Reading Committee

Steps to obtain the Ph.D. Degree:

1 Ph.D. Qualifying Examination 2 Ph.D. Candidacy 3 Reading Committee 4 Coursework 5 Dissertation Proposal Presentation 6 University Oral Examination 7 Dissertation Preparation and Sumbission
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Forming the Reading Committee

After attaining Ph.D. Candidacy, in consultation with the faculty advisor, the student should form a reading committee. The reading committee approves the program of advanced coursework beyond the MS, including the technical breadth requirement. A Reading Committee Form must be completed and filed with the Student Services Office prior to the Dissertation Proposal Presentation.

Usually the reading committee form and the candidacy paperwork are submitted at the same time. Forms can be picked up at the Student Services Office.

Reading Committee Selection: The dissertation reading committee consists of three members: the principal dissertation advisor and two other readers. At least two members must be on the Academic Council.

Requests for Non-Academic Council Member

On occasion, a student may request that one non-academic council member be included on the reading committee. If the proposed reader is particularly well qualified to consult on the dissertation project, a Petition for Doctoral Committee Member form should be submitted to the Student Services Office. This reader must have a Ph.D. or the foreign equivalent and the petition must be accompanied by a current CV and signed by the academic advisor. Petitions can be printed from the Registrar's Website.

TGR Status

Once a student has completed the following milestones: 135 units of coursework (including 27 for technical breadth and depth), qualifying exam, advancing to candidacy, and reading committee form, the student can petition to become TGR (Terminal Graduate Registration). TGR status allows students to pay a reduced rate of tuition, which can dramatically benefit the research grants that may be paying the tuition bill.