Minimum requirements for the composition of an MS or PhD committee are specified by the graduate school.  Those policies can be found here and within the Advisory System section of the Graduate and Professional Bulletin.

The department has an additional requirement above the graduate school’s minimum requirements for a PhD committee in the case of a co-advisor.  Per department policy, when a student has a co-advisor, the committee should include at least two departmental members in addition to the advisor and co-advisor, as well as meet all requirements set by the graduate school.

It is the student’s responsibility (not the advisor’s) to enlist committee members.  It is recommended that a student discuss committee composition with their primary advisor prior to soliciting potential committee members.

The Ph.D. preliminary examination is an oral exam administered by the student’s graduate advisory committee after having passed STAT 720 and STAT 730. The Graduate School requires that this examination be administered at least two terms before the final dissertation defense. The student’s graduate advisory committee consists of the advisor(s) and at least three additional faculty members, including at least two faculty members from the Department of Statistics and at least one outside committee member. The student must provide two documents to the preliminary examination committee at least one week before the exam:

• A dissertation outline (up to two pages) that includes a statement of current progress;
• A research statement that includes a description of background, motivation of the problem, and summary of preliminary research results, or a research article

The PhD preliminary Exam consists of a public presentation with period of questions followed by a session involving the graduate advisory committee only. The advisor(s) should confirm details of the exam with the committee before the exam itself.

Amended by faculty vote January 2023.

A satisfactory dissertation must be completed, approved by the student’s graduate advisory committee, and defended in a final oral examination which is open to the University community. The dissertation must constitute original research in statistical theory or applications and must be submitted in a form acceptable to the Graduate School. The student’s dissertation results must be presented in a Departmental seminar.

The defense consists of a public presentation with period of questions followed by a session involving the graduate advisory committee. The advisor(s) should confirm the details of the exam with the committee before the exam itself.

The student must schedule the defense through the main office at least four weeks prior to the proposed date. This involves establishing and providing the following information:

• Date, Time, and Location of the defense
• Title and Abstract of presentation
• List of Committee members

The student must provide a copy of the dissertation to the graduate advisory committee three weeks before the exam.

Amended by faculty vote January 2023.