The Master's Comprehensive Exam is administered every term until spring 2013 by a committee appointed by the School's Director and the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee. The Comprehensive Examination consists of a written examination designed to last no less than six hours and is administered during the student's final quarter. All M.A. and M.P.A. students sitting for the exam must pursue the Plan B (non-thesis) master's degree program option. All students must be registered for at least three graduate credit hours during the quarter in which the exam is taken.
The exam covers the core curriculum with questions over policy, management, and economics in the morning (8:00 am – 12:00 noon), and questions on quantitative methods and decision support systems in the afternoon (1:00 pm – 3:00 pm). Each subject section of the test is graded by the faculty member who wrote that section and responses are evaluated as Pass, Marginal Pass, or Fail according to the professional judgment of the grader.
A fail on any section will receive a second reading and evaluation by another faculty member. A fail on any one section of the exam may constitute a fail on the comprehensive exam. The exam cannot be retaken the same quarter. Graduate School rules require that a student be registered for three graduate credit hours the quarter the comprehensive exam is retaken. The exam can only be retaken once. The original exam committee must administer any retest.
Please note that students are responsible for the content of all core courses required for their specific degree program regardless of whether a core course was waived or substituted. Students continuing their studies past spring semester 2013 will be required to complete a capstone course instead of taking the comprehensive exam as it is currently listed.
CORE COURSES COVERED ON THE COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION
*PUBAFRS 6080 will be part of the quantitative stream starting in spring 2013. This course is equivalent to PUBAFRS 804 (quarter equivalent).
Master’s Comprehensive Examination Committees and Dates
Stream |
Summer 2012 |
Autumn 2012 |
Spring 2013 |
|
July 13, 2012 |
Nov 16, 2012 |
TBD |
|
|
|
|
Quantitative |
Desai* |
TBD |
TBD |
Policy |
Boardman |
TBD |
TBD |
Econ/Finance |
Greenbaum |
TBD |
TBD |
Management |
Raadschelders |
TBD |
TBD |
* indicates Chair of Examining Committee.
