Upon completion of required course work students must successfully complete comprehensive written and oral examinations in their area of concentration and two complementary tracks. These examinations will provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate their mastery of the fundamental concepts of each track, familiarity with the core literature in these areas, and the ability to synthesize, integrate, and apply knowledge across fields.
Schedule: Comprehensive examinations shall be scheduled by the student in consultation with the Doctoral Advisory Committee, but may not take place before the student’s final semester of course requirements. Prior to scheduling the exams, the student, committee, and CRM director will meet. To ensure that the roles and responsibilities of the committee are clear to all and that the student understands the nature, expected level of academic preparation, and procedures governing the examination process.
Preparation: Compilation and organization of the examination will be the responsibility of the chair of the student’s doctoral advisory committee, in consultation with other advisory committee members and CRM faculty. Questions will be solicited and contributed by CRM faculty in the concentration and tracks selected for examination.
Examination: Logistics and scheduling of the comprehensive examination will be the responsibility of the faculty advisor, in consultation with the student, other advisory committee members, and the CRM director. Typically, examinations will include an eight (8) hour period for the field of concentration, and four (4) hours for each track scheduled over a five (5) day period. The doctoral advisory committee will schedule and conduct an oral examination as soon as practicable upon completion of the written portion of the exams.
Evaluation: Evaluation of the examination will in general be the responsibility of the doctoral advisory committee member from the area under examination. A grade of B for each tract is accepted as passing. If the student receives less than B for any one of the three sections, the faculty from that concentration or track, in consultation with other faculty from that track, and the CRM director, may require further remedial activities by the student, in preparation for re-examination in the deficient track or concentration. Students are limited to one re-examination. Failure to achieve a grade of B on any track during the first series of examinations or a B on a repeat examination will initiate a formal review by the student’s advisory committee. The review will assess the performance on the comprehensive examination, overall academic achievement worthy of a doctoral degree, and professional promise. Contingent on findings from this review, the student may be requested to withdraw from the program.
