Doctoral Supervisory Committee

Upon admission to the program, a student is assigned a temporary advisor. The student is responsible for working with the temporary advisor until the student selects a dissertation director and an advisory committee. The student should select a director and advisory committee as soon after the student's admission as is feasible. This is especially important for students who have completed a considerable amount of graduate work elsewhere.

The doctoral supervisory committee includes the dissertation director plus a faculty member from the student's intended major, who is selected by the student to become chair of the doctoral supervisory committee. The chair of the committee need not be the dissertation director, but should be selected from a list of approved chairs established by the Associate Dean. The dissertation director must be a member of the George Mason graduate faculty. Other committee members are selected to form a committee of at least four people from the George Mason graduate faculty. At least three of these faculty members must be from IT&E. At least two of the departments of IT&E must be represented on this committee. In addition, industrial representatives and faculty members from departments outside of the school are highly desirable but are not required on the committee. The doctoral supervisory committee administers the comprehensive examination, the dissertation proposal presentation, and the dissertation predefense and defense.

Permission for the comprehensive examination and the dissertation defense are requested from the IT&E Associate Dean on the basis of a written request and plan that has been approved by the supervisory committee.