The student may select a dissertation chair from among members of the Bloustein School graduate faculty, who may or may not be the student's former faculty adviser. Before presenting himself or herself for the qualifying examination, the student must procure a letter from a member of the faculty of the doctoral program expressing willingness to chair and supervise the student's dissertation. This letter is to be submitted to the director of the doctoral program and the Bloustein School's Office of Student and Academic Services.
Upon approval of the thesis topic (see Dissertation Proposal) a candidate, in consultation with the chair of the thesis committee and the doctoral program director, shall form a dissertation committee of four faculty members, including one member from outside of the Bloustein School. The members need not be the same as the comprehensive examination committee. Once the committee is constituted, the student should write a memo to the doctoral program director specifying the committee membership. This memo must be approved by both the faculty member who is denoted as chair of that thesis committee and the doctoral program director and will then be placed in the student's file.
