ERE-PHD - Energy Resources Engineering (PhD)

Refer to University policy on Transfer Work

The Department of Energy Resources 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 key 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 his/her activities for the week. Typically, Ph.D. students meet with their advisor on a twice weekly basis, once individually and once as part of the research group meeting.

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

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

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 who is familiar with supervising doctoral students and able to 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 provide guidance on departmental requirements and opportunities.  

Students are expected to have a discussion 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 during the academic year by email and during office hours. The department’s student services office is also an important 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.

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

The objective is to prepare students to be technical leaders in the energy industry, academia and research organizations through completion of independent research as well as fundamental courses in the major field and in related sciences. Students are expected to:

1. apply skills developed in fundamental courses to engineering problems.

2. research, analyze, and synthesize solutions to an original and contemporary energy problem.

3. work independently and as part of a team to develop and improve engineering solutions.

4. apply written, visual, and oral presentation skills to communicate scientific knowledge.

5. M.S. students are expected to develop in-depth technical understanding of energy problems at an advanced level.

6. Ph.D. students are expected to complete a scientific investigation that is significant, challenging and original.