Off-Site Training
Short-term
A student's advisor may deem it important for the student to travel to an off-site location to obtain short-term training necessary for the successful completion of the dissertation research. The advisor and student should submit letters to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs (Dr. Bill Mattox) to describe the situation leading to the need for off-site training. These letters should indicate the institution and faculty member under whose supervision the student will work. The faculty member's letter should indicate the source of funding that will support the student's stipend during the off-site training.
Long-term
If a student's advisor accepts a position at another institution, the student may wish to follow the faculty member to the new institution to complete the degree. That is possible if the student has satisfied the candidacy conditions for the degree prior to departure. In that case, the student will remain a GSBS student but complete the dissertation research at the new location. If a student is pre-candidacy, the student should resign as a GSBS student and submit an application for admission to the new institution. The student and/or advisor are encouraged to contact Dr. Bill Mattox to discuss the student's options. Once plans are set, both the student and the departing faculty member must write a letter to Dr, Mattox to explain the circumstances and timing of the move.
For students who move off-site with their advisors, the following rules apply:
- The student will not maintain GSBS Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) status at the new institution. Arrangements for the student's stipend must be made by the advisor at the new institution.
- Domestic students who begin off-site training after the fall semester of 2015 must register for at least one hour of credit each term until they graduate. This is important to maintain the student's identity at UTHealth, which will allow the student to retain his/her UTHealth email account. Because these students will no longer have GSBS GRA status, if they are not Texas residents, they will pay tuition at the non-resident rate.
- International students who go off-site are required to register at GSBS as full-time students each term until they graduate. These students will no longer have GSBS GRA status so they are not awarded resident status and therefore pay tuition at the non-resident rate.
- All students who go off-site must identify an on-site advisor.
- Just like all GSBS students, off-site students must meet with their Advisory Committee at least once every 6 months.
- The dissertation defense must occur on-site.