Interdepartmental Program in Afro-American Studies: Admissions

 
 Thank you for your interest in our joint degree program in African-American Studies and the UCLA School of Law.  The Joint MA/JD program is new, and therefore prospective students have a lot of questions and concerns. Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.
 
1. You must apply to both the Law School and UCLA Graduate Division for the Joint Program, but you do NOT have to take two exams.  (See below.)  You do have to send in two separate application packages, however, one to the Law School and one to UCLA Grad Division. (The Grad Division application indicates which supplemental material should be sent to the M.A. Program in African-American Studies.) 
 
2. Be sure to apply EARLY for best consideration. If at all possible, get your complete application package in (including transcripts, letters of recommendation, and test scores) at least two weeks before each program's application deadline (African-American Studies:  December 15; School of Law:  February 1).  Note: these are not postmarked dates, but dates that the package must arrive in the department.  (Remember, it takes up to three days for letters to be processed in campus mail and arrive at the department, so allow for that extra time when you mail.) 
 
3. There are separate applications for each program.  Make sure you have both. For the M.A. application, see the following website. (You do not have to apply online. You can print out the application and mail it in.) http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu 
 
4. To enter the Law School, you must take the LSAT, therefore you do NOT have to take the GRE, if you are applying to the JOINT MA/JD program.  (If you are only applying to the M.A. program, you must take the GRE.) 

 

LSAT Score Information
 
5. You will be paying Law school fees for the first three of the four years it takes to complete the joint degree. 
 
6. The first year is normally spent taking all courses at the law school, and the second year you begin taking courses that will go toward your M.A. degree.  Please consult the School of Law Summary of Academic Standards for information regarding minimum enrollment requirements (residency): http://www.law.ucla.edu. 

  7. You are also eligible for funding through Graduate Division, so it is advised that you apply for grants, fellowships and scholarships through Graduate Division (in particular, the Graduate Opportunity Fellowship, for which you should submit a two-page Financial Need Personal Statement, in addition to the regular application statement).  That complete application is also due no later than December 1. 
 
8. For more information on funding which you do not have to pay back, please consult: http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/asis/entsup/finsup.htm and http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/grpinst.htm.  Note: The funding applications tend to have early deadlines, so plan accordingly. 
 
9. The name of the UCLA Grad Division fellowship database is GRAPES, listed on the Grad Division homepage. Search and apply for as many fellowships as possible. 
 
10. Make sure that your statement of purpose and letters of recommendation are strong, because they will be closely examined due to the special nature of your pursuit of the dual degrees.  It is recommended that you make clear in your statement your reason for pursuing the joint degree.  Do not be vague, i.e. “I want to become a lawyer.” You may also want to ask a local teacher or professor to look over your statement before submitting it. 
 
11. To obtain additional information regarding how the joint program works, as well as specific degree requirements, please contact the School of Law Records Office at (310) 825-2025; records@law.ucla.edu or Andrea Sossin-Bergman, Assistant Dean and Director of Admissions for the School of Law; (310) 206-9779; sossin@law.ucla.edu. 
 
12. For more information on the M.A. Program in African-American Studies and assistance with the application process, please contact me at the numbers below. 
 
We look forward to hearing from you and assisting you in the future.  Please do not hesitate to call or email, even if you have to do so several times.  We want you to be successful here at UCLA!

 

Brenda Stevenson, Ph.D., IDP Chair
Lisbeth Gant-Britton, Ph.D., Student Affairs Officer
Interdepartmental Program in Afro-American Studies
lbritton@bunche.ucla.edu
Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA
160 Haines Hall, Box 951545, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1545
(310) 825-3776

(310) 825-7403

 

 

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