All M.A. students are required to complete a comprehensive examination during their last semester of study. The comprehensive examination includes a written section (waived for any student entering the program prior to fall 2016), with the student completing questions provided by their committee, and an oral examination, which the student completes in person before their committee. The comprehensive examination includes works from a departmental reading list (specific to the student’s field of study), and all coursework completed while working toward the M.A. Students completing the thesis option will also be expected to defend their thesis during the oral examination.
Students will receive a copy of the reading list for their area of study from the graduate adviser at the beginning of their first semester of study in CMLL. Should a student need a new copy of the reading list, they are encouraged to inform the graduate coordinator or a professor in their area of study to obtain a new copy in a timely manner. The reading list is ultimately the student’s responsibility, and students should be actively working through the list as they progress through their degree program.
The examination committee is composed of at least three professors, with at least two of those professors being from the student’s major area (i.e. graduate faculty in CMLL). Any student completing a minor is required to include a professor from the minor area. The composition of the examination committee includes a major professor, who will oversee the examination and coordinate with the other members of the committee. All members of the committee are chosen by the student, and are to be declared and approved by the Office of the Graduate School shortly after the beginning of the student’s final semester of study.
Students should consult the academic calendar to determine the date by which the comprehensive examination must be completed.