Graduate Information

Comprehensive Examinations

Master of Arts - Thesis Option Master of Arts - Thesis   |   Master of Arts - Non-thesis  |   PHD Exam Near the completion of all requirements for the thesis option M.A. degree, the student must present himself/herself for an oral examination upon the completed thesis. The examining committee -- which is determined through consultation among the student, his/her advisor, and the Director of Graduate Study -- is normally composed of the thesis director and two other members of the Department's graduate faculty. A graduate faculty member from outside the Department may be substituted for the third member of the committee, or a fourth member, either from inside or outside the department, may be added to the committee if it should seem desirable to do so.

To be eligible for the examination, the candidate must have finished (or be currently enrolled in final course work) with a minimum of a 3.0 grade point average and have completed his/her M.A. thesis. The examination, which usually lasts from one to one and one-half hours, includes the thesis and sometimes the areas covered in the course work.

For Graduate School records, the examiners will report one of two grades: Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. For Departmental files, they will recommend one of the following:

1. Pass, recommended for further graduate study;
2. Pass, not recommended for further graduate study;
3. Fail.

The student must be enrolled for a minimum of two (2) credit hours in the semester in which he/she makes a thesis defense.

Request Procedures for all Oral Examinations At least two weeks prior to any oral examination the candidate must formally request certification to take the examination from the Director of Graduate Study. He/she will inform the chair of the examining committee whether or not the student is eligible to take the written and oral examinations.