Academic Advisors and Advising Policy

All students are assigned a temporary advisor upon admission to the doctoral program. These assignments are based on a match between the research interests of students and faculty members as well as the overall advising load for faculty members. Advisors (a) work with students to register for classes and develop the plan of study, (b) guide students in meeting program requirements, and (c) involve students in research team activities and work with students to build their research skills. In many cases the assigned advisor will remain the student's advisor throughout the doctoral program. However, students are free to choose a new faculty advisor. Such changes are not infrequent and most often occur because students discover that their research interests are more similar to those of another counseling psychology faculty member.

• Only core counseling psychology faculty members (Kelly, Hanson, Pistole, Servaty-Seib, Uruk) are eligible to serve as faculty advisors.
  
• Students seeking a new advisor must ask the prospective advisor if she/he is willing to serve as the student's new advisor. 
  
• It is the prerogative of the prospective advisor to decline the student's request because of an excessive advising load or because student-faculty research interests are not seen as compatible.
  
• Once a faculty member has agreed to serve as the new advisor, it is the student's responsibility to inform the old advisor that a change has been made. It is appropriate for students to convey this information in person with 48 hours. It is also the student's responsibility to inform the Graduate Studies Office of the change in advisors. If the Plan of Study has been filed, a change of advisors must also be processed with a Graduate School Form 13 Request for Change to the Plan of Study.
   
  Changing advisors is a normal part of doctoral study and does not reflect negatively on the student's progress through the program.