Selection of dissertation/thesis advisor

The selection of a faculty advisor is an important step in the process of graduate education. The student should have discussions with many members in the Department before making a decision, including current graduate students. The decision of where to pursue your dissertation/thesis must be based on a mutual agreement between the student and the faculty.

After acceptance into a lab, the student will report directly to their faculty advisor. The expectations of performance and accomplishment will be established by the advisor and it will be up to the student to perform in a satisfactory manner. Failure to perform may result in dismissal from graduate school or termination of work.

Doctoral/Masters Committee Make-up

The Committee is appointed by the Dean of The Graduate School after receiving recommendations from the student and Department.

  • Committee Chair - A tenured or tenure-track faculty member serves as the chair of the student's committee and acts as a channel of communication within the department. This is most commonly your faculty advisor.
  • Committee Composition - A Doctoral Committee is composed of a minimum of four members, including the Committee Chair. The majority of the committee (at least 3) should be made up of faculty from the department. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of many degrees, the remaining members can be drawn from faculty outside of the department. A Master’s Committee has a minimum of three members, the majority (at least 2) should be made up of faculty from the department. The department head will convey the committee composition to The Graduate School. Final approval of committee composition is made by The Graduate School.
  • Non-Tenure Track Committee Members - Committee members not holding tenure or tenure-track faculty status at MSU must submit documentation of their qualifications, including a curriculum vitae and a letter of recommendation from the student’s department head to The Graduate School. In some cases, these committee members may act as co-chair of a student’s committee.
  • Changes to the Committee - The student may make changes to their committee, using the Committee Revision Changes in committee composition may not be made due to examination scheduling problems.

All changes in the composition of the Doctoral/Masters Committee must be submitted on Official Forms.

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