Selection and Appointment of Major Professor

You must select a faculty member who agrees to serve as your major professor by the end of the semester following a successful qualifying review and report the appointment to the Program Representative. Failure to do so will result in the qualifying review being deemed “null and void,” and you will be required to re-qualify at the end of the next semester. You are strongly encouraged to select a major professor as soon as possible.

After submitting the name of your proposed major professor, the formal assignment is made by the EPLS Department Chair (in consultation, if necessary, with the Instructional Systems Program Representative). Criteria for approval are:

1. student choice;
2. student-faculty common interests;
3. faculty consent; and,
4. faculty load (limits may be established as to number of advisees per faculty member, so that loads are distributed equitably).

While continued service of the major professor until graduation of the student is typical, a change may be requested by you, the faculty member, or both. Occasionally, as your interests mature, you might identify an area of specialization which differs from that of the major professor and a new appointment becomes desirable.