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{Home > Graduate : Graduate Handbook: M.A.: Final Oral Exam }

The Final Oral Exam

Check with your advisor about the nature of the final oral defense or exam. Typically, there is both a public presentation, which should take no more than 30 minutes, and a discussion limited to you and the committee members. In the case of Paper option, the public presentation would include your explaining your interest in the topic, justifying your choice of the targeted journal, and summarizing your argument in the paper. In the case of the Exam option, you explain your interest in the topic, identify the most important works on your reading list, and summarize your answer to the exam question(s). Audience members are invited to ask questions for about 15-30 minutes. In each case, the public audience is then be asked to leave; members of the examining committee then ask you additional questions.  When members of the committee have completed this questioning, you will be asked to leave the room; the committee discusses your performance and invites you back to tell you its decision. The results can be “Pass” or “Fail” with a majority vote. A retake can only be approved with the unanimous consent of the committee, providing the reexamination is conducted by the original examination committee.

Bring the “Final Examination Report” form with you to the final exam.