The student’s supervisory committee is composed of his/her supervisor and two other faculty members, one of whom must be a member of the Department of Biochemistry. It is preferable, but not required, that one member of the supervisory committee is from a geographical node of the department that is distinct from that of the student.

If the student’s project involves a collaboration within the University of Toronto, at least one member of his/her committee must be at "arms length" from the project. Students will find it helpful if at least one member of their supervisory committee is a "senior" faculty member who knows departmental and School of Graduate Studies policies.

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Approval of the Committee

The composition of the committee is subject to approval by the Graduate Coordinator, so the student must inform her/him of the suggested composition of the committee before scheduling the first committee meeting.

Any change to the composition of the committee must have the approval of the supervisor and the Graduate Coordinator.

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How to Choose Committee Members

It might be quite clear to the student whom he/she would like to invite to serve on his/her committee. In this case, the student may just get approval from his/her supervisor and then ask these faculty members if they are willing to serve.

If the student is not sure whom he/she would like to invite to serve on the committee, he/she may solicit suggestions from his/her supervisor and other students in the lab or cognate labs. The student should make a list and discuss these potential committee members with his/her supervisor to decide on the two most appropriate faculty members to ask to serve.

If a faculty member whom the student would like to have on his/her committee is actively engaged in the student’s research through collaboration with his/her supervisor, this individual should be listed as a co-supervisor and an additional committee member selected (for a total of four committee members).

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