The Graduate School
The Role of the Graduate Adviser and Departmental Office
One of your first contacts with The University of Texas at Austin as a prospective graduate student is with your departmental office or graduate adviser. Whether your questions are about admissions, student employment, fellowships, or registration, your departmental office provides answers and/or assistance to guide you through everything from the admissions process to enrollment.
The Graduate Departmental Office
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The graduate departmental office consists primarily of your graduate adviser and graduate coordinator. As graduate programs vary, so does the makeup of the departmental offices. Each graduate program offered at the university will have its own adviser and coordinator. It is their purpose to assist prospective and current graduate students. Early in your graduate education, it is a good idea to develop a relationship with your departmental office. I will share a list of a few of the responsibilities of the departmental office:
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Although each program has its own adviser and coordinator, some programs consist of over 500 students. As you can imagine, this can create quite a workload. Learn the necessary procedures for advising appointments, registration, and class changes. Also, review the information provided in this online orientation about registration and become familiar with the process.
The Graduate Coordinator
At times, it is not necessary for you to speak with the graduate adviser. This is when the role of the graduate coordinator becomes important. Your graduate coordinator plays a vital part in the day-to-day operations of the department’s program. Both the Graduate School and the graduate adviser rely heavily on the professional assistance of graduate coordinators. Because they often serve both in administrative and counseling capacities, you should arrange to meet with your graduate coordinator before a problem develops. Although the departmental office is there to assist you, it is your responsibility to be aware of graduate policies and deadlines.
For more information, visit the Graduate School Web site and see the information on degree programs. You will find information on graduate programs, graduate advisers and graduate coordinators.
This concludes the section on The Role of the Departmental Office. To continue to the next section of the Graduate Student Orientation, click on the button labeled "Next".
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