Graduate Advising

[updated February 13, 2025]

Program Advisors

Students are assigned to the Director and Associate Director as program advisors.

Project Advisors

It is the student’s responsibility to identify an acceptable project area and to find an appropriate project advisor.  Students who are admitted to the program without a Project Area Statement (PAS) and thesis advisor must find a thesis advisor during the first year of matriculation.

Notes: At least one of the two thesis readers (primary advisor or second reader) must be a member of the Academic Council. Primary Advisors and Second Readers for a Symbolic Systems Master's Thesis are not required to be faculty affiliates of the Symbolic Systems Program.

Primary Advisor Eligibility

Individuals holding the following titles are eligible to serve as primary advisors on a master’s thesis:

  • Faculty in the Professoriate (Chapter 2 of the Stanford Faculty Handbook)
  • Academic Staff - Teaching (Chapter 2 of Stanford Academic Staff - Teaching and Other Teaching Staff Handbook)
  • Academic Staff - Research (Section 10,1 of the Stanford Research Policy Handbook)

Tips on finding a primary thesis advisor

Second Reader Eligibility

  • Faculty in the Professoriate (Chapter 2 of the Stanford Faculty Handbook)
  • Academic Staff - Teaching (Chapter 2 of Stanford Academic Staff - Teaching and Other Teaching Staff Handbook)
  • Academic Staff - Research (Section 10.1 of the Stanford Research Policy Handbook)
  • Individuals whose instructional appointments at Stanford are designated as Acting, Visiting, Adjunct, and Voluntary Clinical Appointments (Chapter 5 of Stanford Academic Staff - Teaching and Other Teaching Staff Handbook)
  • Postdoctoral Scholars (Section 10.3 of the Stanford Research Policy Handbook)
  • Faculty holding active appointments at other Universities may be proposed as a second reader, subject to approval from primary advisor and the Symbolic Systems Program. 

Changing your Advisor

You may change to a different advisor later if your research interests change. In these rare circumstances, the student must notify the SymSys Director, Associate Director, and Student Services Manager.

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