Psychology Head Tutor Ken Nakayama says a Faculty of Arts and Science policy adopted two years ago, which halved the minimum time between faculty leaves, has complicated the process of finding a thesis adviser as well.

“If a psych professor leaves during the long process of doing a thesis, often over three semesters, it jeopardizes the process,” he says. “That’s one of the reasons it’s hard. You have to find a person to relate to over a period of time.”

“Many capable and eager students, who are academically eligible to write theses, are being excluded,” Tobel says.

Finally, with the number of students studying abroad rising steadily over the past few years, plans for doing so can further complicate the process of finding a thesis adviser. In the 2003-2004 academic year, 308 students studied abroad—about a 40 percent increase over the previous year’s 221 students.

“One problem I am beginning to encounter is clashes between students wanting to take junior year abroad while at the same time undertaking a senior thesis,” Biology Head Tutor David A. Haig wrote in an e-mail.

Bernstein says she encourages students planning to study abroad during their junior spring “to find someone before they leave or look for someone while they’re abroad.”

The process of finding a thesis adviser may also be more complicated in departments that do not require theses.

“The Government department, because they don’t require students to write a thesis, may not provide the same kind of support,” says Bernstein. “Since we require a thesis, to some extent, the burden is on us to help students find advisers.”

—Staff writer Tina Wang can be reached at tinawang@fas.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Lulu Zhou can be reached at luluzhou@fas.harvard.edu.