Planning a Program
Students admitted to a graduate program will be referred to the appropriate department for academic advising. Graduate students' programs are planned in conference with their advisers. Research advisers are assigned to graduate students by the program coordinator.
Each student should consult with his/her adviser throughout the graduate program on a regularly scheduled basis. Programs of studies must be approved by a student's adviser before registration.
Cohorts — Rights and Responsibilities:
Several of California University of Pennsylvania's graduate programs, both traditional and online, are offered in a “cohort” format.
The purpose of creating a cohort model of enrollment is to maximize the size of the enrollment and to better meet the needs of students by providing a clear scope and sequence for the courses. This enrollment model has benefits for students, faculty and the University—and also has responsibilities. Those rights and responsibilities will be spelled out in this document.
The decision on the size of the cohort will be made by the administration at the time the cohort is scheduled to begin. The administration also identifies the beginning time for a cohort and, in consultation with the faculty, the scope and sequence of the courses.
Once a cohort has begun, the number of courses offered and the specific courses offered in any given semester are at the discretion of the University. The administration promises to provide instruction opportunities necessary to meet the needs of the cohort. This does not necessarily mean the opportunities will be exclusively in the form of formal classes taught by tenure track faculty. Individualized instruction may be used; adjunct faculty may also be used.
Students must understand that when they become members of a cohort, they are committing to the published scope and sequence of courses. As long as they attend the course when offered, they will be able to proceed through the program. If, for whatever reason, a cohort student fails to enroll in a scheduled cohort class (i.e., out of sequence), he or she may have to wait a considerable period of time before it is offered again.