university faculty senate forms - College of Arts and Sciences

English Graduate Handbook / 24APPENDIX FGUIDELINES FOR THE PHD SPECIALTY EXAMINATIONApproved December 2005/Revised Spring 2011Successful completion of the PhD specialty examination is required for a PhD student towrite the dissertation proposal and advance to candidacy status. The goal of thisexamination is to certify that the student has obtained a high level of professionalknowledge in a given area of specialization (her “field”), and is prepared to write asubstantial dissertation proposal within that area. The exam must be administered beforethe beginning of the fourth semester of PhD work.FORMATThe exam consists of two parts: a bibliographic essay and a ninety-minute oral exam.The bibliographic essay should be the foundation of the subsequent proposal. In nofewer than twenty pages, the bibliographic essay should describe the state of criticism onthe major subjects specific to the field or fields addressed by the student’s futuredissertation topic (i.e., significant primary works, genre, methodology, theory, etc.).Although this is the groundwork for the dissertation proposal, the bibliographic essayshould focus less on a precise thesis or chapter structure and more on the issues and textscentral to the area of specialization within which the student’s dissertation will seek tomake a contribution. This document should include a title, an introduction that definesthe field in literary and theoretical contexts, a set of issues to be engaged, a bibliographyof significant primary and secondary sources, and an explanation of the relation betweenthe specialization and past course work, current courses, and dissertation plans.After the examination committee has approved the bibliographic essay, the student mayschedule the oral examination in the specialty area. The specialty area should reflect theway the student hopes to present herself professionally and demonstrate the student’sdeveloping mastery of her field’s major primary and secondary texts. The goal of theoral exam is to test how advanced graduate students are able to discuss their particularresearch interests—as defined by the bibliographic essay—in terms of the broader field ofstudy with which they identify. In other words, students should be prepared to justify thevalue of their own research, as described in the bibliographic essay, to the field at large.PROCEDUREThe exam will be administered by a three-member examination committee, comprised ofthe director of graduate studies and two tenure-track professors from the student’s area ofspecialization, nominated by the student and approved by the director of graduate studies.The bibliographic essay is due to the examination committee no later than December 1.After the committee has approved the bibliographic essay, the oral examination may bescheduled for any time prior to the start of the spring semester. The oral exam is gradedpass/fail. In the event of a failure, the student has the opportunity for one, but only onereexamination at a time to be determined by the examiners. Failing the exam a secondtime denies the student further opportunity to pursue the PhD.