After receiving admission to the Graduate School, students are required to meet with an advisor prior to enrolling in any graduate courses. The graduate advisor, as designated by the graduate program coordinator, assists students in planning initial coursework.  Students must consult their advisors before seeking enrollment in any course that might be applied toward a graduate degree.

Students planning to complete a thesis are encouraged to consult with the graduate advisor concerning the appointment of an advisory committee. The advisory committee is responsible for guiding and directing a student's entire academic program, which includes initiating all academic actions concerning the student, developing the degree plan, and administering the comprehensive testing prior to conferral of the graduate degree. Moreover, the advisory committee--as a group and as individual members--is responsible for counseling the student on academic matters and, in the case of academic deficiency, initiating recommendations to the Graduate School.