Doctoral Student Oral Exam Committee Composition

Committee Composition Requirements

Doctoral student oral examinations include the doctoral comprehensive oral exam and the doctoral final oral exam (e.g., dissertation defense).

1. Doctoral committees are composed of at least four (4) voting members. This is the minimum requirement. Individual schools, the College, or individual units and programs may set higher minimum.
2. While committee membership should be determined in consultation with the student, graduate units have the final determination on questions of committee membership.
3. All committee members must be members of the Graduate Faculty authorized to serve on doctoral exams.
4. The committee chair must be authorized to chair doctoral examinations.
5. The majority of committee members must be tenured or tenure-track faculty in the candidate’s unit or program of study. 

   Tenured and tenure-track faculty who are appointed as courtesy faculty within a program or unit are considered to be faculty of that program or unit, for the purposes of committee composition.

   As long as this majority requirement is met, additional committee members may be, but need not be, a member of the candidate’s unit or program.

6. One (1) member must meet the requirements for serving as the Graduate Studies Representative (GSR), as outlined in the GSR policy. 

As long as the conditions above are met, the committee may include more than four (4) members.

While committees are not required to have a co-chair, the student or the committee members may recommend a co-chair in addition to the chair of record. Co-chairs must be authorized to serve on doctoral committees. They need not be authorized to chair. Please see the Graduate Faculty Appointment policy for more information on the co-chair role.

Substitutions of the committee chair (and/or co-chair) are prohibited after the committee has been approved by the Graduate Division of the school or College. If a committee chair (and/or co-chair) needs to be replaced, the revised committee must be approved by the Graduate Division in advance of the exam.

Substitutions of the committee members are permitted as long as the new committee meets the requirements above. Additional members can be added after the committee has been approved by the Graduate Division of the school or College. Additions and substitutions must be approved by the Graduate Division in advance of the exam.