Graduate Advising
You should identify a Major Advisor in your area of emphasis and secure that faculty member’s consent to work with you. This should be done as early as possible in your academic career in the department. You should meet with a Major Advisor before your initial registration and identify the courses that you want to take for the first semester. Later in your program you will develop a Program of Studies (master’s students) or Application for Candidacy (doctoral students) with your Major Advisor that will list the courses that will comprise your entire degree plan.
Students receiving assistantships will have the faculty sponsor of that assistantship as their Major Advisor.
The list of faculty members with their areas of emphasis can help you make your choice of major advisor.
It is important that you receive prior approval of the courses you are taking from a Major Advisor. If you do not, those courses may not be counted toward your degree.
In addition to the Major Advisors, the Director of Graduate Programs and the Senior Academic Advisor are available to all students for discussion and guidance regarding university and departmental policies, academic concerns, Office of Graduate Studies procedures, graduation requirements, and any issue which may be of importance to you.