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Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research

Advisor Selection and Changing Advisors

Choosing a Advisor

By the end of the first year, each student should select a faculty advisor who must be a member of the Graduate Faculty. Selection of an advisor is contingent upon the mutual consent of the student and the faculty member concerned. When a decision is reached on an advisor, the student must confirm the selection in writing with his/her faculty advisor and notify the Director of the Graduate Program in writing of the choice. The selected faculty advisor must consent to act as an advisor. The graduate program director, in agreement with the graduate faculty, serves an interim faculty advisor for all incoming students.

Specific duties of the advisor:

1. Orients the student to registration policies and procedures.
2. Interprets for the student the graduate program design, requirements and policies.
3. Approves all registration materials, drop-add forms and other records.
4. Serves as the chair of the Student's Curriculum Committee and provides general guidance and feedback to the student.

Curriculum Committee

The student must select members of his/her Curriculum Committee by the end of the first semester. Ideally the committee is in place to facilitate the second semester registration. This committee will be comprised of at least three members of the Department Graduate Faculty. The curriculum committee may or may not be made up of the same faculty members who ultimately will serve on the student’s dissertation committee.

The interim advisor and the curriculum committee represent a link between the newly admitted student and the graduate program. They play an important role in orienting the student to the School and the Graduate Program, in assisting with clarification of goals, in helping the student to structure a meaningful and integrated learning experience and in monitoring the student’s progress in and adjustment to graduate study.

Specific duties of the curriculum committee:

1. Assist the student in planning objectives for graduate study and clarifying career goals. Monitor the student’s academic progress, with periodic evaluations.
2. Notify the Director of the Graduate Program of completion of all course work requirements.
3. Assist the student in developing his/her plan of study in accordance with program requirements, individual research interests and career goals.
4. Assist the student with selection of appropriate elective courses for pursuing a unified program of study supportive of personal research interests and career goals.
5. In conjunction with the Doctoral Student, determine his/her readiness to take the comprehensive examination and monitor adherence to accepted program and departmental procedures.

Changing Advisors

The relationship that develops between graduate student and mentor is an important one that is integral to a Ph.D. student's degree program. Developing a positive student-mentor relationship requires significant effort on the part of both individuals. Students should make every effort to identify a mentor during their Research Rotations, and make a careful decision to ensure a successful and long-lasting relationship.

If after serious consideration the student wishes to change mentors, he/she must notify the Graduate Program Director in writing, and state the reasons for the requested change. The Graduate Program Director will then meet with all the individuals involved in an effort to determine if a change is warranted. If the student proposes a new mentor, the Graduate Program Director will assess the proposed mentor's ability to appropriately support the student. Formal approval for a change will be given by the Graduate Program Director and/or Department Chair.

Changes made within the first summer after a mentor is declared do not usually adversely affect the graduate student's educational program or time to graduate.

It should be noted that later changes of mentor may significantly lengthen the time it takes for a student to complete his/her Ph.D. degree requirements. If a mutually agreeable new mentor cannot be identified a student runs the risk of dismissal from the Graduate Program, since they cannot proceed without guidance