COMPREHENSIVE EXAM - PH.D.
Doctoral Students Only
The guidance committee must agree to one of two formats (A or B):
Plan A
1.) The oral exam will come first, and it will focus on basic knowledge in plant biology and other fields relevant to the student’s specialty. The exam, administered by the Departmental Representative, should be coursework-oriented and will encompass areas indicated in the "Report of the Guidance Committee" form. The oral examination will be approximately three hours in length.
If the student passes part 1, they will go on to part 2.
2.) The written part of the exam will be a dissertation proposal. There will be an oral defense of the dissertation proposal, in which the student will received considerable feedback from their guidance committee. A Departmental Representative will not be needed for this part of the exam. After the committee signs off on this written portion of the exam, the comprehensive exam is formally passed. The student must complete the written exam before the end of the first semester of their 3rd year in the doctoral program.. The exception is that a student who fails either the written or oral examination will be given one opportunity to repeat it within three months.
Plan B
1.) The written examination will come first. The written examination questions will be supplied equally by members of the Guidance Committee. The duration of the written exam is to be no less than four hours but less than one working day. (This has been interpreted as 4 hours to one working day per committee member, that is, up to 5 days total). The exam should be coursework-oriented and will encompass areas indicated in the "Report of the Guidance Committee" form. The committee will correct and grade the written exam within one week. A departmental representative will not be needed for this written exam.
If the student passes part 1, they will go on to part 2, within two weeks.
2.) The oral examination, administered by an appointed Departmental Representative, will be approximately three hours in length. For students entering the doctoral program after July of 2004, the student must take the written exam before the end of the first semester of their 3rd year in the doctoral program.. The exception is that a student who fails either the written or oral examination will be given one opportunity to repeat it within three months.
Charlotte Murray Reemts: "Clear Lake south edge--one of the forest edges being used in a fragmentation study"
