FAQs

Please visit the UCLA Graduate Admissions website for more information on the application process. https://grad.ucla.edu/admissions/admission-application-for-graduate-admission/.
Students are not required to have an MA before applying to the PhD program in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures. All students who received a U.S equivalent of a Bachelor’s (BA) degree can apply. Students who do not have an MA prior to starting the program will complete one in the department as part of their PhD program.
Please see the Graduate Admissions website for TOEFL/English requirement. http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/gasaa/admissions/ENGREQ.HTM.
UCLA institution code (4837). Near Eastern Languages and Cultures department code TOEFL/IELTS (57). GRE: 2602* (*Shows up at Foreign Language but the scores are sent to NELC at UCLA*).
Arabic and Islamic Studies are the only programs with a terminal MA.
  • Three letters of recommendation must be received for each applicant. At least two of the three, preferably all three, should be from teachers familiar with the student’s recent academic work.
  • Additionally, the Department requires the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) for admission (verbal, quantitative and analytical). This examination must have been taken no more than 3 years prior to application.
  • Students whose native language is not English are in most cases required to submit scores obtained on the TOEFL or similarly recognized English proficiency examinations. For more information, please go to: https://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/gasaa/admissions/ENGREQ.HTM
  • All applicants are expected to submit a statement of purpose (maximum 2 pages double space), and recent term paper/writing sample (less than 15 pages preferred).
All of the application materials must be uploaded and submitted via the online application by 11:59pm PST on December 15th (2:59am EST on December 16th). Academic records and test scores can be postmarked by Tuesday, December 16th. Letters of recommendation are given a one week grace period.
No. It is not required.
No. Applicants must re-take the exam before December 1st if their scores have expired. GRE scores expire after 3 years of when the exam was taken. TOEFL scores expire after 2 years.
  • We accept TOEFL and GRE exams until first week of January. We do not accept scores after the first week of January
  • Please mail them to the department or use the campus code (4837) and department code (2602) and ETS Code (57).
  • One official copy of your transcripts must be sent directly to the program by the application deadline.
  • The mailing address is: UCLA Near Eastern Languages & Cultures, 378 Kaplan Hall Box 951511, Los Angeles, California 90095-1511
Please contact the faculty member you wish to study with for these details. Each program is slightly different depending on the advisor. Program requisites for NELC Graduate Degree: https://grad.ucla.edu/programs/humanities/near-eastern-languages-cultures-department/.
It depends on the field you wish to study. We prefer that you know one or both modern languages: German, French. If you plan to apply for our other programs, please check with the advisor that you wish to study with. Some examples of preferred languages are: Hebrew, Arabic, Armenian, Farsi, Russian, Turkish, etc.
Applicants should contact us at nreast@humnet.ucla.edu. We can confirm the receipt of scores/transcripts/materials.
The general answer is that the admissions committee likes to see:

  • GRE: Scores at 80% or above in all areas. (4.5 or higher preferred for Analytical Writing).
  • TOEFL: Score of 87 or higher is acceptable.
  • GPA: Students will not normally be admitted if their undergraduate grade-point average is below 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) or if their cumulative GRE score is below 1150 combined score for Verbal and Quantitative and 3.5 for Analytical Writing section.
For the internet-based TOEFL, the minimum total passing score is 87. The Graduate Division has a list of minimum score requirements for each section of the exam, but these minimum section score requirements are not enforced—only the total passing score of 87.
  • $105.00: U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents.
  • $125.00: All other applicants.
  • There are three types of financial support: merit based, need based, and assistantship. In order to be considered for many of these different types of financial aid, the student must fill out the FAFSA (https://fafsa.ed.gov/) by the preferred filing deadline annually.
  • Check: https://nelc.ucla.edu/graduate/funding/ for more information on different types of grants and fellowships.
  • Once admitted, we make every effort to fully fund our PHD students through fellowships, Teaching Assistant positions, and/or research positions. We cannot guarantee funding, but we make every effort to financially support our students with a $18,000 stipend and full fees. (This amount depends on our overall budget and the University/College standard of minimum support level.)
Admissions Notifications will go out at the end of March.
The universal deadline to notify the department is April 15th. If you received your acceptance letter after that time, you have 30 days to notify the department of your decision.
Yes and No. Students must be admitted UCLA in a degree program in order to enroll in regular university classes. For non-admitted students, Courses can be taken at UCLA Extension without formal admittance to UCLA or the graduate program. Please contact UCLA Extension directly for more information.
Come by Kaplan Hall 378A, email Tiffany Chen at chen@humnet.ucla.edu, or call 310-825-4165.