The Qualifying (Comprehensive) Examination (DAV 801)

Course description: The qualifying exam tests the student’s mastery of core and cognate subject matter of the program. The exam will be conducted over a two-day period: the first day is devoted to the core and the second day addresses the cognate material. Questions on the exam are prepared and subsequently graded by a committee of the program faculty with the oversight and approval of the Executive Committee. The exam will be graded for course subject mastery which will include organization of the response, clarity of thought, depth of understanding, accuracy of information presented, and quality of writing. The student will be admitted to candidacy status upon successful completion of the qualifying exam, and will be enrolled in DAV 901 in the subsequent semester.

The qualifying exam must be completed within six months of the completion of course work. Students should plan on ten to fifteen hours over a two-day period for the exam. Passing the qualifying examination will require that a student achieves at least a "B" for each section (core and cognate) of the exam. The student will be allowed one retake each for the core and cognate components of the exam should they fail to achieve at least a grade of "B" on either component. The student will need to retake only the component failed.