Ph.D. dissertation advisor and committee selection

Each student must secure a Doctoral Thesis Advisor (Dissertation Advisor, Advisor), and Dissertation Committee. The student should choose the Advisor according to her/his research interests and the field of mathematics where she/he wishes to pursue writing a dissertation. Typically the Advisor is a faculty member with whom the student has interacted previously, for instance, by having taken classes with her/him. The student should identify an Advisor as early as possible, ideally during their first two years in the program, but no later than by the end of their 3^rd year.

The Dissertation Committee, chosen in consultation between the student and her/his Advisor, serves as an advisory board to the student during her/his doctoral program, on issues such as class selection, research work, Oral Exam, dissertation preparation, and defense. The student is encouraged to form this committee as early as possible, but not later than the end of their 3^rd year.

The Dissertation Committee must consist of a minimum of 5 graduate faculty members, including the Advisor, who functions as the committee’s chair. At least 2 other committee members must be from the student’s major department/program, and at least 1 committee member must be from another department in a field related to the student’s major. Additionally, at least one Graduate School representative must serve on the committee. Formal approval of the committee is made by the Graduate Dean.