Program of Study (POS)

Purpose

The Program of Study is a formal document outlining the student’s graduate coursework. It must meet specific credit requirements based on the student’s degree and prior education.

Requirements

Credit Requirements

  • Doctoral (with a prior master’s degree): At least 18 semester credits at the 6000-level or above.
  • Doctoral (without a prior master’s degree): At least 30 semester credits at the 6000-level or above.
  • Master’s: At least 18 semester credits at the 6000-level or above.
  • NOTE: A Program of Study is not required for Graduate Certificates.

Coursework Restrictions

  • Excluded Credits: Courses below the 5000-level, undergraduate prerequisites, and audited courses cannot be included.
  • Non-Acceptable Credits: The following are not acceptable for a graduate degree program:
    • Continuing graduate advisement
    • Individual home study
    • Military science
  • Audited Courses: These cannot count toward a degree program or full-time status.

Creating a Program of Study

  • The Program of Study is created in DegreeWorks.
  • To finalize it, the student’s planned coursework for the Program of Study is entered into the “Plans” tab up at the top of the DegreeWorks page.

Submission Deadline

  • Master’s Degrees: A master’s student’s Program of Study should be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies for approval by the end of the second semester, after the Supervisory Committee Form (SCAF) has been submitted and approved.
    • NOTE: Master’s Plan C Students do not submit Supervisory Committee Forms.
  • Doctoral Degrees: A doctoral student’s Program of Study should be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies for approval by the end of the third semester, after the Supervisory Committee form has been submitted and approved. 

Revisions

  • All changes to the Program of Study (POS) must go through the Program of Study revision approval process.
  • If a student needs assistance with revising their Program of Study, they should contact their Graduate Program Coordinator.
  • The GPC will update the courses listed in DegreeWorks and submit a ServiceNow Program of Study request to the School of Graduate Studies for processing.
  • The student’s major professor and department head will receive the Program of Study revision and will follow the same approval procedure.

Students Who Need This Form

Signatures Needed

  • Student
  • Major professor
  • Committee members
  • Department head
  • School of Graduate Studies

For questions about how to create or revise a Program of Study, students should contact their Graduate Program Coordinator.

Note: The policies and procedures on this page are referenced from the School of Graduate Studies Catalog Section 8., regarding the Program of Study. The catalog is the official text. While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of this page, the catalog is the authoritative source of information.