New Student Info

New Graduate Student Information

Welcome to Graduate Studies in the Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education & School Psychology (CLAS) at Texas State University. We are delighted that you are with us! This web page includes general orientation information to help you in preparing for your first semester of graduate studies in our CLAS programs. Please be sure to follow the links throughout this page to the many resources that are available to you. For more detailed orientation information beyond what is on this page, visit the Graduate College’s Online Graduate Orientation and be sure to download the Orientation Handbook. For academic advising information specific your academic program, please visit that program’s website. Program websites can be found via the horizontal tool bar on the CLAS Department home page.

Get Started

The Graduate College

You are enrolled in The Graduate College at Texas State University. The Graduate College provides a wealth of academic resources, workshops, and information on financial assistance for students. Please take some time to review their extensive website.

Parking

Parking permits (hang tag or sticker) are required for on-campus parking at the San Marcos and Round Rock campuses. To order a parking permit on-line visit Parking Services. Permits can usually be mailed to you. It is a good idea to order them early because processing can take longer near the start of a semester. The Parking Services site also has information about where to park on both the San Marcos and Round Rock campuses, based on each category of parking permit. Visitors to campus who have not yet purchased a parking permit may use the Edward Gary Garage, which is the pay-to-park option closest to the College of Education. Transportation Services includes Bobcat shuttle and NiteCats 

Financial Aid

For information on scholarships, loans, tuition, veteran’s benefits and more please visit Financial Aid and Scholarships and also visit The Graduate College’s Funding site.

Graduate and Doctoral Assistantships

Graduate and Doctoral Assistants are employed to work in research, instruction, or program administration. They are supervised by a faculty member and work for either 10 or 20 hours per week. Appointments may be made for one semester, an academic year, or a summer. Assistants are required to be available for the assigned work schedule and location/s. Master’s students may be employed as Graduate Assistants and doctoral students may be employed as Doctoral Assistants. Please note that neither master’s nor doctoral students are eligible for hire in the opposite position. General requirements and campus wide postings are available at the link above. 

Student Health Center, Insurance & Vaccinations

The Texas State Student Health Center provides health care, health education, and pharmacy services. Services include medical services, a nurse clinic, a women’s clinic, mental health services, vaccinations, STI/HIV testing, free travel health consultations, and information on health insurance options for students.

Get Connected

Student ID

Your Student ID number is assigned by the Graduate College. It begins with A + 8 digits (e.g., A00123456). You will need to provide this ID for course registration questions and for many other university activities. Please include it when requesting assistance from your program coordinator or administrative assistant.

Net ID

Your Net ID is typically some combination of your initials plus a number. This ID serves as your initial txstate.edu email address and is used to log into Canvas, Self-Service Banner, and to access library resources off-campus. You will need to create your own password. Be sure to activate your To activate your Net ID and manage your email, go to the Online Toolkit (from the main webpage, select More Tools on the upper right tool bar).

BobcatCard

The Texas State BobcatCard is your Student Photo ID card. It is used for library access and book check out, meal plans, some door access, and optional purchasing and banking functions on and off campus. To obtain your BobcatCard visit ID Services-Bobcat Card. Wait times can be longer at the beginning of a semester and so it is often best to obtain your card before the semester begins or shortly into it.

CatsWeb

CatsWeb is our online registration system used to register for courses, pay tuition, view class schedules, view unofficial transcripts, view your Degree Audit, and much more. Once you have activated your Net ID, you can log into CatsWeb to enroll for courses. The link is at the top right of the university main web page.

Email – Texas State University Email Account Use REQUIRED

BobcatMail, accessed in the upper right tool bar of the university’s main web page, enables you to access email, manage address books and calendars, and schedule meetings. Email is the University's mechanism for official communication with students. Please activate your email promptly after being admitted. Once you activate your email account, you may choose to forward your Texas State University email to your primary email account. However, you will still need to use the Texas State University account for correspondence with many offices and must maintain your account by periodically updating your password. Email information may be updated via Online Toolkit - On the main web page, upper right tool bar, select “More Tools” then select “Online Toolkit.”

Emergency Procedures

To sign up for emergency alerts via text and email, and to learn about campus safety and emergency preparedness please visit Emergency Management, a division of the Texas State University Police Department (UPD).

Information Technology Assistance Center

Information technology help is available via ITAC’s phone, email, Live Chat, and Walk Up Center Services. Phone and online LiveChat support is available 24/7. LiveChat allows ITAC to take control of your device to resolve problems, with your prior permission.

Meet the Faculty

Visit faculty bios and find their contact information via the CLAS Department’s Faculty & Staff Directory.

Library

The Alkek Library allows you to search and access full-text articles via the university’s databases, including Google Scholar, and the book catalog. Online access requires your NetID and password. Books may be checked out using your BobcatCard Photo ID. Library meeting and maker spaces may be reserved for student collaborative work groups. Our librarians are a tremendous resource and help! The Round Rock Campus Library is also available for your use. Round Rock Campus students may request books be delivered from the Alkek Library in San Marcos to RRC Library for pick up. To do so, find the book in the online catalog, click the “Request” button, and select “RRC Library” for pick up. NetID and password is required.

Round Rock Campus

The Round Rock Campus website provides helpful information on the campus services, organization, and offices.

Twitter

Follow your academic home department on Twitter @CLAS_TXST … stay connected with news, updates, resources, and celebrations! Many of our academic programs also have social media connections. We encourage you to look for those on the program webpages and to get connected.

Prepare for Classes

Academic Calendar

The Academic Calendar, located on the university’s main web page, will allow you to view important academic dates, such as start dates, add and drop deadlines, holidays, etc. As you plan your schedule, the academic calendar will be an integral resource for you to better prepare your academic future. Overview calendars give a view of an entire year January to December. On this calendar you may see dates for final exams, spring break, beginning and ending of each semester, holidays and commencement. For more detailed information on a specific semester, please view the appropriate academic calendar.

Course Registration

Registration is accessed by clicking on the CatsWeb link located on the main webpage. Locate the courses you need by selecting the appropriate item in the “Subject” field.

Course Planning & Academic Advising

The program websites, accessed via the CLAS Department web page, provide academic and course planning information. Please carefully review the website for your program. For advising questions not answered on those web pages, please contact the program staff listed on the site.

University Bookstore

If faculty have selected texts and reported those to the program level, we send that information to the University Bookstore. You can check the Bookstore’s online system to see if required texts are listed for your upcoming courses. If the Bookstore does not have information on texts for your course, then that information will be shared with you on the course syllabus the first night of class. Course syllabi are not expected to be available prior to the beginning of the course.

Stay on Task

Academic Advising

Your program’s Administrative Assistant and Graduate Advisor can help you with advising questions. Their contact information is on the program webpage located on the CLAS Department site.

Degree Audit

Your Degree Audit is available in CatsWeb via Self-Service Banner. The Degree Audit provides a list of degree course requirements and records each course completed along with the grade earned. Changes to the Degree Audit must be approved in advance by the Program Director. Approved course substitutions, which are rare, will be visible to you in the “Petitions” tab of the Degree Audit. These petitions are entered by the Graduate Advisor and must be reviewed and approved the Graduate Dean. If you are planning to take a course in place of one of the required courses on your Degree Audit, do not start the course until it has been listed as approved in the audit. A final course grade of “C” or lower in a graduate course is considered an F. Students earning a C grade will need to re-take the course if they meet the requirements to do so.

Writing Center & Plagiarism

The Writing Center is a free tutorial service provided to any graduate student who needs extra help with writing assignments. No matter the class or stage of the writing process, the Writing Center offers one-on-one advice and assistance from an experienced writer who can analyze the student's text and suggest improvements.

According to the Writing Center, plagiarism occurs when a writer deliberately uses someone else’s language, ideas, or other original (not common-knowledge) material without acknowledging its source. This definition applies to texts published in print or on-line, to manuscripts, and to the work of other student writers (Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA Statement on Best Practices). See the following website for more information on plagiarism and links to the student honor code. University Writing Center - Plagiarism

Counseling Center

Many students encounter a variety of personal, social, career, and academic issues that call for assistance beyond advice provided by friends and family. The Counseling Center provides free and confidential services by professional counselors to all currently enrolled Texas State students. You might desire to have empathic support and genuine feedback for a difficult situation, learn useful self-management skills, improve your relationships, or resolve new or long-standing problem situations. Services include individual, group, and couples counseling; crisis and consultative sessions; and informational presentations about student mental health issues.

Syllabus Policies and Student Resources

Visit the department’s Syllabus Policies and Student Resources page for information on the Honor Code and its procedures, dis/ability accommodations, Diversity Connections, mental health services, and sexual assault resources and sexual misconduct reporting.