Faculty and Research Advisors

Graduate Medical Sciences Policy

Faculty Advisor

The faculty advisor plays a central role in guiding the student’s academic program, assisting in course selection, monitoring progress, and providing guidance and counseling in academic matters. Upon entering GMS, each student is assigned a faculty advisor. Students are required to meet regularly with their faculty advisor to discuss their academic progress and course selections.

Research/Thesis Advisor

A candidate for a PhD is required to have a research/dissertation advisor who is a member of the GMS faculty. The research advisor is always the first reader of the candidate’s PhD dissertation. A PhD candidate will not be permitted to start their dissertation in a laboratory until it has been confirmed that the research advisor is a GMS faculty member.

A candidate enrolled in an MA or MS program requiring completion of a thesis must have a research/thesis advisor who is a member of the GMS faculty. Under certain circumstances, a Special Service Appointment for GMS faculty membership may be granted to a research advisor who does not have GMS faculty membership. When a thesis is performed off campus (i.e., on campuses other than BU, BMC, or BUSM), the first reader of the thesis must be a faculty member of BU, BMC, or BUMC and have a GMS faculty membership.