Requirements & Tips for New Graduate Students in the Department of Computer Science

Congratulations and Welcome to the Department of Computer Science at Texas A&M University! We look forward to meeting you! We would like to share some important information about the Department and the University in general to hopefully help you in this new transition.

• You should first check-in with the department. Every new student should meet with the graduate advisor to discuss classes, etc. Appointments can be scheduled by emailing grad-advisor@cs.tamu.edu, calling 979-845-8981, or by dropping by the advising office in 916 Richardson.

• If you are an international student, then you must also check in with International Student Services (ISS) (tel 979-845-1824). ISS has a very good page of useful links for incoming international students.

• After checking in with the department and/or ISS you should then be able to register. You can register and view courses at http://courses.tamu.edu

Listed below are some important dates and events, some of them mandatory, for new graduate students in the Department of Computer Science. See the Office of Graduate Studies (OGS) Academic Calendar for other important dates.

• When: Tuesday August 15 & Wednesday August 16, 2006
  What: ISS New student Check In and insurance verification
  Who: International Students
  International Student Check In is the only opportunity for students to remove several registration blocks at one location. Students arriving after International Student Check-In, will have to go to the various offices across the Texas A&M campus to remove registration blocks.

• When: Wednesday August 16 & Thursday August 17, 2006
  What: English Proficiency Exam
  Who: Some International Students (MANDATORY for TAs and some other International Students)
  All international students who want to be eligible to be graduate teaching assistants (GATs) whose native language is not English or who did not receive their baccalaureate degree in the U.S. MUST take the ELPE. In addition, graduate students scoring less than 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based) on the TOEFL must also take the ELPE. The Department of Computer Science encourages all international students, whether or not they are GATs, to take the ELPE.

• When: Monday August 21 & Tuesday August 22, 2006
  What: Mandatory ISS Orientation
  Who: MANDATORY for all NEW International Students

• When: Wednesday August 23 & Thursday August 24, 2006
  What: Teaching Assistant Training
  Who: MANDATORY for all NEW Teaching Assistants (GATs)

• When: Friday August 25, 2006
  What: Last day to register and pay fees for the Fall 2006 semester (registering after this date will incur a late fee).

• When: Monday August 28, 2006
  What: First day of Fall 2006 semester classes

• When: 4:10-5:30pm Monday August 28 & 4:10-6:00pm Wednesday August 30, 2006
  What: Dept of Computer Science Orientation
  Who: MANDATORY for ALL NEW graduate students in the Department of Computer Science

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Dept of CS New Graduate Student Orientation - Department of Computer Science

• Graduate Orientation I: Overview of Department Resources & Contacts, Honor Code, and Student Organizations
  MANDATORY FOR NEW GRAD STUDENTS
  4:10-5:30pm, Monday August 28, 2006, 124 HR Bright Building.

• Graduate Orientation II: Current Grad & Faculty Panels, Poster Session, & PIZZA!
  MANDATORY FOR NEW GRAD STUDENTS and CPSC 681 STUDENTS
  4:10-6:00pm, Wednesday August 30, 2006, 124 HR Bright Building.

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Graduate Teaching Assistant Training (MANDATORY FOR NEW GATS)

The Center for Teaching Excellence will conduct the Teaching Assistant Training and Evaluation Program (TATEP) on Wednesday August 23 and Thursday August 24, 2006.

• New International Student Teaching Assistants: 10:00am-4:30pm, Wed Aug 23, MSC 226
• All New Teaching Assistants: 9:30am-5:00pm, Thu Aug 24, MSC 226

TATEP is a Texas A&M mandated orientation/training session for all first-time graduate teaching assistants. It is designed for all graduate students who will have classroom teaching responsibilities in the coming year, as well as for graduate students who anticipate careers in higher education. The TATEP workshops are intended to: provide some orientation to the Texas A&M campus environment, reduce anxiety, stimulate motivation, create awareness of current thinking on college teaching, and suggest sources for further information. TATEP should complement teaching orientation and development activities that take place at the departmental level. The graduate advising office will register new TAs for this training.

 

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