Doctoral Comprehensive Examination
Students in the Ph.D. program prepare four fields, one major and three minor fields. Each field is designed by the student in conjunction with examining committee members, with seminar work highly recommended. Students work with faculty in developing book lists for each field. They normally take their comprehensive examination at the end of the fourth semester and no later than at the end of the sixth semester. Students take written examinations in all four fields, followed by an oral examination (with the exception of World History, which substitutes course work for the written portion of the examination). The oral examination is an extension of the written exams and allows the committee to ask for clarification of written answers as well as other questions from the readings.
The entire examination process is normally conducted over the course of ten days. Changes to the examination schedule may be made with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. The examination in the major field consists of three or four questions and students may be given a time limit of six to eight hours. The examination in the minor field consists of two or three questions and students may be given a time limit of four to six hours. It is the student’s responsibility to schedule the written and oral examinations. Students take the written portion of the comprehensive examination in the Department Library or another agreed upon space and use a department-provided laptop. At the end of each examination day, the laptop must be returned to the History Department by 4:30. Again any alteration to this arrangement must be approved by the DGS.
In order to pass the comprehensive exam, students must pass their major field and two of the three minor fields. Students who fail a minor field may retake the written and oral component of that examination within a semester if they want to present it as a teaching field. To pass a minor field, students must demonstrate sufficient preparation in that field for teaching at the college or university levels. To pass the major field, students must demonstrate a broad historical knowledge of the field, an understanding of the historiography, and the ability to contextualize their potential contribution to this field. Students who fail the major field or two or more minor fields may retake the entire examination with the approval of the committee. If the committee agrees to allow a reexamination, then the examination must be retaken within a semester. Any alteration in this timeline must be approved by the DGS.
