Advisor invited me to move with them?

[Willfla29]

Hi all,

I've seen similar questions, but wanted advice specific to my situation. I'm a 2nd year Political Science PhD student. Though only in my 2nd year, I feel like i have a fairly good handle on where I want to go with my dissertation, and an advisor who could guide the process. Today, the advisor told me he is moving to another school. This school is equivalent in terms of ranking, but is arguably somewhat better in my specific subfield. Unprompted, he suggested that I apply and that he would push hard for my admission, seemingly saying that my admission would be a given. There are not many other faculty in my department who I could work with on my current dissertation idea, and I'm afraid I may have to change fairly extensively if I stay, but don't want to have to retake 2 years of coursework, and the 18-20 hour days such courses required. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[fuzzylogician]

Are you sure you'll have to repeat the coursework? Normally in cases I know of where a professor brings with him students from a previous institute, they are not expected to re-do everything. Usually they also end up graduating from the original institution they applied to, instead of the new one the advisor moved to (even though as part of the contract between the advisor and new school, there may be physical space at the new school for these students to work in). You need to find out where your degree will be granted, and also if it's possible to get exempt from retaking courses. These are things you need to ask your advisor point blank. You might also want to find out about the possibility of not moving with him but continuing to have him as the main advisor on your dissertation, if that's something you think could work for you (use skype for weekly meetings, meet in person less often - it works for some people). I honestly can't see myself retaking all of my courses and I can think of more than one topic I could write a dissertation on, so the main thing I would care about in a situation like yours is who I would be working with as advisor. I think the student-advisor relationship is a very important component in the entire graduate training process.

[juilletmercredi]

Eh, it depends on the move.

 

In certain cases where the student graduates from his original institution, those are usually cases in which the student is an advanced PhD student (past coursework and comps) in the dissertation phase.  They typically stay enrolled at their original institution, but may move with the PI and work as a research assistant or project coordinator at the new university while still officially a student at the old university.  They fulfill the old university's requirements and graduate with a PhD from the original institution.  It usually doesn't take them additional time.

 

However, when a student is earlier in their career - still in coursework, or just finished - it's a bit trickier.  I've also never heard of a student transferring to another university but receiving their PhD from the original institution.  I would apply for admission and then if you are admitted, begin to ask those questions - will you be expected to retake coursework?  All of it or some?  Only then can you make your decision.  Talk to your advisor, too, about how the logistics would work.  Then you have to decide for yourself how the switch would impact your career.  Transferring won't, most likely (your CV will say University B so most likely they won't know) but whether the subfield and the additional resources/network at the new university will benefit you.

 

I must say that personally, if my advisor had switched schools after my 2nd or 3rd year and transferring would've required me to retake coursework, I wouldn't do it.

[wildviolet]

OMG, I misread the title as "my advisor invited me to move in with them?" Ummm, what?

 

Seriously, though, I know two people who transferred into our program and had to repeat some courses. One person followed their advisor, and the other person didn't like their first school. It sucks that you may have to repeat some things, but in the end I think your decision depends on your dissertation work.

[ak48]

OMG, I misread the title as "my advisor invited me to move in with them?" Ummm, what?

 

Seriously, I was like "NOOO! Go call the police or something!!"

[Quant_Liz_Lemon]

OMG, I misread the title as "my advisor invited me to move in with them?" Ummm, what?

I did too.

[wildviolet]

I did too.

 

I think that says something about the state of our minds.

[Guest |||]

Seriously, I was like "NOOO! Go call the police or something!!"

 

Humorous side note

 

There is a said professor at oxford who lives with his students in their college.  He rents out the entire floor and is a bit of a sauce, so the fridge is always full of some sort of booze.  That said, its free for all to drink.

[ak48]

Humorous side note

 

There is a said professor at oxford who lives with his students in their college.  He rents out the entire floor and is a bit of a sauce, so the fridge is always full of some sort of booze.  That said, its free for all to drink.

 

Oxford pioneered has the residential college system, right? (I know Harvard/Yale have copied this hardcore).  I thought it was normal in such a system for faculty "head of the college" to reside in the college to watch over things.

 

Partying with the undergrads is a tad sketchy though.

[juilletmercredi]

I initially misread it like wildviolet too, and my eyes about bugged out of my head!  I was like NOOOOO.

 

I think of my advisor announced that he was leaving, and was about to move now, I would decline to move with him.  There are a variety of reasons for that - I live in this city with my husband, and my university is top 10 in my field and one of the top 5 in my subfield.  So I certainly wouldn't transfer, but I don't think I would even physically move.  I'm far enough advanced, though, that we could meet over Skype and I could maybe travel to his new location a few times a year and I could bang this out.  My dissertation, at this point, requires a computer and that's it.  It would be harder if I were in STEM and needed lab resources.

[rising_star]

My advisor moved, I didn't. I had already done my exams and fieldwork, so it didn't make sense to relocate just to write.

[PsychGirl1]

OMG, I misread the title as "my advisor invited me to move in with them?" Ummm, what?

 

Seriously, though, I know two people who transferred into our program and had to repeat some courses. One person followed their advisor, and the other person didn't like their first school. It sucks that you may have to repeat some things, but in the end I think your decision depends on your dissertation work.

 

THIS. I expected this thread to go a very different direction than it did. Bummer.

[ay761]

Haha I misread this too and thought, 'hmmm maybe THAT would be an option if I can't find funding', haha. 

[student12345]

Haha I misread this too and thought, 'hmmm maybe THAT would be an option if I can't find funding', haha. 

 

Hmm, maybe moving in IS the funding offer...