Doctorate

Timing
The exam may be given only after the student has acquired sufficient preparation as determined by the faculty of the graduate program, and has fulfilled the foreign language requirements (if required).

Format & Procedure
The exam may be either oral or oral and written. It is conducted by the faculty of the graduate program or a sub-committee thereof. A majority of the committee must vote “pass” in order for the student to pass. Should a member of the committee voting in the minority wish to have the majority decision reviewed, he or she may do so by submitting a written request to the Graduate Division. The request must state specific reasons. Upon approval of the request, the review will be undertaken by the Graduate Council.

Results
The graduate chair shall coordinate the exam with the student and report the exam results to the Office of Graduate Student Services via Form II.

Repeat Policy
A student who fails the comprehensive exam may repeat it once. The graduate chair shall report the results of the repeated exam to the Office of Graduate Student Services via a copy of Form II. A student who fails any portion of the comprehensive exam twice will be dismissed from both the graduate program and the Graduate Division, unless recommended otherwise by the graduate chair.

Master’s Degree En-route to Doctorate
Upon successful passing of the comprehensive exam, a doctoral candidate may request a master’s degree in the same discipline.  For more information, see Credit Policies > Double-Counting Credits.