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

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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?