Advising System

Advising System

A Progressions Committee will monitor each student until they graduate. During the first year the committee will solicit feedback from course coordinators and rotation research supervisors. At the end of each rotation the committee will meet individually with each student to provide guidance and review their progress. In the second and following years the committee will coordinate with the student’s chosen dissertation advisor to track their progress.

During the period between the qualifying exam and into PhD candidacy each student and advisor will develop Individual Development Plans (IDPs) modeled around NIH guidelines. This includes developing a mentoring plan that assesses the needs and goals of each student, describes short and long term career objectives, and identifies professional development activities needed to reach them.

Once a student has passed the qualifying exam they will form their dissertation committee then enter into PhD candidacy. Students who have entered Ph.D. candidacy should meet with their thesis committee twice per year. The dissertation committee serves an advisory role to help the student successfully navigate the dissertation process.