What does a PHD committee do?

The committee’s formal job is to assess the Ph. D student’s dissertation proposal, determine that the work being proposed is sufficient for a dissertation, and then evaluate the final dissertation defense and decide whether to grant the student a Ph. D or not. Informally, a Ph.

What does a dissertation committee member do?

Dissertation committee members serve in a mentoring capacity, offering constructive feedback on your writing and research, as well as guiding your revision efforts. They are also the gatekeepers of the ivory tower, and the ultimate judges of whether or not your dissertation passes muster.

What is a thesis/dissertation committee?

Thesis/dissertation committees have an established place in the academic world and play a vital role in the guidance and direction of graduate student research. One member of the committee, the chair, has a more formal administrative relationship with the student because of the way the university recognizes the chair’s responsibilities.

What is a thesis defense for a PhD?

The whole purpose of the thesis defense (PhD viva in the UK) is to show that you wrote your dissertation, that what you did was original (came from your ideas) and that you’ve thought about it critically. You don’t necessarily need to know all the answers to all the questions.

What is the purpose of a PhD committee?

In some sense, the Ph.D. committee is just a formal mechanism to stimulate interaction between faculty and students. It is generally recommended that a student have at least one committee member who is not a specialist in the general area of research pursued in the thesis.

Is it normal to have a tough thesis committee?

This is your research, your education, and your future that’s on the line. It’s normal for your thesis committee to challenge you, and hold you to a rigorous standard. While you’re settling on a thesis topic and conducting your research, it can even be preferable to have a “tough” thesis committee.