activities.)

Five-Week Writing Group: The dissertation boot camp will be followed by an optional writing group component that will meet for five weeks in July (Tuesdays, 5:30–7:30pm, July 3rd – July 31st).

How to Apply for the Sciences Dissertation Chapter Boot Camp :
Interested graduate students must fill out the application (linked here) and return it electronically (to gwc@gsa.asucla.ucla.edu) by no later than Friday, June 15th . Please be sure to put the exact words "sciences dissertation boot camp" in the subject line of the email. Space is limited.

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

Thursday Session Homework : In preparation for the Thursday session, participants must review departmental and Gradaute Division guidelines for dissertation filing. In addition, 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.

Friday Session Homework: In preparation for the Friday session, bring a 300-500 word abstract and a fairly detailed outline of your dissertation (be as detailed as you can be). In addition, 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.

Saturday Session Homework: In preparation for the Saturday session, bring a 300-500 word abstract and a fairly detailed outline of your dissertation (be as detailed as you can be). In addition, bring in writing that is a draft (rough is OK) of some portion of your dissertation.

Homework for Writing Group Sessions: For each session of the writing group, participants must write and bring in three to five pages of new writing.

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.

Dissertation Proposal/Prospectus Programs
(Summer Session C, August 6 – September 14)

The Dissertation Prospectus/Proposal Boot Camps are designed to help graduate students finish a draft, or at least make substantial progress on a draft, of their dissertation proposals or prospectuses. Each session will cover writing strategies for the components of the dissertation proposal/prospectus as well as organizational strategies for the process. For guidance concerning field-specific issues, participants should consult with faculty advisors/mentors during the course of these programs.

Schedule--click to expand

The program will meet once per week (2.5 hours) for six weeks during Summer Session C. Please see specifics below.

Humanities & Arts Prospectus Boot Camp : Thursdays, 5:30 – 8:00pm (August 9th – September 13th)

Social Sciences Proposal Boot Camp : Tuesdays, 5:30 – 8:00pm (August 7th – September 11th)

Sciences Proposal Boot Camp : Wednesdays, 5:30 – 8:00pm (August 8th – September 12th)

How to Apply for the Dissertation Proposal/Prospectus Boot Camps--click to expand

Interested graduate students must fill out the application (linked here) and return it electronically (to gwc@gsa.asucla.ucla.edu ) by no later than Monday, July 16th. Please be sure to put "proposal boot camp" in the subject line of the email. Space is limited.

Not sure whether you should do the Humanities Prospectus or Social Sciences Proposal Dissertation Boot Camp?--click to expand

Your dissertation would fit better in the humanities category if one or more of the following applies: you study texts and/or aesthetic objects; you don't have separate chapters on literature review and methods; you don't work with human subjects (in a manner requiring IRB approval); and your chapters are organized in a purely topical way. Your dissertation would fit better in the social sciences category if one or more of the following applies: you have separate methods and literature review chapters; you work with human subjects and went through the IRB process; you do descriptive or ethnographic research based on interviews and observations; your data analysis involves coding; and/or you write your findings in results and discussion chapters. Some research falls in between humanities and qualitative social sciences, such as ethnographic studies, and studies of language and performance. If you are not sure which section to choose, please consult with the GWC coordinator (Marilyn Gray: mgray@saonet.ucla.edu ).

Homework for the Dissertation Proposal/Prospectus Boot Camps (for those who are accepted)--click to expand

In addition to the below, there may be other required reading and homework, and each session will have a required writing assignment.

1) Humanities and Arts Prospectus Boot Camp: For the first session, participants must bring the following documents: Annotated Bibliography: bring a bibliography of your secondary and theoretical sources. Select four or five of the most important theoretical and secondary sources and write a short paragraph about each. Also make sure that you have organized notes for each of your other sources. Abstract: describe your dissertation in 300-500 words. Be sure to articulate your working thesis or argument as well as your critical approach. Reading Assignment : In preparation for the first session, please read the following: Joan Bolker. Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes A Day. 1998. Chapters 1, 3 and 4. (Available at the UCLA bookstore.)

2) Social Sciences Dissertation Proposal Boot Camp: For the first session, participants must bring a carefully annotated bibliography and an abstract. Participants should be ready to articulate their research questions, methods, variables and hypotheses succinctly. Annotated Bibliography of your top 50 secondary and theoretical sources. For the top 4-5 most important theory and secondary sources, write a long paragraph per annotation. For all other sources that will be discussed in the literature review, write a short paragraph (at least 3 sentences) per annotation. Abstract: describe your dissertation in 300-500 words. Reading Assignment : Joan Bolker. Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes A Day. Chapters 1, 3 and 4. (Available at the UCLA bookstore.) There will be additional required readings that we will make available electronically.

3) Sciences Proposal Boot Camp*:
For the first session, participants must bring an annotated bibliography and an abstract. Participants should be ready to articulate their research questions, methods, variables and hypotheses succinctly. Annotated Bibliography for your literature review. Annotate the most relevant sources in preparation for your literature review/background section. Bring Research Plan: bring a relatively well-articulated plan for your experimental work and/or 2-3 well-defined specific aims of your research. Abstract: describe your project in 250-500 words. For Proposals intended to follow the format of a particular granting agency : use the web to investigate graduate research fellowship opportunities at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF), or at the funding agency most relevant to your field. Very often graduate students are encouraged to write proposals in a format that may be used for extramural funding applications. If your department has its own format, please consult your department's guidelines. *Note: This program focuses on dissertation/research proposal writing, but if we have room, people working on other types of writing projects in the sciences may join this program.

Previous Workshops and Programs

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