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The chair and a majority of the members of a student's supervisory committee must be from disciplines certified as eligible to participate in the Ph.D. program. The student's research adviser must be a regular doctoral faculty member from the student's primary-unit discipline.

The adviser assists the student in identifying other members of the doctoral faculty to form a supervisory committee appropriate to the student's research goals. A request for appointment of supervisory committee is included as part of the written proposal for the student's Ph.D. plan of study.

The supervisory committee shall be composed of one doctoral faculty from each of the primary and co-disciplines with a maximum of three from any one discipline. Up to two of the remaining members of each committee can hold either graduate or adjunct graduate faculty status.  Final approval of the composition of each supervisory committee shall be obtained in writing by the adviser (or committee chair) from the Dean of the Graduate school. Where graduate or adjunct graduate faculty are included, the adviser shall provide  a strong justification for their inclusion.

An outside reader may also be included on the supervisory committee as a non-voting member.

Annual Evaluation of Progress

During the spring semester, Interdisciplinary Ph.D. students, using forms provided by the School of Graduate Studies, must submit a summary of their accomplishments over the previous year and a projection of the progress they intend to make during the next academic year. Forms are submitted to their interim advisers or, if their supervisory committees have been formed, to the chairs of their supervisory committee. The faculty adviser or supervisory committee chair will review the student's report and meet with the student to discuss the student's progress and plans for the coming year. They will provide the student and the School of Graduate Studies with a copy of the completed evaluation form. Failure to meet this requirement may result in a hold being placed on the student's enrollment.