Mentoring

Faculty Mentors

Each incoming student will be assigned a temporary faculty advisor. You should initiate four meetings with this temporary faculty advisor in your first year. In addition, the graduate director is always available for advising.

You should select a faculty member to serve as your permanent thesis or dissertation advisor in the fall of your second year. You will receive academic and professional guidance from this faculty member while working toward your master's thesis and/or a doctoral dissertation. You should examine graduate faculty members' individual research interests and projects throughout the course of mentor selection.

Identifying your faculty mentor is a crucial aspect of graduate study in the Department of Sociology. Failure to select a faculty mentor can hinder your progress toward degree completion. You should notify the Graduate Program Director when your make your decision.

For more information on selecting a faculty member, read the Graduate Handbook or contact the program director.

Student Mentors

The graduate director assigns entering graduate students a student peer mentor. This person is an experienced graduate student who serves as an informal mentor. This arrangement fosters collaboration among students as well as a smoother transition into the departmental environment.

Advising

Academic advising is primarily the responsibility of the graduate director. The director can help with course selection, evaluation of academic progress, and address any student/departmental issues that may arise. This arrangement ensures that all students are receiving consistent information with regard to course and degree requirements. The graduate committee represents the final word on issues concerning course and degree requirements.