1. Graduate Student Tracking System (GSTS)
gsts.northwestern.edu

2. What is the Graduate Student Tracking System (GSTS)?
A web-based tool to help you and your program track and communicate about your academic progress and achievements
Accessible from anywhere with NetID login
A way to share information with your program, advisor, and committee
A way for your program to share important information with you including deadlines, reminders, and feedback about your progress

3. Who should use GSTS?
All graduate students are expected to use GSTS to input and maintain up-to-date information about:
Advisor and Committee
Plan of Study
Academic Progress, including
Publications
Teaching
Research
Awards

4. When should I use GSTS?
Early and often! Begin using GSTS right away to:
Enter advisor and committee information as soon as it’s known. Changes will be tracked, but can be made at any time.
Track coursework.
View and keep apprised of milestone deadlines.
Continuously update your academic progress to make for an easier for the Annual Progress Report every spring.

5. What information can I view and enter in GSTS?
Profile
View your demographic information.
View your academic milestones, deadlines, and completion status.
View an overview of your financial aid.
View a grade report.
Committee
Indicate your advisor.
Select and invite committee members.
Note any changes in advisor or committee.
Plan of Study
Plan your coursework.
Assign coursework to requirement categories.
View completed coursework, grades, and GPA against program requirements.
Documents
Upload and store documents related to your academic progress.
View documents uploaded by your program.
Academic Progress
Keep track of your academic activities, including research progress, publications, meetings, and more.
Inform your program, advisor, and committee of progress and academic achievements.

6. Profile View your demographic information.
View your academic milestones, deadlines, and completion status.
View an overview of your financial aid.
View a grade report.

7. Finding Your Profile
Finding Your Profile: Click Show Profile (Might need to click Committee tab at top)

8. Profile: Information See basic demographic info filled in from SES
Can update by clicking “Edit” next to “Profile Information”
Now click Unofficial Grade Report

9. Profile: Grade Report
See basic transcript
Click Financial Aid

10. Profile: Financial Aid
See basic Financial Aid
Click Milestones

11. Profile: Milestones See Milestone overview
Any marked “Initiated” or “Completed” were started through SES
Over due Milestones need to be filled out

12. Committee Indicate your advisor. Select and invite committee members.
Note any changes in advisor or committee.
Assigning is important, these are the people who will be notified when you make changes to your account.

13. Committee: Primary Advisor
Click “Yes” under “I have principal research advisor”
Enter advisor name.

14. Committee: Members Click “Yes” under “I have formed a committee”
Enter committee names. Members will be notified and approve.

15. Committee: Submission
Click “Completed” under “Completed and ready for review”
Advisor and members will be notified and approve.
To make changes, click “Not yet” under “Completed and ready for review.”
System tracks changes, click “Completed” again when finished.

16. Plan of Study Plan your coursework.
Assign coursework to requirement categories.
View completed coursework, grades, and GPA against program requirements.
Replaces Graduate Program Progress Assessment Form

17. Plan of Study
Click “Plan of Study” tab at top.

18. Plan of Study: Assigning Courses
For each unassigned course, click the row for the class, then the “Study Plan Section” box.
A menu will appear. Select the appropriate credit type to assign the course to.
Repeat for all courses. Descriptions of each section can be found lower on the page.

19. Plan of Study: Planning Courses
Can also enter courses you plan to take by clicking in the grey box that says “Search courses,” then type ART_HIST or TGS. Select course, then select year. Then click “Add.” To edit, select the pencil icon at the lower left of the box, or the trashcan icon to delete.
When finished, switch the “Completed and ready to review” tab to “Completed.” To make more changes, switch back to “Not Yet”

20. Academic Progress
Keep track of your academic activities, including research progress, publications, meetings, and more.
Inform your program, advisor, and committee of progress and academic achievements.
Replaces Graduate Program Progress Assessment and Dissertation Progress Assessment Forms

21. Academic Progress: Research Topic

22. Academic Progress: Awards

23. Academic Progress: Publications

24. Academic Progress: Presentations

25. Academic Progress: TA

26. Academic Progress: QP

27. Academic Progress: QE

28. Academic Progress: Dissertation Prospectus

29. Academic Progress: Statement on Progress

30. Academic Progress: Fellowship/Job Goals

31. Academic Progress: Completion Timetable

32. Research Project
Keep CAA updated by entering your current dissertation information.

33. Research Project

34. Research Project

35. Documents
Upload and store documents related to your academic progress.
View documents uploaded by your program.

36. Documents

37. Where can I find additional information about GSTS?
Visit the department website for links to user guides and instructions:
ources-current-students.html
Or get help directly from TGS:
student-tracking-system.html
with questions

38. Feedback Overall satisfaction Missing sections Notification frequency
Suggestions for improvement