Program
Advising
Satisfactory academic progress in the department requires mentorship by a member of the departmental faculty who serves as the student’s primary advisor. All incoming students have a confirmed primary mentor. Continuity of the mentoring relationship requires mutual agreement of mentor and mentee. Either may initiate a change of primary mentorship. When concerns arise, consultation with the DGS is encouraged.
If a student is without a primary mentor, they should promptly contact the DGS for consultation. Students should work to identify new potential mentors immediately, and to confirm a new primary mentoring relationship within two months. After that period they may be withdrawn from the program for unsatisfactory progress.
Expectations for Satisfactory Academic Progress
Satisfactory academic progress at different phases of the PhD includes a variety of milestones as outlined on this site. In addition, students are expected to:
- Have regular, substantive meetings with the primary advisor (ordinarily no less frequent than every two weeks).
- Be responsive to communication from the advisor and committee.
- Participate regularly in laboratory or research‑group activities (e.g., lab meetings, project meetings).
- Submit new or revised research work with regular cadence.
- Meet with the full dissertation committee at least annually after it is formed to discuss progress to date on dissertation research and writing
Useful Links
Harvard Griffin GSAS Policies - information about registration, degree requirements, codes of conduct, financial aid, fellowships, leave of absence, withdrawal, and much more
My.Harvard - view your current and past course enrollment, grades, advisors, and degree progress (milestones), as well as the current academic year course catalog