Mentoring in Virtual Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs

Interdisciplinary and online graduate programs have been in existence for decades; yet universities often operate from a disciplinary, campus-based tradition. This can lead to challenges in faculty and student mentoring and student research engagement when expectations mirror a noninterdisciplinary, traditional on-campus model. However, positive mentoring experiences can develop when everyone thinks creatively. The current article highlights research on virtual mentoring of graduate students, mentoring of graduate students in interdisciplinary programs, and ways in which one online graduate program engaged students in a scholar-practitioner leadership development event. The current article concludes with recommendations on ways to engage students in the mentoring and research process, especially those who are distance-learning students in interdisciplinary programs.