Graduate Advising Policies

Departmental Policy on Advising On-Campus Graduate Students

ADVISING PHD AND MASTER OF SCIENCE

  • Temporary Advisor: All students will be admitted with a temporary advisor, the Director of Graduate Education (DOGE). The advisor will make recommendations on courses to be taken and also may help the student in initiating a research program. It is the student’s responsibility to keep the advisor fully informed of plans to secure a major professor.
  • Program of Study Deadlines: Students admitted for a Master of Science degree are required to secure a Program of Study (POS) committee and file a Program of Study by no later than the end of the 2nd semester of enrollment. Students admitted for the PhD degree should secure a Program of Study committee by the end of their second semester and file a Program of Study by no later than the end of their fourth semester. Students failing to have an approved Program of Study by the specified time will have a registration hold placed for future terms.
  • Program of Study Committee: Each Program of Study committee formed for an MS student will contain at least one tenured or tenure-track faculty member of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECpE) faculty. Each Program of Study committee formed for a PhD student will con­tain at least two tenured or tenure-track faculty members of the ECpE faculty.
  • Major Professor: A faculty member with adjunct or courtesy appointment may serve as major professor. The Department Chair will make this decision for each courtesy or adjunct faculty at time of appointment or renewal. The fac­tors to consider in making this decision include prior graduate advising experience and the degree of overlap between the department and the faculty member’s research.
  • Research Credits and Independent Study: Students are expected to discuss their registration plans with their major professor/advisor. Course registration numbers for research 599, 699, and independent study 590 sections can be ob­tained from the Graduate Secretary.

ADVISING MASTER OF ENGINEERING

  • Advisor: All Master of Engineering (MEng) students will be advised by the Director of Graduate Education (DOGE).
  • Program of Study Deadlines: The Master of Engineering student who is within one semester of graduation will request a formal committee and complete the Program of Study paperwork. To request a committee assignment, the student will contact the advisor to initiate the paper work.

Departmental Policy on Advising Off-Campus Graduate Students

All off-campus master’s degree students will be advised by the Director of Graduate Education (DOGE). The advisor will make recommendations on courses to be taken and also may help the student decide on thesis, non-thesis, or a course-based degree op­tion.

  • If the student wishes to write a creative component or thesis, the student will choose a major professor and will reach an early agreement on the details of the final project or thesis.
  • Students admitted for a Master of Science (thesis or non-thesis) must have a Committee Appointment and a Program of Study approved by the Graduate College one semester prior to graduation.
  • Master of Engineering committees will be assigned by the department and the Program of Study will be approved during the final semester.

All off-campus PhD students must establish residency. (At least 24 semester credits must be earned during two consecutive semesters or during a continuous period including two semesters and a summer session for the PhD.)

Revised March 2011

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