# Responsibilities/role of an adviser in a PhD program **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 29, 2014, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responsibilities-role-of-an-adviser-in-a-phd-program/687317 "2014-04-29T22:20:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responsibilities-role-of-an-adviser-in-a-phd-program/687317/21 "2014-05-01T16:19:06Z")
> [@UTejas](#): > > It was chemistry. We only had to take 6 courses before entering candidacy. In order to be able to get paid, we had to maintain a 3.0. So, obviously a B- or less is effectively failing the class, and your GPA is basically fixed forever once you take those 6 classes because dissertation credits are pass/fail. It generally worked that the 3 core classes were graded as if grades mattered and the 3 elective courses tended to be the “show up, try, and everyone will get an A” course. In that case, a 4.0 after the first year is actually meaningful. No seminar classes? In CS when I went (and in EE at Stanford recently) lots of grad students went to a seminar, and got an A for showing up and doing one talk a semester at most. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responsibilities-role-of-an-adviser-in-a-phd-program/687317/22 "2014-05-01T16:46:52Z")
Yeah, in the few graded seminars I saw (most were just pass/fail and everyone passed), the grading rubric was explicitly given as “Show up every week, get a B. Give a talk, get an A.”. ---
**Author:** ![UTejas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UTejas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UTejas)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responsibilities-role-of-an-adviser-in-a-phd-program/687317/23 "2014-05-01T17:39:20Z")
We had to register for seminar, but it was all pass/fail. I would assume that when graded seminars exist, they’re basically a free A for showing up and slightly participating. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responsibilities-role-of-an-adviser-in-a-phd-program/687317/24 "2014-05-01T19:36:44Z")
> [@UTejas](#): > > We had to register for seminar, but it was all pass/fail. I would assume that when graded seminars exist, they’re basically a free A for showing up and slightly participating. That’s right. You’d have to work really hard to not get an A in any seminar I’ve either been in or been invited to. IIRC your official dissertation class didn’t get a grade each term, but got carried over until you finally finished. I assume I got on A on mine, but I was out of there. Probably the grade that is cared about least in the entire university system. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responsibilities-role-of-an-adviser-in-a-phd-program/687317/25 "2014-05-01T19:38:56Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Yeah, in the few graded seminars I saw (most were just pass/fail and everyone passed), the grading rubric was explicitly given as “Show up every week, get a B. Give a talk, get an A.”. The one I sat in on had more people than talk slots, and most of the talks were done by either guests or those further along on their research, so it was a show up every week and get an A deal. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responsibilities-role-of-an-adviser-in-a-phd-program/687317.md?page=1)