Assignment to Advisor and Authorization of Degree Program
Residence Requirement
Access to Records
Distance Learning Courses
Transcripts
General Regulations

Assignment to Advisor and Authorization of Degree Program
As a graduate student studying for a certificate, master’s, specialist's, or doctoral degree, an advisor in your area of specialization will be appointed by the department chairperson. You will receive notification of assignment to an advisor shortly after admission to a graduate program. As soon as possible after receiving this notification, an Authorization of Graduate Degree or Certificate Program form should be filled out in consultation with your advisor and a copy placed on file in the Graduate Studies office. This authorization will ensure that courses you take will count on your program; courses you take prior to authorization may not count.

If registering for graduate course work prior to being assigned to an advisor, read carefully the appropriate sections of this Bulletin, or consult the appropriate department chairperson to make certain that the courses you register for are applicable to your program of study.

Changes to an authorized program should be made via the Course Substitution form available in the College of Graduate Studies. For a certificate, master’s, or specialist's program, the form requires the advisor’s signature. For a doctoral program, the form requires the signatures of the advisor and the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies.
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Residence Requirement
A graduate student should devote such time to graduate study and research in residence at CMU as may be appropriate to the program of study. Students are expected to take every opportunity to work in close association or collaboration with graduate faculty members, with other graduate students in the same program, and with distinguished visiting scholars. These opportunities exist at the university campus and in classes, seminars, internships, and research projects organized or placed elsewhere as part of the university’s continuing involvement in a broadly-based commitment to education.
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Access to Records
University policy grants students access to their education records under conditions which conform to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended and regulated by the appropriate federal guidelines.

Directory information may be published or released by the university unless a student informs the Registrar’s Office in writing that any or all items should not be released without the student’s prior consent. Directory information is defined to include such items as a student’s name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height (of members of athletic teams), dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the previous educational institution attended by the student.
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Distance Learning Courses
Courses in distance learning format (e.g. web-based courses and other non-face-to-face formats for delivering instruction) may be used to complete degree requirements unless otherwise specifically excluded. CMU courses and programs approved for distance learning delivery (as well as restrictions) are given in the descriptions of courses and degrees in this Bulletin.
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Transcripts
For a university transcript of your academic record, submit a written, hand-signed request to the Registrar’s Office. Written requests should include your name, date of birth, social security number, dates of attendance at CMU, and, if a graduate, the date of your graduation. Your transcript will not be released without your written permission.
The Official copies of your transcript are free. The Immediate Service Transcript fee for priority service is an additional $8.00 for each transcript. Transcripts of students with financial obligations to the university are not released until the obligation is paid.
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General Regulations
Matters upon which there has been no direct legislation for graduate students will be governed by the general university regulations.
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