What are comprehensive/qualifying exams?
Comprehensive exams, better know as comps, are designed to test your critical thinking skills rather than your declarative knowledge. Comps have been described as both “a nifty little exam you get to take after you finish your coursework” and “a rite of passage”. The sarcasm runs deep here, but you should always keep comps in mind during your coursework. Keeping detailed class notes and reading notes will go a long way when it comes time for you to study for comps! These exams are comprised of three days of essay questions covering the following topic areas: Research Methods, Sensation & Perception, Human Performance, Research Critique, Design/Ergonomics, Human-Computer Interaction, Organizational Psychology & Team Performance, Cognition & Learning, and Physiological Psychology. In addition, you will also be required to answer questions in a specialty area of your choice. This specialty area will need to be approved by a committee of three faculty members who will be responsible for wr
