It is strongly recommended that students planning for their exams meet with the Graduate Program Coordinator at least 4 months prior to the exam date. Students should reserve a room for their oral exam with the Graduate Program Coordinator as soon as a date is set.
The qualifying exam focuses on testing the student’s knowledge in their broad field of study, identifying any major gaps in academic preparation, and ultimately evaluating whether the student is academically and intellectually poised to complete the PhD program. The exam consists of written and oral components and should be taken in the student’s third or fourth semester.
Each committee must designate a chair who is charged with organizing exam procedures and moderating the oral exam.
The student and the advisor should be clear about when the student meets with the other committee members throughout the process: For instance, does the student meet with committee members together or individually after the prospectus is drafted but before the exams?
Basic Steps:
- Appoint a Dissertation Committee and establish timetable for exam
- Write a thesis proposal
- Take the written exam
- Take the oral exam
Typical Calendar:
- Deliver thesis proposal to Committee by the fifth semester (typically Fall of year 3 but the process may start earlier for students who are ready)
- Two months after thesis proposal submission, take the written exam (3 days, 8 hours per day)
- Less than one month later take the Oral Exam (2-3 hours).
THESIS PROPOSAL
The Thesis Proposal outlines the student’s planned dissertation research. It should be a single-spaced, no more than 4 pages long. Bibliography, figures and tables should be included on separate pages and do not count in 4-page total. While the form of the Proposal may vary, it should contain everything needed to evaluate the project as a research-based thesis. It should include a statement of project significance, outline the problem to be addressed, describe the methods to be used, and discuss expected outcomes. The research described in the thesis proposal is in no way binding; many students will end up writing a dissertation quite different from what is proposed here. The thesis proposal is evaluated largely on the student’s ability to pose testable questions that have topical significance, and to design a strategy for addressing them. Students are encouraged to meet with individually committee members after submission of the thesis proposal and prior to the start of the exams. Committee members may suggest background reading or other preparation for the exam and ask questions based on that preparation.
WRITTEN EXAM
The exact format of the written exam (number of questions, open-ended response vs calculations, etc) is determined by the dissertation committee. All exams will take place over three days. The three exam days may be consecutive or they may be spread out over a single week. Questions for the day are delivered to the student each morning and responses submitted 8 hours later. Questions will be based on the content of the thesis proposal, prior coursework, and background academic preparation for the proposed research. The written exam is open-book but students should not ask others for help in answering or reviewing responses to questions. Furthermore, responses must not include text previously written by the student for a paper, proposal, etc. Doing so would be considered self-plagiarism and is a violation of the GRS Academic and Professional Conduct Code. Students for whom English is a second language may be granted additional time at the Committee’s discretion. Committee members will discuss the responses as a group and the committee chair or advisor will discuss the responses with the student as soon as practical after the exam ends. Students are free to seek out additional feedback from other members of the exam committee prior to the oral exam.
ORAL EXAM
Within one month of completion of the written exam, the dissertation committee will assemble for the oral exam. A block of at least 2 hours should be set aside for the exam. Students should schedule this block as early as possible as it can be difficult to find a mutually agreeable time on short notice. The student can expect two rounds of questions from the members of the Committee, but the committee chair is ultimately responsible for ensuring the exam runs smoothly and each member of the Committee is allotted adequate and equitable time. Exam questions are often prompted by issues raised by the student in the prospectus, they may be follow-ups to written exam responses, or they may test the student’s broader understanding of their research area. Upon completion of questioning (to the chair’s satisfaction) the candidate briefly will be excused, and the committee will discuss the outcome of the Qualifying Exam. Results of the exam will be communicated verbally by the committee to the student immediately and the Results of Examination form signed and delivered to the Graduate Program Coordinator, who will copy and forward to GRS. A pass requires no more than one negative vote. A passing vote by a majority of the committee is necessary to advance to formal PhD candidacy.
Potential Outcomes
Several outcomes may arise from these exams, at the completion of the Oral portion. These include:
- Unconditional pass, advancement to PhD candidacy.
- Conditional Pass, student can advance provided certain requirements are met (e.g., coursework). At the option of the committee, the Conditional Pass may include a second partial or complete Exam, not more than 1 semester following the first exam.
- Fail but retake one or both exams. This must occur within 1 semester of the exam. It may be complemented by recommendations of remedial work, such as coursework or significant alterations to the Thesis Proposal. Each exam may be taken only twice.
- Fail and transfer to MA program to complete terminal MA degree. Such an MA must be normally be completed in the semester in which the exam is taken.
- Fail and terminate study in the program without receipt of any degree.
DISSERTATION PROSPECTUS
After students have completed the qualifying exams and all course work (typically early in year four, but at least six months before the defense) they must write a Prospectus of the proposed dissertation research. The Prospectus is an expanded and updated version of the Thesis Proposal previously prepared in advance of the qualifying exam that reflects a more mature understanding of the research that will comprise the Dissertation. It should be a single-spaced, typically 6 pages long. Bibliography, figures and tables should be included on separate pages and do not count in 6-page total.
Students must schedule a committee meeting to discuss and defend the Prospectus with the Dissertation Committee. This meeting offers a chance for committee members to offer meaningful guidance and feedback on the developing research well in advance of the Dissertation Defense. With the approval of the full Committee, the Director of Graduate Studies will sign off on the Prospectus form and submit it to GRS. The Prospectus must filed with the Graduate School at least six months before you intend to defend. E&E urges students to submit prospectuses within six months of passing the qualifying exams.
- Click to see a sample of the Prospectus Approval Form [pdf].
- Download the blank form [pdf].
- Email the prospectus and completed forms to the Graduate Program Coordinator only.
- Click to see a sample prospectus title page [pdf].
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE
Students assemble their dissertation committee with input from their advisor. The dissertation committee oversees and provides feedback on the student’s research, participates in qualifying exams, approves the Dissertation Prospectus, conducts the Final Oral Exam (Dissertation Defense) and signs off on the completed dissertation. Students are encouraged to schedule annual meetings with the full committee to discuss research progress. For the purposes of the qualifying exam, the committee must be made up of at least three BU faculty members. At least two of these members must be Earth and Environment faculty. The chair of the committee must be a faculty member in Earth & Environment who is not the student’s advisor. A fourth committee member must be added prior to the preparation of the Dissertation Prospectus. This fourth member may be a BU faculty member or a scholar from outside of BU. Students who are working closely with an outside scholar may choose to have the fourth member present for the qualifying exam. A special service appointment, approved by the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, is required for committee members who are visiting, adjunct, and emeritus faculty; Boston University employees not of professorial rank; or faculty from outside Boston University. Students may add committee members beyond the required four, but a majority of the committee members must be BU faculty not requiring a special appointment. Four committee members, including the advisor are designated as “readers.” Only readers sign the signature page of the dissertation, but all members are expected to read the dissertation. Changes to the membership of the committee should be made in consultation with the advisor and reported to the Graduate Program Coordinator. The membership of the Committee is subject to the approval of the Department Chair or the DGS.
Each committee also must designate a chair who is charged with organizing exam procedures and moderating the oral exam.
The student and the advisor should be clear about when the student meets with the other committee members throughout the process: For instance, does the student meet with committee members together or individually after the prospectus is drafted but before the exams?