The chairman ordinarily serves as the research advisor for the student and is responsible for the student's research topic. The student should consult with the AEC to prepare a mutually acceptable preliminary Plan of Study document to submit to the Graduate Coordinator. The preliminary plan is a tentative listing of courses to be taken each semester until the degree program is completed. During the student's second or third semester a final form of the Plan of Study is prepared. When this final plan is approved by the Dean, the student officially becomes a candidate for the MSE or MSEE degree.
Some financial assistance is available in the form of assistantships, fellowships, and loans.
To be eligible, a student must be a Regular graduate student in good standing and must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Assistantships are awarded to the applicants best qualified to perform the required teaching or research tasks. Students will normally be considered for an assistantship after they have been on campus for one semester and have adequately demonstrated qualification for the position or they have been interviewed in person. However, some entering students with outstanding qualifications are given aid in their first semester. Continuation of financial assistance is contingent on the student making satisfactory progress toward a degree.