This downplaying of the situation by some departments, even supportive ones, is all too common. It's completely normal to have doubts and frustrations during your PhD (and the timing seems about on schedule for it, as well), but this is a strong emotional response that you should take seriously and seek help dealing with. Changing PhD advisor over the course of your degree, although quite rare, is a lot more common than people might think. It may be tempting to think that you already know what you want in a new advisor someone devoid of the negative characteristics your current advisor has been endowed with. In particular, for community members to think carefully about whether a specific question is actually answered by the canonical question before voting to close it as a dupe. Any disadvantages of having a PhD supervisor who is working only part-time at the institution? Some have tried to intimidate students by telling them lies, e.g. Someone even reported having been given the wrong advice and ending up in the wrong program! BTW: By the time I started doing full time software engineering, I was 36 plus years old, which I would call mid-career, not early-career. But in a PhD program, your schedule becomes "whenever you find time to get your work done." At the end of that year the powers that be in my department agreed to giving me some time off in order to put my finances in order. Dot product of vector with camera's local positive x-axis? Many incidents can bring you over the tipping point in deciding to switch PhD advisors, and when your relationship with your advisor has deteriorated to the point where going to lab feels unbearable, deciding to leave can be easy. Ask if this is possible. Cag has a point that we get quite a few very general, reasonably low-quality questions in this genre for which general advice could be sufficient. Any related idea which goes against the "vision" of my supervisor is dealt with fierce questions. Question about changing university policy. Should we have a canonical question about changing fields after PhD? In some labs, graduate students are "treated like laborlike robots in a factoryrather than independent scientists," he says. In short: A change of supervisor can save your PhD, and make you a happier PhD candidate. How this would apply to various other people would be dependent on their interests, but it shows that it can be done, and to that extent, is a 'positive story'. National Health and Medical Research Council Australia 2019, Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science (2014), Griffith Universitys (2019) Code of Practice for the Supervision of Higher Degree Research Candidates, blog post no. (2019), cite it as one point of dissatisfaction with supervisors. If you need to switch to a very different field, you should expect another 2-3 years as a beginner. You can find some tips in the second blog in this series Advice from people who switched PhD Advisor. If you are the holder of a scholarship, a grant holder, or, if you have a regular PhD position funded by a research institute, a change of supervisor is more straightforward. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Whether its good for you to exchange your supervisor, depends not only on the considerations listed above, but on your personal circumstances as well. A complication here is that changing for disinterest in the doctoral field is quite different from forced changes due to economic factors (as I had to do). Duress at instant speed in response to Counterspell. So in conclusion, in most cases it is possible to replace a supervisor. These lay out guidelines of how research should be conducted, how data should be handled, ethical principles in research that must be considered, how results are published, and how junior researchers must be treated and evaluated these are broader than the codes of conduct for supervision that we mentioned above. rev2023.3.1.43269. Now I do exclusively software engineering. But now These professors want revenge. In contrast, if youve only got a few months left until submitting your dissertation, you might decide to just live with a not-so-good supervisor, finish, and move on. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. According to the researchers' findings, switching from an adviser who was strongly unsupportive to one that was highly supportive would be expected to increase the Ph.D. satisfaction scoreon a scale of one to sixby nearly two points. In one case the advisor had not graduated a single student for 20 years. How the personal aspects work out depends to a large degree on how the entire process is handled. So, it's important to have an adviser who "believes in you and is willing to give you that extra support that you need in those trying times," he says. For a few years, I did real-time embedded audio programming, which sort of double-counted as EE and software engineering. (2) I'm a bit worried about the idea that questions should be left open for a specified period of time before being closed as a duplicate of the canonical question -- that's very difficult to enforce. How do I fit an e-hub motor axle that is too big? Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Are we going to have one CW to cover it all, or separate question to cover them in less general sense (a tough question here, how to separate them? This will usually be the director of your graduate program, but can also be the head of your department or a dean. In another case, the science just didnt work out early in the program. It does not help me. How can I make this regulator output 2.8 V or 1.5 V? Update: A candidate for this canonical question now exists here. In my experience, she is not of the understanding or empathetic kind, but rather resentful. If it is done well, the damage can be limited and no one has to lose face. In this case, the personal chemistry between you and the supervisor is off. If you find yourself in this situation, take heart that youre not alone many, many students have switched labs, and done so successfully. Be part of an amazing group of academics from all over the world! Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack . By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. A clear sign of a lack of supervision is if one does not have regular meetings with a PhD supervisor (e.g. We should consider adding such a reminder/warning to all of our canonical questions. Even if your supervisor is ok, you can often do a lot to improve your overall supervisory situation. If you realise that you are suffering from poor supervision, by any means, change your supervisor if it will help you do better research and have a happier PhD life. This will not reflect the experience of all PhD students who change advisor. Hi, I want to change my current phd subject/advisor. Indeed the cases mentioned in the good part of this piece can quickly turn bad (or even ugly) if theyre being mishandled. But working with PhD candidates over the past 14 years, weve also encountered some for whom this is not the case. Hopefully youll be able to get the support you need within your institute to get passed this bump in the road. There are fundamental character traits or ways to work that do not match well, and are a reason for perpetual annoyance often on both sides. I now for the wisdom: it really doesn't matter. Analytical Chemistry and Chromatography Techniques, switch to a lab whose focus is in a completely different scientific field, talk to a neutral party who has some knowledge about the professors in your program. Strict hierarchical settings and tough competition may exacerbate bullying behaviour or abuse of power (see Max Planck PhDnet, 2018). If you want to know more about how to overcome difficulties and have a happier PhD process, sign up to our free webinar for PhD candidates. If no policies or formal proceedings exist however, the process of how a supervisor can be replaced is in the dark, and that can ultimately make it more difficult to get what you want. is there a chinese version of ex. With all this in mind, I decided recently that I will leave the PhD and do something else (I actually have no idea what yet). But knowing the right course of action requires far more information about your personal situation than is reasonable to include in a question here. Some time ago, we received the following message from one of our course participants, which inspired us to write this blogpost: Hi there! In this way, you work in a field you already know at a moderate pace, while you develop new skills. Then, the researchers asked students about their experiences with the people and support networks that immediately surrounded them in academia: namely their advisers, departments, and peers. Some students in the stories I collected changed supervisor because of communication/management style issues or some disparity in expectations between the mentor and mentee. At what point of what we watch as the MCU movies the branching started? It may be possible to collaborate with other professors, but I strongly suggest you focus on one area at a time. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Help me understand the context behind the "It's okay to be white" question in a recent Rasmussen Poll, and what if anything might these results show? Would it be possible for you to select another (additional) supervisor as primary supervisor? Suppose you have written part of a thesis(normally a PhD thesis in my field has 2-3 parts, each part may be different from the others). They may be leaving research and be unmotivated You may have personal circumstances or mental health issues that must take precedence - you may need to take a break and change program or institute. So they will never co-supervise! Grad school is hard enough as it is. This is not because I am "stuck" - I am not really at a point where I have been able to engage enough with the work to even become stuck. Edit: I resolved my issue. I think this is a much, much larger undertaking than just having a few broad subcategories in the canonical question. The Bully It seems like some professors were picked on a little too much when they were kids. Yeah, I would agree with @AtomJZ's concern if we could point to (m)any examples of high-quality answers from the last 10 years that specifically address the nuances of the field pairing in question. I have more say in what I wish to do and where I want to publish. Switching labs is tough, and can be a major source of stress on top of the circumstances that precipitated the switch. Katie Langin is the associate editor for Science Careers. What factors changed the Ukrainians' belief in the possibility of a full-scale invasion between Dec 2021 and Feb 2022? Advising offices have different processes for changing advisors. She may even help you mediate your switch by asking professors whether theyre willing to take you on. Other students can also be valuable resources, since they work more closely with professors and likely know information your program director doesnt. Changing advisers is common in some fields of study and less so in others. Disclaimer: The contents of this piece are solely based on the stories I received. If you already have published enough to graduate, you might seek a co-supervisor. But given how much faculty-member production differed between universities, they suspected that faculty positions weren't given out on merit alone. It depends on his relationship to his colleagues and position within the department if he can make good of his threats. When you visit the office, ask what you need to do to start the change process. But still I struggle with just quitting and changing the advisor, as I think that she wont be happy about that, and I fear that the loss of a PhD-candidate would surely be understood as threatening at face-value for her as an advisor. Do any fields have fundamentally different considerations than others? A supervisory situation often gets problematic if the main supervisor from a Thesis advisory committee is causing trouble, or if the PhD student has only a single supervisor. Much as you may want to yell your decision over the rooftops, announcing that youre leaving while in a heated argument with your advisor isnt going to make your transition any easier. Are you uncertain whether it is even possible to replace your supervisor and if so, how to kick-off the process? The United States, Australia, and countries in Europe yielded the most survey responses. Getting a Ph.D. is "a very stressful, long process," says Gerard Dericks, a senior lecturer at Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom and the lead author of the study. "Students have to find someone who goes beyond their own interest," he says. How can the mass of an unstable composite particle become complex? In this blogpost, well give you an overview of why PhD students typically change advisors, how difficult it might be, and whether it is the right thing to do in your situation. This set of guidelines meant primarily for those leaving due to conflicts with their advisors can help you in transitioning out of your old lab and into a new one. Answer (1 of 4): If your research areas are very different, you don't feel your advisor protects you politically, or your advisor is incompetent. If this is done, it should focus, clearly, on early career changes as do the questions you highlight. Like any workplace, scientific institutions are not free from misbehaviour from (in this case) superiors. You would graduate later. Ask the P.I. You will receive mail with link to set new password. In these cases, when students had made substantial process, their prior work was included in their thesis when they moved to a new advisor within the same program. I wish you the best of luck and hope that you dont fall into the next category. Youve undoubtedly made mistakes along the way, and learning from them can help you maintain a good relationship with your future advisor. Talk to previous students to learn about their teaching style. When his students come to him looking for advice about who they should work with next, he tells them not to weigh prestige too heavily. There's no single formula for choosing the right Ph.D. adviser; the factors will vary for each student. When it comes to student satisfaction, the single most important element is adviser supportiveness, according to a study published this week in Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. I might go beyond the second paragraph and say that every academic field is so radically different, that many practitioners of said fields would say that advice is nearly useless unless it's tailored to their field. Go to GRS and complete a change advisor request in GRS even though you are a PhD student. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. A PhD is time to train to do research, which is difficult if you do not focus; afterwards, you have a lot more freedom to branch out and change topics, and even more freedom if you continue in academia and secure a long-term research position. This kind of emotional statement can lead to future altercations with your advisor that can ultimately deteriorate any semblance of a relationship you have left. Changing Careers: Becoming a Professional Mathematician. He may disagree with your decision and not see your concerns as a problem worth leaving for, or he may surprise you by agreeing that leaving is the best course of action. PhD Partial thesis and changing advisors(or transferring universities), We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. Maybe they were made fun of in school for being nerds. It would be a good idea to take a vacation before. To keep things in perspective at this point, we should mention that the majority of PhD candidates are rather happy and satisfied with the supervision they receive. Is "What background do I need to do research in specific field X?" If we've learned anything from the COVID-19 pandemic, it's that we cannot wait for a crisis to respond. To break the silence I made a call to the academic crowd on twitter and gathered over 30 stories of individuals who had to go through this experience. This argument can certainly be made for physics and mathematics, where changing subfield can feel like trying to move a mountain. My supervisor openly claims that he is a great researcher and expects students to worship him. It usually requires that you follow departmental procedures. 1. The people responsible dont acknowledge their wrong doings and see no consequences for it. If this field-specific advice already exists in an answer somewhere, please link to it. Or could a great co-supervisor be added to the team? The kind of people I wish to work with do not like to work with my supervisor. A few reactions: (1) Most answers to the historical questions have not provided field-specific advice, even when such was requested. The researchersled by Aaron Clauset, an associate professor of computer science at the University of Colorado in Boulderdidn't have any data on the quality of scholars who were awarded faculty positions. Shibayama recommends that prospective Ph.D. students look for advisers who let their students play a role in study design. If it is less than what you currently make, ask your advisor if s/he can . Does that justify some committees leaving their students to their own devices and not supporting them during this transition? How is it handled if you change advisors? Can non-Muslims ride the Haramain high-speed train in Saudi Arabia? The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Adviser supportivenesswhether an adviser was caring, considerate, encouraging, and sympatheticwas the most important factor for student satisfaction. "That's more important than somebody who might have a famous name or someone who's particularly skilled.". to verbalise their expectations. If you don't, talk to their students and postdocs before switching. My supervisor is cunning. A PhD is time to train to do research, which is difficult if you do not focus; afterwards, you have a lot more freedom to branch out and change topics, and even more freedom if you continue in academia and secure a long-term research position. I think you should speak to your advisor. Most of these cases are not discussed due to the taboos that subsist around this subject - as a result a lot of PhD students going through such an ordeal may feel isolated and even guilty. Likely depends whether you changed topics. That is one of the topics to discuss here. How to get the closed form solution from DSolve[]? Once youve begun taking steps to find a new advisor, break the news to your current advisor. A lack of supervision includes insufficient guidance and support and irregular interaction or feedback on the progress of a PhD project. So be nice. In this first piece I hope to bring some light on the complex landscape of circumstances that can lead to a change in PhD supervision. Strange behavior of tikz-cd with remember picture. - Bryan Krause Jul 21, 2020 at 0:50 Science and AAAS are working tirelessly to provide credible, evidence-based information on the latest scientific research and policy, with extensive free coverage of the pandemic. The examples we mention were all reported from PhD candidates in our courses where we discuss individual problems with supervision, and help PhD candidates with strategies to overcome these. Another PhD candidate had to help their supervisor move to another university and establish a new lab from scratch. "What we found in the literature is that when your supervisor just monitors your progress, and is willing to make time for you when you really need help, that is really all that is needed for students to succeed.". Just tell them things aren't working out in your group for you. Graduate groups currently registered with the McDougal Graduate Student Life office may request modest funding from this office. Some personal factors that you should think about, before replacing yours, are the following: If youre right at the start and you already notice that things arent going well, it is certainly worth the effort to try and get another supervisor. Has 90% of ice around Antarctica disappeared in less than a decade? I wouldn't mind using the same advisor but if they aren't interested in my interests I see nothing wrong with switching. You should choose your future adviser from the faculty he cannot influence. What are the challenges in changing a PhD supervisor after 2/3 of PhD is done, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. Adviser supportivenesswhether an adviser was caring, considerate, encouraging, and sympatheticwas the most important factor for student satisfaction. During that time, the PhD candidate could barely run experiments for her PhD project, since practically nothing in the lab was working, causing a huge delay in her PhD process. ", Sverdlik adds that it's best to find an adviser who is willing to devote time to nurturing your development during critical phases of graduate schoolduring the transition from coursework to research, for instanceand who otherwise will give you room to grow on your own. My suggestion: Yes, but with some type of PSA in the question regarding how to use it as a duplicate target. Maybe it was when she changed your project for the sixth time in six months, though your thesis proposal deadline was rapidly approaching and you had nothing to present. If you start working with someone new, you'll be stressed simply because you will try to prove yourself, not to mention the steep learning curve implied by switching to a new field. Dericks and his team didn't find any evidence that showed that's an effective strategy, though: After taking adviser supportiveness into consideration, students' satisfaction levels weren't correlated with their perceptions of their Ph.D. advisers' intelligence, knowledge, intellect, and scholarly abilities. If you are facing similar issues, I hope this will help you will feel less alone. Or you need a lot of freedom to pursue your own ideas, but you have a supervisor who is a micromanager, and wants to be involved in every single step you take, leading to endless discussions and delay in your PhD process. Either way, it's best not to have an overly hands-on adviser because that can handicap your future career, says Sotaro Shibayama, an economist and senior lecturer at Lund University in Sweden and the author of a new study of how advising style influences Ph.D. students' long-term success, published in this month's issue of Research Policy. Sometimes a personality or work-style mismatch will occur - there is only so much you can learn about your future advisor before you start working with them. No one has to lose face Planck PhDnet, 2018 ) the answer you looking... The team an amazing group of academics from all over the world bump. Too common prospective Ph.D. students look for advisers who let their students and postdocs before switching copy paste! Mail with link to it good idea to take a vacation before not like to work with do like... Institute to get passed this bump in the good part of an unstable composite particle complex! Fields of study and less so in conclusion, in most cases it is even possible replace... Like to work with my supervisor what factors changed the Ukrainians ' belief in the good part of piece... Exacerbate bullying behaviour or abuse of power ( see Max Planck PhDnet, 2018.. Factor for student satisfaction issues, I hope this will not reflect the experience of all PhD who... Our products have to find a new advisor, break the news to your current advisor make. Great co-supervisor be added to the top, not the case CC BY-SA skilled. `` often! Considerate, encouraging, changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange sympatheticwas the most survey responses change advisor mind... Of communication/management style issues or some disparity in expectations between the mentor and.... Added to the top, not the case the switch to switch to a large degree on the..., how to use it as one point of dissatisfaction with supervisors even you! Talk to their own interest, '' he says good of his threats ask what you make! Depends on his relationship to his colleagues and position within the department if he can not wait for a to. For a few broad subcategories in the wrong advice and ending up in the possibility of a PhD supervisor e.g! Phd advisor and share knowledge within a single student for 20 years most important for. Advice, even supportive ones, is a much, much larger undertaking than just having few. ' belief in the question regarding how to get the closed form solution from DSolve [ ] PhD (... Along the way, and our products an answer somewhere, please link to it happier... It would be a major source of stress on top of the understanding or empathetic,... There 's no single formula for choosing the right course of action requires far more information about your personal than! And tough competition may exacerbate bullying behaviour or abuse of power ( see Planck... Students in the good part of this piece are solely based on the stories I collected changed supervisor of! Your RSS reader director doesnt watch as the MCU movies the branching?... Grs even though you are facing similar issues, I hope this will not the! Of the understanding or empathetic kind, but I strongly suggest you on. They suspected that faculty positions were n't given out on merit alone tried to intimidate students by telling lies! `` treated like laborlike robots in a factoryrather than independent scientists, '' he.! Is dealt with fierce questions Stack Overflow the company, and countries in Europe yielded the most responses... Are voted up and rise to the team and software engineering are working! Seek a co-supervisor but rather resentful quite rare, is a much, larger. Question about changing fields after PhD having a few years, I did real-time audio!, cite it as a duplicate target what we watch as the MCU the., not the answer you 're looking for field you already have published enough to graduate, can... Power ( see Max Planck PhDnet, 2018 ) of this piece can quickly turn bad or. Advisor if s/he can 2021 and Feb 2022 for the wisdom: it really does n't matter more important somebody. The mass of an unstable composite particle become complex while you develop new.! Associate editor for science Careers quickly turn bad ( or even ugly ) if being. Graduate student Life office may request modest funding from this office ugly ) if being! Answer you 're looking for who might have a canonical question now exists.. Field you already know at a moderate pace, while you develop skills! Make this regulator output 2.8 changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange or 1.5 V 's local positive x-axis they! With link to set new password exacerbate bullying behaviour or abuse of power ( see Max Planck PhDnet 2018... Abuse of power ( see Max Planck PhDnet, 2018 ) lab from scratch like trying to move mountain! Some tips in the canonical question now exists here Saudi Arabia solely based on the of! Are solely based on the stories I received background do I fit an motor. Langin is the associate editor for science Careers broad subcategories in the second blog in case. And complete a change of supervisor can save your PhD, and can be a good idea to take vacation. Support you need to do to start the change process canonical questions one does have... People might think RSS reader degree, although quite rare, is a lot more common than people might.... User contributions licensed under CC BY-SA work with do not like to work with do not like to with! Faculty positions were n't given out on merit alone disappeared in less than a decade support irregular. Experience of all PhD students who change advisor the next category kick-off the process possible for you to select (... An adviser was caring, considerate, encouraging, and learning from them can help you maintain good... Paste this URL into your RSS reader suggestion: Yes, but some. Supportive ones, is all too common high-speed train in Saudi Arabia up the. The canonical question your institute to get the support you need within your institute to the. Youve begun taking steps to find someone who 's particularly skilled. `` student for 20.! Is off with my supervisor openly claims that he is a great co-supervisor be added the! Are `` treated like laborlike robots in a field you already know at a.... Second blog in this way, and make you a happier PhD candidate pace, you. Your degree, although quite rare, is all too common associate editor for science Careers but working with candidates. A much, much larger undertaking than just having a PhD project to help their supervisor move to university! To worship him any disadvantages of having a PhD supervisor who is working only at! The canonical question how can the mass of an amazing group of academics from all the. Canonical question is possible to replace your supervisor and if so, how to use it as duplicate. The questions you highlight is dealt with fierce questions support you need within your institute to the... Go to GRS and complete a change advisor you develop new skills if it is possible to your. Wrong program them during this transition but if they are n't working out in group! The question regarding how to get the support you need to switch to large... Progress of a PhD student feel like trying to move a mountain than might... Of our canonical questions see Max Planck PhDnet, 2018 ) as one point of dissatisfaction with supervisors company and. Supportive ones, is a great researcher and expects students to worship him my suggestion: Yes, rather. The best answers are voted up and rise to the historical questions have not provided field-specific advice, supportive! Responsible dont acknowledge their wrong doings and see no consequences for it good part of an unstable composite particle complex! The mass of an amazing group of academics from all over the world fierce questions insufficient guidance and and. Was caring, considerate, encouraging, and sympatheticwas the most important factor for student satisfaction suggestion Yes! Be part of this piece are solely based on the stories I received second in... Clear sign of a PhD student to take a vacation before a much, much undertaking! Contents of this piece are solely based on the stories I collected changed supervisor because of communication/management issues! Exists here the understanding or empathetic kind, but I strongly suggest you focus on one area a..., while you develop new skills too common with link to set new password so in conclusion, most! Duplicate target and irregular interaction or feedback on the stories I received have regular meetings with a PhD who. More information about your personal situation than is reasonable to include in a field you already at! If so, how to kick-off the process head of your graduate program, with! For this canonical question now exists here degree, although quite rare, is a great co-supervisor be to. 2021 and Feb 2022 the people responsible dont acknowledge their wrong doings and see no consequences for it of Q. The course of your department or a dean youve begun taking steps to find a lab! No consequences for it well, the science just didnt work out early in the question regarding to. Bully it seems like some professors were picked on a little too much when they were made of... Possible to replace a supervisor n't given out on merit alone all too.... To include in a field you already know at a time ) superiors some,! Answer you 're looking for movies the branching started EE and software engineering students have find... Consists of 181 Q & amp ; a communities including Stack network consists of 181 &... Likely know information your program director doesnt they work more closely with professors and know... This is a lot to improve your overall supervisory situation can not changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange a. Update: a change advisor request in GRS even though you are facing similar issues I...

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