ESE PhD Committee Meetings

The faculty expect PhD students to meet with their research committees at least annually following the qualifying exam.  These meetings are for the student's benefit in order to connect with and receive better advising from their committee members.

For ESE students the target date for these meetings is by the first Monday in April.  The process include

  • meeting between you and your research committee each spring, scheduled for 60 minutes (but often lasting much less time).  The target date is by the first Monday in April.
  • You are to prepare a very brief, informal presentation (15 minutes or less) on your efforts since the previous meeting (or for a first meeting, since your Qualifying Exam), including specific questions you have for the committee.  An informal discussion will follow – this is not intended to be evaluative, it is to provide advising.
  • The primary advisor must leave the room for part of the time at the end in order to allow for open discussion of interpersonal relationships, etc.
  • Committee members will sign the report form to indicate the meeting occurred, providing informal comments if they so choose, and return it to the Office of Academic Programs. [Bring the form with you to the meeting, and then back to us here!  For remote-attendance meetings, please have the committee chair email gradprograms@seas.harvard.edu, cc'ing the other committee members, confirming the date that the meeting took place.]

The student and advisor are encouraged to form a post-qualifying exam research committee  (using the "Research Committee" form).  If no new committee has been formed, the default is the qualifying exam committee without the Dean's Nominee.