Graduate committee

Advisory-examining committee

Before the end of the second semester, the student selects an advisor/committee chair from the Spanish graduate faculty, completes the declaration of advisor/major advisor/committee chair form and informs the graduate director accordingly. The advisor/committee chair, who must have at least one area of specialization in the student's chosen primary area of concentration, advises the student and supervises the student's program of study. Before the end of the semester prior to the semester (preferably sooner) in which the student plans to take the comprehensive examinations, the student selects, in consultation with the advisor/committee chair, a member of the Spanish graduate faculty who specializes in the student's secondary area of concentration and a graduate school representative who is not a member of this department. Together, the chair, the member and the representative form the advisory-examining committee (A-E committee). This committee advises the student, supervises the student's program of study and conducts the student's written comprehensive and oral examinations. Failure to complete the declaration of advisor/major advisor/committee chair and the A-E committee/program of study forms within the allotted times is sufficient cause for dismissal from the program and removal from graduate assistantship applicant and reappointment lists.

If a major-minor program is elected, two members must represent the major, as above, one must represent the minor and one from neither program, must represent the Graduate School.

The advisor/committee chair and the A-E committee, in consultation with the student, determine the student's program of study, including the thesis (if the student has elected the thesis option) and acceptable courses for completion of the degree. The A-E committee may require the student to take additional courses if, in its opinion, supplementary study is needed to achieve the expected level of mastery. It is the responsibility of the student and the A-E committee to ensure that the graduate courses in the program of study are consistent with the requirements of the department and the graduate school. Formal approval of the A-E committee and the program of study is made by the Dean of the Graduate School.

Committee member changes may be made only for valid reasons, like a committee member's illness or absence from campus, but no change may be made without the approval of the graduate director and the Graduate School. Failure to complete satisfactorily the written or oral comprehensive examinations, in whole or in part, is not a valid reason for changing the make-up of the committee.

Graduate school representatives

A Graduate School representative is a member of the University's graduate faculty who is not a member of the Department of World Languages and Literatures. The student selects a representative who agrees to serve on the student's A-E Committee. Members who have served on previous committees, or who have expressed a willingness to serve include the following (students need not limit themselves to this list):

See all eligible graduate faculty