The comprehensive examination (referred to as 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 Lead Faculty to determine when your information session is scheduled.
As a student's research progresses, s/he 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. Click here to 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 – 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.
| Academic Area Leads | 2025/26 |
|---|---|
| Graphics | Sehoon Ha |
| HCI | Keith Edwards |
| Intelligent Systems | Wei Xu |
| Robotics | Frank Dellaert |
| Social Computing | Munmun De Choudhury |
| CLS | Chris MacLellan |
| Visual Analytics | Cindy Xiong |
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