All PhD students and Master’s Thesis (Plan A) students in the MSU College of Engineering are required to complete a semester planning guide each semester they are enrolled and/or working on faculty-mentored research projects, regardless of when they started graduate studies. In the planning guide, students will identify academic and personal goals, summarize their plans for the semester, and communicate with their advisor(s) about their plans and degree progress. The semester planning guide is one important tool in the ongoing evaluation of graduate students’ academic performance and professional potential.
Students who do not complete the semester planning guide will have a hold placed on their accounts.
Download our Instruction Guide on how to upload the semester planning guide in GRS.
The PDF that will need to be completed will be sent from gradstudies@egr.msu.edu about a month prior to the due date.
Please review this information carefully, as well as the frequently asked questions (and answers) and other resources on this page.
If you have technical questions or are unable to log in, please email grs-help@egr.msu.edu.
Due Dates
- October 1: completed fall semester planning guides should be uploaded to GRS.
- February 1: completed spring semester planning guides should be uploaded to GRS.
- June 1: completed summer semester planning guides should be uploaded to GRS.
Note: Failure to meet the due dates for completing and uploading the semester planning guide will result in a hold being placed on students' accounts.
Submission Instructions
Successful completion involves the following steps:
- Students enter their information in the PDF sent from gradstudies@egr.msu.edu.
- Students meet with their advisors to discuss the semester planning guide. The student and their advisor sign the PDF.
- Students upload a PDF copy of their semester planning guide to GRS for each semester they are enrolled and/or working on faculty-mentored research projects. Please see the following Instruction Guide on how to upload this to GRS.
Graduate Reporting System (GRS)
All semester planning guides must be uploaded to GRS once the student and advisor have signed the PDF.
If you have technical questions or are unable to log into the GRS system, please email grs-help@egr.msu.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Only Ph.D. students and Master’s thesis students enrolled in the semester and/or active in research for that semester need to submit a semester planning guide. Master’s students not pursuing the thesis option do not need to submit a semester planning guide.
Only if you are a Master’s thesis student. Most MS online students are non-thesis, so they would not need to submit a semester planning guide unless they are active in faculty-mentored research.
All Ph.D. and Master’s thesis graduate students must upload semester planning guides to GRS for each semester they are enrolled and/or engaged in faculty-mentored research.
Your advisor, committee and/or department will review the semester planning guide and provide feedback.
Ideally, you will discuss the feedback with your advisor when you meet to review the semester planning guide. If you are not able to resolve your concerns with your advisor, you should talk to the graduate program director in your department. If you still have concerns, you can discuss them with your department chairperson. You may also contact Dr. Katy Colbry for advice if you have concerns about the semester planning guide and feedback process.
To be consistent with the annual reporting process, select one to be the primary advisor for the semester planning guide.