How to Make a Study Plan for a University Application

Study plans map out the coursework a college or graduate student is required to complete within his time at an academic institution. These study plans may be changed during the course of study, unless otherwise indicated by the institution. Study plans may be required for admission to the institution or to a particular degree program. Academic advisers should help potential students with creating their study plans.

Things You'll Need

• Study plan forms (optional)
• Course catalog
• Degree requirements
• Schedule of courses

Instructions

1. Obtain the college or university study plan forms, if available, and the course catalog. If you can't figure out where to get a hold of them, ask the admissions or academic adviser at the institution or department.

2. Ask the adviser to show you where to find the general and major-specific requirements for graduation, since they may have changed since the course catalog you have was published or the website you found was updated. Ask for a schedule of courses, as well.

3. Find the section for your intended degree program and pick your core courses. Fill in your general requirements by year. If not given a form to work with, try to model yours off an existing resource, such as the study plan used at the Stevens Institute of Technology.

   If you don't have a form, make an outline first. For example, the study plan used by Stevens lists the section core courses for the degree program, then electives, then courses that do not offer any credit. Put in the course number, course name and the time it occurs.

4. Use the schedule of courses to determine which terms the courses you selected from the catalog are offered, since some courses are only available at one time of the year. Adjust as necessary for schedule conflicts. Keep in mind the number of credit hours needed per semester for any scholarship requirements.

5. Remember career goals for insight if you get stumped. When a student is writing a study plan, she may find herself torn between potential courses. Try to select courses that are related to future plans or outside interest. If a student is an avid history buff and an English major, for instance, the student might tailor his electives toward that potential career enhancer, since English and history are related fields.

6. Take the completed study plan back to the admissions or academic adviser for review. This is also a good chance to ask how flexible the study plan can be in your institution or degree program. Make any necessary changes with the adviser if any problems are present, or take the study plan back home for further review. Just make sure to get it in by the deadline.

References

• Stevens Institute of Technology: Study Plans