Program Administration

Quality control of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program rests with those faculty members certified by the University of Missouri to chair and serve on doctoral supervisory committees. These doctoral faculty members are responsible for the design and implementation of a student's doctoral plan of study and for the assessment of the qualifications of a student they recommend to the Curators for the Ph.D. degree. To help students formulate an appropriate plan of study, the doctoral faculty are divided into five broad groups corresponding to research interests and expertise. The groupings do not preclude an interdisciplinary plan of study and research involving more than one of these five groups, but are intended only to provide a structure that will assist students and doctoral faculty in developing a plan of study for each Interdisciplinary Ph.D. student. An executive committee of the Discipline Coordinators, chaired by the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program Director, formulates the policies that govern Interdisciplinary Ph.D. studies. This process ensures representation from across the primary areas of responsibility assigned to the campus by the Curators. The Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Executive Committee is also charged with formulating, monitoring and reviewing goals of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program and recommending changes in goals, procedures and policies to the faculty. Any proposed major change must be ratified by the doctoral faculty of the campus.