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When you were admitted to the Department of Special Education you were assigned an Academic Adviser. As mentioned previously, this This is a faculty member from the concentration area in which you plan to primarily focus your study. Prior to your first semester of coursework, you must make an appointment with the faculty member who has been assigned as your Academic Adviser to broadly plan your doctoral coursework and to specifically discuss your first semester's courses.
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During each registration advising period, you must schedule a meeting with your Academic Adviser to be advised for coursework to be taken the following semester. An advising bar is placed on all students’ registration each semester and remains in effect until advising is completed. This means that you will not be allowed access to the registration process until this bar is removed. Your adviser must indicate approval by signing the I Have Been Advised Form. When the signed form has been submitted electronically to the Graduate Coordinator, your registration bar will be lifted and you will be allowed to register. It is expected that the courses agreed upon between you and your academic adviser will be the courses you register for. If you register for courses other than those that are indicated on your I Have Been Advised Form, you must alert your academic adviser and obtain permission to do so (Note: Instructions on how to register can be found in the current Course Schedule or online: http://www.utexas.edu/student/registrar/schedules/).
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- I Have Been Advised Forms are color-coded differently for master’s and doctoral students, and marked for each semester; please make sure you have the correct version of the form for the semester of registration.
- Fill out the top portion of the form each semester; the Department uses this information to contact you in case of questions or changes in the course schedule, or your registration.
- Because course numbers are associated with a variety of topics, be sure to write in the course title as well as the unique number.
- If you are taking an independent study course, report, or thesis, please write in the name of the faculty member who has agreed to supervise you.
- Your Academic Adviser must sign this form before the Graduate Coordinator will clear your registration bar.
- Only register for courses that are indicated with pre-approval by your Academic Adviser on your I Have Been Advised Forms.
Ongoing Advisement
In addition to meeting with your Academic Adviser to complete the Program of Work, there are several reasons and benefits to meeting with your Academic Adviser on an ongoing basis:
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When you were admitted to the doctoral degree, you were assigned an Academic Adviser in your area of concentration, based on information about your research and career interests. If the doctoral experience remains focused around these mutual interests, the Academic Adviser typically also assumes other roles such as research mentoring supervisor and dissertation supervisor. All changes in Academic Advisers must be requested in writing, following the steps below:
- Identify the faculty member in your concentration area who will serve as your new Academic Adviser, and make sure that s/he is willing to serve in this role
- Inform your current Academic Adviser of the proposed change
- Submit the “Change of Academic Adviser” form to graduate adviser. Make sure to list your current and proposed academic advisers and
- The Graduate Adviser will review and approve the change.
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Students who wish to request a change in concentration should submit the following materials to the Graduate Coordinator:
- Request for “Change in Concentration” form,
- revised personal goals statement explaining the rationale for the change, and
- current resume or curriculum vitae.
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Taking time to reflect on your progress with your studies is an essential part of ensuring that you have been advised appropriately and that your activities will meet all degree requirements in a timely manner. This process should also assist you in determining if your professional needs are being met and continue to be aligned with your career goals, which may have changed since you entered the concentration. At the beginning of program. During each academic year, the Department’s Graduate Studies Committee will formally review the progress of all doctoral students. You will be asked to submit documentation of coursework and other activities you have completed to-date, as well as any other accomplishments that are relevant to your preparation. Materials to be submitted for the annual reviews and directions for completing the process will be sent from the Graduate Coordinator.