Comprehensive Examination
In their last semester taking coursework or in the sememster following completion of coursework, students doing in Research Paper and not a Thesis should arrange the comprehensive examination with their Program Advisor. The exam may be either written (5 hours) or oral (3 hours). The exam is comprehensive in two respects: it covers all the course material of the student's program, and it also measures whether the student can synthesize material in various courses -- how their program mak a comprehensive whole.The exam chair, normally the student's Program Advisor, must be a full-time faculty member in G&ES, as must the second member. The third member may be anyone with whom the student took a graduate level class for the G&ES M.A.
The chairperson establishes the exam schedule, calls for questions (for the written exam), coordinate the questions, announce the exam at least 7 days in advance, chairs the meeting (for the oral exam) and report results to the student and to the faculty, within a week of the exam's date.
Preparation
Review all course material and texts, an introductory text in geography and one in environmental studies.
Results
Students may pass the exam completely, fail the exam, or fail the exam in part. The committee will decide what the student must do in the case of failure or failure in part. Often the exam is retaken in whole or in part, or a writing assignment or project is required on the topic with which the committee was not satisfied.Forms
Here are the forms the Program Advisor will need: