1 - When do Summer 2010 classes begin?

UCLA offers summer classes in 2 six-week sessions: Summer Session A and Summer Session C:

Online classes are offered in both sessions. They are not currently offered during the academic year.

For the curious: Session B is reserved for special programs and study abroad.

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2 - How much do UCLA online classes cost?

Course fees are determined by the unit value of a course.  Students at UCLA and other UCs pay $173 per-unit.  Graduate students, visiting students and international students pay $243 per-unit*.

Students who drop are assessed a $150 processing fee, even if they drop before class begins.

* Fees are subject to change.

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3 - Are UCLA online courses less expensive than on-campus courses?

Yes.  UCLA summer courses delivered on campus are subject to campus and registration fees. UCLA online courses are not, so students pay the per-unit charge only.  This means UC students (UCLA included) save $62, visiting students (non-UC) save $350 and international students save $700.

Campus and registration fees do apply to students who register for any on-campus course.

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4 - Who can enroll in UCLA online classes?

Registration in UCLA Summer Sessions is open to the general public: college and university students, high school graduates, high school students entering grades 10-12, and adult learners. This applies to both on-campus and online courses.

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5 - Are there requirements?  Is there an admissions process?

There is no admissions process.  Students need only choose courses and enroll.

Some requirements may apply to international students.  Visit the UCLA Summer Sessions website for more information.

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6 - Are any courses open to high school students?

Yes.  A selection of UCLA online courses are open to high school students.

They are:

All courses open to high school students carry UCLA college credit.

High school students can find more information at the UCLA Summer Sessions website.

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7 - Who takes UCLA online classes?

The majority of students in TFT's online courses are UCLA undergraduates.  Some are UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television majors or minors, but most are nonmajors pursuing degrees in other UCLA departments, including humanities, sciences, engineering, etc.  Students from UCLA sister campuses are found in good numbers, followed by international students and undergraduates from colleges and community colleges across the country.  Professionals, retirees and life-long learners register as well, bringing their varied perspectives to class.

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8 - How do I register for a UCLA online course?

See How to Register at the bottom of this page.

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9 - How can I find UCLA online courses in the UCLA Schedule of Classes?

Some UCLA courses are offered online and on-campus at the same time.  When browsing the Schedule of Classes, make sure the "Class Note" above the course title indicates you are looking at an online offering of that course.  You can also use the links found on the Course List page of this site.

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10 - Is a UCLA online course equivalent to a UCLA course taken on-campus?

Yes.  No substantive distinction is made between UCLA courses taken online and those taken on campus.  Transcripts do not indicate a course was taken online.  The equivalence is particularly transparent for UCLA students, who register and receive grades for all their classes -- both online or on campus -- through the same university systems, URSA and myUCLA.

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11 - Will academic credit from UCLA online courses transfer to my home institution?

While schools and departments have different policies regarding units earned outside the home institution, UCLA courses are generally accepted for transfer credit. It is advisable to consult a counselor at your home school or department to verify your units will transfer, particularly if you hope to apply units toward specific degree requirements, such as general education, a major or a minor.

Academic credit from UCLA automatically transfers to other UCs. This applies to courses taken both online and on campus.

More information on transferring academic credit can be found on the UCLA Summer Sessions website.

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12 - Who are my instructors?  Who grades my work?

The professors who teach UCLA online courses are the very same tenured faculty members who teach them on campus.  UCLA online Teaching Assistants (TAs) are the very same UCLA graduate students overseeing course sections on campus.

UCLA online courses operate very much like their on campus counterparts.  They fall into the following categories:

Lecture based:  Professors lecture, assign readings, etc.  Graduate student TAs evaluate papers under the professor's supervision.  Questions about the material and assignments are directed to the professor, and more often, the TA.  There are no discussion sections.

Lecture plus discussion:  Professors lecture, assign readings, etc.  Graduate student TAs hold discussion sections on an electronic discussion board, where questions are posted and responses discussed.  Questions about the material and assignments are directed to the professor, and more often, the TA.

Workshop courses:  No lectures are conducted.  Readings and exercises are assigned by the professor.  Benchmarks for completion of work, such as "revise the first 10 pages of screenplay by Lesson Four," for example, are established in the syllabus.  Work is exchanged among students and discussed on an electronic discussion board.  The professor participates on the board and provides private, individualized feedback when projects are graded.

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13 - Are exams taken and, if so, where?

Students in UCLA online courses are not required to report to campus or special "testing centers" for exams.  All tests in UCLA online courses, including midterms and finals, are papers or creative writing assignments.  Papers and assignment are submitted via Turn It In to prevent fraudulent submissions.

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14 - Do UCLA online classes have prerequisites?

Only one.  Film TV 135A - Advanced Screenwriting Workshop requires students to have taken FILM TV 130B - An In Depth Introduction to Screenwriting Fundamentals.

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15 - Do UCLA online courses count toward the UCLA minors in Theater, Film and TV?

Yes.  Courses taken online carry the same weight as courses taken on campus and count toward the requirements of both TFT minors.  Make sure to check the requirements of the Film TV Minor and the Theater Minor to confirm the courses you choose apply to your minor.

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16 - Is financial aid available?

Yes. UCLA and UC students who receive financial aid during the academic year are eligible for financial aid during Summer Sessions.  UCLA students can refer to the UCLA Financial Aid Office.  UC (non-UCLA) students should visit the financial aid office at their home campus for particulars.

Visiting and international students are not eligible for financial aid from UCLA.

Visit the UCLA Summer Sessions site for more information.

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17 - What happens after I enroll?

Students receive an automated email confirmation after they enroll.  A second email is sent to remind students to order books.  A reminder email about the start of class is sent the week before class begins.

Please contact online@tft.ucla.edu if you do not receive a confirmation email within twenty-four hours of registering.

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18 - Do I ever have to be online at a specific hour?

No.  UCLA's online courses do not use scheduled discussion time in an online chat room.

UCLA online courses are designed to give students maximum flexibility.  Professors set deadlines, but students choose the place and time to watch lectures and work on assignments.

Professors and TAs may schedule optional Skype chat sessions.  The date and time for Skype chats is posted on the "Office Hours" panel in the Class Website.  Notice of optional chats are emailed to students as well.

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19 - How do I access the Class Website?

The home page of this site has a row of links with course numbers for this summer's offerings. Clicking on a course number opens a login page where students can enter their UCLA Logon ID. Entering a valid UCLA Logon ID will direct students to the Class Website for the course they selected.

Each course, and in some cases, each course section, has its own Class Website.  Students can bookmark the Class Website for convenience.  Bookmarking Class Websites is especially helpful if students are registered in more than one class.

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20- How do I view lectures?

Lectures can be viewed in the Class Website.  Video podcasts for iPhone, iPod Touch and video iPods are also available for download.  An MP3 file, audio only, is available for download as well.  MP3 files require that video content be viewed on the web.

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21 - What kind of interaction do I have with my professor and TA?

Students interact with their professors and TAs online in various ways.

TAs and professors are active on the discussion board, both as moderators and participants.  Each board has a special forum where the professor and TA can respond to questions about the course and its assignments.  Courses with discussion sections include a blog where the professor and TA can post images, links, commentary and video to respond to issues and questions that arise during the six weeks of class.

Optional Skype chats are often scheduled by professors and TAs, particularly before major assignments are due.

Students can email their TA directly with questions of individual concern.

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22 - Can I get all my assignments in advance?

No.  Most assignments, like weekly discussion section questions, midterm and final papers, are posted as they are assigned in the normal flow of the course.  In general, students cannot "work ahead."

Some courses may list assignment topics in advance, but students may not be prepared to properly attempt them until they have completed the preceding coursework.

The due dates of major assignments are available from the first day of class to allow students flexibility in scheduling work and managing their time.

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23 - How do I get my textbooks?

Textbooks for UCLA online courses are available on the UCLA campus at Luvalle Bookstore.  If you are not on campus, you can order your text books online from the ASUCLA Textbook Store.

Books can often be found at Amazon.com as well.

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24 - What is the UCLA screenwriting course continuum?

UCLA film majors pursuing a concentration in screenwriting take four courses known as the undergraduate screenwriting continuum. They are:

While the last two courses of the continuum (Film TV 135B and Film TV 135C) are offered on campus during the academic year, enrollment is restricted to UCLA Film TV majors only. Now, for the first time, these two courses and the entire UCLA undergraduate screenwriting curriculum is available to minors, non-majors and students everywhere online in summer session.

The continuum begins with Film TV 130B. It consists of a series of lectures by "Screenwriting Guru" and UCLA professor Richard Walter. He introduces basic concepts and strategies employed by artists who write stories for the screen. Students in Film TV 130B also work with a TA from the UCLA MFA Screenwriting Program to develop an original story idea for a feature-length film. Their final project consists of a short treatment and fifteen pages of screenplay.

Students who complete Film TV 130B can begin the Film TV 135A-B-C Advanced Screenwriting Workshop series. In the the first course of the series, Film TV 135A, students refine the treatment they drafted in Film TV 130B and write the first act of their script, roughly thirty pages. Act II is written in Film TV 135B. The final act is written in Film TV 135C. All three courses are conducted in a workshop setting, where drafts are exchanged under the guidance of the professor.

Students who begin the course sequence in Session A with Film TV 130B can complete the entire series over two summers and earn 28 units of undergraduate credit. Students who have completed 135A in previous years can now enroll in 135B in Session A and 135C in Session C. Those who begin the Advanced Screenwriting Workshop this summer will be able to complete it in Sessions A & C in the Summer of 2010.

Professor Richard Walter is teaching Film TV 135A on campus this summer in Session A. Local students can work with Professor Walter on campus in Session A and continue their study of screenwriting with Film TV 135B online in Session C.

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25 - What is the Summer Institute in Motion Picture Producing?

The Summer Institute in Motion Picture Producing is a special program organized by the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Producers Program and UCLA Summer Sessions.  Students intern at a motion picture company in Los Angeles while taking classes in film producing at UCLA.  Some coursework is done on campus.  Two courses, Film TV 184 and Film TV C147/C247 are taken online.

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26 - Where can I find a list of UCLA Theater, Film and Television summer courses offered on campus?

Visit the TFT website for a full list of summer courses and programs.

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27 - Are UCLA online courses only offered during Summer Sessions?

Yes.  UCLA online courses are not currently offered during the academic year.

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28 - Experience and outcomes: how do online classes differ from those taken on campus?

Online courses and their on-campus counterparts share the same syllabi and are identical in terms of learning objectives and material covered.  Differences are most apparent in how each context lends itself to different learning styles.

Some students appreciate the structure of an on-campus class.  The physical presence of a lecturer can be inspiring, the presence of fellow students in a room stimulating and the structure of a "place and time" schedule grounding.  Other students are good at managing their time and appreciate a greater degree of flexibility.  These students tend to do very well in the online environment.

Students in online classes work at their own speed, review lectures and class exhibits as often as needed and thoughtfully craft arguments in writing for the discussion board.

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29 - Why does the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television offer courses online?

The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television's distance learning program is a collection of TFT's most popular courses prepared for delivery online. Every course is an official UCLA catalog course taught both on-campus and online, often at the same time. Online delivery during summer gives students the option of earning academic credit while away from campus.

Distance education enables TFT to make some of its best courses available beyond the UCLA campus, in keeping with the University of California's mission of public service. TFT is a nationally known center of excellence for the study of Theater, Film and Television. Offering courses online gives students across the country and around the globe the opportunity to pursue subjects like screenwriting, cinematography or musical theater when their home institution has limited offerings.

Faculty, staff, alumni and students at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television provide a wealth of talent for the production of interactive multimedia course materials and effective interfaces for communicating instructional content online.

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30 - When is the deadline for registration?

Registration is open for Session A until June 25th or as late as July 2rd with permission of instructor.

Registration is open for Session C until August 6th or as late as August 13th with permission of instructor.

Students seeking permission of instructor should email online@tft.ucla.edu for instructions.

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How to Register

for UCLA Online Courses