In order to take their qualifying examinations, students must have
a minimum GPA of 3.5, have completed 48 course work credits (including
transfer of credits), and have no outstanding IN grades.
The doctoral program will offer the qualifying examinations in theory
and methods in fall and spring of each year. Students will schedule the
dates of their other two exams in consultation with the doctoral
program director. The total duration of the written examination period
will not exceed two months.
The examination, which includes both written and oral components, will be drawn from the following fields:
1. Theory (required), as it relates to planning and public policy.
2. Methods (required), including research design and statistical
methods, plus models and methodology in the field(s) of the student`s
specialization.
3. A specialty within planning and public policy that has been defined by the student and his or her examiner.
4. A second specialty which should be defined so that the subject
matter does not overlap with the primary specialty (above); or a
related field demonstrating that the student possesses substantive
knowledge and broad understanding of the theory and methods of a
discipline other than planning and public policy, such as civil
engineering, computer science, economics, geography, political science,
public health, sociology, or another field that the student can show is
relevant to his or her degree program. The decision concerning
selection of fields and whether competence in another discipline must
be demonstrated on the examinations must be determined in consultation
with and approved by the doctoral program director.
5. The
oral component of the qualifying examination will be scheduled by the
student, in consultation with all members of his or her examination
committee, upon satisfactory completion of the written component.
Should the student fail any part of the examination, the examination
committee will advise the student to pursue one or more of the
following four options:
1. Take additional courses or submit additional written work
2. Retake those parts of the exam failed at a specified time
3. Retake the entire exam at a specified time (normally the next time such exam is offered)
4. Drop out of the doctoral program
Under no condition will the student be prohibited from taking the exam
a second time, but not later than two years following the first exam. A
student who has successfully passed the qualifying exams, becomes a
doctoral candidate.
