Application

All applicants should familiarize themselves with the “Program” page of this website to gain a detailed understanding of the structure and requirements of the program before applying. Scroll down to the end of this page to find answers to frequently asked questions.

Applications open during Fall quarter of 2024. Interested students must be anthropology majors or minors and must hold junior status with two years remaining at UCLA; that is, expecting to graduate in Spring or Summer quarters of 2026.

Applications to the Lemelson Honors Program will be due at 11:59 PM on November 18, 2024. Please submit all application materials as a single PDF file via Google Forms here. 

There will be two information sessions where you can learn more about the program, meet current Lemelson Honors students, and ask any questions you might have. Please RSVP for one of the info sessions here:

  1. Thursday, Oct. 10th, 2024, from 9AM – 11AM in the Reading Room (Haines 352)
  2. Thursday, Oct. 17th, 2024, from 9AM – 11AM in the Reading Room (Haines 352)

To stay up to date on our information sessions and the application process and deadlines, please join the Anthropology Undergraduate Student email list. You may find the Undergraduate Student Advisor contact information here.

The program contact person is the Lemelson Honors TA: Emilia Rose Holmbeck (emiliarose@g.ucla.edu). Click here to sign up for office hours.

Minimum Requirements

  • Declared Anthropology Major or Minor (by Winter Quarter).
  • Enrolled in upper division Anthropology courses (transfer students who have not had the opportunity to enroll in upper division Anthropology courses may apply without fulfilling this requirement).
  • Junior Class Standing (90 or more units).
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all university coursework completed.
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.5 for the Anthropology Major.

Structure of the Honors Program

If admitted, you’ll enroll in one 4-unit honors course each quarter (starting winter quarter of your junior year). The first two quarters (winter and spring of junior year) prepare you for summer (between junior and senior year) when you would go out into the field to collect your data. The last three quarters (fall, winter, and spring quarters of senior year) are spent analyzing and writing up your findings, preparing your honors thesis, and preparing to present your findings at the annual Lemelson Honors Program Conference (which takes place in late May before your graduation). See below:

  • Winter quarter (junior year): project design
  • Spring quarter (junior year): methods course (including ethics)
  • Summer (between junior and senior year): fieldwork/data collection
  • Fall quarter (senior year): data analysis
  • Winter quarter (senior year): writing for anthropology (thesis writing)
  • Spring quarter (senior year): preparing for publication and conference presentation.

Application Materials

The Honors application must include the following documents. Applicants must create a SINGLE PDF document that contains all the required application materials below. The documents should appear in the following order:

  1. Cover sheet form (download cover sheet and instructions here).
  2. An email or memo from the faculty member in the Department of Anthropology who has agreed to serve as the student’s faculty mentor. The faculty member’s email (in which they explicitly agree to be your faculty mentor) should be sent to the applicant, who will then include it with the application materials. Save the email/memo as a PDF to include in your application file.
  3. A 400-600-word research proposal (see guidelines below).
  4. A 5-8-page writing sample (double-spaced) from a previous course demonstrating your best written work. It is preferred that the writing sample comes from a previous course in anthropology, however, written work completed in other social science courses will also be accepted.
  5. Transcripts showing all coursework and grades (unofficial copies are accepted; please include your current UCLA transcript for fall 2024 and your most recent college transfer transcripts, if applicable).

Finding a Faculty Mentor

The primary Faculty Mentor must be a member of faculty in the Department of Anthropology.

The faculty member must agree in writing to be the student’s mentor prior to the student’s submission of application to the program. If appropriate, a second mentor may be selected from within or outside of the Department of Anthropology. It is recommended for students to secure the second faculty mentor during the first weeks of Winter quarter of the program and before the beginning research.

Guidelines and Tips for the Research Proposal

Applicants should use the numbered subheadings below to structure their proposals.
NOTE: Proposals of fewer than 400 words are likely to be insufficiently detailed to be properly evaluated or accepted. Follow the word limits with care. For formatting requirements, see the cover sheet and instructions document (also linked above).

  1. Research Problem
    Clearly state the topic that you intend to explore and where this research will be done.  Give a brief indication of what kind of research has already been done on this topic (or some closely related topic) to provide the Honors Admissions Committee with context for understanding its anthropological importance. Keep in mind that “simple” ideas or simple tests of ideas can produce important results; an elaborate theory is not a requisite to do an Honors project. If appropriate, make clear the particular perspective you may bring to the project. This section should constitute the bulk of the proposal.
  2. Methods.
    Include a plan that outlines the methods and procedures for data collection and analysis of your research project.
  3. Timeline.
    Provide a tentative project schedule to demonstrate that your plan is feasible for execution in the timeframe of five quarters from Winter quarter of Junior year to Spring quarter of Senior year. A high level of detail is not needed at this point. Data collection must conclude by the start of Fall quarter Senior year.

Transfers

Transfer students are encouraged to apply to the Lemelson Undergraduate Anthropological Honors Program. Many of our current and past Honors Program students were transfer students and arrived to UCLA in their Junior year.

Departmental Selection Process

Entry into the Honors Program is competitive. Those selected to join the Honors Program typically have a strong academic record and high GPAs (exceeding the minimums above), have been exposed to anthropological concepts and methods through enrollment in several anthropology courses before the start of the program, and present a promising research proposal. The admissions committee, consisting of the faculty teaching the Honors courses, reviews the proposals and other application materials and may select to conduct brief interviews with applicants.

FAQs

Q: Who should I contact with questions about the program.
A: Contact the program TA once you have oriented yourself on the program website which contains answers to most questions.

 

Q: Is having an anthropology mentor/advisor a requirement at the time of application?
A: Yes.

 

Q: How do I go about finding an anthropology faculty mentor? Is it my responsibility to solicit their participation?
A: Finding a faculty mentor is the responsibility of the honors applicant; however, the honors TA can direct you to faculty with similar research interests. Students should meet with appropriate faculty to discuss their projects and the possibility of mentorship. Beginning this process early in the Fall quarter can be a great advantage.

 

Q: Do I have to take all five of the Honors courses offered through this program?
A: Yes. Students must take one Lemelson Honors (L.H.) course per quarter for five consecutive quarters.

 

Q: Can I take the Honors courses out of order or take two Honors courses simultaneously?

A: No. Each Honors course is offered only once per academic year. Since each Honors course builds on the preceding one, it is not possible to take Honors courses out of order or take two or more Honors courses simultaneously.

 

Q: How do I choose a research project?
A: Think of a problem or situation that interests you and how you might examine that problem through research questions and anthropological methods. Clarity and feasibility are important qualities of strong research proposals. Try to work with your potential mentor and the program TA to develop the proposal portion of your application.

 

Q: Is research funding available for all L.H. students?
A: In the past, all L.H. students in good standing received funding for their projects (determined annually).

 

Q: How much work does the program require?
A: The program includes rigorous training in the development and completion of an independent research project. Students entering the program should be prepared to dedicate at least 5-10 hours a week outside of class to the develop of their projects.

 

Q: Do the L.H. courses count for course requirements in the anthropology major or minor?
A: Contact the Anthropology Undergraduate Advisor with questions regarding requirements for the major and minor.

 

Q: Do transfer students need to have completed upper division anthropology courses to apply?
A: No, but all applicants must have junior status in the Winter Quarter they begin the program.

 

Q: Besides the coursework and completing my research project, are there other activities or responsibilities that are part of the program?
A: Yes, L.H. students are expected to participate in three additional activities: (1) a weekend “retreat” in Spring Quarter; (2) a one day presentation conference held towards the end of the Spring Quarter; and (3) a meeting with L.H. faculty at the beginning of each quarter.

 

Q: Do I need to complete and submit a “senior thesis” to graduate with Lemelson Anthropology Honors?
A: Yes.