Advisory Committee

M.S. student shall have an appointed M.S. Committee to guide their research training. The guiding principle for members of the M.S. Committee is the success of the student.

M.S. Committee Appointment

A student’s M.S. Committee shall be nominated as soon as possible after the student has secured an adviser, but in no event later than one calendar year following the date of the student’s enrollment unless an alternative timing is approved.

Minimum M.S. Committee Membership

A student’s M.S. Committee shall consist at minimum of three members of the Graduate Faculty, each of whom shall be in a position to contribute substantially to the student’s education. At least two of these members shall be from the student's major graduate program. The thesis adviser must be a member of the master’s committee.

M.S. Committee Member Roles

Each Committee shall have a M.S. Committee Chair/Adviser, Major Field Member, and Outside Field Member. For students pursuing a graduate minor, the M.S. Committee shall include a Minor Field Program Member representing each graduate minor. M.S. Committees may also include other participants who are not members of the Graduate Faculty but are otherwise qualified and have particular expertise in the student’s research area. All M.S. Committee Members are expected to participate fully in the affairs of the M.S. Committee.

M.S. Committee Chair/Adviser:

The M.S. Committee Chair shall be a member of the Graduate Faculty and the student’s major Graduate Program. The M.S. Committee Chair is typically the student’s Academic Adviser. The M.S. Committee Chair is responsible for arranging and conducting all M.S. Committee Meetings, ensuring that all Graduate Program, Graduate Council, and Graduate School standards and requirements relative to the doctoral degree are met, and that any conditions set by the M.S. Committee are fulfilled. For students pursuing dual-title degrees, either the M.S. Committee Chair/Adviser or a co-Chair/co-Adviser must be a Graduate Faculty member of the dual-title program.

Outside Field Member:

Each M.S. Committee shall have appointed at least one Outside Field Member. The Outside Field Member must have a disciplinary expertise different from the student’s primary field of study and is responsible for broadening the disciplinary perspective available to the student and the M.S. Committee. The Outside Field Member may be from student’s graduate program but may not also serve as a major program member. In cases where the candidate is also pursuing a dual-title program, any dual-title Graduate Faculty member of the M.S. Committee may serve as the Outside Field Member.

Minor Program Member(s):

M.S. Committees assigned to students pursuing graduate minors shall include at least one Minor Program Member for each graduate minor. Each graduate minor pursued by a student shall be represented by at least one Minor Program Member who is a member of the Graduate Faculty and a member of that minor graduate program. Minor Program Members are responsible for providing the student and the M.S. Committee with information, advice, and perspective on student progress in fulfilling the graduate minor requirements in the graduate program they represent.

Special Members:

M.S. Committees may include Special Members who are not members of the Graduate Faculty but are otherwise qualified and have particular expertise in the student’s research area. Special Members do not have to be affiliated with Penn State.

Responsibilities of the Committee

The primary responsibility of the M.S. Committee is to guide the broad scholarly development of the M.S. student, including direct responsibility for guidance and assessment of the student’s thesis research and academic progress toward the M.S. degree.

• The M.S. Committee shall approve the educational program for each individual student beyond the program requirements.
• The M.S. Committee can require additional education, including course work, depending on the student’s background and research plans.
• The M.S. Committee shall approve a written assessment of the student’s progress on an annual basis. This assessment will:
  • Recommendations, as appropriate, to improve the student’s research;
  • Any concerns identified and recommended actions to address the concerns.
• Include a review of any prior annual assessments.
• Address the quality of the student’s research and progress toward their degree, including:
• Assess the student’s professional development and provide any recommendations as appropriate and that reflect, to the extent possible, the student’s career goals;
• Accurately reflect the assessment by all members of the committee, including any minority opinions.
• The M.S. Committee shall assess the student’s thesis and recommend (or not) its approval to the Graduate School.
• The M.S. Committee shall conduct the student’s Final Oral Examination and assess the student’s performance on the examination.