Written Comprehensive Exam
All English graduate students must pass the Written Comprehensive Examination to complete their degree requirements.
The Written Comprehensive Exam is a three-hour test concerning the periods of English and American literature represented on the English Graduate Reading List supplied by the department. The exam consists of four essay questions that will be read and assessed by a committee consisting of three English department faculty members and graded pass/fail.
Students should plan on taking the Written Comprehensive Exam in their final semester of the program. Students must register to take the Written Comprehensive Exam with the associate director of English graduate studies in accordance with the deadlines listed on the University calendar.
If a student fails the Written Comprehensive Exam, he/she must wait until the following semester or session to take the exam again. Students who fail the Written Comprehensive Exam twice will be removed from the English graduate program.
Oral Comprehensive Exam/Thesis Defense
All English graduate students must pass the Oral Comprehensive Examination to complete their degree requirements.
Students who have completed a thesis will fulfill the Oral Comprehensive Examination with a one-hour thesis defense. This examination will require the student to meet with his/her thesis committee to discuss the project in a question and answer format. The purpose of the defense is to ensure that the student has sufficiently researched and argued the thesis at the graduate level.
Students who are completing the non-thesis General Master's Track will fulfill the Oral Comprehensive Examination with a one-hour question and answer period with a committee of three English department faculty members. The committee will ask a variety of questions concerning the periods of English and American literature represented on the English Graduate Reading List supplied by the department. Each faculty member will begin with a 15-minute question period, followed by a five-minute period each to follow-up with final questions.
Both the Oral Comprehensive Exam and the thesis defense are graded pass/fail. Students should plan on taking the Oral Comprehensive Exam/Thesis Defense in their final semester of the program. Students must register to take the Oral Comprehensive Exam with the associate director of English graduate studies in accordance with the deadlines listed on the University calendar.
If a student fails the Oral Comprehensive Exam/thesis defense, he/she must wait until the following semester or session to take the exam again or to resubmit a revised thesis. Students who fail the Oral Comprehensive Exam/thesis defense twice will be removed from the English graduate program.