The qualifying examination is given to determine whether a student
has acquired sufficient mastery of the field of concentration to
warrant admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. The exam should be
taken as soon as a student has completed the major portion of
the course requirements. It should be taken not later than four
years after the student first registered in the Graduate School-New
Brunswick and not later than two terms before taking the final
dissertation examination.
The comprehensive examination,
conducted by a committee of at least four members (the chairperson must
be a member) or associate members of the program`s graduate faculty,
may be written or oral or both. Once a student has fulfilled the
language requirements, if applicable, and other relevant program
requirements, and has passed the qualifying examination, he or she is
admitted to candidacy for the doctoral degree. The student's program
will certify the results of his or her language examination on the
application for admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree. The
student must obtain this application from the office of the graduate
school and submit it to the chairperson of the committee at the time of
the examination. It should be properly signed by the four members of
the candidate`s committee and the graduate director and then returned
to the Office of the Graduate School. Once a student has passed the
examination, he or she must remain registered-for courses or
research-or lose his or her status as a candidate. An exception to this
rule may be granted to recipients of the master of philosophy degree
(see the section concerning that degree later in this chapter).
