ENERGY-PHD - Energy Science and Engineering (PhD)

Refer to University policy on Transfer Work

The Department of Energy Science and 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 the advisor and the advisee. As a best practice, advising expectations should be periodically discussed and reviewed to ensure mutual understanding. Both the advisor and the advisee are expected to maintain professionalism and integrity.

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 advising meetings in the different stages of the doctoral program. If a meeting is not possible, the student should send the advisor a brief email highlighting their activities for the week. Typically, PhD students meet with their advisor twice weekly, once individually and once as part of the research group meeting.

At least once per year, formally or informally, students and advisors are expected to review the student’s progress toward completing their research and degree. Such discussions may include other student research committee members, together or individually. A formal meeting of the full committee, which may be helpful if the student and advisor differ in their assessment of research progress and goals, can be called by either the student or the advisor.

PhD students are initially assigned a research advisor before or on arrival at Stanford. This faculty member provides initial guidance in course selection, exploring academic opportunities and professional pathways, and identifying doctoral research opportunities. Ultimately the advisor directs the student’s dissertation. Usually, the same faculty member serves as an advisor for the duration of PhD study, but the handbook describes a formal advisor change process.

Most students have an advisor from among the primary faculty members of the department. However, the research advisor may 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 must also identify a program advisor from the department’s primary faculty to guide departmental requirements and opportunities.  

Students are expected to discuss with their advisor during or before the first week of each quarter to agree upon the courses that the student plans to take that quarter. Advisors formally approve the study list in person or by email.

The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) meets with all doctoral students at the start of the first year and is available by email and during office hours during the academic year. The department’s student services office is also an essential part of the doctoral advising team: it informs students and advisors about university and department requirements, procedures, and opportunities, and it maintains the official records of advising assignments and approvals. Students are encouraged to talk with the DGS and the student services office 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 Graduate Advising for a statement of university policy on graduate advising.