Comprehensive Examination
The comprehensive examination is taken after the student has
satisfactorily completed all of the course work requirements in the
approved Plan of Study filed by the student. To initiate this the
student meets with the committee chair and the entire committee to
prepare a memorandum to be forwarded to the Office of the Dean
requesting the comprehensive examination. The requesting memorandum
lists all courses taken by the student that form the program of
study for the Ph.D. degree and proposes a suggested structure for
the comprehensive examination. This is generally structured by four
central areas, to include all comprehensive courses taken, to be
covered on the examination and is reasonably explicit about the
scope of the examination. The memo describes an advanced specialty
area(s) and briefly comments upon the courses that the student has
taken in the area and upon the independent study taken under the
direction of a faculty member. This memo also defines the coverage
for the comprehensive examination. The objective of the
comprehensive examination is to allow the examining committee to
assess a student's readiness for and ability to complete doctoral
research in an area of specialization.
After completing the advanced specialty part of the studies, the
student requests appointment of a comprehensive examination
committee and the comprehensive examination. This request is
transmitted through the supervisory committee to the Office of the
Dean. Generally conducted by the doctoral supervisory committee,
the examination covers the student's area of specialization and
includes both a written and an oral part. The result of the
comprehensive examination is a grade of pass or fail with
recommendations for removing any deficiencies.
After satisfactorily completing the written portions of the
comprehensive examinations, the student arranges the oral portion.
The entire advisory committee meets with the student and asks him
or her questions concerning basic and advanced areas of study.
