The Qualifying Exam Process
Within one year of completing your coursework, you are required to undertake the doctoral qualifying examinations and begin preparing for your dissertation research. A thorough understanding of the relevant literature is essential for conducting research in this field, and your dissertation must engage with this body of work. The “qualifying exam” serves to assess and confirm your readiness to embark on dissertation research, evaluating your familiarity with the key issues, achievements, and knowledge gaps within the fields of rhetoric, composition, and technical communication. Additionally, the exam will gauge your proficiency in research methods and help to guide the direction of your own research. Preparing for these exams is designed to facilitate your transition into dissertation research, encompassing an evaluation based on both your dissertation-related materials and the approved reading list.
These are the typical tasks in the process:
- At least four months before the Qualifying Exam: Your reading list and Preliminary dissertation proposal should be submitted
- Take the Qualifying Exam: Schedule and take your exam
- Two weeks following your exam: Meet with your committee
- Six weeks following your exam: Final dissertation proposal
Reading Lists
Prepare and submit a reading list to the committee that includes 100 books or an equivalent combination of articles (where four articles are considered equivalent to one book). This list should encompass both the broader scope of Technical Communication and Rhetoric (TCR) and specific materials relevant to your research interests within the field.
More details for your Reading Lists…
You may organize the list by themes or issues, such as composition pedagogy, the history of rhetoric, audience analysis, and visual communication. The list will likely include works you have already encountered during your coursework, as well as new materials pertinent to your dissertation. Ensure that the list covers both the general fields of technical communication and rhetoric and more specific topics related to your dissertation research and methodologies. If applicable, you can include readings from your minor, provided that your minor department does not have its own examination requirements. To facilitate exam preparation, start compiling this list during your coursework, annotating each entry with summaries to aid in studying. The committee will review the list with you to suggest potential additions or deletions. Once the reading list and proposal are finalized, the Committee Chair will report them to the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) and the Associate Director of Graduate Studies (ADGS).
NOTE:: Your reading list will need to be approved by your dissertation committee at least four months before the scheduled exam.
You must pre-register for the exam with the Associate Director of Graduate Studies (ADGS), who will oversee the examination process. Following the completion of your committee’s evaluation, the ADGS will submit the Qualifying Exam report to the graduate school.
Preliminary Dissertation Proposal
While preparing for your exams, you will fine-tune your dissertation topic, but it is essential to have a clear understanding of your topic and methodologies when assembling your reading lists. Engage with your dissertation committee early on to clearly define your areas of interest.
More details for your Preliminary Dissertation Proposal…
If you are pursuing a minor in another department, be aware that it may necessitate a separate qualifying exam specific to that minor. In consultation with your committee, draft an initial dissertation proposal of about 2,500 words. This document should articulate the research problem, review foundational literature, and detail your research goals and methodologies. It should also propose a preliminary chapter outline and demonstrate how your reading list supports your dissertation research, thereby justifying the scope of your examination fields.
Ensure that your dissertation committee approves this initial proposal at least four months prior to your qualifying exam. Utilize this provided planning worksheet to assist in this process.
Contrary to previous practices where the reading list was finalized before the dissertation proposal, it is now recommended that you develop both documents simultaneously. This approach fosters a more integrated understanding of your dissertation project and exam preparations for both you and your committee.
Examination Policy
Before attempting exams, you must complete all required coursework.
Scheduling Your Exams
Setting the dates of the qualifying exam is flexible and will be determined through mutual agreement between the student and the committee. After your reading list and preliminary dissertation proposal receive approval, you may select an exam date that is at least four months in the future. During this four-month period, you should engage with the materials on your reading list and undertake additional preparations for the exams. Simultaneously, your committee will be responsible for devising the exam content.
Examination Procedures
The examinations will comprise three or four take-home questions, which you are to complete within a four-day timeframe. For instance, if you receive your exam questions on Thursday at noon, your completed answers are due by the following Monday at noon.
More on Examination Procedures…
You are encouraged to spend approximately 8-12 hours writing the entire exam, which should have a word count of at least 6000 words for the entire exam. Your answer to each question should include a works-cited list. Formal citation style applies. Of the questions, two will typically relate specifically to your proposed dissertation topic and might eventually serve as dissertation content: one of these might ask you to theorize your methodology plans, and the other might ask you to elaborate on some theoretical issue that would relate to the literature you hope to command. The other questions may not be as directly related to your dissertation topic: typically you may receive a general question that asks you to demonstrate a broad understanding of the field of technical communication and rhetoric and one that will address an area of the field unrelated to your dissertation topic. (For instance, if your dissertation is in rhetoric of science, you might be asked a question about computers and writing.)
Your advisor will solicit possible exam questions from all committee members and will base the exam questions on this list of suggestions. You might be given a choice of questions in one or more of the areas. You should consult with your dissertation chair about sample exams.
In keeping with the standards of the TCR program and our university’s policies regarding academic honesty, you are expected to maintain the highest standard of integrity. The faculty and administration will regard any attempt to present as your own any work not honestly performed as a most serious offense. You may not have your exam copy edited or proofread by a third party. We expect this exam to be composed of original responses to questions written during your exam time.
Post-Exam Meeting
Approximately two weeks after the date of the qualifying exams, the chair of your dissertation committee will arrange a meeting with you and the rest of the committee. This meeting will focus on reviewing the results of your exams and discussing any crucial elements necessary for progressing with your dissertation, such as the research problem, methodologies, and scope.
More on Post-Exam Meeting…
Should the committee determine that you have successfully passed your exams, the chair will notify the Associate Director of Graduate Studies (ADGS), who will then inform the graduate school of your achievement. Conversely, if you do not pass the exams, the meeting will serve as an opportunity to outline the expectations for your re-examination.
Satisfactory Performance:
Once you have passed the qualifying exams and concluded the post-exam meeting, the ADGS will propose to the Graduate Dean that you be considered a candidate for the doctorate. It’s essential to achieve candidacy status at least four months before your intended graduation date. Following this meeting, you have four weeks to submit your final dissertation proposal.
Unsatisfactory Performance:
In the event of an unsatisfactory exam result, the ADGS will communicate this outcome in writing to the Graduate Dean. Two weeks post-exam, a meeting with your dissertation committee will be convened to evaluate your performance and devise a strategy for retaking the exam. You are allowed a single retake opportunity, which must occur no sooner than four months and no later than 12 months following the initial unsatisfactory attempt. Failure to pass the qualifying exam within this timeframe will lead to dismissal from the program, regardless of your performance in other doctoral program components.
Final Dissertation Proposal
Approximately six weeks following your post-exam meeting, you must submit your final dissertation proposal to your dissertation chair. The chair will then either request revisions or circulate it among the committee members. This proposal, which should exceed 10,000 words, must articulate the research problem, review relevant literature, and provide an outline of the chapters, in addition to presenting an overview of the research methods. The final proposal not only serves as a draft for one or more dissertation chapters but also acts as a strategic guide for both you and your committee to monitor the direction and advancement of your dissertation work.
Need Further Assistance?
Reach out to the ENGL Dept