Ph.D. Program Committee (PC)

University regulations note the possibility of having two separate supervisory committees, a Program Committee and a Dissertation Committee. In the Department of MAE these will normally be one and the same and will be designated as the Program Committee (PC).

The advisor, in consultation with the student, will establish a PC, the purposes of which are to:

1. Approve the program of study (POS).
2. Provide guidance for the student's research.
3. Administer the comprehensive examination.
4. Administer the dissertation defense.

The PC shall consist of at least five ASU faculty with the majority being from MAE, but at least one being from outside the Department. Participation of individuals from institutions external to ASU is encouraged, but these shall be non-voting members. Furthermore the PC should have the following character:

1. Advisor (PC Chair); must be from MAE.
2. Two or three additional faculty in the student's general area of research.
3. At least one faculty outside the student's general area of research (e.g. mathematics, physics or other Engineering disciplines).

A change in the PC requires approval of the Department Chair