Graduate Faculty Membership

Graduate Faculty are selected by the Graduate School, from the university faculty, to be the teachers and advisors of graduate students. Members are selected on the basis of academic training, experience, demonstrated potential for creative work and scholarly research, and evidence of the ability and competency essential to directing and supervising graduate students in their pursuit of advanced knowledge.

Specifically, the duties of the Graduate Faculty are:

  • Teach Graduate Courses
  • Direct non-thesis students
  • Serve on graduate student committees
  • Direct master's theses
  • Direct doctoral theses

Learn more about
Membership Selection

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Graduate Council Representatives

The Graduate Council is represented on a graduate student's committee by a Graduate Faculty member outside the student's major and minor areas. A Graduate Council Representative (GCR) is required for all doctoral committees, all M.A.I.S. committees, and all master's degrees involving a thesis. Students pursuing a non-thesis masters may choose aGCR for their committee, but one is not required. The GCR is selected by the student from a list provided by the Graduate School. The GCR is a full voting member of the student's committee and must participate in all meetings and examinations.

Learn more about the
GCR Guidelines

Faculty Mentoring of Graduate Students

Mentoring is the heart of graduate education. The mentor is responsible for ensuring that the student becomes sophisticated in a discipline or field of study, is challenged intellectually, learns how to think critically, and aspires to create new knowledge. In addition, the mentor is responsible for assisting the student in developing the interpersonal skills needed to succeed in the discipline. Mentoring is distinct from advising because it involves a personal relationship... . It recognizes that graduate school includes socialization to the values, norms, practices, and attitudes of a discipline. Mentoring gradually transforms the student into a colleague.

Mentoring The Faculty-Graduate Student Relationship - A Position Paper of the Graduate Council of The University of Arizona. July, 2001.

Learn more about
Mentoring at OSU

and the Graduate School's
Excellence in Graduate Mentoring Award

Graduate Program Assessment

Program review and evaluation starts with the initiation of new graduate degrees and involves several other steps, including identification of graduate learning outcomes and program-specific plans for assessing outcomes.

Learn more about
Graduate Program Assessment

Graduate Areas of Concentration

A graduate area of concentration is defined as a subdivision of a major or minor in which a strong graduate program is available. Areas of concentration may be referenced on the student's program of study, but they are not listed on the student's transcript. Areas of concentration are identified initially within the Category I proposal that establishes the graduate major or in the Category II proposal that establishes the graduate minor. Areas of concentration are listed in the OSU Catalog. Instructions for revising, adding, and deleting areas of concentration are available on the OSU Curricular Procedures and Policies page.




Academic Misconduct

Information on avoiding and reporting academic misconduct is available on the web site of the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards. Note that separate reporting forms are provided for graduate students and undergraduates.




Faculty as Student Policy

Although faculty members (both ranked and professional) are eligible to enroll for courses at staff fees, such course work may not be applied to a graduate degree without prior approval of the Dean of the Graduate School. Read more about the Graduate School's Faculty as Student Policy.