PhD Comprehensive Examinations

When all course work has been substantially completed and all prerequisites are accomplished, Comprehensive Examinations shall be scheduled. These consist of both written and oral examinations.  Comprehensive examinations are scheduled twice each year, and all students electing to take the examinations at one of these times will follow the same time schedule.  Copies of sample questions used in comprehensive examinations are available on the internet:

• DEMOGRAPHY

• DEVIANCE

• METHODS

• THEORY

• SOCIAL ORGANIZATION

  A.  Written Examinations

The Written Examinations are administered during the last full week of September in the Fall semester and during the last full week of January in the Spring semester.  The areas and time allotted for the examinations are as follows:

• Sociological theory (2 day

• Sociological Research Methods (2 day

• Two major areas of specialization (or minor, if substituted for one area of specialization) {2 day each} [see Section 3.7]

• Essential Works in Sociology (1/2 day) [see Appendix A]

  B.  Oral Examination  

The oral exam is designed to allow the Advisory Committee to further test the student's general knowledge in the  fields of study.  This oral examination shall be scheduled no earlier than 1 week nor later than 3 weeks following the writtens.

The Graduate Program Coordinator shall notify the student of the outcome of the written examinations prior to the oral examination.  Successful completion of the written examinations in at least three (3) of the areas examined will permit the student to continue with the oral examination.  In the event that the student does not succeed in this, the Advisory Committee will convene to consider the student's situation.  If the Advisory committee's recommendation is that the student be re-examined, the student shall stand for examination at a regularly scheduled Comprehensive Examination period (see 3.10-A) as specified by the Advisory Committee after consultation with the student.  Final passage of the Comprehensive Examinations (written and oral) requires the approval of the Graduate Faculty Representative and at least all but one of the other Advisory Committee members.

A complete set of the written examinations will be available for committee members at the time of the oral exam.  These will also be available in the Rural Sociology Department Office, Room 226, Scobey Hall.  

The Comprehensive Examinations must be completed satisfactorily at least two (2) months before the Final Examination is taken.  (3.13)  Successful completion of the Comprehensive Examination formally admits the student to candidacy for the doctorate.

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