Thesis Research Registration

If you are a PhD, D-PhD, or MS thesis option student you are required to enroll in thesis research every semester you are registered (except if registering as CAND 992 or CAND 993 in your final semester).  You register for research by using the scheduling assistant within myPurdue. You can find your professor’s research CRN in one of these PDFs:

Research CRNs:
ME698/699 Fall  |  ME698/699 Spring  |  ME698/699 Summer.  

This is a 2-step process, so make sure to do both steps!

Step 1: You first have to register for research using the scheduling assistant; please make sure to add a note as to who the professor is that you will be working with, and the number of credits you plan to register for in step #2 (this can be as simple as ‘Prof Name/# research credits’, as the professor will need to approve before the advisor can approve.  Do not select one of the ‘automatic’ reasons in the system as to why you’re requesting to register for research. Once your research registration posts to your schedule, you’ll see that it registered you for 1 credit. (Please use the spreadsheets listed above to find the CRN for your research professor, for 698 or 699 and that semester, and then register with the specific CRN in the scheduling assistant.)

Step 2: You’ll then need to go back into the system and modify the number of credits to the correct number you need to register.  (Make sure that between your research credits and coursework credits, you don’t exceed the maximum for the semester, and that if funded, you are registered full time, which is 8 credits in spring or fall semesters, unless on an assistantship.)  Check your schedule to confirm that you are registered for the research, with the correct number of credits, with the correct professor, once everything posts. It is your responsibility to make sure your registration posted as expected. Not checking this and fixing any issue at the beginning of the semester, is not an extenuating circumstance where an appeal will be considered by the registrar’s office later, if there is a problem,  

If you do not complete the 2nd step, your research registration will remain at 1 credit for the semester.  If not caught early on, this can lead to issues being registered in enough credits to keep your PU-funding, or not getting the credit for work you’re doing without requesting an appeal to correct the registration with a GS-Form 41.   ALWAYS check your schedule, to make sure registration has posted as expected!

When you register for research will depend on how you complete the 2nd step.  If you register before the end of the first week of classes while registration is in the ‘open’ phase, and research posts to your schedule, you can manually adjust the credits to the correct number.   If you wait until approvals are needed in the scheduling assistant, you’ll first have to submit research registration in the scheduling assistant, and then submit a change to the number of credits request in the scheduling assistant.  Both will need to route for the various approvals, so this can take longer before it will post, and can potentially lead to the late fees, if not processed COMPLETELY before the deadlines. So, we highly recommend you register for research as early as possible.

Here are guides to these two important steps:

  • Step 1: This video shows you how to add your research course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxPezW43SiI.  Remember to include a note confirming who your research professor is and the number of research credits you intend to register for with the request, even when selecting the auto response identified in the video.  If you do not add the note, your research registration request will be sent back to you to add the note and resubmit. See this video on how to add a note to your request in the pending workflow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI8GMT8I2n8
  • Step 2: Once registration posts to your schedule, you need to go in and modify the number of credits to be what you need. This video shows how to request a change in research credits: https://youtu.be/CxPezW43SiI?t=77
  • MOST IMPORTANTLY: CHECK YOUR SCHEDULE! Make sure it accurately reflects your research advisor, number of credits, etc.; see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gDqq8bYqsU.   It’s important to catch any errors and get them fixed, no later than the first week of classes!

You are charged for research credits just like lecture credits.  You can use the tuition calculator to determine cost.

For students needing to register for research with more than one research advisor, beginning in Spring 2024, you’ll register in ME 698A or ME 699A with the first research professor, and then register for ME 698B or ME 699B with the second research professor. You’ll still need to make sure you use the correct CRN for each section, and that it reflects your research professor.  You’ll still need to add the ‘note’ confirming your research professor and the # of credits you plan to register that semester, with each registration submission. When you’re approved for one section and trying to request the second section, you’ll need to click on ‘include conflicting suggestions’ checkbox in the bottom right when looking for the suggestions of what to select for the second section. Once both steps are completed for both sections, check your schedule and confirm everything posted as expected.

Off-campus research: for all (domestic & international) master’s or PhD students who are conducting research off-campus for greater than 22 days, the electronic G.S. Form 19 is required to be completed and submitted to the grad school. You can find this form in the same area within myPurdue where you select to create your plan of study.  Students will need to file this electronic form at least one month prior to each session they plan to be conducting off-campus research. For PhDs it should be used when the student has not completed prelims or coursework (for PhD students conducting research off campus that have already completed prelims and coursework, and are not funded, they need to file a Research in Absentia form: G.S. Form 12, and register for at least 3 research credits that semester and each semester going foward. (If you are also in a RA position, you will need to complete a Change of Duty Station request through the engineering employment center (engremployment@purdue.edu) when requesting approval for research off campus.)

GS-Form 41, Retroactive Research Change Request Form

If you do not correctly register for research in a semester, the only way to attempt to ‘fix’ the situation is with a GS-Form 41.  It’s not guaranteed to be approved, so please don’t rely on this as a ‘fix-all’, and make sure to initially register correctly and complete both steps 1&2 of research registration!   If approved, there will be a $200 fee charged for the adjustment.

But, should you need to submit a GS-Form 41, when filling it out, make sure to select ‘add’ if you completely forgot to register for research at all, in a given semester, and are adding research.   Select ‘modify’, if you’re adjusting credits to a new number, in a given semester, and for the ‘# of credits requested’, you’ll put the total number you should be registered for, not just the additional credits. If needing to reduce credits afterwards, you’ll select the ‘drop’ option, and in the ‘# of credits requested’, you’ll put the final total number of credits you should be registered for, not just the # of credits you’re dropping.

For the justification area, you need to provide DETAILS as to what research you were actually doing to justify the adjustments. Don’t just add a comment along the lines ‘forgot to register’, or ‘didn’t modify credits’, as that’s not explaining why you need the change. You and your research professor need to explain exactly what research you did, in detail, that justifies the request.  If you need more area to explain, than what is provided on the form, please attach a separate sheet.  If there is not enough justification for the request, the request will be denied.

Once the form is completed, and you and your research professor have both signed the form, please return it to megradoffice@purdue.edu, for further processing.  There is no consistent timeline for review of the request, but the ME Grad Office will notify you when we hear a decision; please be patient.
 

ME Graduate Office
516 Northwestern Ave. (4th floor of Wang Hall)
West Lafayette, IN 47906
MEgradoffice@purdue.edu
(765) 494-5730
Virtual office hours available every Tues/Wed/Thurs