Major Professor / Dissertation Advisor All Ph.D. students in the History program must formally choose a major professor and an advisory committee by the end of their first semester in residence. Who can be a major professor? The major professor must be a member of the Graduate Program Faculty in the Department of History at the University of Georgia. Faculty must hold current Graduate Faculty status as defined by the Graduate School and be eligible to chair doctoral advisory committees. Usually, tenured or tenure-track faculty in the department hold this status. Other faculty may occasionally be appointed with Graduate School approval. How do I choose a major professor? Students should begin identifying a major professor during their first year of coursework. The major professor should have scholarly expertise and methodological interests that align with the student’s intended field of research. It is the responsibility of the student to approach faculty members and confirm their willingness to serve in this role. What is the role of the major professor? The major professor chairs the student’s doctoral advisory committee and plays a central role in guiding the student’s academic progress. This includes: Advising on course selection and research skills training; Approving the Program of Study; Overseeing the preparation of the doctoral portfolio and oral examination; Supervising the dissertation proposal, research, and writing; Ensuring that all university and departmental deadlines are met. The major professor is also responsible for submitting the Advisement Form to the Graduate Program Administrator each semester and for confirming the student’s satisfactory academic progress. How do I confirm my major professor and committee? Students must formally designate their major professor and advisory committee through the Enrolled Student Progress Portal (under the “AdvCmte” tab). The form must be reviewed and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and submitted to the Graduate School. This must be done by the end of the student’s first semester in residence. Failure to submit the form in a timely manner may jeopardize the student’s standing in the program. What if my major professor becomes unavailable? If a student’s major professor becomes unavailable (e.g., due to leave, retirement, or other circumstances), or if the student and professor determine they can no longer work together, the student must notify the Director of Graduate Studies and identify another eligible faculty member to serve in this role. Students may update their advisory committee at any time by submitting a revised form through the Enrolled Student Progress Portal. Advisory Committee Ph.D. students must constitute a full doctoral advisory committee by the end of their second semester in residence. This committee plays a crucial role in evaluating the student’s progress at every major stage of the program. Who can/should be on my advisory committee? The committee must include at least three members, including the major professor. A fourth or fifth member may be added with approval of the major professor and Director of Graduate Studies. At least two members must be Graduate Program Faculty in the UGA Department of History. Additional members may include: UGA faculty in other departments with Graduate Faculty status; A UGA faculty member with a graduate degree holding a permanent teaching or research appointment at UGA (requires approval of departmental graduate faculty and the Graduate School Dean); One non-UGA scholar with a terminal degree in their field (CV of committee member, letter of nomination from major professor, approval of the Director of Graduate Studies, and approval of the Graduate School Dean.). No more than one non-UGA member may serve as a voting member of the committee. Co-major professors count as a single vote for committee decisions. If a student includes a member who is not part of the Graduate Program Faculty, they are responsible for coordinating the appropriate approval paperwork through GradSlate, and for writing a letter explaining thy the services of the non-UGA committee member are requested. All non-affiliated members must attend meetings associated with the appointment. What does the advisory committee do? The advisory committee is responsible for: Advising on research skills training; Supervising the doctoral portfolio and oral examination; Supervising and approving the dissertation proposal; Guiding the research and writing process; Reading and evaluating the completed dissertation; Conducting the final dissertation defense. Committee members are expected to work collaboratively with the student and with each other to support the student’s scholarly development and timely progress toward the degree.
