Incoming Students
Fall 2008

For the most updated schedule of classes and deadline changes go to:
http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/schedule/ and http://www.ursa.ucla.edu

The Department of Biostatistics welcomes you to the UCLA School of Public Health. In addition to the information you will be receiving from the School of Public Health Student Services Office and Graduate Division, here are additional things you should be aware of:

Establishing California Residency for Tuition Purposes (US Citizens and Permanent Residents only):

 Domestic students who are not California residents will need to establish residency to avoid assessment of nonresident tuition. In order to establish your residency, certain requirements must be met. Please refer to the Registrar's web page at http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/faq/residencefaq.htm or call the Residence Deputy at (310) 825-1091, option 7, for the complete details on establishing California Residency. This is very important. Otherwise, you may have to pay non-resident tuition during your second year.


University Records System Access (URSA) registration, enrollment & course suggestion for entering students:

 Please refer to the Graduate Division Orientation Handbook which contains information on how to register, how to enroll, and how to access URSA online. For the most updated enrollment information visit the registrar's web site at http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/schedule/. You may enroll in classes on-line through your URSA account.

Most entering students take three (3) courses in Fall Quarter. The suggested study list is as follows:

MS*: Biostatistics 110A, Biostatistics 403A and Statistics 100A
PhD*: Biostatistics 250A, Biostatistics 409 (consulting), Biostatistics 245 (seminar), and Biostatistics 255
MPH*: Biostatistics 110A, Biostatistics 403A, and SPH core course (Health Services 100 and/or Environmental Health Science 100)
DrPH*: Biostatistics 250A, Biostatistics M215, Biostatistics 409 (consulting) and Biostatistics 245 (seminar)

Quick links: Biostatistics Courses and Statistics Courses

Fall 2008 class enrollment begins on Thursday, June 26, 2008. Please visit URSA online for your enrollment appointment. Because Statistics and SPH core courses fill up quickly, you should enroll in them as soon as your enrollment appointment begins. If you have trouble enrolling in Statistics 100A (M.S. and Dr.P.H. students) or Statistics 200B (Ph.D. students), email me at ajaradeh@ph.ucla.edu.

* Note: Depending on your previous course work and the recommendation of your advisor, study lists may vary.


Fall 2008 Important Academic Dates:

 Please visit http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/calendar/calf07.htm for the full calendar. Students are responsible for observing all due dates and deadlines.

Highlights:
Reg Fee Payment Deadline Friday, September 19
Quarter begins Monday, September 22
Instruction begins Thursday, September 25
Holidays Veterans Day holiday Monday, November 11
Thanksgiving holiday Thursday-Friday, November 27-28
Instruction ends Friday, December 5
Final examinations Monday-Friday, December 8-12
Quarter ends Friday, December 12


Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars (Foreign Students):

 To begin an introduction to the campus, new international students should visit the UCLA Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars (DCISS) within the first 10 days upon arrival. DCISS is located at 417 Charles E. Young Dr. West, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1379, (310) 825-1681. DCISS office hours are Monday-Friday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. DCISS home page: http://www.internationalcenter.ucla.edu

ALL international students must register for and attend one of the following MANDATORY workshops before or during their first quarter at UCLA. These workshops focus on how, you as an international student, must maintain your visa status while at UCLA.

MANDATORY WORKSHOPS for New International Students, Fall 2008

Academic Term Dates and Times Location
FALL 2008 Date to be determined (2nd week of the Fall 08 quarter) Visit DCISS webpage after July 20th for updated information
Date to be determined (3rd week of the Fall 08 quarter) Visit DCISS webpage after July 20th for updated information

We also encourage you to register for and attend the Dashew Center International Orientation on Tuesday September 2, 2008. This Orientation is separate from the MANDATORY WORKSHOPS, and it is optional. The Tom Bradley International Hall is located on the west part of the UCLA campus.


Orientation:

 The School of Public Health Orientation Day for Incoming Students will be Tuesday, September 25, 2007 from 8:30-4:00pm. Be sure to attend the Orientation as important information will be conveyed to help you acclimate to UCLA. During orientation you will receive your academic advisor assignments and you will receive the Biostatistics Student Handbook. The Biostistics Student Handbook will be your resource for degree requirements and study list guidance, and will help you navigate through the department during your time here.

School of Public Health New Student Orientation
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
8:30 - 4:00pm
Location: UCLA James West Alumni Center
Map: http://www.ucla.edu/map/
* Attendance is required!


In addition to the School of Public Health and Graduate Division incoming student activities, the Graduate Student Resource Center is sponsoring a general introduction to campus services and offices that are of specific importance to graduate students on

New Graduate Student Orientation
Friday, September 19, 2008
9:00am to 4:30pm
Ackerman Grand Ballroom
For more information and to register, please visit http://gsa.asucla.ucla.edu/gsrc/Events/Orientation.htm

Graduate Division 2008 Entering Graduate Student Welcome Reception
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
5:00 - 8:00pm in the UCLA Faculty Center
Graduate Division Orientation page: http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/orientation.html




Dates for Waiver Exams (for MPH/DrPH Students ONLY):

 For MPH and DrPH students who wish to waive SPH core courses (Community Health Services 100, Environmental Health Services 100, Epidemiology 100 and Health Services 100), click here for exam information.


ESL Placement Examination (for International Students):MANDATORY EXAM

You must take the ESL Placement Examination (ESLPE) at UCLA if you are a non-native speakers of English and you are new to the United States. If you are a non-native speaker of English but you are not new to the United States, you may also be required to take the ESLPE (for example: if you were required to submit a TOEFL score when you applied to UCLA, you will need to take the ESLPE.) You should take the ESLPE before the Fall 2008 quarter begins.

ESLPE Schedule, Fall 2008

Fall 2008 Registration Exam Info Dates & Times
Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2008 Reg 11:00am - 12:00pm OR 1:30pm - 2:30 pm
Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008 Reg 11:00am - 12:00pm OR 1:30pm - 2:30 pm

You must check-in at the test center one hour before the exam begins.

Please do not delay, this test is MANDATORY. ESLPE is designed to facilitate your studies here at UCLA. Visit Center for World Languages ESL FAQ for details.


Other Useful Information and Websites:

 Campus Information: http://www.ucla.edu/audience/students.html

Campus Map: http://www.ucla.edu/map

Graduate Division Orientation page: http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/orientation.html

Student Link: http://www.my.ucla.edu/

URSA Online: http://www.ursa.ucla.edu/

Address change:
If your email and/or mailing address changes over the summer you must notify us via URSA online. You must also contact Abeer Jaradeh at ajaradeh@ph.ucla.edu. It is EXTREMELY important that we have your most current addresses. All future announcements will be sent to you via email.

BRUINCARD (Student Photo-ID Card): http://www.bruincard.ucla.edu
You are required to have a BruinCard. BruinCard is the official UCLA identification card. Many services are accessed using this card, including meal service in the dorms, campus library priveledges, use of the Wooden Center, and many others. The first BruinCard is free to all students. The replacement cost for a lost/stolen card is $20, which will be charged to your BAR account. Report lost or stolen cards ASAP at (310) 206 - 3199.

BruinCard offices:
123 Kerckhoff Hall, (310) 825 - 2336
Hours: 9:00 am - 4:00 PM (Mon - Fri)

150-A Sproul Hall (Sunset Plaza), (310) 825 - 4775
Hours: 9:00 am - 4:00 PM (Mon - Fri)

Bruin Online - Email Account: http://www.bol.ucla.edu/
All Biostatistics students are required to have email accounts. To create a Bruin Online e-mail account please visit: https://www.bol.ucla.edu/cgi-ssl/accounts/newuser/ All future department announcements will be distributed via email.

For a complete listing of services, software, etc. available via Bruin Online, please visit their web site at http://www.bol.ucla.edu/.

Employment:
Almost all doctoral students are able to find employment in the form of stipends, fellowships, or employment related to their field (e.g. Readers, TA's, Researchers). Many Master's students are also able to find employment, especially after they have completed their first quarter or if they have completed certain courses (such as Biostat 403A and M403B). Hourly wages usually range between $15-$25 per hour, with the more advanced students receiving the higher pay rate. Two positions, GSR (Graduate Student Researcher) and SR (Special Reader), may also carry fee remissions from 80% to 90% in addition to the standard pay.

If you are seeking employment as a SR)in the Department of Biostatistics, you should apply at least six weeks before the beginning of the quarter to ensure that you receive full consideration. To apply for SR positions you must complete a Special Reader Application. To apply for GSR positions you must complete a GSR Application (Application For Part Time Employment). Completed applications must be submitted to Abeer Jaradeh in 51-254 CHS (Biostatistics Office), via e-mail: ajaradeh@ph.ucla.edu, or by post:C/O Abeer Jaradeh, Department of Biostatistics, UCLA School of Public Heath, Box 951772, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772. You may also apply for positions in any other department on campus by contacting the department representative directly.

Both employment forms are PDF documents, if you do not have a PDF viewer, you can download one for free here.

Your applications are kept by the department for only one quarter, so if you are seeking work, make certain to submit a new application for each quarter you wish to work.

Housing: http://www.housing.ucla.edu/
Most graduate students plan their own living arrangements. You can check the UCLA Community Housing Office and the Daily Bruin's classifieds for listings. In addition, there are housing listing in the classified section of local newspapers such as LA Times and Daily News, and there are professional listing service such as www.westsiderentals.com.

Lockers:
To reserve a locker in the School of Public Health, call (310) 825-6381 or stop by the Dean's Office, Room 16-035 CHS. Only combination locks can be used on lockers and the lock must be registered in the Administrative Services Office. Lockers are assigned on a first come basis. Lockers musto be renewed once a year at the beginning of Fall quarter.

Transportation and parking: http://www.transportation.ucla.edu/
If you would like to apply for a campus parking permit, you should submit your application no later than Friday, June 25, 2008 at 5pm. Parking spaces are limited, so be sure to submit your application by the due date. To obtain quarterly deadline dates and information on how to apply for a parking permit, visit http://www.transportation.ucla.edu/students/index.htm or phone Parking & Commuter Service at (310) 825-3618, or in person at 555 Westwood Plaza.

Updated: 08.13.08

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