Our Graduate Program Office is located in RICH 401W (Richardson Building, fourth floor). We assist new graduate students with selecting their first courses and finding potential faculty advisors. Also, our Director of Graduate Studies can help with administrative requirements related to education.
We have listed some basic explanations of things students need to know on this page. If you need more information, check out our graduate student handbook page.
Pre-registration Approval
You must submit a completed and signed pre-registration approval form to the Graduate Programs Office every semester to avoid being blocked from registration. You will need an advisor to sign it.
Advisors
Default Advisor
Our Director of Graduate Studies is the default advisor for all Masters and PhD students during their first semester of study. By the end of the first semester, you must choose your own advisor.
Chosen Advisors
Choose your advisor from any tenured or tenure-track faculty member in our department who accepts you and will work with you on your degree plan and research interests. Have your new advisor sign your advisor selection form before you submit it to our Graduate Programs Office. You may change your advisor at any time. Just have your current advisor sign to release you and your new advisor sign to accept you on a new advisor selection form before you turn it in to the Graduate Program Office.
Department Specific Courses
Leveling courses
Students with undergraduate engineering degrees other than petroleum engineering may be required to take a series of 3 to 5 leveling courses from this list: PETE 661, 662, 663, 664, 665, 667. The ones you take will be determined by your advisor once he or she evaluates your math and physical sciences background.
PETE 681 - Graduate Student Seminar
You are required to register for the Graduate Student Seminar (PETE 681) for the first two semesters you are a full-time student, unless:
- you are a Teaching Assistant for a course held at the same time as the scheduled seminar, OR
- you are enrolled in a formal course that meets at the same time as the seminar
Make sure PETE 681 is listed on your degree plan when you file it (2 Hours for MS degree plan or 4 Hours for PhD degree plan)
PETE 614/PETE 615 - Student Paper Contest
You must register and participate in the Student Paper Contest at least once during your degree program. The course is spring semester only and must be listed in your degree plan. Masters students register for PETE 614 and PhD students register for PETE 615.
PETE 684 - Internship Registration
If you are an international student, you must register for PETE 684 before you can be approved for an internship. The course will require your advisor's approval and be listed on your degree plan. Submit a copy of the Curricular Practical Training (CPT) forms (department, student, employer, and employer offer letter) to the Graduate Programs Office. Once processed, a space in the course will be opened under your advisor so you can register. This must be done every semester you are registering for internship hours.
Class Force Requests
When a class for a course you want or need is full, you must get written or emailed permission from the course instructor to attend the class. Send the signed permission to our graduate program personnel so they can force you into the class.
Grades
Graduate students have three types of Grade Point Ratios (GPR):
- semester GPR
- cumulative GPR (all courses taken at Texas A&M that are eligible to be used on a graduate degree plan)
- degree plan GPR (only counts courses actually on your degree plan)
You must maintain all GPRs at 3.00 or higher to stay in our graduate program. Failure to keep your grades up will put you on probation or get you dismissed by Texas A&M University.
Forms and Signatures
If you fill out forms that require department head signatures, turn in your completed forms, with your committee's information and approval, to the graduate program first. ALWAYS fill in forms on the computer, including your committee member information, before turning in to our office. That way the only handwritten information needed on the forms is the signatures. We will either collect the proper advisor and department head signatures for you, or provide you with instructions on what to do next.
Letters
You may request two types of letters from our program staff: letters of intent and departmental letters.
Letter of Intent
If you complete your Master of Science (with thesis) in our department, you can apply for admission to our PhD program with a letter of intent. The letter must be filed no later than one year after completing your MS degree. You must have:
- a GPR of 3.5 or higher
- a strong letter of recommendation from your thesis advisor
- proof of funding for the PhD program
Admission to our program is never automatic. The decision will be made by the graduate admission committee after reviewing the materials you submit.
Department Letters
While you are a student here, you might need one or more department letters for official and academic purposes. To get a departmental letter, send an email to the Graduate Program Office with your request and the reason why you need the letter. Please include:
- Your UIN
- The deadline when you need the letter
- Who the letter should be addressed to
- A detailed description or listing of the content to be included in the letter
*Note: In many cases, letters need to be approved and signed by your advisor, so copy your advisor on your email to the Graduate Program Office to speed up the process.
Requests that need a quick turnaround (i.e., the same day) are not guaranteed to be ready on time. It is your responsibility to plan ahead and allow enough time to fulfill the request. Once the letter is ready, it will be placed in your mailbox, and you will receive an email telling you it is ready.