Doctorate Programs - General Information

Role of Program Chair

The responsibilities of the program chair entail the following:

1. Recommend committee members to the Graduate College, with the advice and consent of the student. If changes in the committee membership are desired, they must be approved by the program chair and the committee member must be duly notified.
   
   
2. Guide the student in filing a program of study as soon as possible upon acceptance of this appointment. This should be done in consultation with the committee members before submitting it to the Graduate College. Guide the student in identifying course substitutions if necessary.
   
   
3. Guide the student to arrange periodic meetings with the program committee to assess the student's progress (typically at least yearly).
   
   
4. Supervise the design of, and coordinate, the comprehensive examination.
   
   
5. Schedule an oral defense of the comprehensive examination within two weeks of the student's written examination.