After a student has been fully admitted into a degree or another type of graduate program, the student must consult with his/her faculty advisor to develop a Planned Program of Graduate Study. After the advisor and student have signed the Planned Program form, it must be submitted to the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean, Graduate Studies or his/her designee for approval.
A Planned Program of Study is required for all programs leading to the doctoral and master’s degree, the sixth-year certificate, the post masters program, the initial teacher certification program, or the official certificate program.
The Planned Program should be developed with the advisor at the start of the student’s graduate work. However, it must be approved prior to the completion of 16 credits of course work. Course work completed prior to admission to Graduate Studies at Central, or before the approval of the Planned Program, at the discretion of the advisor and the Associate Vice President/Dean of Graduate Studies may be counted toward the degree requirements. However, no more than nine credits taken at the 500 level as a non-matriculated graduate student will be approved for programs requiring 30-35 credits (or 25% of the total credits for programs over 36 credits.)
Courses numbered 400 and above may be included in a planned program of graduate study when they are listed in the graduate catalog and the course description so allows. Students may have a maximum of nine credits (and in some cases zero to six, depending on the program) at the 400 level when approved by the program advisor. The nine credit limit on 400-level courses does not apply to graduate post-baccalaureate teacher certification programs and to some official certificate programs. Graduate students enrolled in 400-level classes are required to do additional work as compared to their undergraduate classmates.
Courses numbered under 400 may be applied toward teacher certification and official certificate programs when recommended by the advisor but will not be approved for inclusion in other graduate degree programs.