The comprehensive examination (referred to as the qualifier) assesses both general knowledge of the degree area and specialized knowledge of the student's chosen research field. Each program is responsible for scheduling comprehensive examinations at least once a year and for providing students information regarding exam formats, rules, and scope. IC students take the exam in the spring of their second year. Please reach out to the Area Leads to determine when your information session is scheduled.
As a student's research progresses, he/she must select a primary, and possibly secondary, area of focus from the areas of research in the College and then pass a Qualifier in that area or areas.
The Qualifier is a student's first step toward achieving candidacy in the doctoral program. View the list of areas of research in the College identified for the Qualifier and Breadth Requirements.
While there are no formal course requirements prior to taking the qualifier, students are strongly advised to have covered the breadth areas as they are likely to be tested on these.
In preparation for taking the exam, you may enroll in CS 7999 (Prep-Doctoral Exams). You may elect to enroll in 1 to 21 credit hours. Please reach out to your home school to request a permit. This course is not mandatory.
A student is required to be registered during the semester in which they take their qualifier in a minimum of 3 credits. They may not, for instance, be completing a full-time internship.
Area leads are responsible for coordinating the Qualifier. Please reach out to them for scheduling questions. See Chapter 3: Roles and Responsibilities for the current Area Leads table.
Students must identify a research advisor and an exam committee of at least three other faculty from the area to oversee the Qualifier. Students may select committee members from other schools in COC, just so the faculty is qualified. The committee's judgement (Pass/No-Pass) is binding.
The exam committee is responsible for determining if a student has passed the Qualifier. The results of the Qualifier will be communicated to the school graduate coordinators by the respective area advisor. The student should fill out the CS 9000 Qualifier Form after passing the Exam.
Each student is allowed two opportunities to pass both the area knowledge and creativity components of the examination. The two components are treated independently, so a student need not pass both at the same time. Students who are not able to pass the Qualifier after two attempts will be encouraged to seek a Master's degree, and they will not be able to continue in the doctoral program.
After successfully completing the Qualifier, students should register for doctoral dissertation hours (CS 9000) rather than pre-dissertation hours (CS 8999) or Special Problems hours (CS 8903). The topic of the student's research is formalized through both a written dissertation proposal and an oral presentation.
In consultation with your advisor and the committee, assemble a research portfolio before the oral exam. The nature of the portfolio is decided by the committee. The portfolio shall be handed over to the exam committee at least one week prior to the oral exam.
Schedule an oral exam in consultation with the committee. The oral exam should preferably be held before the end of the semester. The oral exam date and the names of the exam committee members should be communicated to the PhD Academic Program Manager (Theresa Nash) in your school.
The written exam is always scheduled the Friday before spring break.
For the HCC qualifier process and instructions, refer to the following documents:
The Robotics Qualifier is administered by the Robotics Program. Please reach out to this program for questions and guidance.
The Machine Learning Qualifier is facilitated by the Machine Learning Program. Please reach out to this program for questions and guidance.
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