2.6 The Graduate Committee and the Academic Plan in Workday (MA)

6.1 About the Certificate Programs
6.2 Certificate in TESL/TEFL Program Requirements
6.3 The Certificate Academic Plan (COMING SOON)

MA students establish their POS graduate committee and submit the appropriate Degree Planning Sheet (DPS) and other necessary POS related documentation by the announced deadline in the appropriate semester to the Graduate Program Office electronically (englgrad@iastate.edu). They also submit to the Graduate College their Graduate Committee Membership and the Academic Plan in Workday. The Graduate Program Office will announce and post the deadline (typically in the 6th week of the semester) on our Deadlines website.

2nd semester of coursework for MA students

2.6.1 Graduate Committee Membership (MA)

The MA Program of Study (POS) graduate committee consists of at least three members of the Graduate Faculty. It must include two members, including the major professor, approved to represent your major as well as a third member approved to represent a major outside your major or field of emphasis. The committee must include member(s) from different fields of emphasis so as to ensure diversity of perspectives. The committee member from outside your field of emphasis is to provide relevant specialized knowledge or a different perspective helpful to the planning, execution, and reporting of research, or some aspect of intellectual diversity deemed important by the committee and/or major.

Information about English Department Graduate Faculty members, their major areas which they can represent as major professors or as inside the major committee members, and their areas of research and teaching can be found in the Graduate Faculty Members section of this manual.

Selecting a committee

The graduate committee is approved relatively early in your program (the second semester or equivalent—see above). Select members of your committee by talking to your assigned program advisor, your graduate instructors, and other graduate students to gather information. Your major professor’s primary responsibility will be supervising the development of your thesis or creative component. Talk to prospective major professors and committee members before asking for a commitment. Discuss your research interests, their availability, and their willingness to serve on your committee. If possible, provide a brief written description of your potential research interests. The committee can perform its several functions well only if you select your committee members in a timely manner.

How the committee works

Your graduate committee will assess your educational background, review your professional and educational objectives, and evaluate your research. It will guide you as you complete your coursework and is responsible for approving the coursework in your Academic Plan in Workday.

The committee meets according to the needs and wishes of you and your major professor. At the MA level, it is likely that the committee will meet once to discuss your Academic Plan and your prospectus for the thesis or creative component and once to conduct your final oral examination. The committee may convene on other occasions as necessary or desirable.

2.6.2 Graduate Committee Membership and the Academic Plan in Workday (MA)

To meet Graduate College requirements and officially establish your graduate committee and coursework, you complete the Graduate Committee Membership and the Academic Plan to submit for approval by your POS committee members, the DOGE, and the Graduate College. This form represents an agreement between you and the Graduate College on your academic preparation for an advanced degree, establishes your graduate committee, and documents the courses you have taken and will take for your graduate degree. It is a vital document for your graduation. Therefore, it is important that you, your major professor, committee members, and the DOGE catch errors so those errors won’t delay your graduation.

Because this Graduate Committee Membership and the Academic Plan process in Workday has so many components and must be accurate, we require you to complete an internal, departmental tool—the Degree Planning Sheet (DPS)—that will help you prepare to enter information accurately.

The Degree Planning Sheet (DPS) essentially serves as a preparatory tool for completing the Graduate Committee Membership and Academic Plan in Workday. The DPS is structured in a table format that follows the outline of course requirements listed in the section for your degree program in this manual. The DPS helps you, your committee, and the DOGE ensure that you fulfill each of the required categories in your degree program. On this form, you also list the names of your graduate committee members who have agreed to be on your committee.

In addition, you may need to complete other required POS related documentation (e.g., transfer credit petition, POS waiver/substitution petition, prerequisite equivalency petition, language requirement form) with the help of your major professor. The first and most important check of the DPS and other POS documentation is the responsibility of your major professor. You should review these forms very carefully with your major professor, checking to be sure that you fill in all the blanks and get all the necessary signatures. If your Academic Plan includes expired courses, you must also complete in Workday an Expired Course Petition.

By the announced deadline, you must submit electronic copies of the DPS and all POS documentation with required signatures (except for the DOGE) to the Graduate Program Office (englgrad@iastate.edu) and also complete and submit for approval the Academic Plan.

Not meeting the announced deadline and/or not checking your documents carefully before turning them in may negatively impact your ability to register on time (see Advising/Registration Holds).

If you have an assistantship, you may receive a notice indicating unsatisfactory progress if you have not submitted your DPS, POS documentation, and Graduate Committee Membership and Academic Plan by the announced deadline in your second semester, excluding summers. A Letter of Intent for your next academic term/year will not be issued or your tuition scholarship applied until you have submitted and correctly completed your required forms.

2.6.3 Graduate Committee and Academic Plan changes (MA): Workday modifications

Changing committee members

You may need to change the committee’s make-up if your research interests shift later or a committee member is no longer able to serve. Changes will depend upon

consent of the faculty member(s) to be added
agreement between you and your major professor
consent of the faculty member(s) being replaced
approval of the English Department’s DOGE

After your major professor and the faculty members to be added and replaced have consented to the change, it is a courtesy for you to make POS committee changes official as soon as you know they are necessary and certainly before faculty have performed large amounts of consulting and editing for you. Making changes promptly in Workday allows faculty to shift their time to other students seeking their input.

Changing your coursework

Once the DPS and other POS documentation is approved by the DOGE, modifications can be made as necessary by processing updates with new form(s) submissions (i.e., transfer credit petition, POS waiver/substitution petition, etc.). New or revised English Department POS related documents must be submitted to the Graduate Program Office (englgrad@iastate.edu) to be approved by the DOGE. The Graduate Committee Membership and Academic Plan in Workday must be modified and resubmitted for approval in order to finalize Graduate College approval of any changes. Changes may be required by the Graduate College before you are allowed to graduate if coursework taken/taking does not agree with coursework listed on the most current approved Academic Plan.