See Graduate Advising for a statement of university policy on graduate advising.

The Department of Electrical Engineering is committed to providing academic advising in support of doctoral student scholarly and professional development. When most effective, this advising relationship entails collaborative and sustained engagement by both advisor and advisee. Students are expected to meet with their PhD dissertation advisor at least once per year. Students who do not have a dissertation advisor are encouraged to check in with their program advisor. As a best practice, advising expectations should be periodically discussed and reviewed to ensure mutual understanding. Both advisor and advisee are expected to maintain professionalism, respect, and integrity. They should also be responsive to one another promptly.

Faculty advisors guide students in critical areas such as selecting courses, designing and conducting research, developing teaching pedagogy, navigating policies and degree requirements, and exploring academic opportunities and professional pathways. The Department’s Graduate Handbook provides information and suggested timelines for different stages of the doctoral program. For more information, see the department’s Graduate Degree Progress website.

PhD students are initially assigned a program advisor based on the interests expressed in their application. This faculty member provides initial guidance in course selection, exploring academic opportunities and professional pathways, and identifying doctoral research opportunities. The department does not require formal lab rotations, but students are encouraged to consider exploring research activities in two or three labs during their first academic year.

Students identify their doctoral research/thesis advisor, pass the qualifying exam, and advance to candidacy before the end of the second year of study. The research supervisor assumes primary responsibility for the student’s future direction, taking on the roles previously filled by the program advisor and ultimately directing the student’s dissertation. Most students find an advisor from among the primary faculty members of the department. The research advisor may alternatively be a faculty member from another Stanford department familiar with supervising doctoral students and can provide both advising and funding for the duration of the doctoral program. When the research advisor is from outside the department, the student still maintains the previous program advisor from the primary faculty to guide departmental requirements and opportunities.

The EE Associate Chair of Graduate Education is available during the academic year by email and during office hours. The department’s student services office is also an essential part of the doctoral advising team: they inform students and advisors about university and department requirements, procedures, and opportunities, and they maintain the official records of advising assignments and approvals. Students are encouraged to talk with their doctoral program advisor, the Graduate Student Teaching Advisor, and the Degree Progress Officer from the student services office as they consider advisor selection or for guidance in working with their advisor(s).

The department’s doctoral students are active contributors to the advising relationship, proactively seeking academic and professional guidance and taking responsibility for informing themselves of policies and degree requirements for their graduate program. See the Electrical Engineering Department Graduate Handbook (pdf) for more information.

ALIGNING AND CHANGING DISSERTATION ADVISORS

Aligning with an advisor is an essential milestone in the PhD program and is required for making satisfactory degree progress and maintaining good standing.

Students are able to rotate during autumn, winter, and spring quarters of their first year. Research rotations are meant to allow students to engage in research within labs, explore research areas, and meet other potential advisors. The EE Department manages an optional rotation program in the autumn quarter for incoming EE PhD students. For winter and spring quarters, students must schedule their own rotations. EE PhD students are expected to align with an advisor at the end of their first year. Upon aligning with an advisor, students transition from department fellowship to advisor-provided funding. Therefore, students must select an advisor who can financially support them.

PhD students who do not align with an advisor by the spring quarter of their second year of study at Stanford are subject to dismissal from the program. A student who does not align with an advisor by the stated deadline is considered to be “on academic notice” as a warning of unsatisfactory degree progress. The student's progress and efforts will be closely monitored to ensure that they align with an advisor on a reasonable timeline during the quarter of notice. If a student requires an additional quarter, a faculty committee will meet to review the case and decide on possible outcomes. If a student has not aligned with an advisor by the spring quarter of their second year, a possible consequence includes the termination of a student’s study toward a PhD in Electrical Engineering; however, the student may continue to work toward an MS degree. Departmental PhD financial support does not continue.

PhD students may need to change advisors after initial alignment due to various circumstances. Since an advisor is necessary for continued funding and good standing, please consult the Electrical Engineering Student Services team as early as possible to ensure proper coordination and uninterrupted support. Additional guidance for students considering an advisor change is available in this resource. If a student needs to change advisors, the Department requires the student to actively seek and find a new advisor within one quarter, to satisfy minimum progress requirements of the Department and the University and to continue enrolling. If the student is unable to secure a new advisor by the end of the quarter, the Department will initiate procedures for dismissal per the “Guidelines for Dismissal of Graduate Students for Academic or Professional Reasons” in the Stanford Bulletin.

EE-PHD - Electrical Engineering (PhD)

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