Examining/Advisory Committees
All masters and doctoral students writing a thesis or dissertation must form an examining committee. The examining committee supervises the student throughout their program and completion of their thesis or dissertation.
Unless otherwise specified by the academic department, masters students enrolled in a non-thesis program are not required to form an examining committee.
Thesis Examining Committee Requirements
- A student’s thesis examining committee must have a minimum of two members. Members of an examining committee must hold Graduate Faculty status at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
- The Chair of the Committee must be the student's advisor and ranked as a 'Regular' or 'Research' member of the Graduate Faculty in the student's area of concentration.
- Faculty from other institutions may serve, uncompensated, as members of a student's examining committee. Faculty from other institutions must be approved by the student's advisor and become members of the Graduate Faculty at the “Visiting and Collaborative Faculty” rank.
Dissertation Advisory Committee Requirements
- A student’s dissertation committee must consist of at least three members. Members of an examining committee must hold Graduate Faculty status at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
- The Chair of the Committee must be the student's advisor and ranked as a Research Member of the Graduate Faculty.
- Other committee members must also be members of the Graduate Faculty.
- Faculty from other institutions may serve, uncompensated, as members of a student's examining committee. Faculty from other institutions must be approved by the student's advisor and become members of the Graduate Faculty at the “Visiting and Collaborative Faculty” rank.
