In addition to the formal doctoral programs, special interdisciplinary Ph.D. programs may be arranged for students who wish to pursue subjects that cut across program boundaries. A student who seeks the Ph.D. in an area requiring the services of two or more program faculties should consult interested faculty members and then submit a formal proposal outlining a program of study to the dean of the Graduate School–New Brunswick. Courses, examinations, the dissertation topic, and the names of faculty members who have agreed to serve as the student's committee must have the approval of the directors of the graduate programs involved. Requests for special programs normally are considered only after the student has completed satisfactorily at least one year of work in the Graduate School–New Brunswick. Upon receiving written approval of the faculties concerned, the dean appoints an ad hoc committee to supervise the remainder of the student's program of graduate study and research. The university transfers the student to the interdisciplinary Ph.D. program (curriculum code 554).
