For over ten years the Center for 17th– & 18th-Century Studies has administered the Graduate Certificate in Early Modern Studies, an Interdisciplinary Certificate for Matriculated Graduate Students that has been approved by and adheres to the criteria set by the UCLA Graduate Council. This program opens pathways for graduate students at UCLA to explore the increasingly transnational and interdisciplinary nature of early modern studies through specially designated comparative courses.
Students who are accepted into this program also have access to unique fellowship and mentoring opportunities, including Summer Mentorships. These mentorships provide financial support in the form of a $6,000 award to complete the Certificate’s required 25-page paper on an early modern studies topic of interdisciplinary breadth, and allow students to work closely with a faculty mentor to develop their paper for presentation at an academic conference or for potential publication. Students are required to present their papers at a public work-in-progress session hosted by the Early Modern Research Group with their mentor in attendance.
2024-25 has already been a very busy year for work-in-progress sessions, with stellar presentations by Chase Caldwell Smith, Sylvia Tongyan Qiu, Emily Ann Ostlander, Erin Severson and Sofia Yazpik. Click on the links to read more about their fascinating research! Later this academic year there will be three additional work-in-progress sessions presented by Rachel Schloss (postponed due to wildfires), Erin Severson, and Sunhui Choi. If you’re not already subscribed to our mailing list, you can fill out our simple form here so that you can be notified when these and other upcoming events are scheduled, or visit the Events section of our website for updates.
Are you interested in learning more about the Graduate Certificate in Early Modern Studies? We invite you to visit the program’s webpage, which is chock-full of useful information. We are currently accepting applications for the 2025-26 cohort of the program, and all current and incoming UCLA graduate students with an interest in interdisciplinary early modern studies are welcome to apply. The application deadline is May 7, 2025.
-Jeanette LaVere, Manager of Programs and Development