What is the difference between the specialty examination committee and the dissertation committee?
The specialty examination committee, whose membership is described above, is a Department committee which is assigned to evaluate the student’s potential to complete a satisfactory dissertation following his/her successful completion of the written and oral portion of the qualifying exam. The committee also evaluates and judges the student’s dissertation prospectus. The dissertation committee is a committee appointed by the Graduate School to evaluate the student’s dissertation and recommend to the university that the student has met all requirements for the Ph.D. degree and should be eligible for graduation (however note its additional role as discussed above). The two committees are entirely separate but may contain some common membership.
The specialty examination committee, whose membership is described above, is a Department committee which is assigned to evaluate the student’s potential to complete a satisfactory dissertation following his/her successful completion of the written and oral portion of the qualifying exam. The committee also evaluates and judges the student’s dissertation prospectus. The dissertation committee is a committee appointed by the Graduate Schoolto evaluate the student’s dissertation and recommend to the university that the student has met all requirements for the Ph.D. degree and should be eligible for graduation (however note its additional role as discussed above). The two committees are entirely separate but may contain some common membership.
