The thesis committee members will approve the study plan and read and approve the research thesis. Students should routinely meet with committee members, provide copies of research proposal, and generally keep committee members appraised of their progress. Formal committee meetings are required at two points in the program. The first committee meeting is to take place at the end of the second semester of graduate work. With adviser consultation, students are to develop a graduate study plan that should be prepared and filed with the Department by the end of the second semester in the program.
Students achieve classified standing upon completion of an approved study plan.
The study plan must be approved by the thesis adviser, the thesis committee, the Graduate Program Adviser, and the Dean of Graduate Studies. The study plan must include 15 units of 500 or graduate level course work. The additional course work can be taken at the 400 or 500 level. In certain circumstances, 300-level courses can be applied to the study plan. A total of 6 units is to be taken outside the specific area of study.