Selecting a Laboratory

All students must complete at least one laboratory rotation period before joining a laboratory. Students are encouraged to begin a laboratory rotation in the summer before the start of classes. If a student is unable to do so, the laboratory rotation will begin at the start of classes. It is permissible to perform a single rotation, and subsequently select that same laboratory for thesis work (see Advisor Selection below). Students are encouraged to rotate through up to three laboratories to obtain a breadth of experience. Laboratory rotations are designed to ensure that students select a thesis advisor and laboratory that matches their area of scientific interests.

When considering a laboratory rotation, students must first discuss their interests with a Dean and the graduate office. This discussion should occur prior to any discussions with faculty regarding the possibility of a laboratory rotation. Only members of the Kellogg School program faculty may accept students into their laboratory and act as a student’s laboratory advisor.

To initiate a laboratory rotation, the student is to fill out a Rotation Proposal Form and submit it to the graduate office before beginning work in the laboratory. The rotation proposal is a brief outline of the proposed research, and is signed by both the student and the rotation advisor. After the rotation proposal is approved by a Dean, the student may begin work in the laboratory. There is no credit given or grading for laboratory rotations.

There is no set time limit for a laboratory rotation; however, all laboratory rotations must be completed by the end of the Spring Term of the first year (see Advisor Selection). For students who elect to perform a single rotation and to remain in that same laboratory for thesis research, the rotation period will typically begin in the summer and end when that student formally joins a laboratory at the end of November. For students who elect to perform multiple rotations, the typical duration of a rotation is approximately three months.

All laboratory rotations must be completed by the end of the Spring Term of the first year.