Advisement and Degree Planning

Students should contact the appropriate College Graduate Coordinator to obtain a list of items required for graduate program admission. This list includes information regarding admission criteria, program requirements, deadlines, and other information.  Students should direct specific program questions to the appropriate faculty member or college dean.

Students must complete and submit the required paperwork to the admissions committee of the appropriate program for consideration by the program deadline. The admissions committee will do one of the following: (a) grant full admission, (b) grant provisional admission, or (c) deny admission.

  • The Office of Graduate Studies and Research will notify students by letter of their admission status.
  • If the admissions committee grants full admission, the Office of Graduate Studies and Research will inform the student to contact their assigned advisor to schedule an appointment for advisement.  Students can review their DegreeWorks evaluation listing their degree requirements.  DegreeWorks is the official source for major requirements.  Students are encouraged to utilize their DegreeWorks evaluation often to confirm the university has the correct major information on file, to complete the program properly, and to ensure eligibility for graduation. If the student is unsuccessful in contacting his or her advisor, he or she should contact the appropriate college office or the Office of Graduate Studies and Research for assistance.
  • If the admissions committee grants provisional admission, the university will allow the student a maximum of three years to complete 12 hours of graduate course work and to submit the application for reconsideration. The student must maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or better for the committee to reconsider an application for full admission. Students should contact the college office or the Office of Graduate Studies and Research for assistance.

The Office of Graduate Studies and Research must approve in writing any subsequent changes or course substitution for degree plans, and the substitution form must be filed with the Registrar's Office prior to enrollment in the courses. Students must contact their faculty advisor, the College Graduate Coordinator, or the Office of Graduate Studies and Research concerning these requests.

If the student chooses the thesis option, he or she must provide the Office of Graduate Studies and Research with a copy of the plan with all advisory committee signatures. This option requires six credit hours for satisfactory completion of a thesis.