Advisors and Plans of Study

After a prospective student has made application to Graduate Studies and has selected a program, the student will be assigned an academic advisor. Additionally, any student choosing the thesis track as well as some graduate programs in the College of Education require a three person advisory committee. The student’s academic advisor will help the student select committee members and will serve as the chair of the committee.

Students should schedule an appointment with their advisor as soon as possible after being admitted to candidacy. Candidates admitted to graduate studies in spring semesters should contact their academic advisors to set up an initial advising meeting before the end of spring semester. Candidates admitted to graduate studies during summers may need to check with department chair/dean and/or the support staff in those offices on the availability of faculty advisors during the summer months, holidays, or other breaks from the academic schedules. The student and advisor will develop the Plan of Study during the student’s first semester of graduate work. The plan should be completed by the end of the first semester to avoid possible problems with the student’s financial aid or registration for future semesters.

The Plan of Study guides the progress of the student toward the graduate degree. The specific required and elective courses the student must take to fulfill the requisites of the degree program are listed along with the semesters that each of these courses will be taken. Additionally, the Plan of Study denotes any courses to be transferred into the degree program that are both approved by the advisor and fall within the guidelines for allowable transfer credits for the particular degree. Once the plan is completed, the student and advisor sign the document and forward to the Department Chair for approval and signature. Approval and signatures are also required from the Dean of the identified College, and finally from the Director of the Office of Graduate Studies.

The student should meet periodically with his or her advisor to discuss any changes or additions to the Plan of Study. Finally, the advisor serves as a mentor to the student and as such, assists the student with problems or concerns regarding progress with graduate studies.

Please refer to advisor policies and procedures as described by individual colleges throughout this catalog for more details.

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