Graduate Program - Filing Your Plan of Work
WHAT IS A PLAN OF GRADUATE WORK?
It's a list of the courses you will take to satisfy your degree
requirements. It also lists and is approved by the members of your advisory
committee. It is a contract that serves to protect students from shifting
expectations. Developing the Plan also helps student and committee to
ensure appropriately focused preparation for research.
WHO MUST FILE A PLAN OF WORK?
PhD Students: The Graduate School expects you to file the Plan of Graduate Work (POW) in the semester in which you complete the 12th credit hour of your doctoral program. Since the Plan must be approved by your dissertation committee, the Department requires only that you Plan be submitted a semester before talking your Oral Prelim Exam. After you submit the Plan to the Departmental office for approval, it is submitted to the Graduate School for final approval.
MS Students: The Graduate School requires you to file the POW before the semester prior to your intended graduation date. The Department again does the first approval.
MCS Students: Because MCS degree requirements are relatively straightforward, you are not required to file a Plan. You MAY file a POW if you wish to obtain an early decision from the Department regarding transfer credits or in other special situations. Please contact the Graduate Secretary as needed for this.
HOW DO I FILE A PLAN OF WORK?
Effective immediately, the Computer Science Graduate Office will NOT maintain
a stock of paper forms for the Plan of Work. Instead, you should save a copy
of the template file and patent agreement available on the World-Wide
Web. Follow the editing instructions, print the plan and the patent agreement, have your committee
members sign, and submit both signed forms to the Computer Science Graduate
Office. NOTE: There will no longer be a separate form for appointing committees.
HOW DO I REVISE A PLAN OF WORK?
Simply file a new Plan with the signatures of your committee members. Append
a brief justification for any changes to the committee itself. Suggestion:
Keep your Plan of Work on line for easy revision.
