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Dissertation committee request: sample email and guide, published by steve tippins on june 26, 2019 june 26, 2019.

Last Updated on: 2nd February 2024, 02:34 am

Having found your Chairperson to work with, now it is time to fill you committee. Regardless of the number of additional committee members that you need, it is important to go about this process strategically. As with the beginning of any relationship, how you begin is important. 

In this article, I cover:

• How to find members for your dissertation committee
• A sample email for a dissertation committee request
• How to evaluate potential committee members
• How to ask them to be on your committee

Finding and Choosing Dissertation Committee Members

Ask your committee chair.

Talking to your chair is a good place to start in looking for additional dissertation committee members . Who do they recommend for your specific project? You can ask who they don’t work well with, but most people won’t answer this question for obvious reasons.

Talk to Other Students

You probably have a network of fellow students. Ask for their input on potential committee members . I suggest you do this through private emails or in conversation rather than on group message boards so that people can speak freely about their experiences.

Do Your Research

Once you get a list of names either from your Chair, a university list, or from fellow students do some research. Find the CV of each person (most schools have this type of information available). See what types of research they have done. 

Where have they published? How recently have they published? What types of methodology have they used? You may also find people with whom you share an interest which helps when making a connection.

Look at previous dissertations that they have worked on. What were the topics? What methodologies were used? Were they acknowledged by previous students?

Dissertation Committee Request: Sample Email

Once you have come up with a final list of potential candidates, email them to gauge their interest. Many students wonder how to ask someone to be on their dissertation committee. I have included a sample email for a dissertation committee request below.

Dear Dr. ____

Please let me introduce myself. My name is ___ ___ and I am a doctoral student at ___ University working on my dissertation. My topic is ___. I am searching for an additional committee member for my dissertation committee.

I know that you are busy but I have looked at the committees that you have worked on and your research [it is flattering to include a specific example] and think that your membership on my committee could be very beneficial for me.

If you have an interest in filling this position please let me know so that we can set up a time to talk and get to know each other.

Respectfully,

Ima Student

Interviewing Potential Dissertation Committee Members

After you get responses you should write to set up phone calls with interested potential committee members. I suggest that you prepare a list of questions to ask each person. Example questions include:

• Do you like to see work in pieces as it’s completed or in finished chapters?
• Do you prefer direct communication or for all communication to go through the Chair?
• How long do you usually take to do reviews?
• Are there faculty members that you work well with and don’t fit well with?
• What attributes do you see in students who succeed?
• Do you have any initial ideas based up what I have shared with you about my topic?
• Do you have any questions that you want to ask me?

Students often forget that they can interview potential committee members. Doing so tends to impress faculty, as it indicates your seriousness and commitment. I can say that very few people have interviewed me to be a member of their committee, and those that have have been especially successful in navigating the challenges of writing a dissertation .

How to Ask Someone to Be on Your Dissertation Committee

If you’ve followed all of the above steps, the rest should be pretty simple. The professor knows that you’ve taken the time to see if they’re a good fit, and that you are conscientious enough to do your research and respect their time. A simple email telling them that you would be honored if they would serve as your committee member is just fine. Remember, though, it’s still an ask –you’re not telling them they’re on your committee.

How to Request a Dissertation Committee Member: Summary

Choosing committee members is important. You want a committee where everyone is pulling for you to reach your goal. It doesn’t take a lot of time to explore potential committee members, and in the long run that small time investment can pay off.

For additional support, you can also consider a dissertation coach . They can help guide you through the process and even finish more quickly, as you will avoid unnecessary pitfalls and delays. Read more about how to choose a dissertation coach here.

Steve Tippins

Steve Tippins, PhD, has thrived in academia for over thirty years. He continues to love teaching in addition to coaching recent PhD graduates as well as students writing their dissertations. Learn more about his dissertation coaching and career coaching services. Book a Free Consultation with Steve Tippins

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6 Email Templates to Ask Someone to be on Your Thesis Committee

By: Author Hiuyan Lam

Posted on Last updated: October 20, 2023

Categories Professional Etiquette

Writing a thesis is one of the most challenging parts of being an undergraduate or graduate student. You need to know how to ask someone to be on your thesis committee, especially if you are looking for a mentor to guide you through the writing process.

If you are currently starting the dissertation process, these unique email templates will help show you how to ask someone to be on your thesis committee.

How to ask someone to be on your thesis committee: When asking senior students

  These email templates will help you figure out how to ask a senior student to be on your thesis committee.   Senior students are perfect for helping you through the writing process. You can ask a student with whom you get along and share similar ideas.  

When asking professors to be on your thesis committee

  Your professor would be an invaluable addition to your thesis committee, especially since they could provide you with unique insight and constructive criticism.   Here is how to ask someone to be on your thesis committee if the person is your professor.  

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How to ask someone to be on your thesis committee: When asking professionals in your field

  Professionals can offer diverse and useful expertise if they choose to join your thesis committee. Here is how to ask someone to be on your thesis committee if you’re asking professionals in your field.  

  These are unique email templates that you can use when trying to figure out how to ask someone to be on your thesis committee.   Whether it is your professor, a senior student in your faculty, or a professional in your field, these templates will help you get that positive response that you are seeking.   If you are currently working on your thesis and wondering how to ask someone to be on your thesis committee, these templates will surely help you get some ideas.  

9 Proven Tips for a Successful Dissertation Committee Email Request

Get a “YES” on your Dissertation Committee Email Request : Securing faculty members to serve on your dissertation committee is a critical step in completing your doctoral degree. Committee members agree to closely guide your dissertation research and writing from proposal through final defense.

Choosing the right people and making a strong request is key to starting this important journey on the right foot. This article provides proven tips and strategies for crafting an effective dissertation committee email request.

Before proceeding, let’s understand what a dissertation committee is.

Table of Contents

What’s a Dissertation Committees

Before diving into crafting your email, understand the basics of what a dissertation committee is and its composition.

A dissertation committee is usually made up of three to five faculty members who direct and evaluate a doctoral candidate’s dissertation research and writing. At minimum, it includes your dissertation chair or advisor who leads the committee and two additional members.

Committee members should have relevant expertise in your dissertation topic area and research methods. The chair usually holds a terminal degree in your field of study and has deep subject matter knowledge and dissertation mentoring experience.

Other members typically have doctorates as well and bring complementary areas of specialization to give you well-rounded feedback and oversight.

It’s preferable to have at least one committee member from outside your home department to provide a fresh external perspective. Your graduate program will have specific policies around committee composition, so be sure to review these guidelines before making requests.

The goal is to assemble a team of scholars enthusiastically invested in helping you conduct and complete high-quality original research. Here are some dissertation research examples to start your projects.

Dissertation Committee Email Request: Proven Tips to get a “YES” from Your Professors

1. do thorough research on potential members.

The first step to crafting an effective request email is conducting in-depth research on potential committee members. Beyond just their bios and credentials listed online, dig deeper into their research interests, current projects, and publications.

Look for alignment and overlap with your proposed dissertation topic to demonstrate how a faculty member would be well-suited to serve.

Go beyond just browsing public profiles – talk to other students, program staff, and current advisees to get insider perspectives. Ask what professors’ research and advising styles are like.

Learn which ones are particularly dedicated mentors willing to provide prompt feedback and support. Gauge appropriateness of workload – avoid bombarding the busiest faculty. With quality qualitative research, you’ll write a much stronger targeted case for specific individuals.

2. Customize Each Email Request

Rather than blasting a form letter to multiple professors at once, take the time to individually customize each email request. Address professors by name and reference something unique and relevant you learned about their work.

Show you understand their specialty areas and how your topic fits rather than broadly stating “I’m interested in Quantum Physics”. Demonstrate thoughtful consideration for why they in particular would make valuable committee members.

3. Highlight Connections

It’s not enough to simply state your interest – draw explicit connections between your research and a professor’s. Mention how a paper or project of theirs inspired an aspect of your work or methodology. Note any past classes taken from them to establish credibility as a dedicated student.

Point to similarities in a particular theoretical framework or discipline used. Quantify connections wherever possible rather than leaving statements vague. The clearer the synergies, the stronger case you’ll make.

4. Show Preparedness and Organization

Part of appealing to busy professors is demonstrating you’ve done the necessary groundwork so they won’t have to spend excessive time bringing a new student up to speed.

Attach a draft dissertation prospectus, timeline, or chapter outline to illustrate your proposal is developed and you’ve put serious critical thought into the research process and design already.

Offer to meet in person to provide further details and discuss next steps if interested in joining your committee. Convince them you’re organized and won’t require excessive hand-holding.

5. Highlight Mutually Beneficial Partnership

While faculty serve to mentor students primarily, frame committee membership as a mutually beneficial professional partnership. Note how a professor’s guidance could strengthen your work to a level warranting publication or conference presentation, thereby advancing both your careers.

Express enthusiasm for the opportunity to collaborate on related research with them going forward as a result of being advised through the dissertation. Highlight potential synergies and long term scholarly cooperation rather than it solely being a favor to you.

6. Emphasize Timeline and Commitment Needed

Be transparent about anticipated timeline, milestones, and level of involvement expected from committee members. Provide a draft completion schedule spanning IRB approval through final defense, noting when key checkpoints like proposal and full draft reviews are anticipated.

Outline roughly how many hours of meetings or feedback iterations they should expect per semester. Reassure professors you understand their other obligations and appreciate any commitment, even if a rigorous timeline can’t be promised. Honesty prevents future scope creep concerns.

7. Follow Best Practices for Email Format

While content of your message is most important, small formatting details also influence readability and response rates. Keep the email concise at 2-3 well-spaced paragraphs. Use a clear descriptive subject line stating the purpose succinctly.

Compose in a reader-friendly text format rather than an attached document. Include required contact information prominently like your name, program, and student ID. Proofread thoroughly for typos or awkward phrasing before sending to maintain professionalism. Attractive formatting leaves a positive first impression.

8. Add Appropriate Closing

Close by thanking the professor for considering your request and restating your enthusiasm and qualifications for the opportunity. Indicate next steps such as following up by phone within a week if no response is received or a deadline for response if needed to meet program deadlines.

Express willingness to provide any additional needed context in person. Close courteously whether a meeting is scheduled or not to maintain good rapport for future occasions. Leaving the door open maintains networking relationships even if an initial ask is declined.

9. Keep Trying Until Successful

Securing ideal committee members typically requires persistence, so keep networking and refining requests until confirmation is received. Respectfully follow up emails after a week or two if no initial response.

Reach out during posted faculty office hours if possible to have productive in-person discussions. Consult program advisors for alternative suggestions if all targeted professors decline.

Maintaining a positive attitude during the process reflects well and often secures backup options still committed to student success. With patience and continued effort, strong committees can usually be assembled.

Templates for Dissertation Committee Email Requests

Here are examples highlighting qualifications while requesting guidance:

Template #1 Subject: Dissertation Committee Inquiry – A Cross-country Analysis of Renewable Subsidies

Dear Dr. [Last Name],

I am a PhD candidate at University of Michigan studying the impacts of climate policy on agricultural innovation. My dissertation examines cross-country analysis of renewable subsidies and yields over the past decade.

Your publications on European Union renewable targets and rural development directly inform my project. I appreciate your thought leadership in this area and believe your insight would greatly enrich my research. I have reviewed my prospectus and timeline with my advisor, Dr. Johnson, and we believe finalizing my committee allows sufficient time for meaningful feedback.

I would be honored if you would consider joining my dissertation committee. Please let me know if you require any additional information. I have attached my prospectus for your review and look forward to discussing further if you accept this request.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely, [Your Name]

Template #2 Subject: Dissertation Committee Formation for Spring 2025

Dear Professor Jones,

I am a PhD student at Stanford studying US-China relations in the 21st century. My dissertation project analyzes patterns in trade and foreign direct investment since 2000 using novel datasets.

Your expertise in East Asian economics and quantitative political analysis would be incredibly valuable as I develop my models and analyze results. After reviewing my research plan with my advisor Prof. Smith, we believe your insight would strengthen my contribution to the field.

I have attached my prospectus outlining my key research questions and intend to defend by next Fall if possible. Please advise if you would be willing to serve on my dissertation committee. I am available to discuss further at your convenience.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response.

Best regards, [Your Name]

Properly formatted requests effectively persuade respected scholars that accepting enhances their meaningful impact. Maintain a tone reflecting each scholar’s stature.

Follow-Up Best Practices

After initially contacting candidates:

• Send prompt thank you emails reiterating your appreciation for their consideration
• Follow up with any who request additional information within a week
• If still pending, send a respectful follow up email after 2-3 weeks
• Clearly communicate next steps including deadlines upon receiving positive or negative replies
• Express understanding and appreciation for feedback helping your research progress

Timely, courteous follow ups demonstrate enthusiasm while respecting scholars’ obligations. Maintain regular contact with your advisor regarding progress. Persistence, gratitude and professionalism maximize response rates.

Conclusion on Dissertation Committee Email Request

Securing top scholars for your dissertation committee takes strategic planning and relationship building through effective outreach. By thoroughly researching potential members, customizing compelling requests highlighting synergies, and following up courteously, your chances of enlisting dedicated mentors increase greatly.

With the right committee in place, you’ll receive invaluable guidance transitioning your ideas into a quality final product advancing both your career and field of study. Perseverance and sincere scholarly partnership are keys to dissertation success.

Get More Dissertation Committee Email Request Now!

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Sample emails to your thesis supervisor

A good thesis requires good communication between you and your thesis supervisor. This includes emails! Yet, even a simple email can lead to stress and overthinking. If you struggle to communicate with your thesis supervisor via email, have a look at six sample emails for inspiration.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase using the links below at  no additional cost to you.  I only recommend products or services that I truly believe can benefit my audience. As always, my opinions are my own.

General tips for emailing your thesis supervisor

Sample email to thesis supervisor inquiring about potential supervision, sample email to thesis supervisor setting up a meeting, sample email to thesis supervisor sharing post-meeting action points, sample email to thesis supervisor asking for feedback, sample email to thesis supervisor asking for support, sample email to thesis supervisor when not meeting a deadline.

Every relationship between student and thesis supervisor is unique. And everyone has a unique (email) writing style.

Nonetheless, there are a few general tips for emailing your thesis supervisor:

• Properly address your supervisor. In some contexts, it is acceptable that students address their supervisors on a first-name basis. In others, it would be completely unthinkable! So make sure to follow context-specific standards, and learn how to address your supervisor depending on their position and rank in the university hierarchy . When in doubt, always go for the more formal option (Dr. x, Professor x, Prof. Dr. x, Mr. x, Ms. x).
• Keep your emails short. No one wants to read an email of the length of a novel. Too much text can bury your main request. Always state clearly what you want. Don’t expect your thesis supervisor to read between the lines.
• Create accompanying calendar invites to your emails. Once you and your thesis supervisor/s agree on a meeting date via email, make sure that you send everyone involved a calendar invite via email. It will be greatly appreciated.
• Don’t overthink your emails too much. You may obsess about formulating a certain sentence or making sure no word is missing and no grammatical mistake is made. While emails to your supervisor should not read like a jotted-down text message, overthinking your emails is also a waste of time. Your supervisor will not judge you if your email includes one whacky sentence or a single spelling mistake.

The first email to a potential thesis supervisor tends to be very formal. If you have never met the potential thesis supervisor in person before, make sure to check out tips on how to cold-email professors. In the following sample email, however, we assume that the student and the potential thesis supervisor met before.

Successful (postgraduate) students are proactive and take matters into their own hands. Reaching out to their thesis supervisors to set up a meeting is one part of it. The following sample email contains a simple request from a student to meet with her thesis supervisor.

To get the most out of thesis supervision meetings , it is highly recommended that the student takes notes during the meeting. Based on these notes, the student then summarises the key takeaways from the meeting, or action points, so to speak. These action points will guide the student’s work until the next meeting, and provide a written record of agreements.

Sometimes, it does not make sense to wait for feedback until the next supervision meeting. Of course, students should not bombard their supervisors with constant questions via email. However, a kind request once in a while is usually accepted and appreciated. The following sample email showcases a student asking for feedback.

As a student, it can also happen that you get stuck. Often, it is better to reach out and ask your thesis supervisor for support, both in terms of content or any other challenges you experience. Don’t suffer in silence. The following sample email shows an example of a student asking for support.

And lastly, there are the unfortunate occasions where you made agreements with your thesis supervisor, which you cannot meet. Pulling an all-nighter is generally a bad idea, as sleep is crucial for efficient thesis writing . It might be smarter, to be honest, and open about it and to inform your thesis advisor in advance. In the following sample email, the student informs the supervisor that he cannot meet the agreed deadline.

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Email Template To Ask Someone To Be On Your Thesis Committee

You will certainly believe that you must start on the right path to begin any relationship of any kind. Regardless of the relationship type, either casual friendship or professional relationship, all must start with a good impression that will last long. Writing a thesis document at any stage of your education can be very challenging, tasking, and draining if suitable measures are not implemented. Now that you have decided to get started with your thesis, you need collaborative efforts from others to help you achieve your academic thesis goals. Here is the Email Template To Ask Someone To Be On Your Thesis Committee.

Having found the right person to be the chairperson of your thesis committee, it is high time you be on the lookout for the committee members. In this piece, you would understand how you can easily find thesis committee members, sample email for the committee members’ request, how you can evaluate people willing to join your committees and the best way to ask them to join. 

Finding and choosing committee members for your thesis

Talk to your committee chairman.

Talking to your committee chairman is a good step in the right direction, and informing the person, you are on the lookout for other committee members. Firstly this action would help you have a second opinion about the characteristics of people you should add to your committee. Besides, as for the individual input, with these requests, the committee chairman will know that you are ready to get started with your thesis and that you trust their wealth of knowledge which prop you to also for help.   You can also be specific by asking them about individuals they do not want to work with on the team. 

Talk to other students.

IndeedIndeed, you will have networks of friends you might want to talk to about setting up a thesis committee. Ask for their opinion on who should make your committee list and who should not, and it is better to have this conversation through private discussion and not through. This will enable your friend to recommend trustworthy people and are ready to work on any thesis. 

Carry out your research

Of course, you do not just want anybody on your committee, as the success of your thesis is significant to you. Once you have a list of potential people to work with and onboard as your committee members, it is time to do some basic research about those people. You shouldn’t depend on the information you have gathered from either your thesis committee chairperson or friends and other students. Find out what the people on the list are about and do extensive research on them. Ensure you lay your hands on each person’s CV and see what research they have done in the past. With this information, you will get the appropriate information that will help you picture the most promising thesis committee members. You can have a table to categorize individuals into groups like; what they published in the past? In their research and publications, what methodology do they adopt? Besides, you might find people who have the same interest as you through your research, which would be a great point to connect with them. 

Interviewing potential members that will join your thesis committee 

Firstly you must understand that onboarding the right person to join your team can easily make your task easier to achieve. Meanwhile, if you have the wrong person on the thesis committee, you are bound to have issues in achieving your thesis goal in time. With this in mind, you must quiz every potential member appropriately to avoid itching when ready to get the work done. Generally, the best approach to make the interview a successful one is effectively gauging their research ability. Understanding how they approach research and publication can give you an insight into how resourceful that individual will be to your group. You can prepare some sets of questions you would need to ask them, which can be as listed below:

• How do you view research work? Is it in pieces or finished chapters?
• What is your preferred communication method? For example, do you prefer it to go through the chairman in charge of the committee, or do you choose direct communication?
• When it comes to reviews, how long does it take you to get them done?
• Are there members of the faculty you find so enjoyable to work with, and are there the ones you would avoid working?
•  When you see a successful student that succeeds, which attributes makes them successful in your own opinion
• Based on the information about my topic, do you have any pre-proposed idea of what it is all?
• What are the questions you would like to ask about the project topic?

Most often, students do forget that they can interview people that will be on their thesis committee. Meanwhile, I’ll impress the faculty as it shows your willingness to work with professionals and experts to ensure your task delivers without any challenges. It is undoubtedly familiar with this, and most people might have also interviewed you interview before at some point.  You must understand that to have excellent dealing and a serious-minded thesis committee successfully; you must be ready to scout for the best minds committed to the task. 

Thesis committee members request email samples.

Once you have decided on who you will be inviting and who you will not, the next step is to reach out to the individual and ask them about their interest in joining you on the thesis committee. Here are some sample categories of how you can easily reach out to the candidates you have segmented out. 

When you ask a senior student on your thesis committee, the following email sample would be best for such communication. It is because senior students are perfect individuals to help you through the writing process, and you can consult with students with whom you have previous relationships.

Sample Email 

Dear (Student’s Name)

I am (Put your name here) from the faculty of (faculty name) at the university/college of (here your university or college name goes in). Presently I am working on a thesis titled (thesis titled goes in here),  and I will love your input. 

Your outstanding track record and how you have always shown keen interest in helping other students got my attention. I am humbly requesting that you be a member of my thesis committee on the above-said title. I am pretty confident that you will be able to contribute your wealth of knowledge and enrich the content of my thesis. 

More so, your experience and exceptional skills in researching and publication will be very instrumental to the success of my thesis, which schedules for presentation on (put the date of defense and venue). 

Please find the attached copy of my thesis proposal for your reference; I will be grateful to hear from you soon. 

Thank you for your time and consideration

Yours sincerely,

(your name goes here)

Hello (student name)

I am currently carrying out research on (name the title of your thesis research), and my presentation expects to be on ( put date here) at ( put the defense location). I believe that your contribution to my current research topic will be a valuable asset to my thesis and also helping with refining the idea. I understand that you recently graduated from your Ph.D. program in (mention the person’s Ph.D. title) successfully, and I am confident I would benefit immensely from your knowledge. 

Having gone through your profile, I realized you would be an asset to my success, through your contribution will certainly help me. Therefore I humbly request that you be a member of my thesis committee for the above name project topic, which we will meet at ( the location name goes here) on (the date also goes here. 

I am sure that your presence at the thesis presentation would be valued, and your constructive criticism would help my work become well polished and up to the required standard. 

Attached below is a copy of my thesis for your review; your assistance would be highly appreciated.

(your name goes here )

How you can ask professors to be one of your thesis committee members.

Having a professor in your committee would be an invaluable experience for you and your team, especially if they are more inclined to your thesis title as their field of study. The following sections show examples of how you can email a professor to be on your thesis team. 

Dear Professor (The professor name)

I am (your name), and I am in my final year of the ( your course goes here) at the university/college of (Your university name or college goes here). After discussing with my advisor(put your advisor name here) regarding my thesis committee members, he recommended that I request your presence in my thesis committee. So with this, I humbly ask you to be on my thesis committee as it will be an honor to have you, sir. 

My advisor and I have gone through several research articles you have written and published on the internet. With the research methodology used in your papers, I can say that your insight in the (field of name the area and where their expertise corresponds to your thesis) would be a great asset to my thesis project and presentation. 

My thesis defense schedules to come upon (put the date of the presentation), and the venue is (have the location venue added also).

The title of my thesis revolves around (mention the central theme of the idea), and I have referred to several papers (list some of the documents you referred to). Meanwhile, I have attached my CV and some other supporting documents for your reference. 

I will be happy if my humble request grant. Again, thank you for your time and consideration; I will be expecting your feedback in the meantime. 

Yours Sincerely

(you can put your name here)

Dear Dr (Here goes the name of the professor)

Good day, Sir/Ma; I am (here is your name goes in). I am a graduate student of (here your faculty name goes in). I am humbly inviting you to serve as one of my thesis committee members.

I have had the opportunity to be under your tutelage at a conference in (name the forum area), and you are among the elite college professors I will be honored to have on my thesis committee. 

Your exceptional contribution to (highlight the professor’s expertise) and make a good recommendation on it, and thus your presence would be valuable to my thesis project. 

In addition, my thesis title is (name your thesis title), and it centers more on (highlight the objectives and the direction of your study). Your experience and perspective about this (state the subject matter) will undoubtedly benefit my project and research. My thesis scheduled to present on the (the date goes here)

Below is a copy of my thesis and my CV for your review. I will highly appreciate your consideration of this humble request. 

I look forward to hearing from you regarding my request soonest. Thank you for your time and consideration. 

Yours sincerely

(here you put your name)

The two samples should be able to help convince any professor to join your thesis committee. 

How you can ask someone to be part of your thesis committee when asking a professional in your field of study

Professionals in any field who have expertise will be a great asset to your thesis committee because they have field experience and understand what the industry is all about. They will also have diverse experience on what you should look out for and structure your thesis. The following sample email will guide you on how you can ask professionals in your field to join your thesis committee. 

Dear Mr/Mrs (Put the name of the person)

I am humbly using this opportunity to request you to be a member of my thesis committee. 

Thanks for your continuous effort and research to bring out the core aspect of this field and even go beyond the surface of this practice. Your expertise in (name the field and the expertise of the professional) has caught my attention, and it would be of great value to have if you could spare some time out of your busy schedule to contribute to my thesis. 

The thesis title I am working on is (name your thesis title), and it centers on (give a brief explanation of the core concept of your thesis and its objectives). The date for my thesis defense is set for last week in November, and I hope you will spare this time to be available for this reason. 

In this email, I have attached the final copy of my thesis for your review. It is essential that you go through the documents why it is taking time to consider my humble request to join my thesis committee. I Will highly appreciate your presence on my committee, and I will be looking forward to your response. 

Thank you for your time and consideration; I would keep an eye on your response soonest.

Dear Sir/Ma

My name is ( your name goes here) in the final year of my graduate studies at ( name your institution here) at the (input your faculty here). My thesis research is on (name your research topic) and the Department of (call your Department). 

My research focuses on (state the objective of the study), which is the field that you have dominated and constantly represent over time through your professional experience and research results.  

I am confident that your enthusiasm about the (state of your research field) could help broaden my horizon and research work. I have had the opportunity to review some of your publications, and I found them very interesting and exceptional. 

With this, I humbly request that you be a member of my thesis committee to offer your insight on this project and add some more value to my work. 

The thesis defense has a schedule for (date of the reason) at the (state the security location). I will appreciate it if my humble request grant and you are present at the defense. With this email are the attached copy of my final thesis proposal and my CV for your review. 

I am looking forward to your favorable response. Many thanks for considering my request. 

Yours sincerely 

The above template should guide how you can request the presence of anyone on your thesis committee. You must send out this email in time to have responses from people who would be available for your thesis defense, whether it’s a professor, a professional, forum area. Your student, you can easily find the best template that will suit your request. These templates would also give you some other ideas on approaching people to be on your thesis committee.

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Feb. 27, 2023

Selecting your master’s thesis committee members, by karyssa courey: selecting a thesis committee is like completing a puzzle every piece of this process is very valuable to have the right fit for your committee.

First off, congratulations on advancing to this stage in your academic career! Meeting the requirements for your thesis is not an easy task but you did it! You deserve to celebrate your achievements, both big and small. 

After you have finish celebrating, it’s now time for you to select committee members for your thesis. A thesis committee is a group of faculty members who provides mentorship for your entire thesis experience.

Before you begin randomly selecting members of your committee, there are a few steps and strategies that will help you pick the right members!

Where do I start?

• Review the requirements for thesis committees in your department

Rice provides requirements for thesis committees online . For example, a thesis committee for a graduate student in the psychological sciences must have three members (your advisor and two others). At least two committee members must be within your department. Reviewing the requirements will help you understand who can and cannot be on your committee!

• Breaking down your topic

If you are considering committee members, you likely have a draft of your master’s proposal or at least an idea of what your project will be about. Consider the keywords of your project (i.e., what are five terms that can be used to categorize your proposal?). These keywords are the core of your project and can help you identify faculty that align with your interests and research goals.

• Connect your topic to faculty research

Now that you have identified your keywords, think about faculty that you know in your department that are knowledgeable in the topics you are studying. You can also search faculty/lab websites or Google Scholar if you are unfamiliar with a faculty member’s research expertise. 

If there are aspects of your master’s proposal that are interdisciplinary, don’t be afraid to search for faculty outside of your department that can provide you with a valuable perspective on your research topic.

Who should I be in communication with?

• Talk with your advisor

Often, your advisor will have suggestions for potential committee members. Your advisor is one of the few people that will understand both the scope of your research project and know the faculty expertise in your department. Listen to your advisor’s recommendations and suggestions, note any faculty that may be a good fit, and share any ideas that you have based on your search in steps 2 and 3. Don’t feel constricted the recommendations from your advisor either, your peers could also be a resource.

• Talk with your peers

Older peers in your program often have a great perspective on selecting thesis committee members. Your peers may also have first hand experience with the same faculty members you are considering. E.g., Professor X provides more substantive feedback than Professor Y, so if you want substantive feedback, this is extremely helpful information!

• Talk with other faculty

Don’t be afraid to schedule meetings with potential faculty members if you want to discuss your thesis. Meeting with faculty is a great way to explain your project, hear their feedback, and gauge their interest.

I’ve talked to everyone on the list; what's next?

• Email potential committee members

Once you have selected your committee members, it is now time to email them! This might be scary or feel like a daunting step, but remember that the faculty at Rice are here to support you and help cultivate your skills as a researcher. Committee members are your team members, and are here to ideally provide constructive feedback to make your project even better!

When emailing faculty, make sure to use an appropriate tone, provide the title of your thesis, explain your project in a few sentences (or add your abstract), and note any specific reasons that that faculty is a good fit.

For example, if a faculty member has expertise relating to a theory you are applying in your research, make sure to name the theory in your email! The goal is for your potential committee members to have a clear understanding of the scope of your project and connect their expertise to your project.

What should I be mindful of during this process?

• Handling rejection

If a prospective committee member declines your offer, it’s okay! Do not take it personally or be discouraged! There may be many reasons why a faculty member might decline (e.g., tight on time, perceived lack of fit, or think another faculty member might be a better fit). Do, however, consider other faculty members and consider scheduling a meeting to discuss your thesis project. Meeting with potential committee members can help you understand if they would be a good fit, plus it’s a great opportunity to meet faculty members outside of your courses!

• Sticking to your timeline

Lastly, keep in mind your deadlines. Different departments have different requirements for scheduling your proposal and declaring your master’s candidacy. For example, in the Psychological Sciences department, a student can propose their master’s without declaring a master's candidacy. However, it is required that committee members are notified at least ten days prior to scheduling your proposal meeting.

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Forming Your Committee

Students should not schedule the proposal defense prior to their committee being finalized and their appointment form being approved by the Graduate School.

It is necessary to have the form approved in advance of the proposal defense, as there are instances in which committee members are not approved (for example, if someone is listed as the Graduate Faculty Representative who the Graduate School does not deem  qualified to serve in this capacity).

The Graduate School's requirements for everything from committee formation to graduation clearance can be found under the Current Students tab on the Graduate School website. 

Composition of the Doctoral Committee: Roles and Responsibilities

The Graduate School requires that doctoral committees consist of no less than four members. These four members must be regular members of the Graduate Faculty or must be granted an exception by the Dean of the Graduate School.  All committees must include a chair and a Graduate Faculty Representative. Assistant Professors are usually not approved to serve as chair unless they have served as a committee member first. Exceptions are granted on a case-by-case basis. 

Graduate Faculty Representative

The primary role of the Graduate Faculty Representative is to ensure that the student is treated fairly and that Graduate School policies are upheld. Expertise in the student's area of research is not a requirement. The Graduate Faculty Representative's responsibilities are explained in greater detail here . Assistant Professors are not eligible to serve as Graduate Faculty Representative. 

The requirement to include an outside member on all dissertation committees is not uncommon among institutions of higher education and is in keeping with best practices in doctoral support. 

Committee Members

Committee members are often chosen to provide topic or methodological expertise. Even without contributing their expertise, committee members may be chosen based on faculty with whom the student has a good professional relationship or who could offer a helpful outside perspective. Committee members are generally not as involved as the committee chair in the everyday progression of the dissertation.  Typically, they read the dissertation only in its final form before the defense, although they should be available for consultation throughout the process and may be more closely involved in sections or chapters in which they have particular expertise. 

The committee members and Graduate Faculty Representative will:

• Approve of the subject matter and methodology of the thesis or dissertation research
• Review and comment on drafts of the thesis or dissertation prior to submission to The Graduate School
• Verify, to the best of their ability, the quality of the data collection and evidence, data analysis, and logical reasoning or interpretation in light of the proposal aims
• Evaluate whether the student’s thesis or dissertation fulfills the requirements of the degree

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• Thesis Committee Meetings

Preparing, leading and recording thesis committee meetings

A guide for phd students, why should i meet with my thesis committee.

Thesis Committee Meetings are meetings that you ask and invite for when you would like to get advice from your thesis committee (TC) . They are not meant to be mere status reports of your project (this can often be accomblished with an e-mail).

Reasons to call for a thesis committee meeting can be, for example:

• You are at the beginning (first two months) of your PhD project and need to discuss your 3-year time-line (this is something every PhD student should do!)
• You would like to conduct a research placement / an advanced training or participate in a conference and would like to ask your TC for recommendations
• The initial project plan / schedule needs to be / had to be adjusted due to unforeseen circumstances, your TC could share their experience on how to handle such a situation
• You would like to discuss your publication strategy
• You have (communication) issues with your supervisor or main advisor and would like to meet with the full TC to try and resolve the issues, thereby counting on the support of the other TC members
• You are approaching the end of your PhD phase and would like to get some advice how to develop your further career

There can be many more reasons to call for your TC to meet. As you can see by the examples, the benefit of thesis committee meetings can be much more than just talking about your science!

Preparing a meeting

The better you prepare a meeting, the better the chances that you will be satisfied with the outcome!

Technical preparations:

• ask all TC members about their availbility (you should do so well in advance because scientists tend to have full calendars)
• book a seminar room or an online meeting room (you can contact [Bitte aktivieren Sie Javascript] if you don't know how and where)
• invite your thesis committee members
• make a written list of what you want to talk about
• prepare a PowerPoint presentation and handouts (if you think it would be helpful)

Preparing the meeting agenda:

Determine clear objectives: ask yourself, what you want to know from your thesis committee. Write down specific questions that you would like to have answered in the course of the meeting. A helpful start is to ask yourself "Which outcome of the meeting do I envision to ensure that I will feel satisfied at the end of the meeting?"

Write down specific questions you want to ask your TC : choose only those questions that you would like to have answered by the group (other questions can maybe be directed to single members of your TC). Be realistic about the number of questions you want to ask ( thesis committee meetings typically have a duration of 90 minutes).

Prepare an agenda for the meeting: use the guideline GLOMAR provides ( link ) and choose the topics that are relevant for you at the current stage of your project. Decide how much time you want to spend talking on each of the topics, remember to write your agenda down (you should include some buffer time for each topic to allow for spontaneous interesting discussions, but not too much, otherwise you might end up having to skip other topics), you can also decide for 'bonus topics' that you address in the meeting if there is some time left at the end (but make sure that you are okay it the topic is dropped, otherwise it should not be a bonus topic but a part of your agenda!)

Send the agenda to the members of your TC : the advantage of sending the agenda in advance is that you will automatically put more effort into your preparations and that the TC members have the chance to already think about some of the topics. It may also be worthwile to send them the questions you would like to address at them during the meeting. This is a tool you can use when you moderate the meeting later on (see below).

Decide how you want to organise your TC meeting: make up your mind whether you want to present all your topics first and then have a discussion at the very end or whether you would like your TC to discuss after every topic you introduce. You should come to a decision before you start preparing your presentation since this will guide the structure of your slides.

Preparing your presentation:

Whether it is a PowerPoint presentation (PPP) or a paper draft you would like to discuss with your TC, the better you prepare it, the better the outcome of the meeting will be. In most cases, PhD students prepare a PPP. Numbering your slides can be helpful for a discussion at the end. If you decided that you would like the TC to start a discussion after every topic you introduced, you should already write down the questions you have at the end of each chapter / topic. NEVER end a PPP with a "Thank you for your attention" slide! Why not? because the last slide is what people look at when the discussion starts. It is much more useful to end with a summary of your most important findings, a take-home message or with questions you have for your audience. Yes, 95% of the scientists end their presentation with a thank-you slide. But don't just copy something that the majority does, if it is not helpful for your cause!

When you are finnished with your written list of topics and questions and your slides are all prepared, you are ready for a trial run of your presentation : people with A LOT of routine may not need trial runs anymore. But as a PhD student, you definitely do. It will improve your meeting a lot! Ask a fellow Phd student to spend 20 to 30 minutes listening to your presentation. In return, you can offer to do the same for them. When we practice, we always find things that can be improved, it's better to find them prior to the 'real' meeting.

Okay, this was a lot of input just to start with! Do you feel overwhelmed by reading what you should do to prepare a meeting? It just seems a lot in the beginning. When you start preparing all your meetings in this routine (not just TC meetings), it will become more and more natural and easy after a while! You will probably notice that many people don't prepare the meetings they host in such a careful manner. But are those meetings enjoyable? Or do they often end up in long discussions about things that were just side topics on the agenda? It's all in your hands! By the way, the time you invest into preparing a meeting is time that you save in the end! Time that would, for example, otherwise be used for discussions about topics that are not your priority.

Now that you have carefully prepared your meeting, let's see how you can successfully take leadership, maybe even without people noticing that you are leading them ;-)

Leading a meeting

Before you start the meeting , you should decide which role you would like to play in the meeting. The main idea of the TC meetings is that they are YOUR meetings. This means that you lead the members of your TC through the meeting. It is important that you start your meeting with this self-image of being the leader, otherwise you may lose leadership over your own meeting in no time at all. This might end up in the committee talking about different things than you wanted them to talk about. Does this sound pushy to you? Don't worry, (most) supervisors are totally okay with you taking the lead. They will be impressed and thankful to see how well prepared you are!

Start the meeting by introducing the agenda for the meeting. Make sure to point out which topics are especially important for you and which questions you would like to have answered at the end. Since you were clever and wrote the questions down in your PPP, the TC members will have a visual impression of what is expected from them.

Keep an eye on the time while you go through the topics. If you want to go on to the next topic, let the participants know! Since you wrote down the time that you assigned for each topic, you can navigate through the meeting. Make sure to insist on getting answers for your questions!

Here are some things you could say if you need some ideas how to lead through the meeting in a polite way:

• "Thanks a lot for all your valuable ideas! I wrote them down and I'm sure they will help me move on with my research. Since time is passing, I would like to draw your attention to another topic:..."
• "May I kindly ask everyone to pay attention to my next slide where I wrote down some questions that I have for you" (every scientist is flattered when they are asked for their expertise!)
• "Thanks so much. May I now kindly move on to another topic that seems very important for my project..." (this underlines that you have some urgent matters to discuss)
• "I planned for 90 minutes for this meeting. I don't want to take up more of your valuable time and I still have X topics left I would like to talk about. Could we maybe move on to the next topic?" (if you remind people that time is passing and that you don't want to extend the meeting time, they will most likely respect your agenda and acknowledge that you take care of their needs as well)

As a visual tool , you can leave the slide(s) with your questions up on the screen until they have been answered. This will constantly remind the meeting participants, that there is an open task.

Since you were clever and ended your presentation with a summary or questions slide, you should not forget to thank the meeting participants verbally at the end.

Recording a meeting / writing minutes

"Okay, I've just been in a meeting, I remember what everyone said. Why should I write minutes? Just to please my graduate school and be eligible for funding?" - Maybe there are some other good reasons ;-)

Do you remember what you had for lunch Tuesday two weeks ago? No? Our brain forgets a lot of things. Luckily! Otherwise it would be so full of information that we would probably start to forget really important things like our mother's birthday or where we parked our bike this morning. Everything we write down, relieves pressure from our brain! Writing minutes of meetings has another great advantage: we can go back to the written document and refresh our memory anytime we need it.

Certainly, people's brains are different. Some have an amazing memory. For them it may be enough to write down keywords and by looking at those, they will immediately remember exactly what every meeting participant said. But let's be honest, the great majority of people forgets things. So it may be valuable to write minutes in some detail to make sure you record everything that seemed important to you. In the case of thesis committee meetings, you should record the development of the discussion (who said what?) since this information might become important at a later stage of your project.

Another advantage of writing detailed minutes is that in the process of writing, you may develop new ideas or maybe you find that there are some aspects of the discussion that you did not fully understand. In this case you could go back to your TC and let them know that "When I wrote the minutes for the meeting, I noticed that I didn't fully understand what you told me regarding topic X..."

Finally, written minutes are an important tool of communication with your supervisor and the other TC members. Even if everyhting that has been discussed during a meeting seemed clear at the moment, it may still turn out that you had different things in mind when you talked. Misunderstandings and lack of communication about the own ideas and expectations are the most common source of conflicts!  Writing everything down makes sure that you are all on the same page and agree on the same plans and strategies. One thing that PhD students often underestimate is that supervisors cannot always remember every detail of their students' projects. Meeting minutes can therefore also be an important means of keeping a track record for your supervisor.

Writing minutes can take up nearly as much time as the meeting itself. But when you try it once, you will probably notice how helpful it is.

Good luck with your next meeting :-)

Are there any aspects we forgot to mention? Or would you like to share some of your own experiences? Please contact us at [Bitte aktivieren Sie Javascript]

How to schedule a committee meeting

Don’t send out a Doodle poll with 120 options.

One of the key challenges in obtaining a PhD is scheduling a committee meeting. In fact, I think that anybody who has managed to successfully schedule three or four committee meetings probably deserves a PhD just for that feat. After all, getting five professors into the same room at the same time is a tall order. Since scheduling committee meetings is such an integral part of graduate education, there should probably be a class on how to do this successfully. However, I don’t think any such class exists. So maybe this blog post can serve as a substitute.

We faculty members understand that we have to do committee meetings, as a service to the department and to help the students. Nearly all faculty members I know are strongly committed to serving on thesis committees. At the same time, we don’t really want to be in these meetings. Committee meetings take up a lot of time. In fact, just fielding questions related to scheduling committee meetings takes up a lot of time. So please try to keep this in mind, and make things as easy on us as possible. We want to help you, but you need to help us in return.

Now, how do you actually go about scheduling a meeting? First, let’s talk about some things that would best be avoided:

• Don’t ask me to list all my availabilities between March 15 and June 1st. I’m not going to replicate my entire calendar into an email to you.
• Don’t give me a list of 120 possible date/time combinations and ask me to check off all the ones that don’t work. See the previous point.
• Don’t assume my availabilities remain unchanged for more than a couple of days. I once had a student ask me if my afternoon was open on a given Monday. I said yes. Six weeks later, and about a week before that Monday, he informed me that the committee meeting was going to be at 3pm. By that time I had already scheduled something else into that time slot.

Now, I’d like to propose a scheduling strategy that generally works:

First, discuss possible dates and times with your adviser. Any times your adviser can’t make are a no-go, obviously. Then, ask your committee members to outline broadly which days/times generally do or don’t work. You can do this in an email or in person. You can also try to figure this out for yourself, by checking their teaching schedule, office hours, lab-meeting schedule, and so on. But I think asking is better. 1 Also, you should ask the committee members whether they are going to be out of town any specific days/weeks during the time window in which you’d like to hold your meeting.

Once you’ve got a rough sense of everybody’s availability, find a few times that seem to work for everybody and propose a few variants of those times. For example, if it looks like everybody is mostly free on Tuesday afternoons, propose 2pm, 3pm, and 4pm on three successive Tuesdays. At this stage, I would recommend using a system such as Doodle to quickly poll availability. The nice thing about Doodle is that I can see my colleagues’ answers, so if it looks like nobody can make Mon. afternoon then I don’t even have to check my calendar for that slot, I can just click “no” as well.

Importantly, limit the number of options you propose. If you’re proposing more than about 10 options you’re doing it wrong. Remember from point 3 of the list of things best avoided that quick turn-around is key. You want your committee members to read your message, click on the Doodle link, and quickly answer the poll. You don’t want them to read your message, click on the Doodle link, then recoil in horror and move on to do something else. In a perfect scenario, if you’ve done your leg-work properly, you can propose three to five possible times and one will work.

I strongly believe that proposing a small number of time slots is important even if you don’t have complete information about who is or is not available when. Quick turn-around always beats out having more complete information when it comes to scheduling. So, if you’re not sure what times would be good, just pick a few time slots at random and see what happens. Worst case scenario, none will work, and you do another round of Doodle. From your perspective, this may seem like an awful outcome, but it’s actually fine. Failed scheduling attempts happen all the time and we’re used to them. I’d rather complete two or even three Doodle polls with 10 options each than one with 100.

Finally, even if you make things really easy on your committee members, some may not respond to your email requests. In this case, the best strategy is just to show up in their office unannounced and ask them whether they’re available for a meeting on Thurs May 7 at 3pm. And of course, I hope you didn’t put anybody onto your committee who is notoriously difficult to schedule. That would just be asking for trouble.

You may wonder what the difference is between asking people about their general availability and asking them specifically when they can or cannot meet. The difference is efficiency. If you send me an email such as this one:

Dear Claus, I’d like to schedule a committee meeting for late May or early June. Are there any days that you are out of town during that time? Also, are there days/times that generally do or do not work for you?

I can respond:

I’m around. MWF is usually bad, but I’m free most times TTH. Claus

Writing this kind of a response will take me all of 2 minutes, and I’ll likely do it the moment I get your message. As a result, this exchange has saved you from proposing numerous times I would have declined, and it has saved me the time and effort it would have taken me to enter my entire calendar into Doodle. ↩︎

Claus O. Wilke

Professor of integrative biology.

• How to pick a thesis committee
• Excess ambition—the eternal flaw of all PhD thesis proposals
• Share your preliminary work with other people, even if you think it’s crap
• How to develop a research question, Part II
• How to develop a research question

6 Email Templates to Ask Someone to be on Your Thesis Committee

by Surya Deo | PROFESSIONAL ETIQUETTE

Writing an email to ask someone to be on your thesis committee can be a bit daunting. You want to be respectful, concise, and clear in your request. Below are six templates as to how to ask someone to be on your thesis committee, each catering to different scenarios and personalities.

Table of Contents

1. the formal professor approach.

This is a polite and serious way to ask your professor. You talk about their knowledge and how it can help your thesis.

Subject: Invitation to Join My Thesis Committee

Dear Professor [Last Name],

I hope this email finds you well. I am [Your Name], currently pursuing my [Your Degree] in [Your Department]. I am reaching out to cordially invite you to be a part of my thesis committee.

Your extensive knowledge in [Specific Field or Topic] has immensely inspired me, and your insights would be invaluable to my research on [Your Thesis Topic]. I am confident that your guidance will greatly enhance the quality and depth of my work.

I understand that this is a significant commitment, and I assure you that I will strive for the utmost level of preparation and engagement throughout the process.

Should you need any additional information or wish to discuss this further, please feel free to contact me. I am very much looking forward to the possibility of working with you.

Thank you for considering my request.

Sincerely, [Your Name]

2. The Friendly Approach

This is a more casual and friendly way to ask, like talking to someone you know well. You say how their work inspires you and makes it feel like a team effort.

Subject: A Warm Invitation to Be Part of My Thesis Journey

Hi Dr. [Last Name], I hope you’re having a great day! I’m [Your Name], and I’m currently working on my thesis for my [Your Degree]. I’m reaching out to see if you would be interested in joining my thesis committee.

Your work in [Specific Field or Topic] has always been a source of inspiration for me. It would be amazing to have your perspective and guidance as I navigate through my research on [Your Thesis Topic].

I totally understand if you’re too swamped, but I thought it would be great to have someone as knowledgeable and approachable as you on my team.

Thanks so much for considering my request, and I’d be thrilled to chat more about this if you’re interested!

Best Regards, [Your Name]

3. The Brief and Professional Approach

This is a short and straight-to-the-point way to ask. You mention their expertise quickly and show that you respect their time.

Subject: Request to Join Thesis Committee

I am writing to formally invite you to be a member of my thesis committee. As a [Your Degree] student specializing in [Your Field], I have admired your work in [Specific Area].

My thesis topic is [Your Thesis Topic], and I believe your expertise would be invaluable in guiding my research. I understand the commitment involved and am prepared to meet your expectations as a committee member.

If you are willing to consider this, I would be happy to provide more details or meet at your convenience.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

4. The Enthusiastic Scholar Approach

This is an excited and passionate way to ask. You talk about how much you care about your topic and how their help would be great.

Subject: Exciting Opportunity to Collaborate on My Thesis Committee

Hello Dr. [Last Name],

I’m [Your Name], a passionate student in the [Your Department] working on a thesis that I’m really excited about. My project is on [Your Thesis Topic], and I believe your expertise in [Specific Field or Topic] aligns perfectly with my research.

Having you on my committee would not only be a huge honor but also incredibly beneficial to the depth and credibility of my work. Your insights and guidance would be invaluable to me.

I would be thrilled to discuss this further and provide any additional information you might need. Hoping to hear from you soon!

Best regards, [Your Name]

5. The Humble Request Approach

This is a respectful and grateful way to ask. You show a lot of appreciation for their time and help.

Subject: Request for Your Expertise on My Thesis Committee

I hope this message finds you well. My name is [Your Name], and I am in the process of organizing my thesis committee for my [Your Degree]. After much consideration, I believe that your expertise in [Specific Field or Topic] would greatly benefit my research on [Your Thesis Topic].

I understand that being on a thesis committee requires time and effort, and I want to express my sincere gratitude even for considering my request. Your guidance would be incredibly valuable to me, and I am committed to being fully prepared and responsive to your feedback.

If you are willing to be a part of my journey, I would be honored and committed to making the most out of this opportunity.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Warm regards, [Your Name]

6. The Direct and Respectful Approach

This is a clear and respectful way to ask. You say why their knowledge is important and show that you are serious about your work.

Dear Dr. [Last Name],

I hope you are doing well. I am [Your Name], a [Your Degree] candidate in the [Your Department]. I am writing to invite you to join my thesis committee.

Your expertise in [Specific Field or Topic] is highly respected and would provide critical insight into my research on [Your Thesis Topic]. I believe your contribution would be immensely beneficial to both the quality and rigor of my study.

I understand the commitment this entails and am prepared to work diligently to meet your expectations. If you need further details or wish to discuss my research, please let me know.

Thank you for considering my invitation.

When writing your invitation, personalize it to reflect your relationship with the potential member and their specific expertise. Be concise, respectful, and clear about your expectations. Include brief details about your research and why their contribution is valuable. If you don’t receive a response within a couple of weeks, it’s appropriate to send a polite follow-up email. Remember, the way you communicate in your invitation can set the tone for future interactions on your thesis journey.

Writing a polite and straightforward email is important when asking someone to be on your thesis committee. These six examples on how to ask someone to be on your thesis committee, provide helpful tips that can be changed to fit different situations and people. They remind you to be considerate of the person’s time and knowledge.

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Thesis Committee

The Ph.D. Thesis Committee has the responsibility of advising a student on all aspects of the thesis experience, from the proposal process through the preparation and defense of the final document.

The Committee should be comprised of

• the Thesis Advisor(s),
• the Thesis Committee Chair who presides at all committee meetings (must be a BE faculty member), and
• at least one additional member (unrestricted).

The student and research supervisor should agree upon members of a Thesis Committee, and the student is responsible for inviting faculty to sit on their committee. Beyond administration of the Oral Exam, the Thesis Committee is meant to provide guidance on the various aspects of the student’s project; Thesis Committee members should therefore be selected with this goal in mind.

Forming the Committee

During the summer of the second year, the student must submit the BE PhD Thesis Committee form  to the BE Academic Office ) to request approval of the Thesis Committee membership.

Changing the Committee

The Thesis Committee constituted for the Oral Exam/Thesis Proposal may change over the course of the student’s research, as determined by the student and advisor with approval by the Graduate Program Chair. Students should submit a new PhD Thesis Committee form (above) to the BE Academic Office.

Graduate School

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Tips for scheduling final exam meeting with committee, plan your meeting time.

• Start organizing your meeting two months in advance. It can be very difficult to find a date when every member of your committee is available!
• Obtain contact information (email, office phone, cell phone) for each committee member including your Graduate Council Representative.
• Over the phone have each committee member identify possible dates/times over a one week window. Using the phone can be quicker than using email.
• Select a date and time that works for all meeting participants.
• When the meeting is set, immediately phone each member to request that they enter the meeting date/time on their calendars, or send them a calendar invite.

Find a meeting room

Your department or school office should be able to help you find a room. The Graduate Student Commons also has meeting rooms you can schedule. The Valley Library also has rooms for meetings.

Confirm meeting

• Send an email to all committee members (and assistants) with the meeting details: time, date, building, room number, and purpose (program committee meeting, oral exam, thesis defense).
• File an Exam Scheduling Form with the Graduate School.
• 48 to 72 hours before the meeting send an email reminder to the committee members with time, date, building, room number of the meeting and meeting purpose. Make sure to get confirmation that each member can attend. If one person doesn't show up you will have to reschedule the meeting.

Housekeeping notes

• Arrange for access to the meeting room. Get building and room keys if necessary.
• Arrange for audio/visual equipment.
• Set up remote participation (if needed).
• Twenty-four hours prior to the meeting reconfirm audio/visual support.
• Twenty-four hours prior to meeting test remote connections (if needed). If the connection does not work at the time of your meeting you will have to reschedule the meeting.

Day of meeting

• Determine that audio visual equipment is working.
• If needed, set up and test equipment of remote participant.

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US House to vote on Ukraine and Israel aid, despite hardline objections

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DEMOCRATIC SUPPORT

Get weekly news and analysis on the U.S. elections and how it matters to the world with the newsletter On the Campaign Trail. Sign up here.

Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Additional reporting by Moira Warburton, Makini Brice, Richard Cowan and David Morgan; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Don Durfee, Daniel Wallis, Lisa Shumaker and Michael Perry

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab

Thomson Reuters

Patricia Zengerle has reported from more than 20 countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and China. An award-winning Washington-based national security and foreign policy reporter who also has worked as an editor, Patricia has appeared on NPR, C-Span and other programs, spoken at the National Press Club and attended the Hoover Institution Media Roundtable. She is a recipient of the Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence.

World Chevron

Maldives pro-China ruling party tipped to win election

The Maldives' ruling party is set to win a two-thirds majority in Sunday's parliamentary election, local media said, a result likely to push the Indian Ocean island nation further towards China and away from its longtime ally India.

Russian forces have taken control of the settlement of Bohdanivka in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, Russia's defence ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

Ukraine's military said on Sunday it had struck and damaged a long-serving Russian rescue vessel in Sevastopol, the headquarters in occupied Crimea of Moscow's Black Sea Fleet.

• International

April 12, 2024 - Israel-Hamas war

By Chris Lau, Sana Noor Haq, Adrienne Vogt , Matt Meyer and Tori B. Powell , CNN

Our live coverage of Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza has moved  here .

USAID worker killed in Israel, agency says

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler

A staff member with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) died Friday in the Israeli port city of Jaffa, the agency announced.

The male staffer was with USAID’s West Bank and Gaza mission, the agency said in a brief statement.

USAID did not provide details on the circumstances around his death or his identity or citizenship.

“He was a dedicated member of our team for more than two decades, and our thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues,” USAID said.

USAID is working with the US Embassy to work out details about the fatal incident and its follow-up investigation, it said.

US expects Iran to carry out direct strikes against targets inside Israel, sources say

From CNN's MJ Lee and Natasha Bertrand

The United States currently expects Iran will carry out strikes against multiple targets inside Israel and that Iranian proxies could also be involved in carrying out the attacks, according to a senior administration official and a source familiar with the intelligence.  

The targets would likely be both inside Israel and around the region.

The beginning of a state-on-state conflict between Iran and Israel would mark a serious escalation in the region that the US has hoped to avoid.

US sees Iran moving military assets including drones and cruise missiles, sources say

From Natasha Bertrand and Oren Liebermann

The US observed Iran moving military assets around internally, including drones and cruise missiles, signaling that it is possibly preparing to attack Israeli targets from inside its own territory, according to two people familiar with US intelligence. 

It is not clear whether Iran is preparing to strike from its soil as part of an initial attack, or if it is posturing to try to deter Israel or the US from conducting a possible counter strike on its territory. 

One of the people said the US had observed Iran readying as many as 100 cruise missiles.

Some context: The Iranians want their retaliatory strike on Israel — a response to the Israeli strike on an Iranian consulate last week in Damascus — to be "significant," one of the people familiar with the intelligence said. But they also want to avoid getting embroiled in a direct war with Israel and the US, CNN has reported, which is why US intelligence has assessed that Iran may use its proxy forces to launch the first attack.

Israeli settlers storm village in West Bank and kill at least 1 Palestinian. Here's what you should know

From CNN staff

Hundreds of armed Israeli settlers stormed a village in the occupied West Bank on Friday, setting fire to several homes and cars — and leaving at least one Palestinian dead — in one of the largest attacks by settlers this year, according to Palestinian officials. 

The settlers attacked Al-Mughayyir village, east of Ramallah, raided homes and fired gunshots at residents, according to Amin Abu-Alia, the head of the village council. Videos obtained by CNN show parts of the village burning, with smoke billowing over several buildings and settlers lobbing rocks. Houses and cars are seen completely burnt up, with sounds of gunfire and clashes heard in the background.

Here are other headlines you should know:

• More Israeli attacks: An Israeli airstrike early Friday killed at least 29 people and injured dozens more after troops targeted a house belonging to the well-known Al-Tabatibi family in eastern Gaza City, according to a local health official. Israeli forces also surrounded and attacked the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, wounding several journalists and at least one other person. And in the occupied West Bank, troops killed two Hamas members in a raid on the city of Tubas, according to Israeli and Palestinian officials.
• Hezbollah-Israel clashes: Around 40 rockets were fired from Lebanon on Friday evening, according to the Israeli military. Some were intercepted and the rest fell in open areas, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. Israeli warplanes also carried out several airstrikes on Friday, targeting "military buildings" used by Hezbollah fighters in parts of southern Lebanon, the IDF said.
• Iranian threats: US President Joe Biden told reporters Friday he expects an attack from Iran will happen “sooner than later," with the White House adding that there is a "very credible" threat of Iranian retaliatory strikes against Israel. Additionally, the US Defense Department is moving additional assets to the Middle East region, a defense official told CNN, as the US and Israel brace for the potential attack . Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and US Central Command Commander Gen. Erik Kurilla on Friday discussed preparations for the  potential attack .
• Warnings amid Iranian threats: France , Germany, Canada and the United States are among countries that are warning their citizens not to travel to the region due to the threat of an Iranian attack against Israel.
• Humanitarian aid: The Israeli military does not understand how humanitarian operations work, a top United Nations official said Friday, maintaining there is a "degree of mistrust" that needs to be resolved between the IDF and nongovernmental organizations on the ground in Gaza.
• Sanctions: The European Council has  adopted sanctions  against three Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad entities , in light of "their responsibilities in the brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks" that occurred across Israel on October 7. The US is also sanctioning four leaders of Hamas’ cyber and drone operations based in Gaza and Lebanon, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller announced on Friday. 

US will attempt to intercept launches at Israel if feasible, US officials say

From CNN's Oren Liebermann and Natasha Bertrand

The US will attempt to intercept any weapons launched at Israel if it’s feasible to do so, two US officials told CNN, in an indication of the level of ongoing cooperation between the two militaries before an anticipated Iranian attack .

US Navy forces in the Red Sea have previously intercepted long-range missiles launched from the Houthis in Yemen toward Israel. US forces in Iraq and Syria could also potentially intercept drones and rockets targeting northern Israel, depending on the location from which they’re launched.

Gen. Erik Kurilla, the commander of US Central Command, has been in Israel meeting with the country’s security leadership. On Friday, the Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, met with Kurilla.

There have been a number of conversations where US officials have urged Israel not to escalate the situation in retaliating against Iran, according to one of the US officials. 

Remember: An Iranian attack is expected in response to Israel’s deadly strike of Tehran's consulate in Damascus, Syria, last week.

The Damascus attack was the latest incident to stoke fears of a wider regional conflict breaking out in the Middle East during Israel's campaign in Gaza.

Diplomatic efforts: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has held a slew of calls to foreign counterparts aimed at pressuring Iran not to attack Israel.

The top US diplomat spoke with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Friday, according to a readout from State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.

Blinken also spoke with the Turkish, Chinese and Saudi foreign ministers in recent days, Miller said.

Israeli settlers kill at least 1 Palestinian while storming West Bank village

From CNN’s Kareem Khadder and Zeena Saifi in Jerusalem and CNN’s Benjamin Brown in London

Hundreds of armed Israeli settlers stormed a village in the occupied West Bank on Friday, setting fire to several homes and cars in one of the largest attacks by settlers this year, according to Palestinian officials. 

At least one Palestinian man was killed when shots were fired by Israeli settlers in the village of Al-Mughayyir, east of Ramallah, according to the head of the village council Amin Abu-Alia. He said he identified the killed Palestinian as his 26-year-old relative named Jihad Abu-Alia, who was meant to get married this summer.

At least 25 others were injured in the rampage, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah, the scale of which has not been seen since hundreds of settlers stormed through the villages of  Turmusayya  and  Huwara  in two separate incidents last year. 

Between 1,000 and 1,200 settlers surrounded the village, and around 500 stormed it just after midday local time on Friday, blocking all the roads in the area, Abu-Alia told CNN.

He added that Israeli security forces informed Palestinian officials that the settlers were looking for a 14-year-old Israeli boy who had gone missing earlier in the day.

They attacked the village, raided homes and fired gunshots at residents, Abu-Alia said. Videos obtained by CNN show parts of the village burning, with smoke billowing over several buildings and settlers lobbing rocks. Houses and cars are seen completely burnt up, with sounds of gunfire and clashes heard in the background.

According to Abu-Alia, the Israeli military arrived at the scene at around 3 p.m. and didn’t stop the settlers from attacking the village. Israeli soldiers allowed them to raid homes, prevented Palestinian residents from moving around and blocked ambulances from reaching the injured, he added.  

Abu-Alia told CNN settlers stole approximately 70 sheep from the Palestinian village.

In response to a question by CNN, the IDF said “violent riots were instigated in multiple locations in the area” following the search for the boy.

Israel says airstrikes targeted Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon

Israeli warplanes carried out several airstrikes on Friday, targeting "military buildings" used by Hezbollah fighters in parts of southern Lebanon, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The areas include the Aita al-Shaab and the Taybeh in southern Lebanon, said Avichay Adraee, I DF spokesperson for Arab media,  in a post on X.

"During the day, several shells were fired from Lebanon towards the Upper Galilee region, without causing any casualties. IDF forces attacked the sources of fire," Adraee added. 

The Israeli airstrikes were before the 40 rockets that were launched from Lebanon toward northern Israel Friday evening and claimed by Hezbollah.

Biden expects an attack from Iran will happen "sooner than later"

From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg

US President Joe Biden expects an attack from Iran will happen “sooner than later," he told reporters at the White House Friday.

“I don’t want to get into secure information but my expectation is sooner than later,” Biden said when asked how imminent an attack on Israel was.

Asked what his message to Tehran is right now, the president said “Don’t.”

In response to more shouted questions from reporters asking if American troops were at risk, Biden returned to the podium and said that the United States is "devoted” to the defense of Israel. 

“We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” Biden said.

Remember: The United States says it is on high alert for a significant Iranian retaliatory attack following Israel's deadly strike on Tehran's consulate in Damascus last week, raising fears of a wider regional war. There remains a “real,” “credible” and “viable” threat of Iran launching strikes, the White House said earlier Friday, following Israel’s attack on  a diplomatic compound in Syria that killed three Iranian generals.

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