Advising
Division of Graduate Studies advising
Division of Graduate Studies Grad Guide
Department of International Relations MA student handbook (under construction)
*Identifying “Advisors”
There are three sources of Advising for IR Department graduate students: (a) the graduate coordinator; (b) IR faculty; and (c) the Division of Graduate Study.
(a) Graduate coordinator: The graduate coordinator can help students with general course and career planning, MA program planning, department formalities (e.g., proposal for a culminating experience, GAP substitutions or revisions, or course transfer evaluations), study abroad, and university rules and regulations and petitions.
(b) IR faculty: IR faculty can provide students with course and career advising, too. Their value added is that they can give guidance in the specific regional and thematic areas that interest students. In addition, they can aid students in building the network and portfolio which will help them pursue their longer-term career/intellectual goals. IR faculty also are an essential part of the supervising committee for culminating experience projects and will support students’ efforts to develop and execute their culminating experience projects. Given the importance of IR faculty as advisors, students are strongly encouraged to develop an informal mentoring relationship with one or more faculty soon after their first semester in the program.
We recognize that many of our students work and cannot meet face-to-face. The Graduate Coordinator and faculty are always ready to communicate with our students via email or telephone as needed!
*Advising Timeline
Every semester: It is to the advantage of students to communicate with the graduate coordinator and/or a faculty advisor at least once a semester about their course and program plans.
Ready to file a GAP: Communicate with the graduate coordinator and a faculty member when you are ready to file your GAP: Towards the end of the second semester (and definitely their third semester) in the program, most students should consider filing their GAP. Prior to preparing a final GAP, students should communicate with both the graduate coordinator and a faculty advisor about their program plans.
