Requirements for Ph.D. Preliminary Examination and Thesis Committees

All requirements of the Graduate College, plus the following departmental requirements:

Doctoral committees in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures have at least five faculty members, a majority of whom must be members of the department. Once the student is admitted to doctoral candidacy, the thesis director functions as the student’s advisor.

The Ph.D. committee is appointed by the Dean of the Graduate College upon the recommendation of the Head of the Department. The committee normally consists of five graduate faculty members, a majority of whom must be in the Department. As per the requirements of the Graduate College, two of the four voting members of the committee must be tenured.

The Department Head recommends membership on the committee after consultation with the student.

At least two of the three written examinations must be administered by members of the graduate faculty of the Department. All members of the committee read the written examinations and the thesis and may pose questions in the oral examinations.