The role of the advisory committee is to aid in mentoring of graduate students and provide feedback. The composition of the advisory committee must be approved by the Associate Chair Grad and the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies before a meeting (thesis proposal, committee meeting, etc.) can be held.
At both the M.Sc. and Ph.D. levels, students must have a supervisor and an advisory committee. A student may have two supervisors, in which case they are referred to as co‑supervisors. Committees can only have one adjunct member (committee member from another institution). If you have an adjunct member on your committee, approval may take longer.
Your advisory committee should be established by the end of your first term, but no later than the end of your second term.
Please contact the Biology Graduate Office if you have any questions.