Visiting Scholar Definition/Eligibility

Visiting Scholars

Visiting scholars are senior scholars and distinguished visitors who hold a doctoral degree or the foreign equivalent and who hold an appointment comparable to those of UCLA faculty, and are usually on temporary leave from their universities or research centers. They visit the campus for relatively short periods of time, usually no longer than a year, serve as senior researchers, collaborate on research projects and publications with faculty members, and pursue independent research.

Ordinarily, visiting scholars are self-supported, or have adequate support funds from sources outside the University and are considered peers of the faculty, unlike postdoctoral scholars who enroll with the Graduate Division for an approved postdoctoral research and training objective under faculty supervision.

Please note, if a department wishes to assign formal teaching or research duties to a visiting scholar, it should plan to compensate them accordingly using an appropriate payroll title code reflecting the nature of their assignment (i.e., Visiting Assistant Professor, Lecturer, Visiting Assistant Researcher). Please consult with the Academic Personnel Office for further instructions.

Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES): Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program

The CIES sponsors the appointment of international scholars at U.S. campuses nationwide. The CIES sponsors the visa and provides funding, including health insurance, to its participants. However, the UCLA sponsoring department should still complete the Visiting Scholar appointment form in order to extend UCLA privileges and courtesies.

More information is available on the CIES Visiting Scholar Program web site.

Visiting Students

A scholar who is currently enrolled in a degree program at their home institutions and wishes to visit UCLA to pursue independent research, usually in preparation of their doctoral dissertations, does not qualify for appointment as a the UCLA Visiting Scholar. Departments interested in sponsoring a visiting graduate student can request an appointment for them through the Bruin Card Office as a "University Affiliate." Please note, visiting students interested in obtaining academic credit for UCLA coursework should enroll as non-degree candidates (NDO) through the Graduate Admissions Office.

In order to request a visiting student appointment, the department should complete the "affiliate/guest form" available on the UCLA Bruin Card web site.