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{Home > Graduate : Graduate Handbook: Ph.D..: Preliminary Exam Windows }

Preliminary Exam Windows

Summer 2009

Writtens: August 2 through August 15

Orals: Sept. 14 through Sept. 18

Fall 2009

Writtens:  Week 6 – Oct. 11 through Oct. 31 (Week 8)

Orals: Week 10 – Nov. 9 through Nov. 27 (Week 12)

Spring 2010

Writtens:   Week 6 – Feb. 21 through March 13 (Week 8)

Orals: Week 10 – March 22 through April 9 (Week 12)

NOTE:  Faculty should report the results of their exam questions to the student’s advisor no later than the first Wednesday of the Fall Semester (Sept. 8, 2009).  The advisor should notify the student as soon as possible so the Preliminary Oral Scheduling Form (assuming successful results on the writtens) can be submitted to the Graduate School a week (if possible) before the oral exam. 

Students who pass their preliminary exams under the Summer schedule must turn in their preliminary oral exam form to the Graduate School and switch their registration from WRIT 8666: Doctoral Pre-Thesis Credits to 12 credits of WRIT 8888: Thesis Credit: Doctoral no later than Sept. 21, 2009 (the 10th working day of the semester.)

Preliminary Exam Changes

Students entering the program Fall 2008 and after will follow the new exam reading lists and exam windows.  Students entering prior to Fall 2008 may follow the new requirements or follow the requirements in place when they entered the program.  The new requirements include partially established reading lists in the two core areas of Rhetorical Theory and Scientific & Technical Communication Research & Theory, and an open reading list for the student’s outside interest area, to be determined with the student, advisor, and input from the rest of the committee as needed.  All reading lists are limited to no more than 25 books.  Preliminary written exams will consist of three sections, each of which will be the basis for a 24-hour open-book, take-home exam.  All students will take exams in the two core areas in the program­–rhetorical theory, and scientific and technical communication research and theory–and a third exam on a student-selected specialty area. 

Preliminary written exams will be given during the 6th to 8th weeks of fall and spring semesters.  Students may want to schedule the preliminary oral exam when they schedule their writtens, allowing two weeks for the reading of each exam by the question writers and one week (if possible) for processing the paperwork with the Graduate School.  In other words, please allow three weeks from the completion of the last written until the date of the oral.  This applies to the fall and spring semester windows.   Assuming successful completion of the writtens, the oral exam will be scheduled during the 10th, 11th, or 12th week of the semester for fall and spring.  For example, if a student finishes her or his written exams at the end of week 7, the earliest they should schedule their prelim oral would be the beginning of week 11. 

Summer writtens are scheduled the first two weeks in August and must be completed by the end of the second week in August.  The oral exam should be scheduled for the second week of fall semester.