You have to make choices on how you will answer so that you can display your breadth and depth of knowledge while satisfying the committee that you have effectively addressed the question. program and are then admitted to doctoral study only upon successfully defending their research proposal.[3][6]. Keep effective class notes and reading notes. In the Department of Physics, there are three levels of Comps. Students who do not pass on the second attempt will not be allowed to continue on for the PhD. The purpose of the comprehensive exam is to ensure that the student has developed a comprehensive and integrated knowledge in the field and has developed a sound plan for doctoral thesis research. You will be expected to evince in-depth knowledge of some issues or areas. The exam lasts a total of eight hours. Explain and discuss the influence of the nation's distinctive past on the US role in the world in the twentieth century. candidate".[3]. The most important preparation for the PhD comprehensive examination is the GPIS coursework you have completed. Instead, it is splitting regions within nations that are fully part of the global market from those left behind. Many degree programs require students to pass comprehensive examinations within colleges or universities that don't otherwise require them. It is the checkpoint that confirms that you are ready to pass from being a student to a scholar. Take the time to think through and outline your argument and its structure before you write. Typically, one exam will question the student on theory while the other will show competency or expertise in their chosen subfield (or major field) within their program. You will see in this collection of sample questions that it is relatively rare for a question to demand knowledge of a particular event or historical period. You have eight hours to answer two questions. Avoid wishy-washy answers that simply describe some of the ideas extant in the field and then conclude that they are all correct. What your written exam will … You may occasionally include the name of a book or article and the date of its publication. Explain and discuss in the context of two high level foreign policy practitioners during the immediate postwar decade (1945-1965). Make sure to save every page you type (write). Clarity, timeliness and importance of the study question or topic to clinical social work; 2. Do NOT describe any of these crises, events or issues at length but single out the features and patterns that best explain why these are so closely identified, in your judgment, with this initial post-Cold War period. Students taking the written portion of the Rhetoric & Composition Comprehensive Exam will receive their specific questions (i.e. The Comprehensive Examination sections are graded pass/fail. Explain theoretical assumptions and major arguments (or hypotheses) of Statism. After this minimum number of cumulative exams is passed, this degree requirement is considered to be met, and the PhD student no longer takes these exams but continues work on other PhD requirements. What factors/developments are likely to determine its future? Grading. [4], The comprehensive examination system is used primarily in US and Canadian higher education, but it has also been adopted by some programs in other countries such as Pakistan[5] and India. The most common comprehensive exam mistake is to not explicitly and clearly answer the question. Do not use any other paper. What theoretical and empirical movements within the field would your seminar emphasize? In some fields, such as history, the student must pass the comprehensive examinations before submitting a dissertation proposal. These cumulative exams are often given on a pass/fail basis and a graduate student who seeks to continue in the PhD program must pass a minimum number of these cumulative exams. The exams are spaced such that students will have at least one day between each exam. Signed and completed forms are to be submitted to the Coordinator of the PhD … You will notice that most of the questions are a lot bigger than can be fully answered in the two-hours you will have on average during the written exam. 4. [19], In some U.S. graduate programs, particularly in the natural sciences, the majority of students do not have master's degrees when they begin doctoral work, and the successful students will earn doctorates without getting master's degrees on the way. Start paying attention to the style as well as the substance. The following three thematic topics are central to comparative sociopolitical studies. It will usually take about two weeks to get the written exams graded. As a scholar prepared to embark on independent thesis work, it is important that you demonstrate an ability to effectively articulate your own views. What do you think of this emerging world: first, from the narrow perspective of U.S. interests, capabilities and purpose; but also, next, from the broader perspective of power and order during the coming decade? From a scholarly perspective and against the background of Cold War arms control, how do you evaluate the return of arms control, the emerging arms control agenda, and arms control's contribution to international peace and stability? After passing the comprehensive exam a student can use the title " doctoral candidate," which is a label for students who have entered the dissertation phase of doctoral work, the final hurdle … To what extent do you agree with this key realist assumption? Alas, no one can know everything about everything. Hand the entire package to the Proctor in BAL 7045 (or wherever designated). These include Texas A&M-Commerce Honors College, The University of Virginia's Politics Honors Program,[12] and the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Mass Communications program. Allocate your time accordingly and make sure that each question has a concluding section. The comprehensive exam is meant to test your … (updated 2019) Approval of the comprehensive examination manuscript is the responsibility of the Ph.D. For some social science and many humanities disciplines, graduate students might not have studied the discipline at the undergraduate level. Explain how cultural studies theories are important to the study and practice of international relations. Make sure you answer the questions explicitly and clearly. Conversely, states originally left finance unregulated but in 1988 created and progressively have strengthened rules to manage international banking. It could also be referred to as preliminary exams or prelims writing, qualifying exams, general exams, or major field exams. Just be careful that you don't mistakenly provide the answer to a similar old question and miss the slightly changed terms or requirements that are likely to show up in the real test. Is it strong and if so, why? Some analysts of comparative studies have advocated Statism, emphasizing the profound role of the state in shaping socioeconomic and sociopolitical developments in various countries. Explain and discuss this assessment, which Kissinger made after he had served as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State, with explicit references to two high level foreign policy practitioners during the two decades that followed the US intervention in World War II (1941-1961). From your understanding of the scholarly literature, single out two contributors whose work(s) you think have been critical in advancing the field of Security Studies. The process of preparing practice exams is another area where working in groups can be extremely helpful. Old Dominion University, located in the coastal city of Norfolk, is Virginia's entrepreneurial-minded doctoral research university with more than 24,000 students, rigorous academics, an energetic residential community, and initiatives that contribute $2.6 billion annually to Virginia's economy. This exam is closed to the public; only the student and Comprehensive Exam Committee may be in attendance. Phone: (202) 885-2940 Graduate programs: spagrad@american.edu Undergraduate programs: aupublicaffairs@american.edu… Do you think that the New Institutionalism has helped advance comparative sociopolitical studies? Finally you should have a third very large group for which you have a sentence for each reading that gives you the central thrust of the argument. Norfolk, VA 23529. When you have completed the examination make sure that every answer is identified with the number on the question sheet, both in word processing and in handwriting. You should be thinking about preparation for the comprehensive exams from the beginning of your program. Numerous scholars argue that historical experiences condition a nation-state's contemporary political economy. You have been provided with blue examination books. You must pass this exam before you can advance to candidacy in the Ph.D. program. Choose your examples from the last decade. The student must schedule his or her comprehensive exams with the Graduate … Only identify bluebooks you actually use. What makes them sound defensive? COMP exams … After the May 2010 parliamentary elections in the United Kingdom, one observer wrote: The outcome in Britain underscores a problem roiling so many democracies. Each examiner will have a chance to ask questions, but the format will often shift between relatively structured questioning and a more free-flowing discussion. The comps most commonly come after the student has completed required coursework and before starting on the dissertation; successful passage of the comps is sometimes required for a student to be considered a "Ph.D. 1. As in all writing, signposting, headings, and clear explicit language can help communicate your ideas. They also frequently have a standardized component for all students in the discipline, or may be entirely standardized. Take note of how other scholars deal with difficult questions and criticisms. Students who do not pass the written portion of the exam on the first attempt will have to retake the exam in a subsequent semester. The scope of the exam is not, however, limited to that material. By the end you should be practicing with closed notes and a two-hour clock to simulate exam conditions. The exams thus take a number of forms, including an informal meeting of just a few hours, a critical review of one's academic portfolio, the submission of an academic paper which may take several hours or months to write, or a series of proctored exams taking anywhere from a few hours to a week. At the graduate level, the purpose of the comprehensive exam is to ensure the student is familiar enough with her area of research to make original contributions. New Institutionalism is believed to have succeeded the so-called "Old" Institutionalism in comparative sociopolitical studies. Take a stand and defend it with appropriate theoretical, analytical, and empirical material. What makes them sound indecisive? The examiners will be looking to fill in any perceived gaps in the written work, and to more generally assess the student's facility with the literature and empirical material. To what degree are development and democratization path-dependent processes? Discuss the major strengths and weaknesses of each approach. The best way to figure out the right attitude is to attend the presentations of others at research workshops, dissertation defenses, and conferences. 3. Copyright © Old Dominion University • It is given once a year, during the summer. Is it weak and if so, why? In May, the Exam will take place on the designated Reading … You can take the exam either at a computer or by hand. 2. All students in the Master of Science in Education degree program are required to take the comprehensive exam if they are on the non-thesis track. College of Arts and Letters. To introduce your answer, explain your choice of the period you wish to discuss. It usually helps if you can be explicit about how you are managing the question ("While there are, of course, idiosyncratic elements in the complex relationship of each President to his national security team, I will focus in this short essay on the difficult relationship between Jimmy Carter, Zbigniew Brzezinski and Cyrus Vance because it effectively illuminates the problems every foreign policy team must face"). You will particularly want to be careful about the material in the core classes. If you aren't prepared to express and defend your views in the seminar setting, it is unlikely that you will be prepared to do so in the oral exam. Why would you conceptualize it this way? The comprehensive exam consists of four … Explain the role of the imperial power and how that is legitimized or not. Comprehensive Exam As part of the degree requirements, PhD students must successfully complete a Comprehensive Exam. The student should also bring a completed Admission to Candidacy for the Doctoral Degree (Graduate College Form 8) and a Dissertation Committee Form to the comprehensive examination. The examiners are likely to push against your views and expect to see you defend them effectively, but not irrationally. Preparing for PhD COMPs A comprehensive exam is also known as COMP exams for short. You should be aware of the major journals in your particular field and should be paying attention to them. A comprehensive exam may also be required for a master's degree earned on the way to the completion of a doctoral program. The purpose of this rubric is to give doctoral students a clear understanding of the criteria that will be used to guide the assessment of the quality of their comprehensive exam. In an increasingly global security environment it is far from obvious how security should be organized. Comprehensive Examination in the Ph.D. Students who do not pass the oral exam will be asked to return in one month for a second oral exam. Your answer should address at least one of the following dimensions of democracy: political behavior, democratic institutions, responsiveness, equality, and legitimacy. Use these to design and outline your answers. If not, why not? [17] Passing them allows the student to stay, begin doctoral research, and rise to the status of a doctoral candidate. We ensure customers receive full satisfaction with their orders. Application This rubric is intended to be shared with doctoral students as part of their program’s introduction to the comprehensive exam … Make appropriate reference to the literature and relevant scholarly debates. [16] This reading list may comprise dozens or hundreds of books and other works. Failing usually results in the student leaving the program or re-taking the test after some time has passed. (These are the instructions that come with the exam). To conclude, explain the relevance of that region or country to current U.S. interests and policies. The discussion will center on the student's answers for the written exam (students can get a copy of their written exam from the program administrator). Unless you have developed an integrated overview of the field you will not have the necessary foundation for dissertation work. If not, your answers must be handwritten, each in a separate blue book, provided. Comprehensive examinations are often based on a reading list agreed upon by the student and his or her committee, which is staffed by the primary supervisor and several advisors, normally professors at the university, but not necessarily in the same faculty. Graduate Director Date SGS Review . Cite a case study of a post-colonial critique of nationalism. Written comprehensive exams One of the milestones on your progress toward the PhD is successful completion of your written comprehensive exams. Many of the questions across the different tracks will benefit from an effective understanding of the broad currents and debates of international relations theory. You need to demonstrate that despite being nervous you can engage in appropriate scholarly discussion. For a lot of books and articles, remembering the author and the central thrust of their argument and evidence will serve you adequately for the comprehensives. Cite evidence from any region(s) or country (countries) with which you are familiar to illustrate your evaluation. Comprehensive exams basically provide a demarcation between doctoral students who qualify and one who don’t by mainly separating the coursework phase and the dissertation phase. Doctoral candidates are expected to be able to communicate effectively and knowledgeably both in writing and orally. Through this examination, a doctoral student demonstrates the requisite breadth and depth of knowledge of the … For a region of your choice, discuss two events or developments over the past decade that have significantly affected regional expectations about conflict and cooperation. How you perform when nervous is not irrelevant to your career as a scholar. This also allows students enrolled in the program who do not wish to continue to the completion of a doctoral degree to leave early and in good standing with a Master's. Virtually absent from national policy agendas since the end of the Cold War, arms control is back. Sign the envelope across the back flap after the exam has been printed. The comprehensive examination is a critical part of the GPIS PhD program. The examiners will usually, but not necessarily, include the Director or Associate Director of GPIS and the track coordinators from the student's major and minor fields. It is rarely a good strategy to try to present a broad and superficial survey of too many things ("In this essay I will discuss the relationship of each Post-WWII American president with his respective Secretaries of State and Defense"). What are the similarities and differences between these two approaches in terms of their intellectual geneses, theoretical assumptions, and major arguments (or hypotheses)? While to this point, each of your seminars has been a distinct learning experience, you now have the opportunity to think about how your interdisciplinary work in international studies fits together. We do expect you to communicate effective knowledge of a broad range of subjects, and explicit and deep knowledge of a few selected areas. Drawing on the central concepts and knowledge of the track, and on your broader study in the program, to what extent do you believe America is in decline? Reflecting on what you have learned, how would you conceptualize a 21st century security order? Old Dominion University The best way to practice for the oral exam is to speak up and engage in discussion in your seminars, in research workshops, and at conferences. The following pages offer some further suggestions for effective preparation for the comprehensive examination, and for ensuring a strong examination performance. It is likely that all together, the three to five professors conducting the examination know some things that you don't. Explain your selections in detail. There will be five questions. The exam will be graded by a committee of GPIS faculty. There may be a set of books and articles for which you will have 2-3 page summaries. At the end of the examination period, writing must cease. Passing the oral comprehensive exam is a matter of convincing the committee members that you have an appropriate mastery of the central material of the field and are prepared to go on to focused and independent work on a dissertation. Students are not allowed to register for dissertation writing unless they have passed the doctoral Comprehensive Examination… To study socioeconomic development in different regions or countries, scholars have developed two distinct approaches: Modernization Theory and Dependency Theory. But, you should demonstrate familiarity and facility with a range of the literature. Explain the social construction of culture(s) and its significance to current political economic realities. 1. If you are handwriting your answers in blue books, use extra ones to design/outline answers. For each of your fields you will be given five questions from which you will choose two to answer. To what extent, if any, is the world safer in the post-Cold War era? It is important to note that the comprehensive PhD examination is not simply a test of your cumulative knowledge of seminar materials. The comprehensive exam is not just about knowing the literature. Sign your name, date and time on every sheet. Accessibility Some schools have an intermediate category, passing at the master's level, which does not permit the student to continue doctoral study, but does allow the student to leave with a master's degree despite not having completed a thesis. Be sure they are identified clearly. Program Director. Your answer should critically review state policies and institutional responses. In your answer, make sure to demonstrate familiarity with the scholarly literature and debates at the policy levels. The same is true for many schools and colleges within larger universities. The form and general requirements for the comprehensive exam vary according to the faculty or department, degree sought, university, and country, but typically tests knowledge of the student's subject area and two or more related areas, and may be used to determine a candidate's eligibility to continue his or her course of study. Doctoral Comprehensive Examination Results DocuSign Link : SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF NORTH … It may have been a few years since you took IR theory, but it is unlikely that the scholars who work in that area have stopped pushing the field forward to wait for you to get through the comprehensive exams. In most doctoral programs, students must take a series of written cumulative examinations on the subject of their study in the first year or two of the PhD program. From World War II to the present, states have constructed regimes to manage some-but not all-aspects of the international economy. In order to schedule these exams, the student must have completed all coursework … The exam is closed book and no notes or other aids of any kind are allowed. You have received a flash drive on which you must write your answers if you have opted to use word processing equipment for this examination. Students who do not demonstrate an effective grasp of the relevant literature and empirics or who do not effectively and explicitly answer the questions as asked will not pass. A comprehensive exam is an evaluation that measures a student’s competency and mastery of concepts in the field of an academic discipline. [15] In others, a written exam is taken, and depending on the grade, the student may or may not have to continue with an oral exam. Ph.D. students must complete two comprehensive exams in two different areas. With us, you can be sure you’ll get high-quality answers for top marks. Nonetheless, you will also see that you are often called upon to identify a critical historical period or event. It is likely that you will be nervous. The full comprehensive exam consists of two (2) 4-hour written parts administered over two consecutive days. It is also critically important for embarking on the dissertation. Identify three such challenges and discuss. 2. In our department, we offer a written comprehensive exam twice a year. A prominent example of such is the Major Field Test for Master of Business Administration (MFT-MBA) which has been used in the MBA programs of over 300 U.S. In such cases, students might take an oral exam and/or field exam in order to both earn a Master's in their field and advance to the status of doctoral or PhD candidate. 4. Great speculation exists on the extent to which the United States is in decline. It, therefore, … Currently, no other civilian academic institutions have been awarded the "Selected Program" designation by NATO. [18] A second failure normally guarantees dismissal from the graduate program, though progress on previous attempts may convince the student's program to grant a third, final attempt. This, of course, is common sense, but I can't overemphasize how difficult it is to certify someone as ready to move onto writing a dissertation who fundamentally misunderstands some essential literature, or who demonstrates a wanton disregard for historical accuracy. You will not, of course, be expected to provide detailed citations. Attitude is important in the oral examination, just as it will be for the remainder of your career as a scholar. Different examiners may read the exams in different ways, and it is the student's responsibility to write answers that are generally accessible and appealing across the variety of GPIS faculty. The comprehensive examination, which is administered in the Summer and Winter semesters on the main campus in Fort Lauderdale, is a written examination students attempt after the completion of all the … Some colleges or universities in the United States require undergraduate students to pass comprehensive examinations in order to receive their degree. Three to five faculty members will administer the examination. Using the material in this booklet, you should write some practice exams. Unlike final examinations, comprehensive examinations are not linked to any particular course, but rather test knowledge across one or more general fields of study. The integration of gendered analyses of globalization has led to a substantive body of literature within the field of international studies. Effective in-depth knowledge of a few critical issue areas or historical episodes can help you generate appropriate material for a wide variety of questions. Preparation for the comprehensive exam should help you become better able to integrate and utilize the knowledge you have gained in your graduate study. With some pushing, they will probably be able to find out what some of those things are. This booklet will help give you a clear sense of the comprehensive examination process. Working with others can help you share the labor of summarizing and reviewing material. In what measure have transnational threats (terrorism, migration, energy interdependence, etc) replaced the threats inherent in the Cold War? Just because it is a time-limited exam is no excuse for jumbled, incoherent writing. The seminar papers you write should particularly help you develop depth in a few critical areas. "[5], sfn error: no target: CITEREFGonsalves2011 (, Major Field Test for Master of Business Administration, "PhDs – What model works for developing countries? You can work with others on identifying the critical literature and on developing answers to hypothetical test questions. Identify some historical periods and important episodes and issues around which you will develop a particular expertise. Do not rely on the readers to draw out implicit answers. Whatever might be said about the events of September 11, 2001 and the wars that followed, their consequences have been epochal - meaning, system changing. Most doctoral students at UNL have to complete a written comprehensive exam to enter candidacy, and in some departments the written exam may be followed by an oral exam. These exams cover material from the 500-level graduate sequences. You should not view it simply as a bureaucratic hurdle to pass over on your way to the dissertation. How might this threat best be countered? A prominent example of such is the Major Field Test for Master of Business Administration (MFT-MBA) which has been used in the MBA programs of over 300 U.S. universities.