Doctoral students are required to pass three qualifying exams. Each of these take-home exams must be completed within a 48-hour period, and each question requires a response of 10 - 15 pages in length. Exams will be given grades of "Pass with Distinction", "Pass", or "Fail." (If a student fails an exam, s/he will have one opportunity to re-take it.)
Candidacy Exam: General Theories
Students take this exam after the end of their second semester in the program. It must be completed and passed by the end of June. Students who pass this exam advance to candidacy as recognized by the School. Thus students must apply to advance to candidacy by submitting a completed Application for Doctoral Candidacy; the form must be filed no later than four weeks prior to taking the exam.
Exams will be composed of two questions and will cover the readings studied in Doctoral Core Seminars I & II.
Exams will be administered and graded by the faculty teaching Doctoral Core Seminars I & II.
All students will take this exam in the same 48-hour period.
Final grades for this exam are forwarded to the Office of Graduate Studies by the faculty administering the exams.
Dissertation Specialization Exams 1 & 2
These exams cover two separate areas of specialization, and are a pre-requisite to the dissertation proposal review.
During their second year of study students identify two advisors who will administer their exams. Normally, these advisors would be serving on the student's dissertation committee. Thus one advisor must be within the department (and ideally, will serve as the chair of the committee).
Students must develop bibliographies for these exams on their own initiative, but in consultation with their advisors. The exam questions will come out of these bibliographies.
Both exams must be taken during the same week.
Exams can be distributed and received electronically.
No more than one week after both exams are completed, students will have an oral defense in which both advisors are present.
Ideally, the exams will be completed and passed by the beginning of Fall semester of the third year of study. The very latest deadline for completion of these exams with a pass grade is by November 1 of the third year of study.
Candidacy Exam: General Theories
Students take this exam after the end of their second semester in the program. It must be completed and passed by the end of June. Students who pass this exam advance to candidacy as recognized by the School. Thus students must apply to advance to candidacy by submitting a completed Application for Doctoral Candidacy; the form must be filed no later than four weeks prior to taking the exam.
Exams will be composed of two questions and will cover the readings studied in Doctoral Core Seminars I & II.
Exams will be administered and graded by the faculty teaching Doctoral Core Seminars I & II.
All students will take this exam in the same 48-hour period.
Final grades for this exam are forwarded to the Office of Graduate Studies by the faculty administering the exams.
Dissertation Specialization Exams 1 & 2
These exams cover two separate areas of specialization, and are a pre-requisite to the dissertation proposal review.
During their second year of study students identify two advisors who will administer their exams. Normally, these advisors would be serving on the student's dissertation committee. Thus one advisor must be within the department (and ideally, will serve as the chair of the committee).
Students must develop bibliographies for these exams on their own initiative, but in consultation with their advisors. The exam questions will come out of these bibliographies.
Both exams must be taken during the same week.
Exams can be distributed and received electronically.
No more than one week after both exams are completed, students will have an oral defense in which both advisors are present.
Ideally, the exams will be completed and passed by the beginning of Fall semester of the third year of study. The very latest deadline for completion of these exams with a pass grade is by November 1 of the third year of study.