Dec 03, 2024  
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog

Graduate Academic Advising


 

 

 

Faculty adviser

Each degree student is assigned a faculty adviser upon admission to a graduate program. Faculty advisers can provide students with assistance in developing a Plan of Study and selecting appropriate graduate courses that adhere to program curriculum, as well as discussing career options and alternatives after graduation. It is the responsibility of the graduate student to comply with the policies, procedures and degree requirements published in the Graduate Catalog.

Plan of Study

All accepted applicants, in consultation with their assigned faculty program adviser, must develop a plan of study that details specific courses the students will use to satisfy their degree requirements. The plan of study must be approved by the faculty program adviser and submitted by the student to Oakland University Graduate School.

Master’s and graduate certificate students must submit a department-approved plan of study by the end of their first semester of graduate coursework. Doctoral students must submit an approved plan of study prior to completion of the first year of coursework.

Note:  Credit granted for successful completion of a course toward an undergraduate degree program may not be repeated for a graduate degree. If a substitution is approved, the minimum number of program-approved graduate credits will be required. A Petition of Exception - OU Course Waiver/ Substitution requesting the substitution must be approved.

 

———————————————————————–

 

The Graduate Catalog defines the policies and program requirements for completion of each graduate degree program at Oakland University. A graduate student is governed by the degree program requirements published in the graduate catalog in effect at the time the student is admitted to the graduate program. Some graduate degree programs establish a framework of general course requirements that expects a graduate student to select specific courses and/or research exit options. Other graduate degree programs establish explicit course requirements that extend a graduate student few or no course and/or research exit options.

Purpose for a Plan of Study

A Plan of Study, completed in consultation with the faculty program adviser, details specific courses, research exit options and the specific graduate catalog a graduate student will use to satisfy their degree program requirements in a timely manner and in accordance with all appropriate rules and guidelines of the graduate program.

The Plan of Study, submitted to Oakland University Graduate School, will be placed in the graduate student’s academic file and used during the graduation audit process to approve graduate program degree requirements.

Most faculty advisers use a Plan of Study template designed for their specific graduate program.

Recommended timeline

It is the recommendation of Graduate Council that each graduate student consult with their faculty adviser during the first semester, and no later than the end of the first year in their graduate program to develop a written Plan of Study. This Plan of Study, approved by their graduate program adviser, must be submitted to Oakland University Graduate School.

Updates to an approved Plan of Study

A Plan of Study may be amended at any time using a Request to Update Approved Plan of Study form. Until formal approval of an updated Plan of Study is made, the original or current modification of the plan will be in effect. Graduate students are responsible for meeting with their faculty program adviser on an ongoing basis to keep their Plan of Study updated, as needed. Graduate students, who do not submit a Plan of Study to Oakland University Graduate School, will be approved against program degree requirements published in the graduate catalog in effect at the time the student was admitted to the graduate program.