Comprehensive Exam
Upcoming Comprehensive Exam Dates
- Summer, 2014
I. Objective
To evaluate the student’s knowledge of program content in a professionally written document and oral presentation.
II. Policy
A comprehensive examination is required of all School of Nursing doctoral candidates. All students within the EdD in Nursing Education program must pass the comprehensive exam. The comprehensive exam may not be scheduled prior to the student’s final semester of coursework and may be taken only twice. Students unsuccessful on the first comprehensive exam will be required to retake the exam prior to continuing in the program. On no occasion may a student take the comprehensive examination a third time. An unsuccessful second comprehensive exam attempt will result in dismissal from the program.
The comprehensive exam will take place in the student’s final semester of coursework. It will require the student to perform a critical analysis on a specific topic in nursing education. The exam will consist of four interpretive questions from which students must select only one. All comprehensive exam papers will be blind-graded by an interdisciplinary panel of graduate faculty. Students either pass or fail according to criteria set forth by the faculty graders. Oral presentation of the comprehensive exam will follow submission of the written document.
Students will be notified by university email of their comprehensive exam results. Those students who fail the exam for the first time will be offered to retake the exam with a different topic. At no time shall students receive assistance of any kind on their comprehensive exam.
III. Guidelines
The comprehensive exam will consist of two components:
- Within the student’s final semester of coursework the student will select one of four interpretive questions offered to the cohort. Based upon the selected question the student will write an APA style/18 page paper suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
- Secondly, the student will orally present their paper to an interdisciplinary panel of graduate faculty. Papers and oral presentations will be graded by an interdisciplinary panel of graduate faculty.
IV. Time frame
Students will select one of four interpretive questions in the first week of their final semester of coursework. Papers will be submitted electronically to the EdD program director by the sixth week of the semester. Oral presentations will occur during the eighth week of the final semester of coursework.