Purpose of the Qualifying Examination

The purpose of the Qualifying Examination is for the PhD student to demonstrate that he/she has adequate advanced knowledge and research skills to formulate and carryout a high-quality dissertation project in his/her chosen area of interest. The examination process can assess a student’s: 1) ability to integrate and apply concepts covered in the program’s core courses; 2) depth of knowledge in their chosen area of research interest; and 3) readiness to design and conduct a novel dissertation project that has the potential to produce useful new information, i.e., to move on to the dissertation phase of the program.

Up one level

Qualifying Examination of Candidacy for the Doctoral Degree