Graduate Students Plan of Study
Each graduate student admitted to a degree program must file a Plan of Study (POS). A formal Plan of Study should be created as early as feasible in the student's career because it guides a student's academic degree progress. A plan of study is an academic contract among a student and the faculty members of the advisory committee. All departmental and Graduate School policies related to the filing of a Plan of study must be adhered to explicitly.
Students filing their plan of study should complete their plan electronically. Access to the electronic Plan of Study Generator is located in myPurdue under the Academic tab/Graduate School database.
To begin your plan of study, click on the Plan of Study Generator link, then click on "Create new plan of study" link. Once in the POSG, refer to the Help buttons located on each page to assist you in using the electronic POSG. You do not need to complete the entire form in one sitting; you may save your plan of study and return to it later. You may not bookmark any pages within the Graduate School link.
When you have completed your plan of study and feel it is ready for review of your advisory committee, submit your plan as a Draft. All plans of study must first be submitted as Draft before you can submit your plan as a Final. While your plan is in Draft status, review the information with your advisory committee and your departmental coordinator to ensure that it satisfies department and Graduate School policies. Use your draft as a basis to discuss your academic and research goals with your advisory committee members. Once your entire committee has verbally accepted your plan of study, return to the POSG and submit your plan as "Final." The plan of study form will be electronically routed, reviewed and, if approved, signed by the departmental coordinator, your advisory committee and the Graduate School. You may check the status of your plan at any time by returning to the POSG and click on the Display Submitted Plan of Study link.
Once your plan of study has been approved by the Graduate School, you should check it every semester to monitor your academic degree progress.
Alteration of the Plan of Study
Occasionally students find it necessary to change some aspect of their POS. For example, a student may be unable to enroll in a course listed on the POS because of a schedule conflict or course cancellation. In other cases, the student's program emphasis or professional interests may change. In this case, some of the listed courses are no longer appropriate. Sometimes, it may be necessary to change the members of the advisory committee. To make changes to your Plan of Study, return to the Plan of Study Generator in myPurdue. Such changes must have the approval of all members of the student's advisory committee. The form is signed by the student, the major professor, and the chair of the graduate committee, and is transmitted to the Graduate School for approval and filing. Each term the Graduate School announces the deadline date after which no changes in the POS can be made if the student is to receive a graduate degree in that term.