What is the doctoral qualifying process like?
The qualifying examinations consist of a take home written examination followed by an oral examination and a thesis proposal. The written examination is tailored to the individual programs and interests of particular students. The examination is intended to insure that students are ready to take on their doctoral research, so they serve a diagnostic role. In some cases, students may be asked to take courses in areas which they may need and are not sufficiently prepared. The pass rate on the written and oral examination is high because we try to be careful in the admissions process. For more information, see the detailed Ph.D. requirements.
