1. The student’s advisor will be responsible for developing and administering the Comprehensive Examination. At the beginning of the second year of the M.A. program, the advisor should meet with the student to discuss the examination procedure and to select an examination date. The student may not take the examination before completing the core courses and restricted electives; however, it must be taken within six years from the date when the first course in the program was taken. After beginning the examination, the student may take no longer than one year to complete it.
   
2. The student will receive test items for courses in the four core areas and in the three restricted electives. If the student has taken more than one course in a restricted elective category, s/he may select the course that will be included in the examination.
   
3. The student should confer with the professors who taught the core and restricted elective courses to find out what to read/study.
   
4. The professors who taught the student’s core and restricted elective courses will write one or more test items for those areas and will give them to the student’s advisor along with the testing parameters (e.g., time limits, take-home or monitored exam) no later than one week before the examination.
   
5. The professors who wrote test items will grade the student’s responses on a pass/fail basis and will notify the advisor of the outcome. If the student fails to provide an adequate answer for an item, the professor will provide feedback and offer the student one additional chance to pass the same or a similar item.
   
6. The student must successfully answer all test items for the seven areas to pass the Comprehensive Examination. The advisor will inform the student of the outcome of the examination.

Related Links

• Comprehensive Exams (general information)