uc san diego graduate student timeline to degree & benchmarks mary allen director of graduate...
TRANSCRIPT
UC San Diego
Graduate Student Timeline to Degree & Benchmarks
Mary AllenDirector of Graduate Academic Affairs
UC San Diego, Office of Graduate Studies
IDEA Student Center, ENG GRAD Talk; October 24, 2014
What is the goal of graduate school?
• Advanced training in a specific area– The masters is the new bachelors
• Discover new knowledge– Ph.D. as the “union card” for a research career
• Acquire teaching skills• Demonstrate tenacity and the ability to
identify and solve an important problem
Key elements of graduate education
• Technical mastery• Familiarity with the field– Your specific topic– The discipline in general– Depth and breadth
• Professional skills– Presentations (formal and informal)– Writing (papers, grants)– Training others (lab supervision and/or formal teaching
opportunities)
Domains of professional development for graduate students
• Communication skills• Broad information literacy• Interpersonal competence• Effectiveness as an educator• Working in diverse, multidisciplinary teams• Cultural sensitivity• Leadership• Professional ethics
All equally relevant to the aspiring professor and the budding entrepreneur
Key milestones in graduate education
Complete core
coursework
Complete depth/elective
courses
(Pass research
exam)
Enterdissertation
lab
Develop aims and
preliminary data
Advance: qualifying
exam
Defend!
0 years 5-6 years
Ph.D.!Service as a teaching assistant
Functional milestones in graduate education
Understand the basics of
the field
Add knowledge
specific to your project
Show you can apply the basics
Find an interesting
project
Acquire data to show topic is feasible
Present your plans
to committee
Ready for the real world as an independent investigator
0 years 5-6 years
Teach others what you
have learnt
Other milestones
• Present your work internally• Submit abstracts to meetings and present
nationally• Contribute to then write conference papers• Write journal articles• Write reviews that synthesize the field– Introduction to your dissertation
• Complete dissertation
Time limit definitions
• Pre-candidacy (PCTL)– Time by which the student must advance to candidacy
• Support time (SUTL)– Amount of time student is eligible for university support (TA,
GSR, fellowship)• Registered time (TRTL)– Total amount of time a student can remain registered for
their degree aim• Normative time– Time within which the department/program expects that
most students will complete their Ph.D.
JSOE Ph.D. time-limits (in years)Department PCTL SUTL TRTL Normative time
Bioengineering 3 6 7 5
Bioinformatics 3 6 7 5
Chemical Engineering 4 6 7 5
CSE w/masters 4 7 8 4
CSE w/o masters 4 7 8 5
ECE w/masters 4 6 7 5
ECE w/o masters 4 7 8 6
Materials Science 4 6 7 5
MAE Eng physics 4 7 8 6
MAE all others 4 6 7 5
Nanoengineering 3 6 7 5
Structural Engineering 4 6 7 5
Choosing the right project
• ….and a back-up• Balance of risk and reward in primary project• You should be able to map out (in writing) the
specific aims and milestones• Some floundering is inevitable and perhaps
even desirable, but know when to call it quits– Thesis committee can help provide perspective
and insights –get one on board as early as possible
The importance of mentoring
Quality
of aca
demic ad
vising
Quality
of thesis
supervi
sion
Quality
of feedbac
k fro
m advis
or012345
Completed Ph.D.Left without completing Ph.D.
*** *** ***
***, p<0.001; ~1000 students total
Poor
----
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xcel
lent
UCSD data for national Ph.D. Completion Project
Choosing the right mentor• Your relationship with your Ph.D. advisor will
sometimes feel like a marriage• Mentor’s style– First assess your own– How much interaction do you need/feel comfortable
with?• Track record– Especially time to degree and completion rates– Try to talk to current and past trainees
• Other considerations– Youth vs. stature– Precise project (less important than you may think)
Aspects of good mentoring
• Triple A model– Accessibility– Adaptability– Appreciation
• But you must take the initiative to secure your mentor’s help– Be a triple A mentee
Accessibility
• You will always need to be proactive• As your mentor’s commitments accumulate, will
require some juggling and flexibility on your part– But critical to seek undivided attention, focus– Make appointments, schedule time at the beginning or
end of the day– Be attentive to your mentor’s deadlines (grants,
teaching, etc)• Electronic communication helps, but cannot
substitute for face to face meetings
Adaptability
• Your needs should evolve over time– Move from nuts and bolts to the unwritten rules– Your mentor should know when it is time to step
back and let you fly solo• Even when you don’t believe it yourself• This goes beyond chronological considerations
• Be open about your career direction and any changes– Seek resources to prepare for the full range of
research-related careers
Adaptability (continued)
• Ask your mentor(s) to connect you with others in their network who can help you– Attend seminars and ask questions– Seek introductions at meetings to other leaders in the field– Don’t be shy!
• Mentoring can be for life– Sometimes a relationship runs its natural course – no-fault
divorce– But in general, benefits from sticking it out
Appreciation
• Your efforts should directly accrue benefits to your mentor– Seek appropriate credit
• A truly effective mentor takes genuine pleasure in the accomplishments of others
• But you should be appreciative too
Ways to ensure progress
• Be proactive– Take responsibility – who has the most to gain?– Understand the requirements for your program and all
relevant deadlines• Work with your graduate coordinator• Formal reviews at least annually (with committee after
advancement) – Request written feedback– Include your own response/reflections
• Consider asking your mentor to help you develop an IDP (see http://myidp.sciencecareers.org/)
Closing thoughts
• Graduate school can be both intellectually stimulating and incredibly intimidating in equal measure
• Milestones break the task into manageable chunks
• Help and resources are always available to you• Good luck!
Any questions?