Create my plan of study

Each graduate student admitted to a degree program must file a Plan of Study (POS).  The initial POS must be submitted in March of year two. If it is not submitted by March you will not i) be able to take/schedule your preliminary exam and ii) register for classes for subsequent semesters. The POS may be modified as necessary after it is approved, with allowable coursework, and should be kept updated throughout your student career as things change.

A plan of study is an academic contract among a student, the faculty members on the advisory committee, and the Graduate School, and guides a student’s academic progress.  All departmental and Graduate School policies related to the filing of a POS must be adhered to explicitly.

How to create your Plan of Study (POS)

  1. Filing the plan of study is done electronically. Login to myPurdue with your Career Account user-id and password.
  2. Under “Graduate Students” click on “Graduate School Plan of Study”
  3. The Graduate School provides access to the POSG (Plan of Study Generator) through the “Graduate School Intranet Database” link (this is usually available after the second week of classes)
  4. A new browser window will open with the POSG login screen; login again with your Career Account user-id and password to proceed.
  5. Click on the Plan of Study Generator link, then “Create new plan of study” link.
  6. Refer to the “Help” buttons located on each page if you need assistance. You do not need to complete the entire form at one log in; you may save your plan of study and return to it later.
  7. Only letter-graded courses that have been deemed allowable to meet BIOL degree requirements can be on a BIOL POS.   Courses taken as audit, or pass/no pass, or research credits cannot be added to a BIOL POS.
  8. To make minor changes in an POS, the student needs to submit a Request for Change to the Plan of Studyelectronically, through myPurdue.
    • Changes to remove a failed course will not be approved.
    • If the composition of the Advisory/Examining Committee requires changes, the student must also submit a Request for Change to the Plan of Study electronically through myPurdue.

Once you have completed the plan of study and feel it is ready for review

  1. Save the Plan as final (Master’s thesis and PhD students should already have discussed your course selection with your major professor/advisory committee.) Draft submissions will not be reviewed, as it’s assumed you’re still finalizing the details.
  2. The POS will be reviewed by the POS coordinator who will advise you of revisions adding supplemental notes and returning your POS for adjustments; or will move the POS forward in approvals.
  3. Once the POS is approved by the POS coordinator, it begins the full approval process and will be electronically routed, reviewed, and if approved, signed by the departmental POS coordinator, your advisory committee and the Graduate School.
  4. You may check the status of your plan at any time by returning to the POSG and click on “View”.
  5. Once the Graduate School has approved your plan of study, you should check it each semester to monitor your academic degree progress, and update as changes are made.

MS credit will be accepted only after one semester of satisfactory work at Purdue. The research director must indicate the number of credits (0 to 30) that are to apply to the doctoral degree program when they are approving/signing the plan of study.  Courses taken as a graduate student at one other university only may be used if they have been used towards only one other advanced degree.

Courses taken as an undergraduate may be used if the course was:

  1. designated for graduate students;
  2. taken during the student’s junior or senior year;
  3. a grade of B or better was received. 

NO EPOS  =  NO PRELIM