The Committee

I originally created this guide in 1995 to help my doctoral students decide whether they wanted me to serve as their major professor -- or as a committee member.  Since that time, this page has been adopted/adapted by several programs on campus and around the country as their own program guidelines.  I'm glad that it's been helpful!!!

This page will provide a general idea of MY doctoral advising philosophy and requirements.  Your major professor committee members may choose to have more, or less, rigorous guidelines.

If you do not agree with the guidelines on this page, you should chose another major professor. Choosing a major professor or committee member is a long term commitment for both the student and faculty members.  Choose well - this is the most important decision of your doctoral program!

Major Professor's Role:

The major professor acts as a buffer between you and the committee.

You and the major professor must talk and come to an agreement before talking to other committee members. If you seek advice from each of your committee members you may receive four different suggestions.  Instead, you and the major professor should come to a decision, then present the idea(s) to the committee.

The major professor will advise you on courses in your degree plan and the direction of your dissertation. 

The major professor will help you as negotiate the doctoral process.

The major professor cannot, in most cases, be a subject matter expert for your dissertation. One of the exciting outcomes of the dissertation is that you will become the expert on your dissertation topic.

The major professor cannot choose a topic for you. You should choose a topic of interest as early in your course of study as possible. The first day of your first class is not too early to begin investigating your research interest.  Note:  I personally work on 8 to 10 topics at a time -- you might be interested in one of the topics that I'm working on -- though this is certainly not a requirement.

The major professor will act an informed guide during the doctoral process.   Though you may not like the advice of the major professor, the advice was hard gained through their experience as a practitioner, teacher, and researcher and it should not be taken lightly.  

Student’s Responsibilities (Dr. Allen’s Expectations)

Read the The ATTD Doctoral Handbook  and UNT Graduate Catalog.  They contain important information for the completion of the your doctoral program.

As soon as possible, you should develop an action plan for the completion of your doctoral studies. This should include courses to be taken, examinations and major steps in the doctoral process. This will help you to plan your degree program.  You can fill-in-the-blanks as you progress in your program.

You are responsible for both completing courses and making progress on your dissertation. The major professor will not, and cannot, push you to complete your doctoral studies. 

You are responsible for ALL deadlines and paper work.

It is strongly suggested that you take the opportunity, while completing your doctoral studies, to submit an article for publication prior to submitting a formal dissertation proposal. By publishing an article, refereed or non-refereed, you will enhance your future career choices. Your committee and graduate faculty will certainly be willing to help you in this endeavor.  Note:  I ALWAYS have articles that I need help publishing, and would welcome the opportunity to help you publish.

The statistics, research, and measurement courses that you complete, as a requirement of the degree program, may not sufficiently prepare you for your dissertation. For this reason, you must become an expert on the statistical needs of your dissertation. This may mean additional classes in the areas of statistics, research, and measurement, or self-study of a topic.

Committee Member (If Dr. Allen is serving in this role):

The committee member’s responsibility is to help you and your major professor conduct a quality dissertation study.

You and your major professor should make a decision together, before talking to committee members.

A committee member will not discuss a dissertation or program of study problem with you unless you first discuss the problem with your committee major professor - and the major professor directs you to discuss the dissertation with the committee member.

The committee member will attend committee meetings "officially" scheduled by both you and your major professor.

The Committee and your Dissertation Proposal

The dissertation proposal is normally the first formal committee meeting of the doctoral process.

The committee member’s typical expectation of an "official" doctoral proposal is that the first three chapters of your dissertation be completed with minimal spelling, grammar, or typographical errors.  It is also recommended that you have the framework for Chapters 4 and 5. This will give the committee a clear idea of the direction of your study.

You and the major professor must BOTH agree that the proposal is ready to formally present to the committee.

Other Thoughts on the Committee and the Dissertation 

Do not expect to have any committee meetings during: the summer (many faculty are not on contract), the first few weeks of a semester, or the last few weeks of a semester. Committee members are very busy, or not available during these times.

An "Application for Approval of Investigation Involving the Use of Human Subjects" form must be completed and approved by the University of North Texas Institutional Review Board BEFORE data is collected by the student. This application may be completed immediately after approval of the dissertation proposal.  See Quality of Doctoral Research document guidelines.

The dissertation must be related to your major ! ! !

It is my STRONG suggestion that you utilize a professional dissertation editor before you turn in your final dissertation to the committee.  (I personally use one for all of my professional research publications.)  This is a financial commitment, but one that will pay for itself through the time, aggravation, and sanity that you save.

For fall graduation -- plan on an early October defense.  For spring graduation -- plan for a late March defense.  For summer graduation -- plan for an early May defense.  These are not graduate school deadlines, they are "workable" deadlines.

Plan to publish your dissertation in a refereed publication.  It is a wonderful avenue for you to continue your professional career and further your professional work with your major professor.   

Enjoy your final defense! This is your opportunity to share your hard work and defend your conclusions.  A well-developed dissertation is a pleasure to defend and disseminate.

*** If these guidelines are not acceptable, you should choose another major professor or program area. Choosing a major professor or committee member is a long term commitment for both the student and faculty members.