This decision will be based on the faculty's opinion about the student's ability to do independent research as demonstrated in the overall performance in rotations, courses, and the qualifying exam. If a thesis advisor from outside the Department is chose, then a co-advisor from the Department will be assigned. The student should discuss the choice and the co-advisor with the Director of Graduate Studies before beginning research. The Director of Graduate Studies will appoint a Provisional Thesis Committee after the qualifying exam that will meet with the student once a year to review progress. The first meeting will be at the end of the second year, when the thesis prospectus will be presented.
Students are responsible for arranging the time to meet with the committee.
After the first year, all students must meet with their committees at least once each year and this means students may not wait until the last week to set up appointments. If faculty members on the assigned committees cannot meet with the students before that date because the faculty members are on leave, the students should inform the Director of Graduate Studies who will assign substitutes for the year. A description of the meeting is the Appendix. After students have met with their committees, they should notify Kathy Fisher, the Department Registrar, SHM B334, 5-4545, in order to indicate that they have met the requirement. Those who have not met with their committees by June 1st of each year will automatically lose their stipends.