Oral Comprehensive/Candidacy

Oral Comprehensive Exam

The oral comprehensive examination is intended to test a student’s general knowledge of the subject area that he or she has chosen for research in order to demonstrate that he or she has obtained a foundation for initiating work towards a dissertation. It is given by the student’s doctoral supervisory committee. It should normally be given within the semester following the taking of all the area courses, but must be given and passed before the end of the sixth semester in residence.

The oral exam is expected to be about two hours in length. It covers basic topics in the student’s area of research, except that topics directly related to the intended dissertation work are excluded. More general topics including those covered earlier by the written comprehensive exam may also be included, especially if weaknesses were apparent that are deemed to be relevant to the research and dissertation areas. The research advisor (chair of the supervisory committee) will convey to the student the range of topics that can be covered and assist the student with preparations for the oral exam.

If you do not already have an interactive program of study on file with the Graduate College, you will need to bring a copy of it, plus the approval page to your defense, so that your committee members may sign it. You will also need to bring a report of doctoral comprehensive exams for them to sign as well. After you have passed your defense, please bring all paperwork to the graduate coordinator.

Admission to Candidacy

What is candidacy?
Once a doctoral student has passed the required comprehensive examinations and the dissertation prospectus, they are admitted to candidacy. Candidacy indicates that a student is "all but dissertation” (ABD).

What do I need to do in order to be advanced to candidacy?
You must have an interactive program of study (iPOS) on file. You also need to turn in a completed report of doctoral comprehensive exams, signed by all of your committee members in both sections, to the graduate coordinator. You do not need to apply for candidacy; the report of doctoral comprehensive exams form acts as your application.

What is an interactive program of study?
A program of study (iPOS) is a list of courses you have taken and are planning to take that count towards your degree. Directions on how to file an iPOS can be found here. You must have your iPOS approved by your entire committee before it will be approved at the departmental level. When you print out your iPOS, also print out the approval page. After your entire committee has approved your iPOS, turn both the printed out iPOS and signed approval page to the graduate coordinator.

Do I get paid more?
Yes. Once you have been admitted to candidacy you become an associate instead of an assistant. An assistant is paid $15,631 per academic year and an associate is paid $17,160 per academic year.

How long do I have to wait for my pay raise to take effect? Your pay raise will take effect the semester after you have been advanced to candidacy. For example if your letter says your candidacy semester is fall 2007, your pay raise will take effect on January 15, 2008.

How long does it take to be admitted to candidacy?
It usually takes two to four months to be advanced to candidacy. Once the Graduate College has entered the results and passed the exam form to the Graduation Office of the Registrar, the graduation office will produce a letter of candidacy and forward it to the Graduate College to complete the candidacy process. You will receive a letter when you have been admitted to candidacy. Please submit a copy of this letter to the graduate program coordinator.

Is there anything I can do to speed up the process?
The Graduate College meets only once a month to advance students to candidacy. An application can be held up if one of your committee members is not eligible to serve on a committee during the time the Graduate College meets. Also, make sure your iPOS has been approved prior to submitting the report of doctoral comprehensive exams. Finally, make sure the report of doctoral comprehensive exams has been completely filled out.

I don’t have an iPOS on file, but I’m ready to take my orals. What should I do?
You must have an iPOS on file before the Graduate College will evaluate your oral exam results. You can submit both your signed iPOS approval sheet and your signed report of doctoral comprehensive exams to the graduate coordinator on the same day, however this will result in an even longer wait time for advancement to candidacy.

How do I know when I have been advanced to candidacy?
You will receive a candidacy letter produced by the graduation office along with an official letter of congratulations from the Graduate College. The form letter from the graduation office will list any degree requirements that still need to be completed before you graduate, including your graduation deadline semester.