PhD Program & Admissions

Qualifying Exams

The comprehensive examinations are individualized for each student and are generally administered during the Fall or Spring semester following the successful completion of 43 credits of coursework and the approval of the student’s Committee. The student is expected to work closely with the members of the Committee in preparation for the comprehensive examination. In consultation with the Committee, the student will develop a comprehensive understanding of a substantive area to be defined by the Committee and the student. To achieve this, it is expected that the student will confer regularly with each member of the Committee during the period of preparation in order to define the comprehensive areas that will be covered by the oral and written examination.