Advising

The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) is committed to providing academic advising in support of graduate students' scholarly and professional development. At its most effective, this advising relationship entails collaborative and sustained engagement between the advisor and the advisee. As a best practice, advising expectations should be periodically discussed and reviewed to ensure mutual understanding, and both parties are expected to maintain professionalism and integrity.

Advising Roles

Faculty advisors guide students in critical areas such as selecting courses, designing and conducting research, and exploring academic opportunities and professional pathways. The CLAS director of graduate studies (DGS) provides academic advising and overall intellectual guidance to Latin American Studies MA students; the DGS serves in a secondary role to the assigned faculty advisor and may act as a second reader of MA theses and capstone papers. Program administrative staff advise students on program policies, degree requirements, and course selection. The CLAS academic and student services officer informs students and advisors about University and department requirements, procedures, and opportunities, and maintains the official records of advising assignments and approvals.

Student Responsibilities

Graduate students are active contributors to the advising relationship. They should proactively seek academic and professional guidance, take responsibility for informing themselves of the policies and degree requirements for their program, and remain aware of all program-specific and University-wide deadlines.

Advisor Assignments

At the start of graduate study, generally during autumn quarter, each student is assigned a faculty advisor—a member of the program's faculty who provides research advice and guidance in course selection and in exploring academic opportunities and professional pathways. At least one faculty advisor per student must be a member of the Stanford Academic Council. Usually, the same faculty member serves as the program advisor for the duration of the master's study; however, formal advisor change requests may be made in consultation with CLAS staff.

Meeting Expectations

Students should meet with their advisors at least once per quarter to discuss the courses they plan to take and to seek their advisors' input and guidance. In addition, MA students must participate in the CLAS MA quarterly meetings, held during the second half of each quarter. The CLAS director, director of graduate studies, associate director, and student services officer meet with all students during these mandatory meetings and are available by email and during office hours throughout the academic year.

Additional Resources

See the Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures handbook opens in a new tab and the University Bulletin's Graduate Advising section for the University policy statements on graduate advising. Academic advising by Stanford faculty is a critical component of every graduate student's education; additional resources can be found in the Policies & Practices for Advising Relationships guide opens in a new tab and the Guidelines for Advising Relationships Between Faculty and Graduate Students opens in a new tab.