Recital, comprehensive and final examination, and thesis/essay committees are selected by the student with approval of his/her major professor. Tenured and tenure-track faculty are considered “regular graduate faculty.” Visitors, lecturers, emeritus, clinical and adjunct faculty may be approved for comprehensive and final examination committee membership (temporary graduate faculty status) by the Graduate College. Temporary graduate faculty status does not qualify one to serve as one of the required regular graduate faculty committee members.

The composition of committees may be defined further by the areas. Please check specific area guidelines.

Master's Committees

Master’s Recital Committees must be comprised of three members of the graduate faculty, with no fewer than two members of the regular graduate faculty.

The Final Examination Committee for the Master's degree consists of at least three members of the graduate faculty, appointed by the dean upon recommendation of the major department or program, at least two of whom are from the major department and at least two of whom are members of the regular graduate faculty. If the examination covers work in another department, one member of the committee must be from that department. Upon recommendation of the major department, the dean may appoint additional qualified persons (not necessarily members of the graduate faculty) to serve as voting members of the examining committee, and at their discretion the Graduate College dean may add a member to the committee.

Doctoral Committees

The Doctoral Recital, Comprehensive Examination and Final Examination are conducted by committees of no fewer than four members of the graduate faculty, three of whom must be regular members of the graduate faculty, appointed by the dean upon recommendation of the major department, except that departments may request the dean's permission to replace one of the four members of the graduate faculty by a recognized scholar of professorial rank from another academic institution. A member of the graduate faculty from outside the major department is required in those cases where a related field outside the major department is included in the comprehensive examination. 

Upon recommendation of the major department, the dean may appoint additional qualified persons (not necessarily members of the graduate faculty) to serve as voting members of the examining committees. A voting member may be added at the discretion of the Graduate College dean.

Notification of Exam Results

Students are to be notified by their major professor of the results of qualifying exams and recitals within two weeks of the exam or recital, of the results of final or comprehensive exams within three weeks of the exam, and of the results of essay, thesis, or dissertation defenses within forty-eight hours of the defense. In the event of a vote of Reservations on a qualifying recital, qualifying examination, or degree recital, the student and the Director of Graduate Studies are to be notified in writing by the major professor of how the Reservations will be satisfied. In the event of a vote of Reservations on a final or comprehensive examination, the student, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the appropriate Associate Dean of the Graduate College are to be notified in writing by the major professor of how the Reservations will be satisfied.