PhD in Education Program - Making Progress

School of Teacher Education and Leadership

After Admission - Getting Established

Upon admission to the doctoral program, students are assigned an initial advisor.  Initial advisors can help students select appropriate coursework, discuss topics of interest, and recommend seminal works that students may wish to read to get oriented to their respective fields or areas of interest. Although regular communication with initial advisors is recommended, students must meet with their initial advisors during each Spring semester to discuss program progress and complete the Annual Review form that is submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC). The Annual Review process should include confirming the courses completed and those planned for the coming semesters, as well as completion of any of the USU PhD Residency Requirements. The Annual Review is also a time for initial advisors to help students determine their Supervisory Committee Chair and faculty who can serve as members of the Supervisory Committee or Co-Chair. These are the faculty who will support students in the design and completion of their dissertation research. In some cases, the initial advisor becomes the Supervisory Committee Chair (also known as the Major Professor) and works with the student in determining at least four other members of the Supervisory Committee and planning an approved Program of Study (the courses that will fulfill the degree requirements).

After 12 Credits - Establishing a Committee

During the first semester or two, students should determine if they are a good match with their initial advisor. If so, this person should be asked to serve as the Supervisory Chair (a.k.a. Major Advisor). The Supervisory Chair will be the person in the program from whom a student will receive the most feedback and spend the most time. It is critical that the student and Chair share common scholarly interests. To that end, TEAL works to expose students to its many faculty via presentation and research highlights.

If another faculty member is a better match for guidance through the program and dissertation efforts, and is willing, a student may request that they serve as Chair. As a courtesy, students should communicate with their initial advisor about such a change. When approximately 18 credits of doctoral work have been completed, students should identify a Chair and at least four other potential members for their Supervisory Committee.

Early in the second year, with the guidance of their Chair, students should file the form that establishes their approved Supervisory Committee. Identified faculty must hold a doctorate, be active researchers, and be approved to chair or serve on doctoral committees within the C & I doctoral program. Graduate faculty status is determined by the Department Head and approved by the Dean, and a list of approved faculty is available from the Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC).

It is the student’s responsibility to contact faculty, inform them of any areas of specialization and research interests, and invite them to serve on the student’s committee. Students must include one faculty member outside of TEAL and should include someone to provide guidance on research methods. Once the five-member committee (including a Chair, an outside member and a methodologist) is determined, the Committee members' names and roles can be submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC) who will file and forward the Supervisory Committee Approval Form (SCAF) to the Graduate School for signatures and final approval. The School of Graduate Studies requires this form to be submitted prior to the end of the third semester. Once established, the five-person Committee will confer to help determine the student's Program of Study (POS) form, approve any course substitutions, and subsequently develop the sections of the student's Comprehensive Exam.

Note: It is not unusual for the composition of a Supervisory Committee to change due to faculty retirements, sabbaticals, leaves, reassignments, change in research interests, or the arrival of new faculty members. Students should submit any changes of Committee Members to the Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC) who will file a Supervisory Committee Approval Form Revision with the School of Graduate Studies for approval. However, changes in the Committee composition are not allowed during the six weeks prior to the final defense of the completed dissertation.