Masters Comprehensive Exams

Please read the following information carefully

CINS/ELED majors should follow instructions upon registration.

Master’s Comprehensive Exams must be taken during the last semester of coursework and not before. If you are attempting to take the exam prior to the last semester, you must seek permission from your advisor.

CINS Comprehensive Exam

Registration Deadline: February 20th, 2026
Exam Due Date: March 27th, 2026

Register for a Master’s Comprehensive Exam

Doctoral Qualifying Exam Information

Written comprehensive exams are conducted in a take-home format within specific dates designated by the department. The exams will occur during the Spring, Summer II, and Fall semesters. Oral exams will be scheduled approximately 2 weeks after the written exam.

THE SEMESTER BEFORE COMPREHENSIVE EXAMS

At least one semester prior to the exam semester, students will invite (ask) a doctoral faculty member to be their major advisor. If an advisor is not secured by the beginning of the semester prior to the exam semester, the student must contact the doctoral program coordinators for assistance.

The semester that ALL coursework is being completed the student must notify his/her major advisor with plans to take their comprehensive exams.

The student sends the major advisor (via email) a list of all courses in the program completed, in progress, and planned for the next semester.

The advisor will work with the student to secure a dissertation committee. The dissertation committee will write and grade the comprehensive exam questions and conduct the oral defense of the written exam.

THE COMPREHENSIVE EXAM

The student is given 4 weeks to respond to two questions written by the student's dissertation committee. The following are the components of the comprehensive exam:

  • Question 1: This is a broad question that asks students to synthesize across their core curriculum & instruction coursework (7-10 pages). The dissertation advisor and committee will create a question that addresses theory, research, and practice to fit the student's research topic. The dissertation committee scores the response using a rubric.
  • Question 2: Students answer a question related to their dissertation topic. This is created by the dissertation advisor and committee after consulting with the student so that the student more fully develops Chapter 2 of the dissertation between 15-30 quality pages (as assessed by a rubric).

The dissertation advisor and committee have two weeks to review/rate before orals. During this time, the student prepares to discuss their proposed methodology for their dissertation, including a rationale for the methodology, its affordances, and limitations.

ORAL EXAM AND DOCTORAL RESIDENCY DOCUMENTATION

Two weeks after the completion of Question 2, students will conduct a comprehensive oral exam over questions 1, 2, and their proposed methodology for their dissertation. The dissertation advisor will lead the oral exams and the committee will attend.

The student must bring to the oral exam the graduate school qualifying exam form, the departmental residency forms, and an updated degree plan.

AFTER THE WRITTEN AND ORAL EXAMS

The student must complete an anonymous online doctoral program evaluation. When the evaluation is completed, the major adviser will collect the doctoral residency forms, the Graduate School Qualifying Exam form, and the updated degree plan.

EXAM REGISTRATION

You must complete ALL doctoral courses prior to registering for the Doctoral Comprehensive Exam.

Please note: your registration is not complete until your completed Doctoral Comprehensive Exam worksheet is filled out completely and emailed to Brittany Beatte.

Spring 2025 Exam Dates

Monday, January 20 – Students receive both questions
Monday, February 17 – Responses to both questions due to dissertation chair
Week of March 3 – Oral defenses

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