Graduate Student Handbook: Course Selection

Once you have chosen a focus area and a graduate program advisor, you should meet with your advisor and select courses for your first semester. The courses should be chosen so as to make significant progress towards meeting the requirements of your degree. The degree requirements are given in later sections of this handbook.

During your first semester (once you have made your "final" choice for graduate program advisor), you should work with your advisor to complete a GS-2 form. On the form you should list only those courses that are to be used to satisfy requirements for the degree. The form also requires the selection of a faculty advisory committee. The makeup of the committee depends on whether you are in the M.S. program or the Ph.D. program. Details are provided in later sections of the handbook. (M.S. committee details) (Ph.D. committee details)

All courses listed on the GS-2 form must be approved by the student's faculty advisory committee. Once the student and committee agree upon the courses to be included on the GS-2, a handwritten copy (without signatures) should be given to the Student Services Coordinator for the Graduate Program. The information will be entered into a database, and a typed copy will be provided for signatures from the committee. After the signatures are obtained, the GS-2 should be returned to the Coordinator.

For M. S. students, the Department requires submission of an approved GS-2 form prior to the completion of nine (9) hours of graduate study or the first semester enrolled, whichever is later. In addition, the Graduate School requires candidates for masters or specialist's degrees to submit the GS-2 form by the middle of their second semester, and doctoral candidates no later than the beginning of their second year of study. The Graduate School assesses significant late fees for students who do not meet these deadlines.

To help with planning your course of study and completing your GS-2 form, please see the list of planned course offerings. This list indicates when courses are intended to be offered for next several years. Note that this information is tentative and becomes increasingly tentative for semesters farthest in the future. Courses may be cancelled due to low demand (less than 5 students). Demand is determined based on data compiled from GS-2 forms.