PhD Advising
Each student in the program will work with a graduate adviser, a faculty adviser, and a major professor.
Faculty Adviser: The admissions committee identifies a primary and secondary adviser for each student. These faculty advisers agree, prior to admission, to take on the responsibility of assisting the student in meeting academic goals. Faculty advisers are Graduate Group members who have research interests compatible with those expressed by the student and whose primary responsibility it is to help students plan a program in the field of emphasis.
Dissertation Adviser/Major Professor: By the end of the second year in the program, the student should identify a potential dissertation adviser (often called a major professor) and work with that individual in preparing for the qualifying examination. Often the faculty adviser will become the dissertation adviser. At this point the dissertation adviser becomes the student's mentor and assumes the primary advising role.
For more information on applying to the program or to connect with a faculty adviser, send a message to phdeduadvising@ucdavis.edu.