There are two important committees during an ECE doctoral student's study: the candidacy committee and the dissertation advisory committee. The candidacy committee determines criteria that must be satisfied by the student before continuing further in the ECE doctoral program. Details for candidacy are explained on the ECE Ph.D. Candidacy page.

After the student has achieved successful candidacy, a dissertation advisory committee should be selected by the student and major professor. The dissertation advisory committee is responsible for developing the student's plan of study and conducting the doctoral general and final examinations. It must consist of at least four members of the Graduate Faculty. Additional voting members may be appointed to the committee (including no more than one non-Auburn University faculty member who holds the terminal degree in the field).  A majority of the Auburn University affiliated committee members, including the major professor, must be members of the Graduate Faculty at Level 2. The major professor must also be a regular member of the ECE department. The formal appointment of the advisory committee occurs when the Committee Selection Form is submitted and approved by the Graduate School.

A plan of study includes a list of courses and activities that satisfy requirements of the Ph.D. degree, and is intended to help the student's professional development. The plan should be reviewed each term, as the student and/or advisory committee often discover that changes may be warranted, as driven by student needs, research interests, and course availability.

Doctoral degree students are encouraged to regularly review the Graduate School's Doctoral Completion Checklist. Note on the checklist that the Committee Selection Form must be submitted and approved before the student's General Examination. The  Graduation Application Form must be submitted one term before graduation.