Dissertation

[Clueless91]

Hey All, I will be starting my PhD this Fall and I need your help (please excuse my ignorance).

When selecting someone outside of my school (different state) on my dissertation committee, how would they be able to assist me?

Does he/she just call/email me from time to time? Do we physically meet periodically? Can I work with him/her on several projects as well?

Thank You! (I'm pretty new to all of this, sorry)

[fuzzylogician]

It's premature to worry about dissertation committee members before even starting your first year. The way dissertation advising works changes from program to program so you should talk to your advisor about this, but maybe not until you're a few years into the program and actually have a topic. Generally, an external member can be anything from a reader who you never meet with to someone from a nearby university who you have a standing weekly meeting with and who you have other projects with, and anything in between. If it's a good relationship, you probably want someone who would at the very least read your chapters and provide feedback on a somewhat regular basis, and perhaps agrees to have skype/in person meetings as the need arises.

 

(Also, please don't post the same question multiple times. I've locked your other post.) 

[TakeruK]

I agree that it is premature at this point and really depends on the school/program you go to. I just selected my committee members a few weeks ago (I'm halfway through year 3). At my program, there is no requirement to have any external people at all. But at one of my other schools, one program had a secret external reviewer (you and your supervisor select 3 names and the Graduate Office contacts them to be a blind reviewer!). I think this is something you and your supervisor will talk about when it's time to think about your committee!

[juilletmercredi]

Oh yeah, it's way too early to worry about this. And it varies from program to program.

 

I had an external committee member on my dissertation committee; he was literally across the country, although he had been a professor in my department when I began my dissertation. His contribution was limited to reading my dissertation proposal, approving the proposal (and giving me feedback about directions in which to go), and then reading my final dissertation draft and participating in the defense by asking questions and providing suggestions about publication. He didn't read drafts; we didn't have weekly or monthly or semesterly meetings; none of that.

 

However, it's varied with everyone. Some people's outside committee members did review drafts and had significant input on the direction of the project. One colleague actually worked directly with their outside committee member on research from her lab, and the only reason she wasn't the person's dissertation sponsor was because she couldn't be by the rules of our university (your sponsor had to be in your department). But this outside committee member was the true director of his dissertation research.

 

So really, it just varies depending on your relationship with them and your own desires.

[Clueless91]

Okay, this definitely make sense! Thank you all for calming my jitters!