After admission to the Graduate School, students must meet with a graduate academic advisor or program coordinator before enrolling in any graduate courses. The advisor or program coordinator assists students in planning their initial coursework and provides ongoing guidance throughout the degree. Students must consult their advisor or program coordinator before enrolling in any course that may count toward their graduate degree.

Students pursuing the non-thesis option generally take the comprehensive exam. Students pursuing a thesis should work closely with their graduate program coordinator to determine whether a thesis or non-thesis option is appropriate for their program and to obtain information about the process for enrolling in thesis coursework.

Program coordinators provide students with information about the university’s thesis procedures and help them navigate the early stages of the thesis process. The student forms the thesis committee. The thesis committee chair is responsible for overseeing the student’s thesis work and ensuring academic requirements are met.

Students are encouraged to maintain regular communication with their program coordinator to stay informed about requirements and make timely progress toward degree completion.