Upon matriculation, all students are assigned an academic advisor who will serve as a resource for curriculum planning, part-time projects, registration approval, etc.

Typically, after the second year of study, students have already begun to establish collaborative relationships with faculty members. Shared interests and compatible work styles will usually lead to a student, at the beginning of the third year, requesting a faculty member to be his or her thesis advisor. Once a faculty member has agreed to be a thesis advisor, the student should notify Mary Joy Argo immediately so that the proper records can be updated. As a courtesy, students should also notify their former academic advisor of this change.

The thesis advisor works with the students to plan for the School-wide preliminary oral examination, usually held during the first term of the third year. Once the student has passed the preliminary oral examination, the thesis advisor assists the student in putting together a PhD committee and in preparing for the final thesis defense.

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