Preliminary Written Exams
Students write l6-20 hours on Communication Studies. Exams may not be taken until all courses on the degree program are completed (or are being taken during the semester in which the student writes exams). The student must ensure that the results of the exam are reported to the Graduate School office immediately via the "Written Examination in Major Field for Doctoral Candidates GS-l7" form.
Each exam is tailored to the interests and goals of each student, based upon the individual's course work and research plans. The general goal of graduate exams is to evaluate the student's knowledge of theory and research in designated areas of concentration within the Department and determine the readiness of the student to pursue independent research on the dissertation. In particular, graduate exams have the following objectives:
- To assess the student's ability to synthesize the major literature in designated areas of concentration and to articulate a position concerning important theoretical questions.
- To assess critical, analytical, and methodological skills, especially knowledge of research techniques used in the student's chosen areas of concentration.
- To assess the depth and breadth of the student's knowledge of central theories and research findings in designated areas of concentration. This includes the ability to name influential sources (people, books, articles), to assess their influence on scholarship in the field, and to be able to demonstrate familiarity with major publications important to the area.
Procedures for Taking Written Exams
The Ph.D. written exams are given three times a year in a specified Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of the Fall, Spring, and Summer terms. A series of four-hour periods will be available at 8:00-12:00 and 1:00-5:00 p.m. There will be no writing over the noon hour. Students should take questions to write on only when they have enough time to finish those questions by the noon or 5:00 p.m. deadlines.
All "sit-down" exams must be written in rooms designated for that purpose. The Department tries to provide adequate surroundings for students taking the exams, but cannot assure a student complete privacy from other students who may be writing exams. Students may write, type, or use a computer: In any case, students must complete a "[Prelim Tech Plan]" form and turn it into the Graduate Secretary one week prior to the exams. All exams are "closed book" unless otherwise designated (no notes or materials are allowed in the exam rooms).
Up to six hours of the student's exams may be satisfied through take-home questions that are limited to synthesizing the major literature in designated areas of concentration and/or articulating a position concerning important theoretical questions. Such take home questions must be given to the student at least four weeks prior to the due date and must specify expectations in terms of page-length, organization, and recommended number of hours to be spent writing.
Arranging Exams: The graduate student must initiate the arrangements for taking the written exams by talking with the adviser, the Graduate Secretary, and the DGS. Complete the [Prelim Proposal Form] and have it signed by your Advisor and the DGS.
Step One: The semester prior to the scheduled writing dates, the student should provide the adviser with a list of all courses taken in Communication Studies (including titles, numbers and instructors). The student should discuss with the adviser "areas" within the department in which to be tested. The student and adviser should devise a plan that specifies which faculty shall submit questions for each of the exam areas and how many hours will be written in each area.
NB: Sample plans and prelim questions are on file with the Graduate Secretary and on the graduate program's webpage.
Step Two: The adviser will send a "Request for Exam Questions" through the Graduate Secretary to faculty chosen to submit questions. The requests should include the areas of questioning, the course work upon which each area is based, the names of the faculty members who will write questions in each area, and the time limit allotted for each exam area. The student, the adviser, and the Graduate Secretary receive a copy of this request.
Step Three: After the "Request for Exam Questions" has been sent to the examining faculty, the student is encouraged to meet with these faculty to discuss the most important concepts and readings on which to focus in studying for the exams. The student may remind the faculty of her or his background and interests, and how the exam areas relates to the graduate program. The purpose of this discussion is to clarify the meaning and the boundaries of the exam area, and to come to a general understanding on the format and content of the questions. Faculty are free to question the student in the prescribed area at their own discretion and are encouraged to give students substantial direction to aid in their preparation.
NB: The writing time indicated on the test sheet will include all the time the student spends. If the student uses a computer, that will include the time it takes the printer to produce the text. Students and their advisers should plan accordingly. If a student needs more time than might be usual because English is a second language or for any other reason, such reasons should be discussed in advance with the adviser and persons writing the questions. The time finally indicated must be interpreted as all the time the student will take.
Step Four: The week prior to written exam week, the student and adviser will confer with the Graduate Secretary to confirm receipt of questions from the relevant faculty members. The DGS and Graduate Secretary will secure any questions not yet turned in by procrastinating faculty.
Step Five: On Monday of writing week, the student should confirm with the Graduate Secretary which professors have sent questions in, and what their time limits are. With that information, the student can plan how to use the three writing days. On the first day of the exam, the student must report to the Graduate Secretary to pick up the questions in one area of concentration.
Step Six: The student should anticipate receiving exam results from the adviser in two to three weeks after the exam. Exam answers are evaluated by the faculty members who prepared the questions, unless otherwise arranged. Marks of "Distinction" (a superior performance in all respects), "Pass" (demonstrates good competence in all respects), "Marginal" (most answers meet minimum requirements, but some points of competence are questionable), or "Fail" (does not demonstrate required competence in important respects) are assigned each exam.
If the student receives two marginals, or one fail, all exams will be read by an ad hoc committee of the faculty appointed by the DGS. Once the committee's recommendations are received, the DGS will decide whether to pass the student, or require that steps be taken to remedy deficiencies.
At the Ph.D. oral preliminary examination the answers to a student's written exams must be made available and may serve as a source of questions.
Preliminary Oral Exam
Soon after passing the preliminary written exam, students take a preliminary oral examination covering their entire program, both major and supporting. The examination typically lasts two hours.
The preliminary oral does not cover specific plans for the dissertation research. These are covered later in the dissertation prospectus meeting. But students can expect to be examined on methodological and theoretical issues relevant to their dissertation research. For this reason, they should be prepared to discuss the anticipated area of their dissertation research with the oral examining committee.
It is the student's responsibility to schedule the preliminary oral with the examiners and with the Graduate School Office at least one week in advance of taking the exam, with form GS-12. The committee is composed of the adviser, two additional Communication Studies faculty, and at least one faculty from the minor field or supporting program areas. Normally, the committee is that listed on the student's Ph.D. program form.
In scheduling the oral exam it is the student's responsibility to choose a time and place acceptable to every member of the examining committee. Check deadlines and waiting periods in force for the current semester, and when committee members have agreed to a time, go to the Graduate School to complete the arrangements officially. It is wise to do this several weeks in advance, and then to remind committee members by phone or letter a day or two before the exam.
Scheduling orals is often difficult because of conflicts in faculty members' schedules. Minimize difficulties by contacting them early during the semester of the examination, learning their schedules, and asking the DGS early in the semester to request the Graduate School to replace members of the assigned committee who will not be at the University during the semester of the examination. To replace members of the examining committee, get the approval of your adviser, and then contact the DGS, who will contact the Graduate School for approval of the change. Check with the DGS to be sure the proposed replacement has proper faculty status to serve on doctoral committees.
Results of the written preliminary exams must be available to all committee members at the time of the preliminary oral exam, together with readers' comments, a copy of the student's program, and transcripts of the student's course work. It is the responsibility of the student's adviser to bring these materials to the examination and to make them available before the exam.
The oral exam is valid only if all assigned committee members are present at the examination. After the exam is scheduled with the Graduate School, they will send the "Report of Preliminary Oral Examination for Doctoral Candidates GS-18" form to the adviser in advance of the exam. The Graduate School will mail the student a memo confirming the exam schedule together with a reminder of the administrative steps remaining to complete degree requirements.
The examining committee reports the results of the preliminary oral to the Graduate School, stating clearly, in the case of pass with reservations, what additional requirements must be met by the candidate to remove the reservations.
For further details on the preliminary oral exam, see the Graduate Bulletin.
The Dissertation
Dissertation Prospectus Meeting
All students must meet with their final oral examination committee to gain approval of their dissertation prospectus. The meeting is not an exam, but is an exploration of the viability of the proposed project, of the student's potential to complete the proposed dissertation successfully, and to give the student advice and guidance in the early stages of the research. Execution of the dissertation may not proceed until the committee approves the prospectus.
It is the responsibility of the student to schedule the prospectus meeting. It is especially important that committee members who will be reviewers can be present, and, preferably, that all committee members be present. At the time of the prospectus meeting the reviewers should decide on the procedure which the student should follow in keeping them informed of progress on the dissertation.
An adequate prospectus will contain approximately l5 to 25 type written, double-spaced pages. Some studies may necessitate a pilot project. In such cases, the pilot project may be reported in the prospectus as evidence of the viability of the study. It is assumed that the student will have received tentative approval of the prospectus from the adviser before the meeting. As a result of the meeting, the student should have an indication of whether the committee believes it is feasible, and how it could be strengthened.
The Option of Combining the Ph.D. Preliminary Oral Exam and Dissertation Prospectus Meeting
Some students and their advisers may prefer to schedule the preliminary exam and the dissertation prospectus hearing during sequential hours on one day. This option is available if:
- All committee members approve the combination preliminary oral and/or prospectus meeting.
- The reviewers of the dissertation are on both committees and able to be present.
- The student performed satisfactorily on the written exams.
- The adviser can justify to the DGS that the combining would be appropriate.
A complete, typed dissertation prospectus, meeting the criteria listed above, must be distributed to all committee members far enough ahead of time for them to read it, and make a decision about whether to combine the two tasks in sequential meetings on the same day.
When a combined meeting is held, the preliminary oral examination must be held first. All committee members must be given the opportunity to ask questions related to the student's program, and to the preliminary written examinations. When the oral examination is completed a vote must be taken, consistent with the rules of the Graduate School. Only after the student passes the exam, and the committee members have signed the form, may the preliminary oral examination meeting be adjourned, and the dissertation prospectus meeting be convened.
Committees examining students getting approval for this option must follow all Graduate School rules for the normal preliminary oral exam. Students who believe their preliminary oral and final oral examination committees will be substantially different in membership should not choose this combined meeting option.
Thesis Title Form
No later than the second semester after passing the preliminary oral exam, and after the dissertation prospectus meeting, students should file the thesis title form, "Ph.D. Thesis Title GS-63," together with a 250-word (maximum) abstract of the dissertation prospectus.
The title form must be signed by the adviser and the DGS. On the form is a space for the names of the member of your final oral examination committee. The names should be listed on a separate note, list the names and correct departmental affiliation of all examiners, indicating clearly who will be the dissertation reviewers (the adviser is always one of the reviewers), and who will chair the committee for the final oral examination (it must be a member other than the adviser). Give this note to the DGS when submitting the title form for approval.
Changes in the thesis title may be made, but not after the dissertation is registered. If the substance of the dissertation research changes markedly, a revised proposal must be approved by the committee and DGS, and submitted immediately to the Graduate School.
Dissertation Registration and Thesis Reviewers' Report Form
Prior to the final oral examination the student must register a clean complete title page of the dissertation in 316 Johnston Hall. This must be done at least nine weeks before the commencement date at which the student expects to receive the degree.
The students should now plan ahead and set the date to meet with their final oral examination committee for the final oral examination. This meeting may not take place sooner than 30 days after thesis registration, and one week after thesis certification. Submit form GS-12A to the Graduate School at least one week prior to your defence.
At the time the title page is registered in the Graduate School the student will be given the "Reviewers Report From for Ph.D. Thesis, GS-2" with instructions about remaining requirements for graduation. This form, which must be signed by the members of the committee who are the reviewers, and which certifies that the dissertation is ready for defense, must be on file in the Graduate School before the final oral examination form can be issued and the final oral exam taken.
Final Oral Examination
The exam covers the student's dissertation and major field, and usually lasts two hours. Before taking the final oral, all course work (including language or research tool), written and preliminary oral exams, and a thesis certified as ready for defense must have been successfully completed and relevant forms submitted.
It is the responsibility of the student to schedule the final oral with the committee members and with the Graduate School at least one week in advance of taking the exam. See the Graduate Bulletin for further information on the final oral exam.