Program of study
Students admitted to graduate standing must have their initial course work approved by the Graduate Advisory Committee. An approved Program of Study Form must be submitted to the Graduate School no later than the completion of 24 graduate credits (by the end of the student’s fourth semester).
The Graduate Advisory Committee should be convened by the research advisor to discuss the student’s proposed program of study. Generally, the student and advisor work together to decide on the courses that will be taken by the student during the graduate program. These courses are selected to fit the student’s vocational objectives and provide background useful for research while at the same time meeting the requirements for the Ph.D. degree (see Section III). The student will need to pick up the Program of Study forms from the Graduate School office and have these forms filled out prior to meeting with the Graduate Advisory Committee. The student should arrange a suitable time and place for the meeting after consulting with committee members. The committee then meets with the student to discuss and approve the proposed program. As part of this meeting, the student might be asked to give a brief presentation describing his or her proposed research. This helps the committee become better acquainted with the student and allows it to better evaluate the proposed course of study. Completion of the program of study form is required for an RA or TA contract in the second year of study.
Assistantships and additional graduate work resources
All graduate students holding an assistantship (teaching GTA or GRA) are considered Nevada residents for tuition purposes. Non-resident tuition is only waived for the duration of the assistantship. To be eligible for an assistantship, students must be admitted to a degree-granting program and be in good academic standing. The student must have an overall GPA of at least 3.0 and must be continuously enrolled in at least 6 graduate-level credits (600-700) throughout the duration of the assistantship.
State-funded assistantships (GTA/GRA) may be held for a maximum of: three (3) years for master’s degree students and five (5) years for doctoral degree students.
For current information, please visit the Graduate Assistantships Website.
Health insurance
All domestic degree-seeking graduate students, who are enrolled in six or more credits (regardless of the course level) in a semester, will be automatically enrolled and billed for the University-sponsored health insurance for each term they are eligible (fall & spring/summer). If a student has other comparable coverage and would like to waive out of the student health insurance, it is the student’s responsibility to complete the University online waiver form prior to the deadline. If approved, a health insurance waiver is good for the current academic year only. A new waiver must be submitted each academic year. All international graduate students are required to carry student health insurance, and the cost will be automatically added to your student account. Any international graduate students with insurance questions must contact the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) directly.