Participation in the AcComP Certification Track includes registration for one or more courses that orient students to Center for Communication Excellence, Graduate College, and campus resources students and enable graduate students to make informed decisions as they engage in different stages in their progression to degree completion.

During participation in the GR ST courses, students:

• Define steps and milestones according to Graduate College deadlines using degree-specific planning tools
• Match steps and milestones with the CCE’s communication support services using the
  • Thesis & Creative Component Progress Roadmap or Dissertation Progress Roadmap
  • Thesis & Creative Component Planning Tool or Dissertation Planning Tool
• Set goals for what they want to accomplish in graduate school and afterwards
• Create an Individual Development Plan (IDP)
• Learn university standards for conducting ethical and responsible research with the Institutional Review Board
• Connect with university resources for conducting reviews of relevant literature 
• Engage with specific CCE programming to meet their individual communication development needs
• Make tangible plans to complete their degree programs
• Access thesis/dissertation/creative component support tools 
• Receive hands-on support in the planning of and drafting of Program of Study (POS) documents
• Prepare for going on the job market after graduate school

Levels of AcComP Certification

The AcComP Certification Track consists of four one-credit courses that are taught and coordinated by the CCE. The first course participants complete is GR ST 531X: Thriving in Graduate School (fall only) and is mandatory for all those interested in joining AcComP Certification Track. This course is followed the subsequent semester by GR ST 532X (spring only), GR ST 533X (fall only), and GR ST 534X (spring only). Each of the four courses in the AcComP Certification Track are designed to cover topics specific to the semester that aligns with students' programs, Graduate College deadlines, and communication development needs.

The number of courses completed correlates to which AcComP Certification level earned. The levels include:

• AcComP Associate: completed any two of the following: GR ST 531X, GR ST 532X, GR ST 533X, GR ST 534X
• AcComP Fellow: completed  any three of the following: GR ST 531X, GR ST 532X, GR ST 533X, GR ST 534X
• AcComP Scholar: completed  all four of the following: GR ST 531X, GR ST 532X, GR ST 533X, GR ST 534X

AcComP Certification Track Courses

• GR ST 531X: Thriving in Graduate School (fall only)
• GR ST 532X: Mapping Graduate School Trajectory (spring only)
• GR ST 533X: Sustaining Productivity through Accountability in Graduate School (fall only)
• GR ST 534X: Attaining Success in Graduate School (spring only)

Learn more about our AcComP Certification Track courses on our AcComP Courses page.

Note: It is not required that GR ST 531X - GR ST 534X are taken in chronological order, though it is recommended.