EXAMINATIONS

1. The Preliminary and Oral Comprehensive Examinations.

With regard to the student's obligation to advise the chairperson of the Department of his or her intention to take these examinations and with regard to the grades reported for the official University record, the regulations are those described above for the M.A. examination. The following statements intend to spell out the most essential procedural aspects as far as they differ from those of the M.A. examination.

Function of the Ph.D.

Preliminary and Oral Comprehensive Examinations. The Ph.D. preliminary and oral comprehensive examinations will formally qualify the student to proceed with the writing of the doctoral dissertation. Upon passing these examinations, the student becomes a candidate for the Ph.D.

Examination dates.

The examination is given three times during each academic year: (1) at the beginning of the academic year (in August); (2) at the beginning of the Spring semester (in January); and (3) near the end of the academic year (in March). Written notice of intent to take the examination is usually filed with the chairperson of the Department or the graduate director in the form of a completed questionnaire. Questions relating to the examination should be discussed with the graduate director. Candidates repeating the Ph.D. examination shall schedule the make-up examination in consultation with the Graduate Committee.

Sequence of examination parts.

The three written parts of the examination for the Ph.D. degree will be scheduled within one week, with one day in between each part.

The Oral Comprehensive Examination will be given as early as possible after the satisfactory completion of all written examinations (see also Appendix E).

In the view of the Department, the two examinations (i.e., the Preliminary Examination and the Comprehensive Examination) are part of an integrated sequence. Therefore, a student who is ready to write the Preliminary Examination must also be prepared to take the Comprehensive Examination at the earliest possible date as determined by the Department.

Individual examination committees for the Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination.

Each individual committee will normally consist of four members of the Departmental graduate faculty and one graduate faculty member from outside the Department, who serves as the Graduate School observer. The committee for the written preliminary examinations consists of the Departmental members of each committee excluding the committee member from outside the Department. Each student scheduled for such an examination is permitted to state the following preferences to the chairperson of the Department or the graduate director: 1. One member of the German graduate faculty whom the student would prefer to be on the committee because he or she intends to write the dissertation with that faculty member or who is in the student's opinion best acquainted with his or her work. 2. Students may also state their preference for the committee member from outside the Department.

The Departmental chairperson and the graduate director will compose each examination committee. Normally the student's wishes relative to the above options will be followed. The student is invited to discuss any questions relative to the examination procedure with the graduate director.

2. The Final Oral Examination.

When the dissertation has been tentatively accepted by the dissertation committee, the Final Oral Examination will be scheduled on the recommendation of the Department. Two additional examiners are appointed who, in addition to the members of the dissertation committee, bring the total number of examiners to five. At least one member of the examination committee must be a member of the graduate faculty from another program and serves as the representative of the Graduate School. Although the examination committee is responsible for certification of the candidate, any member of the graduate faculty may be present at the examination and participate in the questioning.

It is the obligation of the candidate to advise the chairperson of the Department or the graduate director that he or she plans to take the final oral examination; this must be done at least one month before the date proposed for the examination. The final oral examination for the Ph.D. in German is, essentially, a defense of the dissertation. The defense of the dissertation is graded Honors, Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory by the committee.

The Department gives no degree examinations between the end of summer session and the beginning of the fall semester. Within the course of the summer session, a defense will be scheduled only in exceptional cases.