Doctoral Degrees with a Designated Emphasis
A “Designated Emphasis” is defined as an area of study constituting a new method of inquiry or an important field of application relevant to two or more existing doctoral degree programs. It is not a free-standing degree program, but must be added as an additional major along with an existing doctoral degree program. Students electing to add a Designated Emphasis are required to complete the academic work in the Designated Emphasis in addition to all the requirements of the doctoral program. There are no adjustments made to the normative time of the student’s major when a student undertakes a Designated Emphasis.
To qualify for the Designated Emphasis, students must have on the Qualifying Examination committee a representative of the DE and must be examined in that area of study. Students are consequently required to be admitted to the DE before taking the Qualifying Examination. When students also enrolled in a DE are advanced to candidacy, the advancement application must include the signature of the Head Graduate Adviser for the DE to signify that the dissertation committee had an appropriate representative of the DE in its membership and that the student was examined on the area of the Designated Emphasis.
Prior to filing for the degree, a Final Report for the Designated Emphasis, verifying that all of the requirements for the DE have been met, must be submitted. Students approved for a DE must include the name of the DE on the title page of the dissertation, following the major name.
More information about Designated Emphases and the list of current DEs approved by the Graduate Council is available in the Guide to Graduate Policy, Section F2.1: Doctoral Degrees with a Designated Emphasis.
How to Add a Designated Emphasis
Students apply for admission by the Designated Emphasis, following procedures described by the Graduate Group sponsoring the DE. Once approved, Berkeley Social Welfare Student Services staff will add the DE to your record in CalCentral.