Your relationship with your advisors is central to your success throughout your academic career. We urge each student to meet with potential advisors early in the first year and then to consult with your primary advisor regularly throughout your career at Duke and beyond.
Your academic advisor is the faculty member with whom you interact most closely at Duke. You can go to them for all types of academic and non-academic concerns. You will want to consult closely with your advisor on all aspects of your academic program – your coursework, fields, languages, research, and dissertation.
In addition to your primary advisor, you can consult with the members of your preliminary advisory committee. The committee consists of three to four Duke faculty members from whom you may seek guidance on specific issues related to your fields and your research. With the approval of your primary faculty advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies, you may have non-Duke faculty members serve on your advisory committee.