Comp Exam & Candidacy

PURPOSE

The Comprehensive Examination (sometimes called the “comprehensive evaluation” or “Comp Exam” or “Comps”) is a tool to assess a student once the majority of the required coursework is completed. Prior to Admission to Candidacy, each student must demonstrate:

• Ability to synthesize knowledge from the coursework in the doctoral program
• Recognition and connection of major ideas and issues as a basis for a scholarly agenda
• The ability to evaluate, generalize, and apply theories as they relate to critical educational issues
• Inquiry skills and background knowledge required to proceed with the dissertation
• Effectiveness in analyzing educational issues, developing recommendations for policy and/or action, presenting those recommendations, and persuading others of their worth.

FORMAT POSSIBILITIES

To accomplish this, in consultation with the program committee, the student will design a rigorous, reasonable, and professionally credible evaluation. There are four typical examination types.

1. A student can choose to write a scholarly response to four questions derived from classes. Two of the courses must come from the Core strand, one from the Research Core strand and one from the Cognate strand. The student will have a designated time to respond to these questions (typically two to four weeks) and then orally defend them.
2. A student can choose to write a review of literature suitable for publication, in consultation with his or her program committee. This review of research should incorporate readings from the Curriculum and Instruction and Cognate strands.
3. A student may conduct a pilot study, which includes a statement of the problem addressed by the study, a brief review of the literature, a description of the methods to be used in the study, the results of the study, and conclusions.
4. A student can create a robust portfolio of scholarly and professional work that shows clear demonstration of achieving program area goals, includes a competent literature review, and includes a pre-proposal (aka “prospectus”) that the committee can use to guide the development of their dissertation research proposal.

The Comprehensive Examination should:

• Contribute positively to and reflect the student’s development as a scholarly practitioner
• Involve the student in activities that require synthesis, evaluation, generalization, and application of knowledge and experience
• Engage the student in research and writing activities similar to those that will be required by the dissertation
• Include questions the student is asked to answer without notes or reference materials

The student must set a timeline for completion of the written work (not to exceed 90 days) and establish a mutually convenient date with his/her committee to submit the document. The document *must* be submitted no later than two weeks before the end of a given term.

An oral defense of the Comp Exam (or “Comps”) is not required. Depending on the advisor and committee member preferences, the Comp Exam may include an oral segment, where the student will be required to present and defend a position on critical educational issues, engage in a thoughtful discussion of those issues.  The committee will use the conversation to assess the student’s ability to present ideas and proposals and persuade others of the worth of key recommendations.

At the conclusion of the comprehensive evaluation, the committee meets to review the student’s written and oral performance and makes one of three recommendations to the DMC:

• Proceed to dissertation (agreeing that the student has successfully met all requirements)
• Take additional coursework or independent study (believing there are areas of concern in the candidate’s performance)
• Be withdrawn from the program (believing that the student’s performance makes successful completion of the doctoral program unlikely).

REGISTRATION FOR EDU 691

Register for 1 credit hour of EDU 691 Comprehensive Examination during the semester in which you plan to present the Comp Exam to the committee. One can only register for 691 in a fall or spring semester as it’s not offered in the summer. Failure to submit the document in that semester (the final deadline is at least two weeks prior to the end of the semester) will result in a failing grade. EDU 691 can only be repeated once. In the past, students could complete the Comp Exam and then register for 691, but this is no longer an acceptable practice.

ADMISSION TO CANDIDACY

When a student passes the Comp Exam, s/he moves from being a doctoral student to a doctoral candidate. When the program requirements (coursework and comprehensive evaluation) have been successfully completed, the student must file the Admission to Candidacy Form with the Graduate College. The program coordination team will help students do this, as other forms might need to be in place first and it requires the name of an external faculty member (known as the “Graduate Faculty Representative”).

Admission to Candidacy is granted once a student successfully completes the required course work and passes a comprehensive evaluation.