EESOR-PHD - Engineering-Economic Systems and Operations Research (PHD)

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

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

Doctoral students are encouraged to explore research activities in several research groups/labs during their first academic year, and to declare candidacy with a faculty dissertation adviser by the end of their second year in the program. Students may align with faculty across the department. This faculty dissertation adviser supersedes the faculty program adviser in assuming primary responsibility for advising and mentoring the student. When the faculty dissertation adviser is from outside our department, the student must also identify a faculty research adviser 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 start of candidacy in order to avail themselves of advice from multiple faculty members on the reading committee. MS&E conducts an annual review of all doctoral students' progress on degree progress milestones and research. Research input is solicited and an individual progress report spelling out the forthcoming milestones and any remedial action needed to maintain status is sent to the student via email.

The MS&E student services staff are also an important part of the advising team. They inform students and advisers about University and department requirements, procedures, opportunities, and maintain the official records of adviser assignments and course approvals. Students are encouraged to talk with both the faculty program adviser 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.  We therefore expect students to read regular communication from the Registrar's office and Student Services regarding upcoming academic deadlines and policy updates, and to be responsible for complying with the university and program requirements.

For a statement of University policy on graduate advising, see the Graduate Advising section of this bulletin.