Passing qualifying exams and writing a dissertation may seem like the most crucial aspects of graduate study. Choosing an advisor who's well-respected as a scholar and knows how to help students develop professionally can make clearing these hurdles easier and more helpful for your development as a scholar and researcher. This is especially true in the Sciences, since much of your research work will be conducted in your advisor's lab. Your advisor will not only train you in the arts of your discipline, he or she will provide career guidance and write important letters of recommendation for you as you're finishing your degree. Your advisor, in other words, needs to be more than just a person to fill out forms and serve on committees, he or she needs to be a mentor.

There are as many different kinds of advisors as there are graduate students. Some advisors prefer to act as strong shapers of their students, asking for routine meetings and research updates. Others are more content to let their graduate students assume the responsibility for directing their own course of study and research. The key to choosing the right advisor is knowing what kind of student you are and what kind of advising you want.

Featured Article:"Choosing the Right Research Adviser" by Richard M. Reis. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Reis discusses the pros and cons of different types of advisors, from the "senior scientist" to the junior faculty "collaborator."

Questions to Consider When Choosing an Advisor

The following questions offer a starting point for thinking about how to choose an advisor. These questions aren't exhaustive and, depending on your discipline, some may be more relevant than others.

• What are his/her research interests? How do these interests relate to my own?
• What is the potential advisor's research methodology? How does it relate to my own preferred methodology? to methodologies I wish to acquire?
• What current research is the advisor engaged in? If the research involves lab work, how much time does the advisor spend "at the bench"? How much time does he/she spend administering the laboratory?
• What is the advisor's scholarly reputation? Does he/she have a reputation for integrity and ethics?
• What are the advisor's other responsibilities besides research? Does the advisor have time to act as my mentor?
• Talk to the potential advisor's former students. What is his/her advising style? Does he/she supervise students closely? Or, does he/she adopt a more "hands-off" approach to mentoring?
• Do the advisor's students tend to write dissertations closely related to the advisor's research interests or using his/her methodology? Is this the kind of project I want to do?
• How quickly do his/her students make progress toward their degrees and research goals?
• What are his/her former students doing now? What is the advisor's record for placing students in academic employment? non-academic employment?

Want a second opinion on what to seek in an advisor? Having chosen your advisor, are you wondering how to assemble your committee? These articles offer their own takes on these topics.

"Suggestions on Choosing a Dissertation Advisor" and "Questions to Consider In Selecting a Dissertation Advisor" by Kit Ayars.

"An Insider's Guide to Choosing a Graduate Advisor and Research Projects in Laboratory Sciences" by Marshall Lev Dermer.

"Choosing Your Committee" by Andrea Pappas.

Managing Your Relationship with Your Advisor

These online resources offer a different perspective on how to cultivate a productive relationship with your advisor.

How to Get the Mentoring You Want
An excellent publication by the Rackham School of Graduate Studies at the University of Michigan. Also available in the Career Services Library.

"What Can I Expect From My Supervisor and What Can My Supervisor Expect From Me?"
Strategies and advice from the University of Queensland's comprehensive PhD Website.