MGTSC-PHD - Management Science and Engineering (PhD)

Students not completing a master’s degree at Stanford may submit the Graduate Residency Transfer Credit Application eForm to transfer up to 45 units of graduate coursework completed at another institution.

The Department of Management Science and Engineering is committed to providing academic advising in support of graduate students' academic and professional development. When most effective, this advising relationship entails collaborative and sustained engagement by 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.

Every student is assigned a faculty program advisor based on their stated area within the department. Faculty program advisors guide all students in critical areas such as selecting courses, navigating policies and degree requirements, and exploring academic opportunities and professional pathways. Faculty program advisors additionally guide doctoral students in designing and conducting research and developing teaching pedagogy. Faculty program advisors and students meet regularly, and the faculty program advisor 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 advisor by the end of their second year. Students may align with faculty across the department. This dissertation advisor supersedes the faculty program advisor in assuming primary responsibility for advising and mentoring the student. When the faculty dissertation advisor is from outside our department, the student must also identify a faculty research advisor from MS&E to guide departmental requirements, core coursework, and opportunities. We encourage students to decide on their thesis committee within one year after the start of candidacy to avail themselves of advice from multiple faculty members on the reading committee. MS&E annually reviews all doctoral students’ progress on degree progress milestones and research. Research input is solicited, and an individual progress report spelling out the upcoming milestones and any remedial action needed to maintain status is emailed to the student.

The MS&E student services staff are also essential to the advising team. They inform students and advisors about university and department requirements, procedures, and opportunities and maintain the official records of advisor assignments and course approvals. Students are encouraged to talk with the faculty program advisor and the student services office as they consider courses.

Students are active contributors to the advising relationship. 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. Therefore, we expect students to read regular communication from the Registrar’s Office and Student Services regarding upcoming academic deadlines and policy updates and be responsible for complying with the university and program requirements.

Graduate Advising provides a statement of university policy on graduate advising.