Supervisory Committee

Supervisory Committee 

With the aid of the student’s Research Adviser, the student will choose a supervisory committee with a minimum of 3 faculty members. Typically the Research Adviser will act as the supervisory committee chair. Students should select a committee from a list of approved faculty members affiliated with the Biological Design Graduate Program.

If a faculty member has been chosen who is not on the approved list, the student must submit a Committee Approval Request to the Graduate Advisor.

The supervisory committee roles include advising the student during the research and writing of the dissertation, and evaluating the dissertation defense. After the student passes the comprehensive examination, the supervisory committee will approve the proposed dissertation prospectus. To finalize the committee, a student should submit the Supervisory Committee form, including all applicable signatures to the Graduate Advisor.

Change of Thesis Advisor or Committee Member

If a change of advisor or committee member is desired, the student will need to change the advisor listed on their iPOS and submit a new Committee Approval Request. The signed form should be submitted to the Graduate Advisor for additional review and approvals.