Home About Michigan Doctoral Experience Study (MDES) Findings and Insights Ph.D. Students’ Views on Faculty Mentoring Ph.D. Students’ Views on Faculty Mentoring 2026 | Summary Report This report examines how Ph.D. students view the academic advising, career development, emotional support, and assistantship training they receive from faculty mentors. There are only minor differences in students’ assessments of mentoring by their discipline and demographic backgrounds. The most substantive difference in students’ views of faculty mentoring is related to program climate.