Supervisory Committee for Graduate Students

As a general principle, each student working toward a graduate degree at the University of Washington is guided by a faculty supervisory committee. This committee serves an important evaluative and mentoring function for the student throughout his or her graduate career.

The Master's Supervisory Committee

Appointment of a supervisory committee for students aspiring to the Master's degree is determined by the Graduate Faculty in the degree-offering unit or program. The Graduate Program Coordinator, in consultation with the student and appropriate faculty members, appoints a committee of two to four members. The Chair and at least one-half of the total membership must be members of the graduate faculty.

Doctoral Dissertation Supervisory Committee

The appointment of a doctoral supervisory committee indicates that the Graduate Faculty in the student's field find his/her background and achievement a sufficient basis for admission into a program of doctoral study and research. (Students are not admitted directly into a doctoral program when they are admitted to The Graduate School.)

Appointing the Doctoral Supervisory Committee, including the Graduate School Representative (GSR)

In order to allow time to identify a suitable Graduate School Representative (GSR), it is suggested that the doctoral supervisory committee be established at least four months prior to the intended date of the General Examination. The appointment of a committee is initiated by the Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC) after consultation with appropriate Graduate Faculty members in the student's field and with the student.  The GPC recommends members of the supervisory committee to the Dean of The Graduate School by entering this information into MyGrad Program.

The doctoral supervisory committee consists of a minimum of four members, at least three of whom (including the Chair and the GSR) must be members of the Graduate Faculty with an endorsement to chair doctoral committees.  A majority of the members must be members of the Graduate Faculty.  The GSR must be a productive scholar in his or her own research area that may differ from that of the student’s dissertation project.  The remaining members must be identified by the student's appointing department or program as productive scholars in the student's major field and/or subfields.  The Chair(s) of a committee must be able and willing to assume principal responsibility for advising the student.  In addition, the Chair(s) should have adequate time available for this work and should expect to be accessible to the student.  Emeritus/a faculty may serve as a Chair if the above conditions are met.  Co-Chairs may be appointed when both serve with equal importance on a student’s supervisory committee and equally share the responsibility for the student's progress.  Affiliate faculty may serve as a Chair if they meet the above conditions and either of the following conditions is met: 1) the committee includes a co-chair who is a non-affiliate Graduate Faculty member OR; 2) the committee includes two non-affiliate members of the Graduate Faculty with an endorsement to Chair from the program offering the student's degree.

The GSR represents the broad concerns of The Graduate School with respect to high standards of scholarly performance, ensuring that the student’s mastery of the subject matter is broad and comprehensive.  The GSR is a voting member of the committee and must attest to the validity of examinations, must indicate approval of the process by which examinations are conducted, must ensure that the student is treated in an unbiased manner, and must represent The Graduate School in ensuring university-wide standards of scholarly performance.  Thus, the GSR must sign the warrant and submit a standardized report on the examination process to the Dean of The Graduate School.  As a full voting member of the dissertation supervisory committee, the GSR provides an important service function to The Graduate School and the University.

As with all doctoral supervisory committee members, the GSR is proposed to The Graduate School by the Graduate Program Coordinator in the student’s degree-offering unit and must be a member of the Graduate Faculty with an endorsement to Chair.  Faculty members with primary, joint, adjunct, or affiliate appointments in the student’s degree-offering unit or the committee chair’s department are not eligible to serve as the GSR.  However, exceptions to this policy, especially for interdisciplinary programs, may be requested for adjunct faculty only by Petition to the Dean of The Graduate School.  Such petitions may be submitted for individual students or for whole departments or programs.  It is vital that the appearance of conflict of interest in the selection of the GSR be avoided.  Budgetary relationships, personal relationships, or research and/or publication relationships between the GSR and either the student or the committee chair are examples of possible conflicts of interest.  (See GSR Roles for more information.)  The GSR is responsible for ensuring that no such conflicts of interest, or appearance of conflicts of interest, exist, and must attest to this upon request.

Functions of the Doctoral Supervisory Committee

Doctoral supervisory committee member responsibilities include the approval of a course of study which will fulfill the general course requirements of the student's major and supporting fields, conducting the student's General Examination and, when appropriate, recommending advancement to Candidacy. The doctoral supervisory committee approves the Candidate's dissertation proposal and guides the student in carrying out appropriate research for the dissertation. At least four members of the committee (including the Chair, GSR, and one additional Graduate Faculty member) must be present at both the General and Final Examinations.

After the General Examination, the Graduate Program Coordinator informs the Dean of The Graduate School of at least three members of the supervisory committee who will serve on the reading committee.  At least one of the members of the reading committee must hold an endorsement to chair doctoral committees.  The reading committee is appointed to read and approve the dissertation. 

When the reading committee has read a draft of the entire dissertation and the members of the doctoral supervisory committee agree that the Candidate is prepared to take the Final Examination, all members of the doctoral supervisory committee must sign the Request for Final Examination form.  At the Final Examination the dissertation is evaluated and, if a majority of the supervisory committee members in attendance agree that the evaluation is positive, the recommendation is made to the Dean of The Graduate School (via the warrant) that the degree be awarded.  If members of the doctoral supervisory committee do not agree with the majority recommendation concerning the examination, the minority report portion of the warrant must be used.

Questions concerning the appointment and functions of supervisory committees for master's or doctoral students may be directed to the Graduate School's Office of Student Services. Additional information on graduate supervisory committees may be found in the University's General Catalog.

Practice Doctorate Supervisory Committee

A practice doctorate is intended as preparation for professional practice at the frontiers of existing knowledge (see Graduate School Memo #6).  The appointment of a practice doctoral supervisory committee indicates that the Graduate Faculty in the student's field finds his/her background and achievement a sufficient basis for progression in the doctoral program.  Because a practice doctorate involves extensive coursework and a project that typically is less extensive than a PhD dissertation, and because general and final exams are often conducted for cohorts of students, the requirements for supervisory committee membership differ from those for a PhD.

The practice doctoral supervisory committee should be established as soon as possible during the student’s training.  The Graduate Program Coordinator initiates the appointment of the committee after consultation with appropriate Graduate Faculty members in the student's field and with the student.  The Graduate Program Coordinator recommends members of the supervisory committee to the Dean of The Graduate School by entering this information into MyGrad Program.

The practice doctoral supervisory committee consists of a minimum of three members.  Of this group, at least two (including the Chair) must be members of the Graduate Faculty with an endorsement to chair doctoral committees.  Co-Chairs may be appointed when both serve with equal importance on a student’s supervisory committee and equally share the responsibility for the student's progress.  At least half of the members must be members of the Graduate Faculty.  The remaining members must be identified by the student's appointing department or program as productive scholars or practitioners in the student's major field and/or subfields. The Chair or Co-chairs of a committee must be able and willing to assume principal responsibility for advising the student.  In addition, the Chair or Co-chairs should have adequate time available for this work and should expect to be accessible to the student.  Emeritus/a faculty may serve as a Chair if the above conditions are met.   An affiliate faculty member may serve as a Chair if he or she meets the above conditions and either of the following conditions is met:  1) the doctoral supervisory committee includes a co-chair who is a non-affiliate Graduate Faculty member OR; 2) the doctoral supervisory committee includes two non-affiliate members of the Graduate Faculty with an endorsement to Chair from the program offering the student's degree.

Degree-offering units either require that student committees have a Graduate School Representative (GSR) or the unit forms an impartial review committee separate from the practice doctoral supervisory committee.  One of these two options must be selected for all students in a specific degree program.  Each of these is intended to represent the broad concerns of The Graduate School with respect to high standards of scholarly performance and ensuring that the students’ mastery of the subject matter is appropriate. 

If a GSR is used, as with all doctoral supervisory committee members, the GSR is proposed to The Graduate School by the Graduate Program Coordinator in the student’s degree-offering unit and must be a member of the Graduate Faculty with an endorsement to Chair.  Faculty members with primary, joint, adjunct, or affiliate appointments in the student’s degree-offering unit or the committee chair’s department are not eligible to serve as the GSR.  However, exceptions to this policy, especially for interdisciplinary programs, may be requested for adjunct faculty only by Petition to the Dean of The Graduate School.  Such petitions may be submitted for individual students or for whole departments or programs.  It is vital that the appearance of conflict of interest in the selection of the GSR be avoided.  Budgetary relationships, personal relationships, or research and/or publication relationships between the GSR and either the student or the committee chair are examples of possible conflicts of interest.  (See GSR Roles for more information.)  The GSR is responsible for ensuring that no such conflicts of interest, or appearance of conflicts of interest, exist, and must attest to this upon request.

If an impartial committee is used, it must include a minimum of three members of the Graduate Faculty who do not have primary, joint, adjunct, or affiliate appointments in the student’s degree-offering unit.  However, exceptions to this policy, especially for interdisciplinary departments, may be requested by Petition to the Dean of The Graduate School.  Such petitions may be submitted for individual students or for whole programs.  It is vital that the appearance of conflict of interest in the selection of the impartial committee be avoided.  Budgetary relationships, personal relationships, or research and/or publication relationships between the impartial committee members and either the student or the doctoral supervisory committee chair are examples of possible conflicts of interest.  (See GSR Roles for more information.)  The impartial committee is responsible for ensuring that no such conflicts of interest, or appearance of conflicts of interest, exist, and must attest to this upon request.

If students disagree with the judgments of the supervisory committee and they do not have a GSR, after consultation with the Graduate Program Coordinator, the degree-offering unit shall use the existing impartial review committee to respond to the student’s concerns.  A report detailing the process and outcome related to this committee review shall be submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator and then to The Graduate School, as needed.

Practice doctoral supervisory committee member responsibilities include: approval of the student's program of study; criteria for progression, which may include a general examination, certification, or other requirements; approval and oversight of the student’s project proposal; and attendance and approval of the final examination.  At least the Chair and one additional graduate faculty member and either the GSR or a representative of the impartial review committee must be present at the Final Examination.