Welcome to Graduate School

1. Welcome toGraduate School

2. Agenda Dean’s Welcome Tips for Success in Graduate School General SDSU Information Introduction to Campus Technology SDSU Graduate School Policies & Procedures Q & A

3. Tips for Success in Graduate School • Learn Academic Requirements • Conditional Admission • Low GPA/Academic Probation • Assume responsibility for your success • Familiarize yourself with the Graduate Catalog • Learn degree requirements • Use your advisor • Be proactive in completing your degree • Obsolete coursework • Master’s – 6 years • PhD – 8 years • Make a Plan of Study Adapted from http://www.career.ucf.edu/Students/Graduate_Students/Tips_for_Achieving_Success_in_Graduate_School_31_417.aspx

4. Campus Information • Parking • All campus parking lots require a parking tag from 8am-4pm or you risk receiving a ticket • Purchase parking tags online through sdstate.edu/parking • 605-688-PARK • Yaeger Hall Room 103 • Student ID Card • Photo ID • Student ID Number • Entry to the Wellness Center • Entry to Athletic Events • Hobo Dough • Meal Plan • Card services - Yaeger Hall • Be sure to bring a photo ID with you to get your ID card

5. Offices to Know • Cashier’s(Admin 136) • Student accounts/bills • Financial Aid (Admin 100) • Loans, grants, work study, loan deferral • Graduate School (Admin 130) • Any student concerns • Records (Admin 100) • Petitions • Transcripts • Student Health & Counseling (Wellness Center) • Health appointments • One on one and group counseling

6. Offices to Know • Wintrode Student Success Center (Wintrode Building) • Tutoring • Writing Center • CAP Center (Medary Commons 120) • Resume writing • Interview Skills • Job postings (part time, full time, on and off campus) • International Affairs (Briggs Library 119) • Comprehensive home for international students and scholar services

7. SDSU Websitewww.sdstate.edu/graduate

8. WebAdvisor Webadvisor.sdstate.edu Class registration, payment, course listings, grades

9. MyState Mystate.sdstate.edu Student portal – Jacks email activation, Parking, Student schedule, News & Events, Access to Accounts (Hobo Dough, WebAdvisor, etc)

10. Jacks EmailYourlogin@jacks.sdstate.eduJacks email accounts are the official email of SDSU, all university news and contact will come via your Jacks account. You are responsible for activating and checking this account. Yourlogin@jacks.sdstate.edu Your password

11. Desire 2 Learn (D2L)d2l.sdbor.eduOnline course materials

12. Need Technical Support? • eSDSU Laptop Center (Student Union) • Free labor • Computer support • Viruses • SDSU Support Desk (Admin 131) • 688-6776 or supportdesk@sdstate.edu • Support on SDSU systems (Email, WebAdvisor, etc)

13. Registration & Status • Transcripts • SDSU needs final official transcripts from all previous institutions – failure to submit can block registration • Immunization records • MMR shots are also required for all students taking classes on campus– failure to submit can block registration • Active Status • To maintain active status students must be registered for each semester of the academic year (excluding summer). • Students who fail to register will be considered inactive and will have to reapply • Graduate assistants must register for a minimum of 1 credit (including summer) in order to keep assistantship

14. Advisory Committee • Major advisor – chairperson, must have Grad Faculty Status • Program representative – from major or related dept. • Additional member – major department or related department – can be a professional with outstanding academic record or knowledge of the field outside the university • Graduate Faculty Representative – assigned by the Graduate School, from a discipline not closely related to the major/minor. Ensures that rules and regulations are followed, acts as the students advocate • Master’s students - first semester or as soon as practical after beginning degree program • Doctoral - first semester or prior to twelve (12) semester hours of Graduate work

15. Plan of Study • List of agreed upon courses which will complete degree requirements • Doctoral students will meet with advisory committee before submitting Plan • Submit the first semester of graduate work or prior to 50% of credits towards graduation

16. Plan of Study

17. Scheduling Comps & Orals • All Comprehensive and Final Written and Oral exams must be scheduled through the Graduate School • Oral exams are required for all programs • For Master’s Thesis students, the Oral Exam is the defense • For Doctoral Students the final oral exam is the Dissertation Defense

18. Master’s Written and Oral Exams • Comprehensive Written Exams are only required by some departments • Must be scheduled at least two weeks before final oral • Request to schedule orals must be submitted 10 working days before oral exam • Oral exam must be complete by date published for graduation during that semester

19. Doctoral Written and Oral Exams • Comprehensive written exam is administered after coursework has been substantially completed • Comprehensive oral exam is scheduled upon satisfactory completion of written • Forms for all exams need to be submitted no more than 10 working days before scheduled exam • Oral comprehensive exam must be at least 2 months before final dissertation defense • Final Orals complete by published deadline to graduate during the same semester

20. Scheduling Comps & Orals

21. Thesis & Dissertation • SDSU Graduate School has set format requirements for binding purposes • Available on SDSU’s website • Department may also have guidelines specific to your area of study • Follow all printed submission dates published by the graduate school each semester • Watch for announcements re: Thesis/Dissertation Formatting workshop – Fall 2012

22. Q & A Door prizes Thanks for coming!