Changes to your Advisor or Concentration

Changing Your Academic Advisor

When you were admitted to the doctoral degree, you were assigned an Academic Adviser in your area of concentration, based on information about your research and career interests. If the doctoral experience remains focused around these mutual interests, the Academic Adviser typically also assumes other roles such as research mentoring supervisor and dissertation supervisor. All changes in Academic Advisers must be requested in writing, following the steps below:

• Identify the faculty member in your concentration area who will serve as your new Academic Adviser, and make sure that s/he is willing to serve in this role

• Inform your current Academic Adviser of the proposed change

• Submit the “Change of Academic Advisor” form to graduate adviser. Make sure to list your current and proposed academic advisers

• The Graduate Adviser will review and approve the change.

Transfer to Another Concentration Area in the Department

Once they are in the doctoral concentration, occasionally a few students may discover that their research and professional interests may be more suitably addressed in another concentration area within the department. Requests for a change in concentration should be made only after careful thought and discussion with your current Academic Adviser and other mentors, as such a change signifies a considerable shift in your emphasis in the concentration, including the topic of your dissertation research and ultimately your career options. It can also affect course requirements and the total number of credit hours required to obtain the doctoral degree. Before you take any formal steps to change your concentration, be sure that you thoroughly understand the impact of the change on your Program of Work and degree requirements, and that you have identified a faculty member in your proposed concentration area who is willing to serve as your Academic Adviser and mentor. All requests for a change in concentration are subject to review and approval by the faculty in the proposed area.

Students who wish to request a change in concentration should submit the following materials to the Graduate Coordinator:

1. Request for “Change in Concentration” form,

2. revised personal goals statement explaining the rationale for the change, and

3. current resume or curriculum vitae.

Once the area faculty in the concentration the student is interested in joining have reviewed the request, a recommendation will be made to the Graduate Adviser and the student will be notified. A revised doctoral Program of Work should be filed with the Graduate Coordinator as soon as possible, which reflects any changes resulting from the change in concentration. Students are expected to complete all degree requirements related to their new concentration area in order to graduate. Please note that a change in concentration does not affect The University’s rules governing coursework that may be counted on the doctoral Program of Work (i.e., you are still governed by the six-year rule or the 99-hour rule.)