PhD Program

Examinations

The College of Technology’s PhD program requires students to successfully demonstrate an adequate level of competence as documented by their individual performance on up to three examinations. These examinations are scheduled during the early (Qualifying), mid (Preliminary), and end (Final) periods of the student’s program as depicted in Figure 3.

Qualifying Examination

The student’s PhD committee may optionally choose to require a qualifying examination before the beginning of the student’s third semester of study. The purpose of the qualifying examination is formative and serves to ascertain the student’s mastery of key prerequisites, as bulleted below, and to surface specific areas that need to be addressed by the student’s plan of study. If a qualifying examination will be required, the student’s PhD committee must advise the student at least eight weeks in advance and they also will determine the form and nature of this examination. Typically, it would consist of both a three-hour written examination and a subsequent oral component. Performance is judged by the student’s PhD committee.

Preliminary Examination

The purpose of the preliminary examination is intended to systematically assess integrated competence in the technology major, discovery foundations and cognate components of the plan of study. Successful performance on the comprehensive examination admits the student to candidacy for the PhD. Unsuccessful performance can result in assignment of additional requirements or dismissal from the program.

Purdue University Graduate School policy states that “To become eligible to take the examination, the student must have filed a plan of study, satisfactorily completed most of the formal study, and satisfied any foreign language requirements. The examination should be scheduled as soon as possible and must be completed at least two sessions before the expected date of the Ph.D. final examination.”

The Preliminary examination should be designed by each student’s PhD committee to assess the student’s:

• Mastery of the technology focus area consistent with the student’s plan of study, their articulated purpose for pursuing PhD study, and the PhD program’s mission
• Understanding of the cognate discipline and its interface with the student’s technology focus area consistent with their articulated purpose for pursuing PhD study, and the PhD program’s mission
• Ability to assess, design and conduct research appropriate to the student’s articulated purpose for pursuing PhD study, and the PhD program’s mission.

This examination will be scheduled normally during the semester in which the student completes their coursework. This examination must consist of both a written examination and a subsequent oral component. If a conventional test situation is used, two days of assessment are typical and the major professor is responsible for proctoring. The student’s Ph.D. committee faculty may specify what, if any, resources the student will be permitted access to during each portion of the examination.

To ensure that student knowledge is current, the Graduate School stipulates that “A preliminary examination passed by a student whose graduate study and/or professional activity has been inactive for five years or more is invalid. (See Section III-B-5.)” If this amount of time has elapsed, College of Technology PhD committees are to reassess the student’s mastery of the discipline by retesting according to the same guidelines as the initial preliminary examination.

Final Examination

A final examination is required after the student’s PhD research is completed and a satisfactory dissertation, as deemed by the PhD advisor or co-advisors, is written. The purpose of this examination is to assess the PhD candidate’s capability to demonstrate advanced mastery of research as well as the specific topic investigated.

It is the policy of the University and of the College of Technology that:

• At least two academic sessions devoted to research and writing must elapse between the preliminary and final PhD examinations.
• Final PhD examinations will be announced so that interested members of the Purdue faculty and student body may attend up until the point of committee deliberations.
• Final examinations must be held before the last week of classes.