PHILO-PHD - Philosophy (PhD)

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

The Philosophy department is committed to providing academic advising in support of graduate student scholarly and professional development. Faculty advisors guide students in key areas such as selecting courses, designing and conducting research, navigating degree requirements, exploring academic and professional opportunities, and preparing for their post-degree careers. When most effective, this advising relationship involves collaborative and sustained engagement by both the advisor and the advisee. An important part of the advisee-advisor relationship is that students learn to advocate for themselves; this includes discussing expectations for the advisor-advisee relationship with the advisor and revisiting these expectations periodically.

Each first year Philosophy Ph.D. student is assigned an advisor on the basis of the student’s stated interests. Entering students should meet with their Ph.D. advisors to discuss the selection of courses. Changes of advisors are always possible; they are initiated by a request of the graduate student to the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) and require the agreement of the proposed new advisor. Students may, for instance, change advisors as their research focus takes shape. Ph.D. advisors direct students towards the successful completion of the degree in good time. In the first years of the program, this means successfully reaching candidacy. The DGS also monitors the student's progress and may initiate meetings when appropriate. Any graduate student can always seek the advice of the Director of Graduate Studies on general issues pertaining to the graduate program.

The department expects that Ph.D. advisors, during the student's first two years, meet with their advisees at least once per quarter during the academic year. Such meetings may either be in-person or via the Internet (Skype, Zoom, etc.) and may be scheduled in-person or by email. Students typically initiate such meetings although faculty, when appropriate, try to get in touch with students who do not stay in regular contact. Academic progress and student completion of program requirements and milestones are monitored by the Ph.D. advisor, the DGS, and staff, and are discussed by faculty at an annual meeting devoted to assessing graduate student progress. A detailed description of the program's requirements, milestones, and advising expectations is found on the Stanford Bulletin. Additionally, the program adheres to the advising guidelines and responsibilities listed by the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education (VPGE) and in the Graduate Academic Policies (GAP).

A required pre-dissertation seminar in the summer after the second year helps students make the transition to forming a dissertation committee and starting to work on their dissertation. The University’s requirements for the composition of the dissertation committee may be found in the Doctoral section of this bulletin. Dissertation development seminars are available to graduate students in their third year and beyond. At this point in the program, students often transition from the Ph.D. advisor to a dissertation advisor.

Students and their dissertation advisors are expected to regularly establish mutually agreed upon expectations for turning in written work. Dissertation advisors are expected to meet quarterly with their advisees. Submitted work is to be discussed or commented upon without undue delay. During each year that the student teaches in the department, a student's teaching experience and preparation for academic teaching is to be discussed during at least one meeting with their dissertation advisors.

Dissertation advisors direct the student towards the successful completion of the degree in good time. The DGS monitors the student’s progress and initiates meetings when appropriate. The DGS and the placement committee cooperate to make the student aware of opportunities for professional development both inside and outside academics.

Advising and mentoring relationships are not limited to members of the dissertation committee, and all faculty (especially those on the student’s dissertation committee) contribute when they can. When a faculty member joins a Ph.D. dissertation committee, the faculty member and the student should meet and work out mutually agreed upon expectations about how often they meet and when written work is to be turned in. Such work is to be read and commented on within a reasonable period of time. Any graduate student can always seek the advice of the Director of Graduate Studies on general issues pertaining to the graduate program.

Graduate students are active contributors to the advising relationship. They should proactively seek academic and professional guidance and take responsibility for informing themselves of policies and degree requirements for the Philosophy Ph.D. program.

As a best practice, advising expectations should be periodically discussed and reviewed to promote mutual understanding.

Dissertation advisors, members of the dissertation committee, and the advisee are expected to maintain professionalism and integrity throughout the course of their work together.