College of Architecture and Environmental Design
Ph.D. Program in Environmental Design and Planning
Admission to Candidacy Guidelines
Comprehensive Written Examination
The Ph.D. comprehensive examination is designed to show that students have the abilities
necessary to function successfully as independent scholars of Environmental Design and
Planning. Three classes of abilities are necessary for such success: (1) broad knowledge of
the field, (2) specialized knowledge of a chosen concentration, and (3) expert knowledge about
a specific Environmental Design and Planning phenomenon.
The first two abilities result from a course of study that culminates in Ph.D. coursework, and are
therefore the subject of the qualifying examinations. Expert knowledge about a specific
Environmental Design and Planning phenomenon is demonstrated in the student’s dissertation,
and is not an explicit concern in the examinations.
Criteria. The successful scholar needs broad-based, on-demand, encyclopedic knowledge of
basic issues in the study of Design, Planning, or History, Theory, and Criticism. “Basic issues”
include the main theories, methods, literature, philosophies, concepts, and phenomena
important in contemporary scholarship.
Test Rationale. This knowledge serves students by (1) enabling them to draw on scholarship
outside their own areas of concentration, which capitalizes on the eclecticism of the field and
facilities integration of diverse perspectives on Environmental Design and Planning; (2)
enhancing their chances for success on the job market; and (3) making them more effective at
representing the field to non-members.
Test Procedure. Because of the broad-based nature of this part of the examination, students
have a need for guidance from their committee on preparation. This does not mean that
students should be given questions in advance; rather, students should discuss the above
criteria with their committees to get guidance on the kinds of knowledge for which they will be
held responsible. The intent of this discussion is to guide their study and help them recognize
areas where they may need independent study and/or review of subjects that may be outside
the formal scope of their course work. Therefore, this discussion should begin in earnest as
soon as possible after committees are formed and continue throughout student’s courses of
study.
The actual examination will consist of six to eight questions, prepared by the student’s
committee designed to test for competence on the criteria listed above. This will be a computergenerated examination, to be completed within four 8-hour periods. The expectation is that
students will spend approximately four hours answering each question, though they are free to
allocate time as they see fit. At the end of each 8-hour segment, the student will submit a paper
“draft” copy and the storage disk to the Program Office. The student will then be given one
additional 8-hour period to “clean up” their work and submit the storage disk and final copy to
the Program Office for distribution to the dissertation committee.
Evaluation. The criteria for this part of the examinations encompass knowledge gained over
the course of the student’s academic career, and may include issues not covered in Ph.D.
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course work per se. For this reason, the portion of the examination should test for basic
competence in discussing the main issues of the student’s concentration (4-6 questions), and
the ability to communicate across the disciplines (2 questions). Each answer should be
evaluated in terms of whether it is a product the committee would expect from a competent
“beginning” Environmental Design and Planning scholar writing for four hours on a subject not
necessarily in his/her own area of concentration.
A. Deadline for Comprehensive Written Exam. The student is expected to take the
Comprehensive Examination no later than the end of the fifth semester of enrollment.
B. Scheduling the Comprehensive Examination.
1)
Once the student has completed the required coursework, Part I of the “Report of
Doctoral Comprehensive Examinations and Approval of the Ph.D. Dissertation
Prospectus” form must be completed and submitted to the Ph.D. Program Office.
2)
Each member of the student’s dissertation committee prepares three written
comprehensive questions. Questions may be solicited from other faculty members if
deemed necessary by the dissertation committee.
3)
The dissertation committee agrees on 6 - 8 total questions for the written examination.
4)
Committee Chair submits written comprehensive questions to the Ph.D. Program
Director for administration of the written examination (deadline is 5 workings days
prior to scheduled exam). The Committee should indicate to the Program Office at
this time how they want to receive the answers to the exam, either a paper copy or via
e-mail.
5)
The Comprehensive Written Examination normally is scheduled for four days during
one of the following periods.
a) Monday through Friday of the week before fall classes
b) Monday through Friday of the week before spring classes
c) During spring semester finals week
6)
At the end of each of the four 8-hour periods (5:00 pm), the student will submit a
“draft” of the work completed for the day. This can be done via e-mail.
7)
The student will be allowed one 8-hour period on the day immediately following the
written examination to “clean up” and submit the final document via e-mail to the
Program Office by 5:00 pm .
C. Grading the Written Comprehensive Exam.
1)
In scoring the written exam questions, the faculty uses a Pass-Fail system to grade
the individual questions.
3)
In a meeting of the dissertation committee, grades on the individual questions provide
the basis for the discussion of an overall grade for the Comprehensive Written Exam.
A passing exam will exhibit a consistent record of passing scores for each of the
individual questions.
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3)
The dissertation committee will have two weeks to grade the written exam and
schedule an oral defense of the exam by the student.
The Oral Defense of the Written Examination.
The purpose of the oral examination is to allow the opportunity for a student to expand and/or
clarify answers on the written portion of the examination and to provide an in-depth evaluation of
the student’s ability to reason in response to questions related to the student’s area of
concentration.
A.
Scheduling the Oral Defense. The chair of the dissertation committee must schedule with
the Program Office, and conduct, the oral defense within two weeks after the completion of
the written examination.
B.
Grading the Oral Defense. The dissertation committee makes an overall evaluation of the
oral exam as Pass or Fail. Failure of the oral examination is considered final, and may not
be retaken.
1)
The dissertation committee makes an overall evaluation of the written and oral exam
as Pass or Fail. The final result is based on a majority vote.
2)
The committee records the date of the exam and the results, with their signatures, on
the student’s “Report of Doctoral Comprehensive Examinations and Approval of the
Ph.D. Dissertation Prospectus” (Parts II and III), on file in the Program Office.
C. Notification of Results. The dissertation committee forwards their recommendation to the
Executive Committee for review and signature of the Program Director (Part IV). The
Program Director will notify the student, by mail, of the results. A copy of the letter will be
included in the student’s program file.
D. Retake of the Written Exam. According to Division of Graduate Studies rules, failure of the
written comprehensive examination is considered final unless the dissertation committee
and the program director recommends, and the Dean of the Division of Graduate Studies
approves, a reexamination. A reexamination may be administered no sooner than three
months and no later than one year after the original examination. Only one reexamination is
permitted.
Defense of Dissertation Prospectus
A.
The dissertation proposal must be defended within two semesters following the semester in
which the comprehensive exam was passed.
B.
The proposal for dissertation research must be prepared in consultation with the
dissertation committee and under direct guidance of the Committee Chair.
C.
In general the dissertation proposal should be in prose, typewritten, no more than 20
double-spaced pages in length, exclusive of references.
D.
An outline applicable to many dissertation topics would include:
1) a title page,
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2) an introductory statement to give an overview of the content of the research problem,
3) a survey of relevant literature that includes a brief section defining terms and concepts
involved in the problem,
4) a detailed and explicit statement of the research problem(s) selected
5) a review of actual and/or potential data sources and an evaluation of their quality,
6) an explicit formulation of the variables to be measured and the hypotheses to be
tested,
7) a brief discussion of the methodological approaches (including alternatives)applicable
to data analysis,
8) decision-making criteria for acceptance or rejection of hypotheses
9) a concise statement specifying probable results or likely alternative outcomes, and
10) a preliminary outline, to be regarded as a projected Table of Contents,
11) an extensive bibliography showing:
a) material studied in the course of proposal formulation
b) pertinent sources for future study
E.
The draft proposal is submitted to the dissertation Committee Chair. The Committee Chair
should return comments to the student within two weeks.
F.
A draft of the proposal must be approved by the Committee Chair prior to its circulation to
the rest of the committee. Frequently the Committee Chair will review more than one draft
before approving a proposal for distribution.
G. Once the Committee Chair has approved it, the draft is circulated to all members of the
student’s committee for comment.
1) Copies of the committee member’s comments to the student should be provided by the
committee members to the chair of the committee as well as to the student.
2) The committee members should return comments to the student within 2 weeks.
3) Revisions by the student are usually required.
H.
Once the committee agrees that the proposal is ready to defend, a defense is scheduled.
I.
The student schedules a defense date and location acceptable to the committee and
notifies the Program Office.
J.
A final draft of the dissertation proposal must be distributed to the committee at least two
weeks prior to the scheduled defense.
K.
On the appointed date, the student defends the dissertation proposal before the committee.
L.
The committee reports the results of the defense, with their signatures on the “Report of
Doctoral Comprehensive Examinations and Approval of the Ph.D. Dissertation Prospectus
(Part V) on file in the Program Office.
Candidacy
Once the student has passed the Comprehensive Examination and successfully defended the
dissertation proposal, the Program Director signs and forwards the “Report of Doctoral
Comprehensive Examinations and Approval of the Ph.D. Dissertation Prospectus” to the
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Division of Graduate Studies. The student is advised, by mail, that they have been admitted to
candidacy.
Per the Division of Graduate Studies, students must enroll for a minimum of 12 hours of 792
Research and 799 Dissertation credit (combined) in subsequent semesters, following the
semester in which they are admitted to candidacy.
However, per CAED requirements, students must enroll for a minimum of 6 hours of 792
Research and 12 hours of 799 Dissertation credit (18 combined) after being admitted to
candidacy. This allows for enrollment in a maximum of 6 hours of 792 Research prior to being
admitted to candidacy. (see diagram on page 32)
The candidate must take the final oral examination in defense of the dissertation within five
years after passing the comprehensive examination. Any exception must be approved by the
supervisory committee and the dean of the Division of Graduate Studies and ordinarily involves
repetition of the comprehensive examination.
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