Responsibilities of Graduate Program Directors
(Degrees & Certificates)
The responsibilities and duties of Graduate Program Directors (also called Program Coordinators or given other
titles) will necessarily vary from program to program. In some programs, the duties described herein might be
split between various people, for example Dept Heads or other designated persons may play specific roles in
support of their graduate programs. Some of these duties may be performed by graduate advisors, so the
graduate program director may just work through them. Nonetheless, there are certain responsibilities that must
be met by most/all programs, and they must be carried out thoroughly and in a timely manner if the program is
to be successful.
Some of the differences in programs that will affect how these responsibilities are handled include: number of
students in the program; number of faculty that participate in the program; the research component required for
the program (thesis, seminar/degree paper, research class); cohort vs. open format; mostly full-time vs. parttime students; and departmental vs. interdisciplinary. In addition, some programs may have national accrediting
bodies that may dictate the duties of their Program Directors that would add to this list.
Depending on the graduate program, these responsibilities can require a lot of time/effort to be done effectively,
and each department/program will have to determine the best way to use its resources to accomplish this. If one
person is responsible for the Graduate Program Director duties listed below, the time commitment for an
average program could be equivalent to teaching a 3-credit class each semester. Program Directors should be
compensated for their efforts in accordance with the departmental expectations and consistent with university
policy.
The following is a basic list of responsibilities that generally are expected of the graduate program director.
There may be other expectations for particular programs. One mechanism that could help perform many of the
following duties is a monthly “newsletter” to the students in the program (email, Face-book, website, etc).
RECRUITMENT/MARKETING
 Organize and coordinate on-campus and off-campus recruitment/marketing initiatives into traditional
(and accelerated if applicable) tracts for the program, and be actively involved
 Encourage others involved in the program (faculty and students) to participate in recruitment
 Participate in recruitment activities (fairs, Showcase, etc.) with Graduate College, and independently (at
professional conferences, etc)
 Follow up with students who request information
 Return phone calls/emails from prospective students in a timely manner
 Be available to meet with students who visit campus
 Maintain and update information on websites, brochures, etc.
ADMISSIONS
 Communicate with applicants in a timely manner regarding application status
 Use new GRADS software to identify students with “incomplete” applications and encourage those
students to complete their application
 Make admission decisions and inform (via GRADS) Graduate College Admissions in a timely manner
 Keep the Graduate College updated regarding changes in the program (application deadlines, changes
in directors, substitute directors during absences, etc.)
 Coordinate the ranking and selection of the program’s graduate assistants; communicate with students
and submit names to department/college office to initiate the hiring paperwork
ADVISEMENT
New Students
 Ensure that an advisor is assigned to each student ASAP, and that the student is notified of this.
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Aid in course selection for the first semester if advisor has not yet been identified
Inform students about campus orientation for new graduate students the week before classes begin
(required attendance?)
Coordinate/supervise departmental/program orientation for new graduate students
Promote appropriate student organizations for your students, including Graduate Student Council
In-Progress Students
Monitor progress of students each semester for classes, research, and assistantship performance (as
applicable); contact those that seem to be struggling
Ensure that an advisory committee is established for each student (if applicable) in a timely manner.
Remind students to work with their advisors to complete and submit “Advisor Approved Program of
Study” form during first year
Inform students about Graduate College workshops and other events on campus that are pertinent to
their educational goals
Inform students about required training/approvals (as appropriate) in research ethics, human subjects
research, and nonhuman vertebrate research
Promote student participation in the Graduate Interdisciplinary Forum
Inform students starting theses about thesis funding and travel assistance for presentation of results.
Completing Students
Remind students to complete and submit the “Intent to Graduate” form before or at the beginning of the
semester they plan to graduate
Remind students about the requirements related to the Comprehensive Exam (if applicable), and
provide them the necessary information to prepare for and take this exam
Submit Comprehensive Exam results to the Graduate College in a timely manner
Submit Seminar Report results to the Graduate College (if applicable) in a timely manner
MISCELLANEOUS
 Coordinate with representative on Graduate Council (if this is not the Program Director) to ensure
communication between the Council and department(s)
 Work with the dept Head to assure a course rotation that allows the degree completion over a known
time; advise students of this rotation
 Coordinate with Head and/or departmental/college curriculum committee to ensure curricular changes
are done expeditiously and accurately
 Assist with evaluation of graduate faculty who are teaching in the program
 Annually review/update program information in graduate catalog and on program website
 Supervise efforts to raise funds targeted for the graduate program
 [If is not compensated for summers] Ensure that someone is performing critical functions, including
communications with students, during the summer and/or intersession periods
 Assist with compiling information for annual reports, program assessment, program reviews, and
accreditation documents (if applicable)
RECORD-KEEPING
It is critical for programs to maintain accurate and ongoing records of all graduate students, and to provide
information as requested to Heads, Deans, etc. These data, maintained by individual programs, will be
necessary to calculate program success measures such as graduation rates and time-to-degree values, and to
determine why students in the program are not completing the degree.
While the form of these records may vary, it is important that they be self-explanatory so that they can be
passed from one program director to the next. The records could simply be an Excel spreadsheet with
student/alumni names, current contact information, semesters attended, and graduation date. Other columns
could be added for graduation GPA, standardized exam results (if applicable), post-graduate placement, etc.