Eligibility Requirements to Take the Examination
In order to take the Qualifying Examination, a student must have completed all of his/her course work, as well as the foreign language examination.
Structure and Scheduling of the Qualifying Examination
All doctoral students will take a three-part Qualifying Examination consisting of two sit-down exams based on existing distribution area reading lists and a take-home exam in the student's area of specialization. Students will not be allowed to take their sit-down examinations in the same fields as their area of specialization.
For the sit-down portion of the Qualifying Examination, doctoral students will choose to be examined in two of the following distribution areas: American Literature before 1865; American Literature 1865-1945; Early Medieval Literature to 1150; Late Medieval Literature (1150-1500); Renaissance Literature (1500-1667); Restoration and Eighteenth-Century British Literature; Nineteenth-Century British Literature; Modern British Literature; Contemporary Literature; Post-colonial Literature; and the Theory and Practice of Teaching English.
For the take-home examination in the student’s Area of Specialization, the following provisions apply: in addition to the requirement that there be no distribution area overlap among the three exam fields, doctoral students with a Creative Writing Emphasis MUST select a reading list related to Contemporary Literature in their particular genre, and doctoral students in English Education MUST select a reading list related to the Theory and Practice of the Teaching of English.
The sit-down and take-home portions of the Qualifying Examination will be offered during a two-week period in late October and in late March of each year. During the first week of the examination, on either a Monday/Wednesday or a Tuesday/Thursday, the student will take two sit down examinations in the aforementioned set of distribution areas.
Each sit-down examination will include four questions: three covering literary movements, genres, or tropes and one close reading question, based upon an excerpt from poetry or prose germane to the area. Students will be given three hours to answer two of these questions. During the course of the two examinations, the student must answer one, but no more than one, of the close reading questions. In order to prepare for this part of the examination, students should take course work in their chosen areas, use the Reading Lists to determine the relevant texts in the area, and consult with faculty in the areas.
During the second week, students will be allowed to choose a 72 hour examination period that both begins and ends on a work day in which to complete their take-home examination. Students may either select a Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday (Thursday 12:00 pm due date) schedule; a Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday (Friday 12:00 pm due date) schedule; or a Friday/Saturday/Sunday (Monday 12:00 pm due date) schedule. At 12:00 pm on the first day of the take-home examination, the student will report to the Graduate Director’s office, where he/she will receive a list of two possible paper topics in his/her field of specialization, from which the student will choose one upon which to write an essay of approximately 15 pages. The take-home examination paper will include the following statement: “The Department of English expects that the student will receive no help with the writing of this essay.” In order to prepare for this part of the examination, the student will work closely with his/her Advisor or with another faculty member in his/her area of specialization in order to draw up a representative reading list and a clear focus.
Assessment and Notification of Results
Each sit-down examination will be written and graded by a three person sub-committee in the field, nominated by the Graduate Committee to serve a two-year term. The sub-committee members will evaluate the exams within their area, and award the exams the grade of either “Pass” or “Fail.”
Each take-home examination will be written and graded by a three person sub-committee that comprises the doctoral student’s Advisor and two other faculty members, chosen by the student in consultation with the Advisor. The sub-committee members will make themselves available to help students prepare for the exam, to evaluate the exams within their area, and to award the exams the grade of either “Pass” or “Fail.”
Examinees will be informed of their results in writing by the Graduate Director, no later than 10 working days after the final take-home examination has been turned in. In order to pass the Qualifying Examination, the student must receive a grade of “Pass” on both the sit-down and take-home examinations. If the student wishes to appeal a grade, he/she should contact the Graduate Director, who will ask the Graduate Committee to evaluate the examination. If they determine that the grade should not be changed, then the student will need to schedule a retake.
If a student does not pass any section of the Qualifying Examination, he/she may retake that section. If a student does not pass the retake, he/she will meet with the Department Chair, the Graduate Director, and his/her Advisor to assess the situation. Students are allowed two retakes of any section of the Qualifying Examination.