Forming a Dissertation Committee

This committee will evaluate the student’s candidacy report and conduct the oral examinations, and later evaluate the student’s dissertation and conduct the final oral exam.

Once the student has been admitted to candidacy by the Graduate School, any changes to the Dissertation Committee must be requested with a formal petition to the Dean of Graduate Studies and a reason for the change must be given.

Students must form a dissertation committee comprised of a minimum of four committee members.  The composition of this committee may be slightly different than the committee for the candidacy exam as outlined below. 

• The candidacy exam committee should consist of a  minimum of 4 people  - at least 2 Chemical Engineering GSC members and 1 member outside the GSC in addition to the advisor and co-advisors.  Outside members may include faculty from other departments and programs, other universities or research scientists in industry.  The student should compose this candidacy exam committee in consultation with their supervising professor.  After successfully completing the candidacy exam, the dissertation committee must consist of (at a minimum) at least three members of the ChemE GSC and one outside member (in this committee, the advisor/co-advisor count in this total). 

• To add a committee member outside the University of Texas, or a member who is not a part of the GSC, contact the Graduate School about the delivery of a curriculum vita, which is required. Curriculum vitae may be emailed to the Graduate School, gradstudentsvcs@austin.utexas.edu. Please include your UT EID in all emails to the Graduate School and copy chemegrad@utexas.edu.  

• To make a change to your dissertation committee, complete the Request for Change in Doctoral Committee Form, and email the completed form to gradstudentsvcs@austin.utexas.edu and copy chemegrad@utexas.edu 

The department requires that no food be brought to the oral exam.