GRADUATE: Filing Plan of Work

MS Plan of Work Form (pdf)
PhD Plan of Work Form (pdf)

The MS or PhD student's Plan of Work represents the study plan which the student designs in collaboration with his/her advisor and committee.   The Plan represents a definition of courses to be taken, when they are to be taken, and the research effort and level which the committee deems appropriate for the degree and specialty. Students sometimes hesitate to take the step of defining their degree program because it appears to restrict flexibility. However, changes are made in these Plans relatively easily and routinely, and by taking this step the student better understands what is before him or her. It must be understood by each student that the MAE department does not have a 'common' or 'core' graduate program, and that every student's degree program is customized to meet his or her goals. Hence, technically a student cannot legitimately exist as a student in the MAE graduate program without a faculty advisor, a committee, and a Plan of Work.  These are essential elements of the program .

A student pursuing a Masters Degree must complete a Plan of Work by the end of the first semester of graduate study. A Doctoral student is required to complete a Plan of Work by the end of the second semester of graduate study. If the Plan of Work is not completed at the times stated above, the selection of that student for a teaching assistantship or a research assistantship might be deferred until the Plan of Work is completed.