Advising

The Department of Management Science and Engineering is committed to providing academic advising in support of graduate students' academic and professional development. When most effective, this advising relationship entails collaborative and sustained engagement by both the advisor and the advisee. As a best practice, advising expectations should be periodically discussed and reviewed to ensure mutual understanding. Both the advisor and the advisee are expected to maintain professionalism and integrity.

Every student is assigned a faculty program advisor based on their stated area within the department. Faculty program advisors additionally guide doctoral students in designing and conducting research and developing teaching pedagogy. Faculty program advisors additionally guide all students in critical areas such as selecting courses, navigating policies and degree requirements, and exploring academic opportunities and professional pathways. Faculty program advisors and students meet regularly, and the faculty program advisor may initiate a meeting with any student deemed to be in academic or research distress.

Aligning with a dissertation advisor is an essential milestone in the PhD program and is required for making satisfactory degree progress and maintaining good standing. Doctoral students are encouraged to explore research activities in several research groups/labs during their first academic year and are required to declare candidacy with a faculty dissertation advisor by the end of their second year. Students may align with faculty across the department. This dissertation advisor supersedes the faculty program advisor in assuming primary responsibility for advising and mentoring the student. When the faculty dissertation advisor is from outside our department, the student must also identify a faculty research advisor from MS&E to provide guidance on departmental requirements, core coursework, and opportunities. We encourage students to decide on their thesis committee within one year after the start of candidacy to avail themselves of advice from multiple faculty members on the reading committee. MS&E annually reviews all doctoral students’ progress on degree progress milestones and research. Research input is solicited, and an individual progress report spelling out the upcoming milestones and any remedial action needed to maintain status is emailed to the student.

Doctoral students must maintain an advisor at all times. If a student needs to change advisors, the Department requires the student to actively seek and find a new advisor within one quarter. Please consult the Director of Student and Academic Services or Director of Graduate Studies as early as possible to ensure proper coordination and uninterrupted support.

The MS&E student services staff are also essential to the advising team. They inform students and advisors about university and department requirements, procedures, and opportunities and maintain the official records of advisor assignments and course approvals. Students are encouraged to talk with the faculty program advisor and the student services office as they consider courses.

Students are active contributors to the advising relationship, and we urge them to proactively seek academic and professional guidance and take responsibility for informing themselves of policies and degree requirements for their graduate program. It is a student's responsibility to read regular communication from the Registrar’s Office and Student Services regarding upcoming academic deadlines and policy updates and to be accountible for complying with the university and program requirements.

Graduate Advising provides a statement of university policy on graduate advising.