Doctoral Comprehensive Candidacy Exam

To become a doctoral candidate, a student who has been admitted to the PhD program must pass a candidacy (comprehensive) examination in the field. This examination is based on a core reading list provided by the department and on a specialized reading list agreed on between candidate and doctoral committee. The Department reserves the right to require candidates to pass an oral examination in addition to the written examination.
Prerequisites: This comprehensive examination will be taken when departmental requirements have been met, but it should not be taken later than nine months before the student expects to receive the degree. Candidates must maintain a B average or better. C grades do not count toward degree requirements.
Waivers Candidates who transfer from other relevant PhD programs may be eligible for a waiver of coursework requirements by petition to the Graduate Coordinator. They are, however, required to take the comprehensive examination.
Number of sections: Each candidate must pass both sections of the comprehensive examination-i.e., an integrative section that encompasses the ideas covered in the core courses, and a section that focuses on the candidate's area of specialization (i.e., translation studies or language informatics). This latter section will also cover the candidate's dissertation prospectus.
Timing: Candidates must take the comprehensive examination once they have completed the core courses and elective courses (30 credit hours). The examination will usually be held during the week preceding the beginning of the Fall semester (i.e., at the end of the summer after completion of all the courses). The two sections will be examined on different days within a week. If they wish, candidates may take the examination at the beginning of the summer after completion of all the courses, but the examination will not be graded by faculty until the beginning of the following Fall semester.
Candidates should inform the Graduate Coordinator of their timetable for taking the examination and should register early in the relevant semester.

Format: Each section of the examination is 4 hours long and must be taken in departmental offices during regular office hours. Computers provided by the department are to be used (a back-up computer will be available). Internet access will not be available. The examination is a closed-book examination (so full referencing for any citations is not required), but candidates are allowed to use monolingual and bilingual dictionaries and they are allowed to bring in their own notes. Candidates are not notified of the questions in advance. The content of the examination is not based directly on the courses completed. Instead the aim is to assess the candidate's ability to:

1. integrate, evaluate, and build on the understanding gained through the coursework and reading of the works on the reading lists (see below). Candidates will be expected to identify key theorists/researchers who represent differing perspectives and to demonstrate their ability to analyze these perspectives.
2. explain their own perspectives on these issues.
For the language informatics specialization, candidates will be expected to demonstrate their grasp of relevant empirical issues. All candidates will be expected to demonstrate their ability to write in an academic register. In the core section, there will be no choice of questions. In the section on the candidate's field of specialization (i.e., translation studies or language informatics), candidates will be given a choice of three questions and must answer one. In addition, they are required to answer a question on their dissertation prospectus.

Reading lists: The faculty of the Institute of Applied Linguistics will provide a core reading list (approximately 50 monographs, substantive articles or websites), and candidates are required to compile an additional reading list (approximately 25 monographs, substantive articles or websites) relevant to their own specialization and research interests, with the committee's approval. This should be done by the end of the third semester in the candidate's program, and candidates should make regular appointments with their advisor to discuss the works they have read. The content of the works on these two lists will be examinable. Works in languages not covered in the Institute of Applied Linguistics will need special permission for inclusion in the reading list.

Comprehensive Examination Committee: A Comprehensive Examination Committee consisting of three appropriate faculty members will prepare, administer, and evaluate the core section of the examination. The faculty member whose specialization and research interests best match the candidate's proposed specialization will prepare, administer, and evaluate the section on the candidate's area of specialization, with assistance from two other appropriate faculty and based on prior conversations with the student about the student's specific areas of focus and studies. Committee members must have F4 graduate faculty status, although one member with F3 status is permissible. Faculty from outside the department who meet the department's criteria for appropriate graduate faculty status may also participate in the examination process.


Outcome Candidates must be notified in writing of the outcome within 2 weeks of receipt of the completed examination. The grade is awarded on a Pass/Fail basis. Candidates will not be shown the graded examination, but will have the opportunity to discuss it with the advisor. Students who pass both sections are admitted to candidacy.
If a candidate fails either section, s/he may retake that section once only, within six months of the original examination.
If the candidate fails to pass both sections even after the second attempt, provisional candidature will be terminated and any assistantship must be relinquished.
A copy of the form containing the candidate's grades and recommending extension, confirmation or termination of provisional candidature must be provided to the candidate and the Graduate Coordinator, and a copy must be retained in the Department.
Appeals If a candidate wishes to appeal the outcome of the examination, the procedures spelled out in the University Policy Register for appealing a grade for a course are to be followed (see http://www.kent.edu/policyreg/chap4/4-02-3.cfm).
Extensions of provisional candidature In extenuating circumstances and with written permission from the Graduate Coordinator, provisional candidates may extend their provisional candidature, normally for the equivalent of one full-time semester. The period is to be specified in the letter of permission. Only one extension is possible. Refer to the Graduate Catalog for further information.
Further information

Refer to the section on Doctoral Programs under Academic Regulations in the Graduate Catalogue.