Plan of Study Requirements

All graduate students must submit a Plan of Study that meets the minimum Graduate School and Departmental requirements for the designated degree. The Plan of Study must be approved by the student’s Advisor and Advisory Committee, the Graduate Chair of Building Construction, and the Graduate School. All courses on the Plan of Study, including supporting courses, must be taken on a letter grade (A/F) basis except for those courses approved to be graded on a pass­fail (P/F) basis only. Audit courses cannot be included on the Plan of Study. After approval by the student's Advisory Committee and the Graduate Chair, the Plan of Study should be entered and sent electronically to the Graduate School for approval.

Format for Plan of Study

Plans of Study must be submitted as a single package of documentation containing all required justifications and forms to the Building Construction Graduate Coordinator. Documents may be submitted in hard copy to the Building Construction Graduate Coordinator, or electronically as a single pdf file. Documentation should include:

• Plan of Study template with appropriate committee signatures.

MS Plan of Study Requirements

EDP Plan of Study Requirements

• Independent study forms and supporting information, if applicable.
• Transcripts to support transfer credits from other institutions, if applicable, along with justifications and course descriptions for courses being transferred.
• Course Justification Request for “old” coursework, if applicable.

If physical signatures cannot be obtained for all committee members, electronic signatures will suffice as long as documentation is provided as evidence to support the committee member’s approval. A printout of an email from the committee member sent to the chair of the committee will suffice in lieu of a physical signature.

Plan of Study Limitations on Elective Courses

Students should discuss their interests with their committee chair and advisory committee to identify electives that will best fit their career goals and capabilities. All elective courses must meet minimum Graduate School Plan of Study requirements to be included on the Plan of Study, including the following limitations:

• No course less than a 4xxx-level may be included on the Plan of Study
• No more than six (6) hours of 4xxx-level courses may be included.
• The number of credit hours in 5974, 5984, and 6984 courses must be less than or equal to the limits required for the student’s degree type.

Submittal Process and Timeline for Plan of Study

Multiple steps are required for final approval of a student’s Plan of Study. Approvals must be obtained from the student’s advisory committee, the BC Graduate Chair, and the Graduate School (in this order) before the Plan of Study is considered official. The BC Graduate Coordinator plays an important role in this process by providing administrative review to ensure all degree requirements are met.

Research Track M.S. and Ph.D. students are encouraged to consult first with their academic advisors and committees and second with the Graduate Chair and/or Graduate Coordinator to answer questions regarding courses and requirements for the Plan of Study. Industry Track students should consult first with the Graduate Chair and/or Graduate Coordinator during the semester, and with the Industry Track Advisory Committee at the end­of­semester meetings to address any questions.

Regular Graduate Students are also required to submit a draft Plan of Study to the BC Graduate Coordinator for administrative review. This review will flag any problems that need to be addressed by the student prior to full committee review and approval. Draft Plans of Study should be submitted via email to the BC Graduate Coordinator, who will review and respond with any problems identified. The student will then revise the Plan of Study to address any issues prior to meeting with their committee.

The following timelines apply: