The Final Examination Committee for the dissertation is appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School and consists of at least five members of the graduate faculty. With the approval of his or her adviser, a student may recommend a faculty member from outside the department or program who will serve as the Chair of the Final Examination Committee.
The dissertation adviser must justify the participation of external experts who are not members of the graduate faculty on the basis of research, publications and/or professional activities.
If the external expert is to be a voting and signing member of the Final Examination Committee, the adviser must communicate to the Dean of the Graduate School, in writing, the qualifications of the external expert.Other faculty members may attend the final examination and participate in the questioning. The examination covering the student's major field of concentration and the dissertation is held no later than ten days before graduation.
After the examination of the degree candidate, the chair shall ask each of the members of the Final Examination Committee whether the candidate has passed unconditionally, passed upon rectifying deficiencies, or failed. If all committee members agree that the student has passed unconditionally, the committee members shall sign the title sheet and the student shall be recommended for award of the degree. If reservations are expressed by committee members, the chair of the committee shall ensure that the reservations are communicated to the student and the Dean of the Graduate School. The student and the adviser are jointly responsible for ensuring that the dissertation is modified to meet the committee's reservations. When the dissertation has been modified, the student passes the examination. The committee members shall sign the title sheet, and the student shall be recommended for award of the degree.
If, in the opinion of more than one member of the thesis or dissertation committee, the student has failed the examination, there is no consensus to pass. The chair of the committee shall advise the student that the dissertation fails to meet the requirements of the Graduate School. The chair shall ensure that the student knows the reason(s) for failure. If the student submits a revised or new dissertation for consideration by the Graduate School, at least three members for the new dissertation committee shall be drawn from the original committee. If the modified or new dissertation fails to meet the requirements of the Graduate School, the student shall be dismissed from the Graduate School.