Departmental Policy
Graduate students who receive financial support for their graduate studies whether from a research grant, departmental sources including graduate student instructorships, or an extramural fellowship in an amount equal to or exceeding the departmental guidelines for full-time graduate study (see "Principles"), are expected to devote full-time effort to graduate studies and research. Therefore, paid employment outside the Department of Bioengineering is not generally permitted for supported graduate students and must be approved by both the student's faculty advisor and the Graduate Affairs Committee.
This policy does not strictly apply to "unsupported" students, and exceptions will generally be considered for students receiving less than the amount indicated in the departmental guideline for full-time study. Exceptions will be considered favorably in those instances where the outside employment is clearly related to the graduate research or study goals of the student and is approved by the advisor, unless such employment clearly reduces the availability of paid positions (such as TAships in other departments) open to unsupported bioengineering graduate students.
University Policy
At its October 11, 1996 meeting, the Graduate Council approved the following policy regarding a graduate student's employment outside UCSD in a company in which his/her research advisor has an interest. If a graduate student is employed by a company outside UC San Diego in which a faculty member has a fiduciary interest (e.g. owns, consults), then that faculty member may not serve as the thesis/dissertation advisor of the graduate student. However, such a faculty member may participate on the student's thesis/dissertation committee. Further, if the faculty member is on the thesis/dissertation committee, then he/she must inform the University, through the appropriate offices, of the situation and any possible conflict of interest. Upon review, exceptions may be granted by the Dean of Graduate Studies. Questions regarding this policy may be referred to Mary Allen, Director, Graduate Academic Affairs, (858) 534-3552, mallen@ucsd.edu or to Dean Kim Barrett.