What strategies can a doctoral student employ to maneuver the trials and tribulations of a dissertation committee? In Part 2, we established that finding an advisor who communicates well and finding committee members who are willing to challenge you (within limits) are important. What is the fifth and final guideline you ask? Guideline…

Choosing a committee can be a daunting task for a doctoral student.  We’ve already covered two strategies that can help you through this process.  To recap, choose a committee that will balance the theory, methodology, and practical wisdom necessary to help you craft a strong dissertation, and pick members who are able and willing to invest time in you.  Here are…

So you’re ready to pick your committee members; there are a few things to keep in mind first—after all, it is a 3–6 year process. It is essential that doctoral students take the time to reflect on who they will choose to guide and mentor them through the doctoral process and to eventually determine whether they have earned the degree. It should be said that I come from a social…

Choosing the right defense committee can potentially be the difference between a smooth transition of receiving your doctoral degree or dodging bullets in an all-out civil war. Hyperbole aside, I’ve been particularly lucky with picking my defense committee members. However, I’ve had colleagues who have struggled, so it’s easy to be on either side of this tough choice. As a new blogger to this site,…