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Student Advisory Committees

Advisory committees are responsible for students' programs of study and theses or dissertations. Advisory committees are asked to forward a statement of student progress annually during the spring term to the Graduate Committee. Advisory committees have final approval authority within the Program for recommendations of granting graduate degrees in STS. The committees are responsible for forwarding these recommendations to the Graduate School.

Advising

All students are initially advised by the STS Director or appointed designee. The Admissions and Review Committee is responsible for determining which core courses, if any, will be waived for new M.S. and Ph.D. students.

During the second semester, each student enrolled in the program is to select a major advisor who will chair the advisory committee by filling out an advisory committee form. The selection is subject to the approval of the STS Director.

Committee Selection

Also during the second semester, each student will select an advisory committee, subject to approval of the STS Director, consisting of at least three faculty members for MS degree candidates and four members for Ph.D. candidates (click here for the appropriate form). Members of the advisory committee must include faculty from at least two of the program's cooperating units (STS, History, Philosophy, Political Science, and Sociology); qualified professionals from off campus may be included on the advisory committee. The Masters degree advisory committee, chaired by the student's major advisor, will supervise the student's general program of study and the student's thesis if the thesis option is chosen. In the case of Ph.D. students, the advisory committee will supervise the student's general program of study and dissertation. Any member of a student's committee can be changed at a later date should the student so request and all those involved in advising the student concur ("Change of Committee/Advisor" form).

Advisory committees hold annual meetings with their students in order to evaluate the student's progress toward degree. The student's advisor is responsible for arranging the meeting, normally late in the fall semester, and for forwarding a letter reporting the outcome of the meeting to the Graduate Committee. Students will be asked to write an evaluation of their own progress toward degree to share with the committee at the annual meeting.

Non STS Committee Members

Students who write theses or dissertations on topics that require a significant degree of competence in contemporary science and technology are expected to include a faculty member from the appropriate department of science or engineering as a member of their advisory committee. Such students should also be prepared to take whatever courses in science or technology that may be required to ensure their mastery of the subjects they have chosen to study.

Last updated 11/10/2006