Page 33 - The Human Resource Development - New Student Orientation Handbook (REVISED)

The Human Resource Development
Orientation Handbook and Research Guide

Student Advisement

Advisor Meeting

Once you receive a letter from the School of Continuing Education and Graduate Studies saying you
are accepted into BSU and enrolled in the HRD program, you should contact the advisor listed in
your acceptance. If you misplace your letter, you can also find out who your advisor is by logging
into your Bulldog account at http://www.bulldogconnect.bowiestate.edu/. Your advisor will be your
partner throughout your enrollment in the Master of Human Resource Development program and
will provide guidance on many aspects of it. Meeting with your advisor is one of the first actions
you should take upon being accepted into the program and prior to taking your first class.

Learning Contract

You and your advisor will establish a learning contract that becomes your commitment to accept
and follow through on the many responsibilities and actions that will come with being a graduate
student. Developing a strong and trusting relationship with your advisor will go a long way in
making your time in the HRD program fulfilling and successful. He or she will be one person in
your support network to provide you with advice when issues in your school and personal life
conflict. He/she will provide that helping hand when you are unsure what your next step should be
or when you just need advice when classes appear to have become too overwhelming. The
relationship you build with your advisor will probably be the type that continues long after you
graduate from Bowie State University. A sample of a Learning Contract can be found in the Forms
Appendix.

Program of Study

Approved Program of Study:
Establishing a “Program of Study" that maps out your course completion goals should take place at
either your first or second advisor meeting and, if possible, before you begin your first semester.
This plan is important because in addition to being your tentative plan of study, you must also submit
the Program of Study to the Office of the Registrar before you can request to Advance to Candidacy.
This form must be signed by you, your Advisor, the College Dean, and lastly, the Dean, School of
Graduate Studies and Research. This plan can be changed by submitting a Request for a Change in
the Program of Study form (found in Forms Appendix).

Hours spent on each class:
Your plan of study will be greatly influenced by the amount of time you can commit to your course(s)
each semester. For each spring or fall class you take, be prepared to spend 5 hours in the classroom
for each 8-week session. In addition, on average you should expect to spend 10 hours a week reading
texts, completing assignments, and meeting with group members. Some weeks you may find you

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