Build capacity in the area of preparing high quality dissertations, theses, and creative components.

What is the Grad Success Program?

The Grad Success Program aims to engage students with many opportunities for academic writing and speaking practice and improvement from the start to the end of their graduate program. This program aligns with the stages of student progression toward their degree (master's or doctoral), mapping the CCE’s specialized services with the requirements specified by the Graduate College. In this program, students will: 

  • Receive hands-on support in the steps and milestones of Graduate College deadlines
  • Learn university standards for conducting ethical and responsible research with the Institutional Review Board (IRB)
  • Connect with university resources to help in producing dissertations, theses, and creative components
  • Set goals for what they want to accomplish in graduate school and afterwards

Levels of Certification

Participation in the Grad Success Program includes registration for one of four one-credit courses. Participants are not required to complete all four courses. The number of courses completed correlates to which transcript designation is earned. The designations include: 

  • Associate: GR ST 5310X and any one of the following: GR ST 5320X, GR ST 5330X, GR ST 534X
  • Fellow: GR ST 5310X and any two of the following: GR ST 5320X, GR ST 5330X, GR ST 534X
  • Scholar: Complete all four GR ST courses

Course Descriptions

Each of the four courses are designed to cover topics specific to the semester that aligns with students' programs, Graduate College deadlines, and communication development needs. Note: It is not required that GR ST 531X - GR ST 534X are taken in chronological order, though it is recommended.

(Fall.) Focus on identifying and overcoming challenges associated with the transition to graduate school. Orientation to Graduate College standards, resources, and requirements. Determining goals for graduate education.

Register for GR ST 5310X

(Spring.) Focus on planning for empirical research and responsible research standards. Utilizing Graduate College, CCE, and university resources to succeed in graduate school.  Orientation to creative component/thesis/dissertation expectations and guidelines. Identifying strategies to achieving goals in graduate education.

Register for GR ST 5320X

(Fall.) Focus on reporting and disseminating research findings, maintaining accountability, and producing high quality communication. Preparation for creative component/thesis/dissertation phase and meeting of Graduate College requirements. Executing strategies to achieving goals in graduate education.

Register for GR ST 5330X

(Spring.) Focus on preparing creative component/thesis/dissertation and readying for the job market. Preparation for final oral exam phase and meeting the graduation requirements. Achieving goals in graduate education.

Register for GR ST 5340X

Need help getting started?

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you are interested in learning more about the Grad Success Program and how to get involved.

The Grad Success Program has been indispensable in shaping my graduate journey, providing invaluable tools for planning and setting clear timelines for success. These resources empowered me to communicate my research to different audiences with clarity and impact, laying a solid foundation for my future endeavors!

Thivani Senathiraja, Grad Success Program Graduate

More Testimonials

"GRST 5310X Thriving in Graduate School is like a combination of ingredients and the recipe for food - a delicious one, actually! It is like "WHERE" to start and "HOW" to start the graduate journey. The only thing that will be left is for us to decide to use the ingredients we like most and follow the recipe to make the yummy food, which is our goal/vision of starting graduate study.
I hope this series of courses becomes mandatory courses for the first 4 semesters of graduate study so that all faculty consider them as crucial as other graduate courses for success. Still, many people at the graduate level are not aware of these excellent resources, which makes both students and professors struggle to find up-to-date resources for graduate study success."

Raha Ezzatipour MS/PhD student in Human Development and Family Studies