Thesis Committee | Microbiology & Immunology @ UBC

The role of a thesis supervisory committee is to mentor the student throughout their program. The committee is also responsible for monitoring and assessing the student’s progress. Committee meetings are held at least annually to ensure the student is on track.

https://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/supervision-advising/supervisory-committee

Selecting your Committee

Your committee should consist of:

PhD Committee: Supervisor + 3 other members
At least one member of the committee other than the supervisor must be from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology.
All members must be at least Assistant Professors.
If the committee is to include members from outside the University, approval by Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and the Graduate Advisor must be obtained.
The majority of the committee members must be from UBC.
May include senior instructors, professors emeriti, honorary faculty, adjunct faculty, off-campus professionals as well as faculty members from other universities. A request for approval for such members submitted to the graduate program advisor should include a copy of the individual’s curriculum vitae.

Scheduling a Meeting

Regular meetings of a student with his/her advisory committee can provide valuable feedback and recommendations. Students should confirm a time with their supervisor then arrange the meeting with the Committee (an online poll can be used to set up a meeting eg. www.doodle.com) and then request the Graduate Program Coordinator to book a room, providing date(s) and time(s) of meeting. If a projector is required for the meeting, it can be requested from the Program Coordinator.

Meeting Format

A week prior to the meeting:

The written progress report (“Progress Report Outline”) must be submitted to thesis committee members at least one week before the meeting.

At the meeting:

Provide a 20-30 minute oral presentation to summarize research project and progress to date followed by a question and answer period.

After the meeting:

The Graduate Thesis Committee Report must be completed by the supervisor and signed by both the student and the supervisor. The Graduate Thesis Committee Report must be submitted to the Program Coordinator and will be kept in the student’s file.