The purpose of the Qualifying Exams is to test students in their area of specialization in order to determine their readiness to write a thesis in that particular area.
Schedule and Application Procedures
The Qualifying Exam should be taken when the student has mastered a significant body of material related to their area of specialization. This should be approximately at the beginning of the thesis work. The exam is scheduled by the student's advisory committee in consultation with the student. Approval of the examination date must be given by the Dean of the Graduate College. The exam must be passed at least 6 months prior to graduation.
The Qualifying Exam is given by the student's advisory committee. The chairman of this committee leads the examination process. The advisory committee also determines the result of the exam. The results must be reported to the Graduate College on the appropriate forms. A copy of the form should be given to the graduate director.
The Qualifying Exam will be an oral exam. It will cover material previously outlined to the student in the form of a reading list. This reading list will be prepared by the student's advisory committee and will consist of portions of books and research papers applicable to the student's area of specialization. The reading list will be given to the student at least two months prior to the exam.
Candidates for the Ed.D. must pass an 8-hour written Qualifying Exam in education in addition to the mathematics Qualifying Exam. Arrangements for this exam are made through the College of Education. These exams are usually taken after the mathematics portion of the Qualifying Exam has been passed.
In case of failure of the Qualifying Exam, the student will be notified in writing of the conditions for a second exam. The re-examination must be at least 4 months after the original exam. The Qualifying Exam may not be given more than twice without the approval of the Graduate Council.