Sociology Department

Sociology Department> Degree Programs> Graduate Program> Dissertation Committee

Subsequent to entering Phase II of the program, a student forms a dissertation committee, subject to all graduate division requirements. The dissertation committee replaces the guidance committee as the student’s main source of academic supervision. Members of a student’s guidance committee may serve on the dissertation committee as well, but this is not required. Attention should be paid to finding members with expertise in specific areas that the student expects to cover in her or his dissertation. The dissertation committee typically has five members (the graduate division minimum), and it is recommended that additional members be included only if they provide expertise that is missing in the rest of the committee.

In order for the committee to be formally established, a student must obtain the department Dissertation Committee Form, obtain signatures from each committee member, and turn the form in promptly to the department graduate secretary. A student who wishes to subsequently modify the composition of his or her dissertation committee must submit a new form with signatures of all members of the modified committee, as well as the graduate division Petition to Revise Thesis or Dissertation Committee.