Outside Examiner Request Form
When an oral comprehensive examination, project or thesis defense, or evaluation of independent scholarship is required, the student may select an outside reviewer approved by the dean of the Graduate School and college dean to participate in the evaluation. An outside examiner is required for a doctoral defense. Typically, the outside examiner is a faculty member from another department in the university, or another qualified individual in the area in which the student is seeking a degree. The function of the outside examiner is to determine that a stringent, unbiased examination is given and that it is fairly administered and evaluated. The outside examiner should be provided with an opportunity to question the candidate during the oral examination. Note: The outside examiner should be given a copy of the dissertation at least a week before the defense. Due to the unavailability of tenure-track faculty members to serve certain functions for the Graduate School, oral exams for Ph.D. students cannot be scheduled less than two weeks prior to the last day of instruction in the Fall or Semester. Please submit form two weeks or ten business days in advance of exam date.