The comprehensive examinations, typically completed by the end of Year 2 of the program consist of two written examinations (general and specific) and one oral examination. Students must complete all of their course requirements before they take the comprehensive examinations. All exams are graded pass/fail. Each exam has a separate examination committee whose members grade the exam (see below). Both examination committees, along with the GPD, will constitute the oral examination committee.
Timing of comprehensive examinations may vary. Please discuss your timeline with your supervisor.
Towards the end of their first year in the program, students and their supervisors will create and submit to the GPD reading lists of approximately 35 texts for each written exam. For the specific exam, the student, in consultation with his or her supervisory committee, will devise a reading list that covers the broad field related to his or her research. While some of these texts might duplicate those that are on the thesis bibliography, this exam is to cover a wider area than the narrow thesis topic. The program’s four standard reading lists in place for the general exams will serve as a starting point for the general exam reading list, with at least 14 texts chosen from each of the standard lists for the student’s two chosen fields, with the option of substituting five alternative texts.
The reading lists for the general exam are as follows:
- Ways of Knowing: see list here
- Culture and Aesthetics: see list here
- Critique and Social Transformation: see list here
- Technology and Digital Humanities: see list here
The question bank and some guidelines for answers for the general comprehensive exam can be found here.
Normally, the student will begin writing her or his comprehensive examinations towards the end of their second year in the program. Two months before commencing to write, the student will notify the GPD of her or his intention to write the exams. At that point, The GPD will provide an opportunity to the student to exclude potential examiners.
By the end of Year 2, students will be given exam questions for both the general and specific comprehensive exams. In response to each question, students will write an essay of roughly 10,000 words, excluding notes and bibliography. The essays must be original work. Students may not show the supervisory committee or exam committees drafts of the exams. Exams submitted after the deadline will receive a failing grade, and the student will be withdrawn from the program. Requests for extensions must be approved by the programme committee.
The GPD will then circulate the exams to the examination committees (see below), who will return a grade of pass or fail within a week of receipt. The exams will be evaluated for the comprehensive and thorough knowledge they display of the exam reading lists, the depth of the intellectual engagement with these texts and the development of the student’s thinking in her or his research area, and the quality of the writing. The student must pass both written exams in order to proceed to the oral examination, which will take place no later than August 31.
The student must pass all three exams in order to advance to ABD status. If the student fails a written exam, the examination committee will provide the student with written commentary upon the specific areas in which the exam falls short. The student will then be given an opportunity to revise the exam in light of the commentary. The student must submit the revised exam for regrading no later than two weeks after receiving the examination committee’s written commentary. If the student fails the oral exam, she or he may retake the exam within three months of the initial oral exam. Any student who fails any one of the three exams more than once will be withdrawn from the program.
The examination committee will consist of the student’s supervisory committee. At least one month prior to the commencement of writing, the student will propose three exam questions in consultation with the supervisor. The supervisor (who may, of course, consult with the rest of the thesis committee) will choose one of these questions for the exam and submit it to the GPD.
The question will not be shared with the student before the commencement of the exam. Unanimity among the examiners is not required for a passing grade. If all members, except for one, agree that the examination is satisfactory, the student passes. If more than one member of the committee deems the examination unsatisfactory, the student fails.
The examination committee will consist of the student’s supervisor and two other members from the list of HUMA core faculty members. At least one month before the commencement of the exam, the examination committee will choose two questions from the program’s bank of questions posted on the program’s web site and submit them to the GPD. The student will be provided these two questions at the commencement of the exam and will answer one of the two questions.
All members of the committee will grade the examination. Unanimity among the examiners is not required for a passing grade. If all members, except for one, agree that the examination is satisfactory, the student passes. If more than one member of the committee deems the examination unsatisfactory, the student fails.
Once the student has passed the two written exams, he or she will take the oral exam. The GPD or designate will chair the oral exam. The student’s supervisor may not chair the oral exam. The examiners will consist of the examination committee from both Exam #1 (Specific Field) and Exam #2 (General Fields). The length of this exam is three hours.
The oral exam will consist of questions and answers related to the two written exams. It may begin with a statement by the student that clarifies some points he or she made in the written exams, or the student’s supervisor might choose to begin with a question. The purpose of this exam is to ask questions about the written exams and to draw out some of the relationships between the two general interdisciplinary fields and the field of the student’s thesis research.
All members of the committee will grade the examination. Unanimity among the examiners is not required for a passing grade. If all members, except for one, agree that the examination is satisfactory, the student passes. If more than one member of the committee deems the examination unsatisfactory, the student fails.
Oral examinations will be recorded. The recording will be kept confidentially in electronic format in the student’s file by the GPD. The audio file will be destroyed once the student graduates or leaves the program.
For additional details please consult the Program Handbook.