Masters Committee Requirements & Process

Final Examination Committee Requirements

Most graduate programs require that committee members have Graduate Education Responsibilities (GER) in the field they represent (major field or minor/outside of the major field). Advisers and committee members must also meet college-specific requirements to carry out graduate education responsibilities. Check here to verify faculty have GER in the major field and/or minor/outside of the major field.

The final examination committee must consist of at least three members, including the adviser(s). All members of the committee and the student must participate in the final examination. At least one member of the committee must represent a field outside the student's major field. If the student has a declared minor(s), the outside member(s) must be from the minor field(s). Also, members cannot satisfy the requirement with respect to more than one field.

  • Adviser
    • Must represent the major field on the examination committee
    • May serve as chair for the final examination
  • Co-adviser (if any)
    • May represent the major field or the outside/minor field
    • May serve as chair for the final examination
  • Thesis Reviewers (Plan A only)
    • Assigned committee members also serve as thesis reviewers for the Plan A

Committee: Selection & How to Update

Use the electronic form launched from this page to assign members to your master's final examination committee or to update members on an existing committee. You will need your Internet ID and password to launch the form. Once submitted, your form will be routed to your advisor, Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), and college for review and approval. Email confirmation will be sent to your U of M email upon final approval. Please do not submit duplicate requests. If you have questions about completing this form, contact gssp@umn.edu. Please launch this form only after you've finalized your committee member selections and at minimum one month prior to your exam date.

Instructions:

1. Check here to verify faculty have GER in the major field and/or minor/outside of the major field.

  • Most graduate programs require that committee members have Graduate Education Responsibilities (GER) in the field they represent (major field or minor/outside of the major field).

2. Review the committee composition requirements for master's degree committees (described above).

3. Determine who will serve as:

  • Chair of the committee
  • Outside/minor field examiner

4. Obtain the internet ID or employee ID number for each member of your committee.

  • Internet IDs for UMN employees can be found in the University Directory
  • In order to be added to a graduate committee, all committee members, including non-UMN members, need to hold a UMN Employee ID and a UMN Email address. You can find the process for appointing an external committee member here.

5. Submit your examination committee assignment.

  • To launch the electronic form to select your committee, click here.

6. Making changes in the examining committee.

  • Substitutions on the examining committee may be necessitated by such circumstances as a faculty member's temporary absence or leave from the University. The adviser or the Director of Graduate Studies must request the Graduate School's approval of such substitutions well in advance of the examination. Substitutions for an oral examination that are necessitated by emergency situations must also be approved in advance. In such cases, the adviser should consult with the Graduate School staff before the start of the examination.

 

If you have any problems with the committee selection process, please contact: