Although individual Programs may have pools of faculty that are required to serve on the Examining Committees of their students, the composition of exam committees must also comply with the following general GSBS guidelines:
The Examining Committee form is part of the Petition for the Ph.D. Candidacy Exam
- The Ph.D. Examining Committee consists of 5 members, with at least 2 who have not served on the student's Advisory Committee
- The advisor (chair of the student's Advisory Committee) may not serve in any capacity on the Examining Committee, and is not permitted in the exam room
- The Examining Committee Chair must be a member of the student's Program.
- At least 1 member's research must lie outside the student's major discipline
- The spouse, domestic partner, parent or child of the advisor may not serve in any capacity on the Examining Committee
- Individuals outside the GSBS Faculty may serve on a student's committee when their particular areas of expertise are not represented on the GSBS Faculty, but there may be no more than 2 such members on the committee. Students should submit an NIH format biosketch for all proposed members who are not GSBS faculty
- Faculty with a terminal M.S. or S.M.S. degree may serve on an Examining Committee only if the faculty member has specific relevant expertise not found among available GSBS members who hold a doctorate and a written justification is provided to the Academic Standards Committee along with the committee composition form
Upon approval by the Academic Standards Committee, the Examining Committee and the student are notified by the Dean and sent instructions for the exam.
If it is necessary to change the composition of the Examining Committee after it has been approved by the Academic Standards Committee, go to the Academic Forms page on the GSBS website to find the committee change form.
If a member of the Examining Committee is unable to attend the examination, a substitute who meets the same criteria (e.g., outside the student's major interest or from another department/Program) must be added. The individual must be a GSBS faculty member. The student should send an email to Dr. Mattox and copy the committee chair as well as the substitute member to request approval of the substitution.