Working with a research adviser is an integral part of all doctoral training. While at some institutions independent research may account for a small portion of undergraduate work, the majority of undergraduate education is centered on coursework that allows students to gain knowledge from many different faculty. Doctoral education is different. It does include coursework, but it is primarily centered on working under the direction of an adviser to create new knowledge in the chosen field. This relationship will be different from the academic relationships common during undergraduate studies. Depending on a student's department and program, their advising structure can also look quite different. For example the number of dissertation advisers of record can range from one to four, and the timing of when those advisers are selected and assigned can range from pre-to-post generals. The Office of the Dean of the Graduate School developed the content here to help you navigate the doctoral advising structure and advising relationship and get the most out of this unique academic experience. Download the Advising Guide (PDF) Advising Requirements We encourage you to review the Graduate School’s Ph.D. Advising Requirements, which outlines full details of expectations across disciplines. Each student is responsible for identifying a research topic and securing an adviser. This means students will need to meet with faculty and discuss topics in order to find an appropriate adviser. Faculty within departments, including and especially Directors of Graduate Studies, make every effort to assist students with securing an adviser, provided students are otherwise making satisfactory degree progress. Departments also help facilitate this process through various activities that allow students to explore research topics, including lab rotations, faculty meetings, and proseminars. Find the Right Adviser Nearly all faculty conducting active research may serve as advisers. In some departments, other career researchers have been approved by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty to serve as advisers, provided the department also allows this. View the list of the roles approved centrally to serve in an advisory capacity for graduate students. Speak with your Director of Graduate Studies or Academic Affairs in the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School to make sure your potential adviser is approved to serve in this official role, especially if you are interested in an adviser whose rank does not appear on this list. To help you get the most out of your graduate experience, it is important to find an adviser that not only shares your research interests, but also has similar expectations about graduate education, time commitments, priorities, and professional development. In nearly all productive adviser/advisee relationships, the adviser and student have similar goals and aligned expectations. In order to determine whether your goals, priorities, and expectations are aligned, it is best to meet with potential advisers to find a match that works well for you. Explore Interests and Topics The first step to identifying the right adviser is for you to explore your research interests and potential research topics. You will be working on a research topic for a few years, so it’s important to pick a topic that you enjoy. Identifying a topic of interest will help you narrow down potential adviser choices. Once you have identified a topic and a short list of potential advisers, identify what you expect from the adviser/advisee relationship. Taking the time to ask yourself the following questions can help you identify what you’re expecting. What type of research do I want to do? What type of academic support structure will I need to be successful? Do I work best independently or collaboratively? How often do I expect to speak with my adviser? How do I handle both positive and negative feedback? How much emotional support will I need, and where can I get it? What support do I need from my adviser and what support would I be comfortable seeking from other mentors? Meet with Potential Advisers Once you’ve considered what you would like from your adviser and your graduate experience, it’s important to speak with faculty members you have an interest in working with to determine what they expect from their students and to learn more about their type of advising style. Meeting with faculty members and discussing some of the following questions may help you understand their advising style, their expectations of their students, and how compatible you are. How often does the adviser meet with students – pre-generals and post-generals? How does the adviser help their students prepare for major program requirements, such as generals or the dissertation? How quickly and often does the adviser provide feedback to students? What is the typical time commitment the adviser expects from students? What role does the adviser prefer to play in their students’ professional and personal development and job search? How does the adviser handle credit and authorship for work with multiple authors? How much independence does the adviser expect of students? Does this expectation change over time? Do students start out working on their own projects, or do they work on pre-existing projects? Seek Input from Other Graduate Students It’s also a good idea to speak with other graduate students, especially those advised by faculty members you are interested in working with. Other students will have the most relevant information from the student perspective on the adviser’s advising style and the adviser’s overall expectations of advisees. Discussing some of the following questions with current advisees will help you understand the type of training you would receive from your intended adviser. How closely do the students work with the adviser? How frequently is the adviser available? What is the adviser’s preferred method of communication? What type of feedback is provided? How often? How are authorship and credit handled? Does the adviser help with career searches, or are students expected to do this on their own? What is the average time for a student to finish the Ph.D. with this adviser? Do students typically publish and attend conferences throughout their research, or only at the end of their research? Do students feel like the adviser advocates for them? What types of mentorship is provided? Is this an area of strength for the adviser? What other mentoring resources are helpful? What resources do students need to seek out? Work with Your Adviser The relationship between adviser and advisee is central to the experience of students in research-based graduate study. However, all adviser/advisee relationships are different. There is an entire spectrum of what your relationship can look like. Some advisers and advisees are in constant contact and collaborate on many ideas, while others have a relationship where the advisee works more independently. All of these variations are fine, provided both parties are contributing and feel they are getting what they need out of the advising relationship. Try not to worry if your relationship looks different from others. While advising graduate students is an important part of the role faculty play at the University, it is not the only hat they wear. Whoever eventually serves as your adviser has other commitments, both personal and professional. They will be teaching classes, serving on University committees, advising undergraduate students, and conducting their own research. In short, they too are busy people. Maximize Your Time To get the most out of your time together, keep the following information in mind: Be prepared. Have an agenda or discussion points for meetings, and submit the most finished drafts well in advance of submission deadlines. Take the initiative. Schedule meetings, develop a work plan, and identify goals with your adviser. Take feedback well. Make sure to incorporate your adviser’s feedback and comments in manuscript and chapter drafts, and learn from that feedback so that you draw on it in future work. Plan ahead. When asking for revisions or feedback, provide adequate time for your adviser to respond. When requesting letters of recommendation or support for fellowships or grants, provide an updated CV and adequate time to prepare the materials. Do your research. If you are interested in professional or academic opportunities, seek out the information to discuss with your adviser. Complete background reading and gather materials on new projects that are of interest to you. Get What You Need Advisers often have multiple skill sets and can support advisees equally well in several areas, including research, writing, teaching, presentations, and grant-writing. Most advisers are better in some areas than others. It is impossible for one person to be an expert in every area in which you may feel you need guidance. It is helpful to define for yourself areas in which you require support from your adviser and other areas where you would like guidance but feel comfortable seeking support from other resources. Establish Baseline Expectations While we know that most advisers provide much more than the minimum levels of advising we expect, at minimum all students should receive the following components of advising: Best practices: An introduction to accepted practices in the field regarding publishing, conferences, and professional connections. Research training: Training in responsible research practices to ensure all research is done according to field and federal guidelines. Respect: A healthy and respectful research environment. Feedback: Regular feedback on work. Adequate time to incorporate feedback. Insight: Assistance fulfilling department requirements. Availability: Continued advising during leaves and sabbaticals and a point of contact in the department during those periods. Personal Expectations You may also develop your own additional requirements you feel you need to be successful. If there is something in particular that you feel is important to your success, it is helpful to discuss this directly with your current adviser or any potential advisers. Clearly stated expectations are always helpful in avoiding miscommunications or misaligned expectations. Learn across Advising Relationships While an adviser can be many things to a student, they do not give all the guidance, feedback, and support a student might want. Provided you have all the support from your adviser that you need to move your research forward, you do not have an advising problem. However, you may feel you might benefit from additional advising and mentoring. The first thing to keep in mind is that your adviser is not going to be the only faculty member with a vested interest in your graduate work and your long-term success. Each graduate student is required to have: A general examination committee; A minimum of two dissertation readers to meet Graduate School requirements (some departments may require more); and A minimum of three examiners at the final public oral, which is a defense of the dissertation (again, some departments may require more than the minimum Graduate School requirements). Graduate School requirements ensure an educational structure that provides guidance and support from multiple faculty members. One person on your committee may have an interesting research perspective, while another is an amazing teacher and mentor, and a third can provide great feedback on paper and chapter drafts. Different faculty with whom you will work have different strengths, so learn from all of them! Even after building a network of faculty support, you may still have a lengthy list of areas where you would like additional support. Princeton is a campus with many resources that exist to help you complete your degree and prepare you for your chosen career. Most graduate students will need to develop a network of mentors and support resources outside their departments to further assist them during their time in graduate school. Additional mentoring and support can come from a variety of areas, and you should explore what is available beyond your department or program. Managing Issues that Arise Most graduate students go through graduate school without encountering major conflicts. Occasionally a graduate student will encounter minor conflicts with their adviser or other issues that impact progress. Most of these issues can be sorted out and can often be solved by clear communication between the student and the adviser. If you find yourself in this situation, it is helpful to speak with other trusted faculty members, including and especially your Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). You may also take advantage of the advising resources at the Graduate School to help you navigate any small bumps in your relationship with your adviser. In rare instances graduate students encounter major issues that may impact their status and enrollment at the University and may interrupt progress toward degree. If you encounter these issues, it is important to know the resources available to support you and the policies and procedures in place to help you resolve the issue. Visit our Academic Grievance Process page for details. Resources Academic Support ResourcesStudent Life Support ResourcesAccess, Diversity and Inclusion ResourcesGradFutures: Professional Development ResourcesFinancial Assistance ResourcesPersonal Emergencies Funding External Resources Below, please find links to some useful external resources. Brown: Advising and Mentoring Resources for Students, Getting the Most from Advisors and Mentors, Resources on Mentoring for Advisees and Mentees, Duke: Cultivating a Culture of Mentoring, Mentoring Resources. Michigan: Mentoring and Advising, How to Get the Mentoring You Want: A Guide for Graduate Students, Developing Shared Expectations.