Advising
Every semester, each student is required to have academic advising. Dr. Chuck Hodell is the Academic Advisor for all students enrolled in the ISD Graduate Program. He can be contacted at Hodell@umbc.edu. Students should use the Academic Planning Form to submit to Dr. Hodell. Below are instructions on completing the form.
Advising is designed to make sure each student is completing the program in a timely and efficient manner. It is also required before a student is given authorization to register for the next semester during the Academic year. An Academic year includes the fall, spring and summer semesters, i.e., Fall 2009 – Summer 2010 (2009 – 2010) is an Academic year.
When a student is initially admitted into the program, the student should contact Dr. Hodell for advising. Prior to the first advising session each student is to complete the Academic Planning Form and return it to Dr. Hodell at hodell@umbc.edu. This form contains a list of all the courses in the program and other important information.
Click here for the Academic Planning Form.
The form should be completed as follows:
- Complete the General Information section completely.
- If you have completed any course, enter the term, (Fall, Spring or Summer) and year that a course was completed under the column marked “Semester Completed.” For example, if a course is completed in the Fall semester of 2009, simply put “Fall 2009” in that column. If you are currently enrolled in a course, enter the current term by the course under the column, “Semester Completed.”
- Please indicate your projected courses for the next semester.
- Return the form by email or fax to Dr. Chuck Hodell at hodell@umbc.edu or fax to 443-543-5096.
Once the form is completed and returned, it is the responsibility of the student to contact Dr. Hodell by email to check for approval and determine if additional advising is necessary. Advising will be made based on the completed Academic Planning Form and a student’s transcript. In some cases, an on-site meeting or phone call may be necessary to discuss additional action.
Topics that may be discussed at this meeting:
- Course choice and course sequence
- Academic performance issues and student progress
- Career development plans
- Comprehensive exam planning and preparation^
If you have any questions, contact Renee Eisenhuth, Program Coordinator at reisen.umbc.edu for clarification.
New Portfolio Requirement
Beginning with the Fall 2012 semester, students admitted to the Master’s degree in Instructional Systems Development – Training Systems, will be required to complete a professional portfolio. This requirement will replace the current comprehensive exam requirement.
The purpose of this new requirement is to provide students an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned in their coursework and the program. It also provides students, employers, clients, colleagues, etc. with tangible evidence of our graduates’ knowledge, skill, abilities and competencies. Portfolios can be a wonderful career tool that may assist graduates in getting jobs, promotions, new clients, and other professional opportunities.
Students have the opportunity in nearly every class to create basic artifacts. With some polishing and improvements, these artifacts may be used to satisfy the portfolio requirement.