Checklist

Degree Handbook 

An integral part of being a successful graduate student in the C&I department is reviewing and referencing the program handbook for master's, Ph.D., and Ed.D. degrees. Note in these documents you will find information about degree plans, courses related to your concentration (masters) or specialization (doctoral), how to engage in programmatic milestones (comprehensive exam, portfolio or thesis for master's students and qualifying exam, proposal and final dissertation defense for doctoral students), and graphic organizers to schedule your classes. Consider this handbook and the policies therein a contract between yourself and the university.

Degree Plan

The C&I degree plans consist of the required, recommended, and optional courses to meet the needed hours for graduation (36 hours for masters and 63 hours for doctoral). Please note there are required C&I core courses as well as concentration (masters) or specialization (doctoral) courses. Use the graphic organizers located in the program handbooks (master's or PhD) to plan out your courses each term so you may graduate in a timely manner.

Academic Advisor

Upon acceptance to a C&I degree program, you will encounter your first faculty point-of-contact for the concentration (masters) or specialization (doctoral) track of which you were accepted. This person is your track's academic advisor and will guide you in understanding the components of your degree plan and recommend your initial coursework. 

If you are a doctoral student, this academic advisor does not automatically become your dissertation chair. Upon successful progression in your program of study will you engage in the process of identifying and connecting with faculty that could serve as your chair. More information on the process of migrating from the academic advisor to a dissertation chair is found in the Ph.D. handbook.

Course Registration

Registering for courses is an important part of ensuring you are following your planned program of study and maintaining enrollment at the university. Advance Registration for Fall courses occurs in April and advance registration for Spring and Summer terms occurs in November. Advance Registration opening dates may be found in the detailed version of the TTU Academic Calendar, but specific dates are scheduled based on student status and/or earned hours.

Click on the Registration Status link located on the MyTech tab in Raiderlink under Manage My Enrollment > Registration to view the specific date Advance Registration will be open to you. This status is typically updated the month prior to Advance Registration. To register for classes, please go to https://registration.texastech.edu. If you have questions, click on this Registration FAQ.

Required Trainings (Responsible Academic Conduct Training and more)

Responsible Academic Conduct Training, formerly known as Responsible Scholarship Training, is an essential part of the graduate experience to raise the awareness of professional standards of research ethics, integrity, and safety, and of challenges that students may face throughout their careers. To supplement the effort provided by our exceptional Texas Tech faculty, the Graduate School in collaboration with the Office of Research and Innovation has developed a training that addresses academic practices such as data management, intellectual property, management of conflict of interest, ethical use of humans and animals in research, social responsibility of research, effective collaboration, and research misconduct.

All new students must complete training within their first semester and before they can apply for Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval at the university for research with human subjects. The training is offered by CITI and involves certification in Research with Human Subjects- Select Human Subjects TTU Social and Behavioral Investigators – Basic/Refresher. Visit the TTU CITI webpage for instructions on how to register with CITI and complete the training. Step-by-step instructions are found here. Make sure to retain a PDF copy of your CITI certification and keep it in a safe place.