The Graduate School is responsible for the authorization of special committee degrees. A high level of independence is required on the part of the student, since easily available guidance provided by programs is often more difficult to obtain, and there is not the usual collegial group of students in closely related research and coursework. 

The special graduate committee degree requirements are as follows: 

1. Prospective students with an interest in a special graduate committee degree must apply for admission to the degree program that is closest to their program interest.
2. Upon receipt of an application in which a prospective student expresses interest in a special graduate committee degree, the academic program will follow all relevant program admission requirements.
3. A student cannot be admitted directly to a special graduate committee degree program. They must be admitted by an established department or program and must attend classes at UW–Madison before a proposal for a special graduate committee degree will be considered by the Graduate School.
4. The department or program admitting the student must be prepared to see the student through an established degree program. No commitments to provide a special graduate committee degree are to be made until the student is enrolled and the proposal for the special degree is authorized by the Graduate School.
5. The student’s advisor must author and submit the special graduate committee degree proposal on behalf of the student. Doctoral proposals must be submitted by the end of the first year of graduate work. Master’s proposals must be submitted after the equivalent of the first full-time semester of graduate work. The proposal must consist of the following elements:
   • The reasons the special graduate committee program is needed and an explanation of why the student’s education cannot be met with an existing program(s).
   • The exact title of the proposed degree program. The title is to be brief yet descriptive.
   • The proposed coursework to be taken at UW-Madison which is to include the program, course titles, course numbers, credits, and semester taken/to be taken.
   • The nature and scope of preliminary examinations for the doctoral degree, or the examination procedure for the master’s degree.
   • The nature of the dissertation or thesis (general subject area) and any specific requirements.
   • The names of the faculty members who, in addition to the advisor, will share the responsibility of supervising the student’s program. The doctoral degree requires 4 members (3 UW–Madison graduate faculty members and the advisor), and the master’s degree requires 3 members (2 UW–Madison graduate faculty members and the advisor). Approval signatures of the committee members are required on the proposal.
6. The Graduate School carefully reviews each proposal to determine whether the proposed programs and degree are feasible and meet the Graduate School’s rigorous standards.
7. The chairperson of the committee (usually the advisor) must be a member of the program to which the student is originally admitted. The program is responsible for the maintenance of the student’s records and is responsible for all appropriate nominations for financial aid.
8. It is expected that individual members of the committee assume program responsibilities provided institutionally in conventional programs. Faculty members who serve on special graduate committees must be prepared to participate fully in all aspects of the student’s program from the beginning, especially where they must provide the necessary expertise in their particular areas of interest.

Graduate School Requirements

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