What does the comprehensive exam consist of and who takes it?
The four-hour comprehensive exam is taken by all MA students, both those in literature and those in adolescence education. It consists of three parts: an essay on a passage from a literary text; an essay responding to a question on one major literary period; and an essay responding to a question on three literary periods. Passages and questions are based on course offerings in the Department of English at Hunter College. You will have three opportunities to fulfill this requirement. The Graduate Advisor holds a preparatory meeting on the comprehensive exam each semester. Ideally, students should attend the comprehensive preparatory meeting the semester prior to taking the exam.
