Qualifying Exams
Written Qualifying Exam
- A written qualifying examination takes place at the end of the second year (after passing core courses). A faculty committee organizes five essay questions; the student selects four and returns the complete answers in five days. Each answer is graded by two faculty members. Results are announced four to six weeks later. Read details here.
Oral Qualifying Exam and the Dissertation Proposal
- An oral qualifying examination by a five-member faculty committee includes the defense of the Ph.D. research proposal; this exam should take place before the end of the third year. Read details here.