PROGRAM OF STUDY - MS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. What is this form?
This is a form that lists all the courses taken (or to be taken) to fulfill
the UCD graduate degree.
2. Who needs to complete it?
ALL STUDENTS.
3. What do I do and when does it need to be done?
First, you need to complete
the form. Then, so that your Guidance Committee can see where you stand
with respect to completing the program prerequisites, a copy of your
prerequisite form that was submitted at the time you applied to the program
should be attached, as well as a current transcript. Next, meet with your
major professor and the other members of your Guidance Committee [link to the
right section in the manual] (separately or together), obtain their signatures,
and turn the form in to Joan. This should be done initially by the
end of the second quarter. The form can be revised as needed at key points, especially when advancing to candidacy.
REMEMBER: Get your Guidance Committee's signatures BEFORE
bringing the form to the Graduate Adviser for final signature. S/he will not sign the form until the other signatures are in place.
4. Why do I have to do it so soon? And what's the purpose of the
form?
TTP requires this form to be filed for all MS and PhD students in order to
advance to candidacy, and campus requires it for MS students as well. It
is their/our "checklist" for ensuring that curricular requirements of
the program have been met. So, the only binding version of the form is the
final one. However, TTP faculty have agreed that we want an initial
version to be filled out early in your studies: (1) to provide a mechanism
for you to obtain early input from a variety of faculty members, and to begin to
establish relationships with them; and (2) to help you plan ahead when it comes
to completing the curricular requirements. Although there is a lot of
flexibility in the program, you should not expect just the course(s) you need to
be available at a moment's notice. Most courses are offered at most once a
year, and many courses are only offered every other year or less. Thus, it
is valuable to get an early start on understanding any constraints there may be,
and also to look broadly at the opportunities presented by the program
flexibility. On the other hand, you should also not be surprised at a
certain number of adjustments taking place from year to year: faculty go
on sabbatical and their classes aren't taught or are taught by others; new
courses may not be announced till shortly before classes start, and so on. Thus, it is a good idea to have some contingencies in mind.