Writing and Research Workshops - Winter 2026
The Graduate Writing Center offers a wide variety of writing workshops, ranging from general to more specialized topics. We also provide information on selected campus offices that provide assistance with research, data management, and data analysis.
All workshops are conducted on Zoom unless otherwise noted.
General Workshops
Introduction to the GRM, GSRM
Ebony Oldham, Gender Studies, Graduate Writing Consultant
Victoria Tran, Sociology, Graduate Writing Consultant
This workshop will explain best practices for writing the essay component of the Graduate Research Mentorship (GRM) and Graduate Summer Research Mentorship (GSRM) fellowships that are reviewed and awarded by the UCLA Division of Graduate Education. After a presentation, the workshop facilitators and additional writing consultants who have received these fellowships will be available to answer questions.
Time Details: Thursday, January 8th, 5:15-6:30 PM
RSVP on Handshake to receive Zoom information
Strategic Reading
Victoria Tran, Sociology, Graduate Writing Consultant
Feeling overwhelmed by your reading lists? Concerned that you are missing the point of what you have just read? Are you taking pages of notes for every article you read? This workshop will cover effective reading and note-taking strategies so that you read more efficiently, assess your reading with a critical eye, and annotate each work so that important concepts are easily accessible. Note: This workshop does not teach speed-reading techniques.
Time Details: Thursday, January 15th, 5:15-6:30 PM
RSVP on Handshake to receive Zoom information
Project Organization for Writing
Marilyn Gray, Graduate Writing Center Director
In this workshop, we will discuss how to set up an organized system for a large-scale research and writing project, especially the writing components.
Time Details: Wednesday, January 21st, 5:15-6:15 PM
RSVP on Handshake to receive Zoom information
Time Management and Productivity Tips for Writing
Marilyn Gray, Graduate Writing Center Director
In this workshop, we will discuss effective strategies for time management, goal setting, and productivity when conducting large-scale research and writing projects, especially for the writing components.
Time Details: Thursday, January 22nd, 5:15-6:15 PM
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Strategies for Writing Longer Literature Reviews
Marilyn Gray, Graduate Writing Center Director
This workshop will cover strategies for writing longer literature reviews for theses, dissertations, proposals, and review papers. The workshop will also address organizational approaches and writing process issues.
Time Details: Wednesday, February 25th, 5:15-6:30 PM
RSVP on Handshake to receive Zoom information
Mindful Writing Retreat Sessions (Online)
Marilyn Gray, Director, Graduate Writing Center
The mindful writing retreat will integrate simple techniques from mindfulness to support the writing process and cultivate an approach to writing that fosters balance, self-care, and well-being. Please bring a current writing project because much of the retreat time will be allocated for writing. All sessions will be conducted remotely via zoom.
1) Monday, February 9th, 1:30 PM-4:00 PM
RSVP on Handshake to receive Zoom information
2) Monday, February 23rd, 1:30 PM-4:00 PM
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3) Monday, March 9th, 1:30 PM-4:00 PM
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Humanities Writing Workshops
Strategies for Writing the Master's Thesis (Humanities and Social Science focus)
Marilyn Gray, Graduate Writing Center Director
Janel Pineda, Chicana/o and Central American Studies, Graduate Writing Center Consultant
Victoria Tran, Sociology, Graduate Writing Consultant
This workshop will give an overview of how to write a master's thesis or project of similar length (like a qualifying paper) for students in the Humanities and Social Sciences. It will include writing activities and discussion to help participants develop their thesis topics. We will also present strategies for organizing research and literature reviews, as well as tips for drafting and revision.
Time Details: Thursday, February 5th, 5:15-6:30 PM
RSVP on Handshake to receive Zoom information
Strategies for Writing the Humanities Dissertation Prospectus
Lika Balenovich, Comparative Literature, Graduate Writing Center Consultant
Michael Mirer, Political Science (Political Theory), Graduate Writing Center Consultant
This workshop is geared towards giving prospectus writers the tools to write their prospectus over the course of two months. We will discuss literature review and argument development as well as how to turn the many different pieces of a prospectus into a coherent document. Please note: this is meant to be an addition to--not a substitution for--serious discussions with your advisor about what is expected of you in your home department.
Time Details: Thursday, March 5th, 5:15-6:30 PM
RSVP on Handshake to receive Zoom information
Social Sciences Writing Workshops
Strategies for Writing the Master's Thesis (Humanities and Social Science focus)
Marilyn Gray, Graduate Writing Center Director
Janel Pineda, Chicana/o and Central American Studies, Graduate Writing Center Consultant
Victoria Tran, Sociology, Graduate Writing Consultant
This workshop will give an overview of how to write a master's thesis or project of similar length (like a qualifying paper) for students in the Humanities and Social Sciences. It will include writing activities and discussion to help participants develop their thesis topics. We will also present strategies for organizing research and literature reviews, as well as tips for drafting and revision.
Time Details: Thursday, February 5th, 5:15-6:30 PM
RSVP on Handshake to receive Zoom information
Strategies for Writing the Master's Client/Capstone Project
Marilyn Gray, Graduate Writing Center Director
This workshop will give an overview of how to write a master's client project or other master's capstone (projects other than the academic thesis). It will include strategies for developing topics, timeline, goals, and document structure. We will also present effective strategies for drafting and revision, as well as managing the project overall.
Time Details: Tuesday, February 10th, 5:15-6:30 PM
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Strategies for Writing the Social Sciences Dissertation Proposal
Leezet Matos, Psychology, Graduate Writing Consultant
Andrew Malmuth, Sociology, Graduate Writing Center Consultant
Kiana Billot-Vasquez, Education, Graduate Writing Consultant
This workshop will give an overview of the main components of a dissertation proposal in the social sciences and cover strategies for writing the research questions, literature review, and methods sections, as well as some tips for getting through this sometimes daunting process. (These strategies should be adapted to your department's and advisor's expectations about the structure and content of your proposal.) If you have preliminary drafts of an abstract or research questions, please bring them.
Time Details: Wednesday, March 4th, 5:15-6:30 PM
RSVP on Handshake to receive Zoom information
Science and Engineering Writing Workshops
Strategies for Writing the STEM Dissertation Proposal
Aidan Howenstine, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Graduate Writing Consultant
Xochitl Ortiz Ross, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Graduate Writing Consultant
This workshop, geared toward students in STEM fields, will cover dissertation proposal structures and components, as well as writing process strategies and time management. In addition, we will address issues related to the oral defense portion of the proposal.
Time Details: Wednesday, January 28th, 5:15-6:30 PM
RSVP on Handshake to receive Zoom information
Strategies for Writing the Master's Thesis (STEM Focus)
Marilyn Gray, Graduate Writing Center Director
This workshop will give an overview of how to write a master's thesis for students in STEM fields. It will include writing activities and discussion to help participants develop their thesis topics. We will also present strategies for organizing research and literature reviews, as well as tips for drafting and revision.
Time Details: Tuesday, February 3rd, 5:15-6:30 PM
RSVP on Handshake to receive Zoom information
ESL Workshops
Self-Editing Strategies for Non-Native Speakers of English
Amelia Ino, Comparative Literature, Graduate Writing Consultant
This workshop will provide concrete strategies and online tools to enable non-native speakers of English to improve their writing and editing process, check grammatical issues, make appropriate vocabulary choices and approach issues like article and preposition usage in their own writing projects.
Time Details: Wednesday, January 14th, 5:15-6:45 PM
RSVP on Handshake to receive Zoom information
Grants/Fellowships Workshops
Introduction to the GRM, GSRM
Ebony Oldham, Gender Studies, Graduate Writing Consultant
Victoria Tran, Sociology, Graduate Writing Consultant
This workshop will explain best practices for writing the essay component of the Graduate Research Mentorship and Graduate Summer Research Mentorship fellowships that are reviewed and awarded by the UCLA Division of Graduate Education. After a presentation, the workshop facilitators and additional writing consultants who have received these fellowships will be available to answer questions.
Time Details: Thursday, January 8th, 5:15-6:30 PM
RSVP on Handshake to receive Zoom information
General introductory fellowship workshop videos
Statistical Support and Consultation
For support with statistics, please see the statistical support website of the Office of Advanced Research and Computing. Graduate students are eligible for (remote) statistical consulting services on theses, dissertations, and journal publications (projects that are not coursework).
Research Workshops at the Library
To see the most complete, current schedule of UCLA Library advanced research workshops, consult the UCLA Library research workshop page.
Research Guides
Online research guides link to key resources and reference books for certain courses and disciplines. Subject guides, course guides, and general research guides are available.
Research Appointments
Graduate students are encouraged to contact the Library's subject specialists for more specialized and personalized assistance with research, library resources, and subject databases; find a complete list of all subject specialists here.
Copyright Questions
Contact the Library's copyright experts for assistance with copyright, publishing, intellectual property, and other related issues at copyright@library.ucla.edu.