The Program of Study form has two sections:

Section 1: Coursework Requirements

The Coursework Requirements in the Program of Study enables students to see what PhD credit requirements they have satisfied and what courses they need to take. All doctoral students should begin to fill out the Coursework Requirements section of a Program of Study form, specific to their concentration, early in their doctoral course work, certainly by the time they have completed 12 doctoral credits. Students who did not receive their MA from UWM should begin Section 1 of a Program of Study form before registering for second semester classes.

The Coursework Requirements lists both the MA and PhD classes taken and to be taken. MA classes are listed to provide the advisor an opportunity to review the student’s entire graduate study plan. The advisor may or may not want to recommend additional courses to augment the work that the student did at the MA level or intends to do at the PhD level.

Students should consult their advisor or plan coordinator when preparing the Coursework Requirements section of the Program of Study. Students required to have an Academic Review should give a copy of their Program of Study form to the chair of their Academic Review Committee. At the end of the student’s coursework, the completed form must be approved and signed by the student’s advisor and the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies. Program of Study forms for each plan are available on the Graduate Student Handbook’s online Forms Checklist and Links page.

Section 2: Research Plan

The Research Plan in the Program of Study allows students to plan their dissertation research, which they should do in close consultation with the Major Professor. Students should complete a Research Plan once they have completed their prelims and have attained dissertator status. The Research Plan may be revised with the advisor’s approval at any time, as research progresses. Teaching Assistants must complete the Research Plan before submitting their Internal TA Application for renewal for a fifth year of teaching.