Advising

The graduate degree advisor, designated by the department, will assist you in planning your initial coursework before granting admission to the program of study. Before seeking enrollment in any course that might be applied toward a master’s degree, you must consult with your advisor. A temporary advisor will be available to those enrolling for the first time in an off-campus course.

Advisory Committee

After receiving admission to the College of Graduate Studies and enrolling for graduate courses, you should consult with your graduate advisor concerning the appointment of an advisory committee. The advisory committee is responsible for the following:

1. Guiding and directing your entire academic program
2. administering the comprehensive testing before the conferral of your master’s degree
3. Counseling you on academic matters and initiating recommendations to the College of Graduate Studies dean in the case of academic deficiency.

Planning Your Degree

You must file a degree plan to be eligible to apply for graduation. You are responsible for meeting with your advisor to establish a degree plan. Your official contract is the catalog of the academic year you The catalog of the academic year you were first granted admission. However, since you selected courses and were approved by your advisor to fulfill degree requirements, the degree plan is the official record of courses that will apply to your declared degree program. Consult with your advisor to ensure accurate records of all courses transferred from other institutions and course substitutions. Your degree plan includes those courses listed for degree credit on the official degree plan form. All courses on the approved degree plan must be completed with a satisfactory grade to meet the requirements for the degree. Changes in an approved plan can be made with a recommendation to the dean of the College of Graduate Studies by your advisory committee and head of your major department.

If you decide to change your major, you must contact your advisor to file an updated degree plan in the College of Graduate Studies office. Courses listed for graduate credit on the approved degree plan in which you have received a final grade will not usually be removed from the degree plan. However, courses acceptable for graduate credit may be added. Your advisory committee, department head, and the College of Graduate Studies dean must approve exceptions to this policy.

• Degree Plan Acknowledgement Form
• Course Substitution Form

Course Load

The maximum course load for a full-time graduate student may be as much as 16 hours in the fall and spring semesters and twelve hours in the summer semester. To be considered full-time, you must take at least nine hours in the long semesters and at least six hours in the summer semester. Course loads over the maximum load require the approval of the College of Graduate Studies upon the written recommendation of your degree advisor and department head. Graduate assistantships and scholarship commitments may require six hours in the summer.

Completion Time Limit

Course credits more than six years old at the anticipated time for degree completion may not be counted for a degree. Credits are considered to be earned when they are recorded on the official transcript.

Adding a Degree Concentration

You may declare a concentration of 12 hours in a second field. Please consult with your graduate degree advisor

Research and Practicum Requirement

If you are seeking a master’s degree, you must have credit for an approved research course.