Consulting with your advisor
You should seek an advisor as soon as possible after beginning the program. You may seek advice from the graduate coordinator, the chair or any faculty member in the program about who might be the most appropriate advisor for you. Your advisor will work with you to plan your graduate program, discuss any problems you might encounter and serve as a liaison with the Division of Graduate Studies.
Advancement to Candidacy
After completing 12 units of graduate studies, and at least one semester before you intend to file for graduation, you must file an ATC (Advancement to Candidacy) form with the Division of Graduate Studies. The ATC lists all the courses completed, in progress or planned for the Master’s degree, and the culminating experience you have chosen (thesis or comprehensive exam).
You should work closely with your adviser to ensure that everything you intend to list on the ATC has the approval of the department. Do not list any additional courses beyond the minimum necessary for the degree. The form must be signed by the graduate coordinator and the department chair.
Check the Grad Division calendar for ATC deadlines, normally in mid-October for spring graduation and mid-April for summer or fall. If you change your plan of study after you have filed your ATC, you must file a ATC substitution form.
Culminating Experience
The Proposal for Culminating Experience Form includes a summary of your plans for the culminating experience and the signatures of the members of your committee. You should file it in the semester before you enroll in an 898, 895 or 896. Check the University Calendar for the exact deadlines, normally in mid-October for spring graduation and mid-April for summer or fall graduation.
If you change your plans for your final project, thesis topic or any of the members of your committee, you must file a new Proposal for Culminating Experience. When you are thinking about a possible culminating experience project, remember that faculty members are experts in particular fields of study, and that if you propose a project in an area in which no one on our faculty has the appropriate expertise, you will have difficulty in assembling your committee. This is why it is so important to seek faculty advice and commitments to your project at an early stage, and to be in touch with the members of your committee — especially your committee chair/first reader — at every stage of your work.