Exam Committees

Committee Assignment Forms

To assign or update their committee, students complete steps 1-4 as outlined on the OneStop website.

If you want a faculty member who is no longer at the University, or who is from another institution, on your committee there are additional steps that must be completed in order to add that person. Please reach out to your GPC as soon as possible if you think you may want a committee member who is external to the University.

M.A. Committee

With your advisor, establish your examining committee by December 1 of your second year. The committee consists of a minimum of 3 graduate faculty: 2 from FRIT (one of whom is your advisor) and an outside faculty member (if you have a designated minor, the person must be from that field). Ideally, the student should have taken a seminar from, or worked with, each committee member prior to forming the committee.

Per committee policies,

  • At least two members must be from the major field.
  • At least one member must represent a field outside of a student’s major field.
  • If a student has a declared minor(s), the outside member(s) must be from the minor field(s).
  • Members cannot satisfy the requirement with respect to more than one field.

Advisor:

  • Must represent the major field on the committee.
  • May serve as Chair for the final examination.

Co-advisor (if any):

  • May represent the major field or the outside/minor field.
  • May serve as Chair for the final examination

The GDP form/GPAS Planner must have been submitted and in the system before you can submit your committee.

Ph.D. Prelim Committee

With your advisor, establish your committee for the preliminary examination by December 1. This may be done sooner, but cannot be completed until your GDP form/GPAS Planner has been submitted and is in the system.

The doctoral preliminary and final oral examination committees must consist of at least four members, including the advisor(s). All members of the committees and the candidate must participate.

Per committee policy,

  • At least three members (including the advisor) must be from your major field.
  • At least one member must represent a field outside the major.
  • If you have declared a minor, at least one member must represent the minor field.
  • Members cannot satisfy the requirement with respect to more than one field.

Advisor

  • Must represent the major on the preliminary oral and final oral committees.
  • May serve as chair for the preliminary oral examination.

Co-advisor (if any)

  • May represent the major or the minor/outside field on the preliminary oral and final oral committees.
  • May serve as chair for the preliminary oral examination.

If they wish, students should schedule a meeting with their Ph.D. Advisory Committee to discuss preparation for the preliminary examination, at least one semester prior to the preliminary examination. Remember, the committee is an important resource as students continue to focus and refine their dissertation topics through the prelims and the prospectus.

Ph.D. Final Oral Committee

Your final oral (dissertation defense) committee usually consists of the same members as your prelim but doesn't have to. Even if the members of your final oral committee are the same as for your prelim committee, you still must submit the online form. The doctoral final oral examination committees must consist of at least four members, including the advisor(s). All members of the committees and the candidate must participate.

Per committee policy,

  • At least three members (including the advisor) must be from your major field.
  • At least one member must represent a field outside the major.
  • If you have declared a minor, at least one member must represent the minor field.
  • Members cannot satisfy the requirement with respect to more than one field.

Thesis Reviewers for Final Oral Exam

  • A minimum of two major field reviewers and one minor/outside reviewer are required. In the case of multiple minors, there must be a reviewer for each minor.
  • Advisor(s) must serve as reviewers.
  • Every designated reviewer on the doctoral dissertation reviewer’s report must certify that the dissertation is ready for defense before the doctoral final oral examination may take place.

Advisor

  • Must represent the major on the final oral committee.
  • The chair of the doctoral final oral examination committee may not be the candidate’s advisor.

Co-advisor (if any)

  • May represent the major or the minor/outside field on the final oral committee.
  • The chair of the doctoral final oral examination committee may not be the candidate’s co-advisor.

Committee Substitutions on the examining committee may be necessitated by such circumstances as a faculty member's temporary absence or leave from the University or an emergency situation. The adviser or the Director of Graduate Studies must request approval from the Graduate School concerning such substitutions well in advance of the examination.