This program recognizes that generative AI is rapidly transforming education, research, scholarship and professional practice. Because expectations surrounding AI use continue to evolve, doctoral students who choose to use AI should engage thoughtfully and critically with these technologies while maintaining the highest standards of scholarly integrity.
Transparency in AI use is expected throughout the program. Students are expected to discuss any proposed use of AI in major research milestones—including the research analysis exam, research component, dissertation proposals, dissertations, manuscripts, conference presentations and other scholarly products—with their faculty advisor and, when appropriate, their dissertation committee before incorporating AI into their work. These conversations should help students develop an informed scholarly stance toward AI and its complex relationship to research design, data collection and analysis, interpretation, writing, publication and knowledge production.
Students are also expected to consider emerging ethical, legal and methodological questions surrounding AI, including issues of authorship, transparency, privacy, confidentiality, intellectual property, bias and human subjects’ protections. AI should support, not replace, the student’s own intellectual contributions, critical thinking and scholarly judgment. Faculty advisors and dissertation committees retain discretion in determining appropriate AI use for individual research projects.
Regardless of whether AI tools are used, doctoral students remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, integrity and quality of all work submitted in fulfillment of program research milestones. This includes responsibility for verifying the accuracy of analyses, interpretations, citations and other scholarly content, and for identifying and correcting any errors, omissions, fabrications or biases introduced through AI use. The use of AI does not diminish or transfer the student’s responsibility for the work they submit.