Graduate Committee

The role of your graduate committee is to work with you to design a graduate program that will enable you to succeed in your professional career.

It is required that your committee be nominated and appointed before you file your Program of Study.  Beginning July 1, 2015 you will submit your Committee Assignment form (and Committee Change form if applicable) to Academic Affairs for approval.  It will be forwarded to the Registrar after approval.

Committee Composition:  PhD students must have a minimum of five members on the committee: three members from their academic department, one of whom is the committee Chair; an outside member (a UW faculty member from outside the student’s department); and a fifth member.  MS students must have a minimum of three members on the committee: two members from the department and one outside member.

The Chair of the committee represents the academic department. The outside member serves a dual role. In addition to providing guidance and expertise in the student’s graduate work, this person has a responsibility of monitoring the degree of fairness of the process for both the student and the University.

The Committee Assignment form is available on the Registrar’s Website and the department’s website.