8.1 Preparing for Comprehensive Examinations

The comprehensive examinations mark the shift from “user of knowledge of the field” to the “originator and extender of the knowledge base of the field.” These exams also sample the critical thinking and problem solving skills of doctoral students.

The comprehensive examinations consist of oral and written evaluations integrating the concepts of the research seminars in the doctoral program. These exams can be taken only after the completion of all course work and program competencies.

Comprehensive examinations must be taken within twelve months following the successful completion of all course work.

Preparation for the oral examination is generated through the advanced research assignment in the 95300 Theological Analysis of Education and Leadership Assumptions course. Preparation for the dissertation-related written examination is generated as one of the advanced research assignments in the 96800 Empirical Research Methods course.

In the resident PhD, the oral and written examinations are taken on two consecutive days at the start of the third year of the program of study. The scheduling of these examinations is arranged through the LEAD School Office.

Doctoral students must complete the comprehensive examinations successfully before the dissertation prospectus can be approved and dissertation data gathering can begin.

8.2 Comprehensive Examinations Committee

In the residential PhD program, the faculty advisor serves as the grader of the oral examination, and the dissertation supervisor serves as the grader of the dissertation-related written examination. Collectively these two individuals form a Comprehensive Examinations Committee.

If the faculty advisor and the dissertation supervisor are one and the same person, the Associate Dean for Doctoral Studies selects another graduate faculty member of the LEAD School to server as grader of the oral examination.

8.3 The Oral Examination

The oral examination is conducted as an open hearing. In the open hearing, doctoral students, the faculty advisor (or appointed graduate faculty member), and other LEAD professors engage the student being examined in a dialogue on how the student’s theological presuppositions inform personal education and leadership assumptions.

In the oral examination, doctoral students are required to reference significant literature in the stating of their positions. Authors, works and/or theories, etc. referenced then become points of focus in the dialogue that follows. Thus doctoral students must know and understand the literature referenced, not just have a casual acquaintance with it.

In preparation for the oral examination, students upgrade the 15 page position paper generated in the 95300 Theological Analysis of Education and Leadership Assumptions course. This paper articulates how theological presuppositions inform educational and leadership assumptions across the areas of metaphysics, epistemology, and axiology. The upgraded version of this paper can be no more than 15 pages in length. The title page and reference list can be in addition to this strict page length requirement.

8.4 Oral Examination Day Protocols

The oral examination itself consists of the formal and professional presentation of a model or metaphor that articulates how the positions in the paper are integrated and incorporated in ministry praxis. Students must present the model or metaphor via PowerPoint or similar slideshow software. A thumbnail copy of the presentation must be brought to the examination in case of equipment failure before or during the examination.

The chosen model or metaphor can be no more than one page double-sided. One side should be devoted to a visual representation of the model or metaphor, and the other side should be devoted to the summarization of key concepts in the model or metaphor.

One copy of the model/metaphor must be made as a handout by the student for all current students in the program (PhD) and the faculty advisor/appointed graduate faculty member grading the examination. All copies must be identical in quality and color, that is, the examiner cannot be given a color copy and everyone else be given one in black and white.

In addition to the model/metaphor handout, students must also submit the upgraded position paper to the faculty advisor/appointed graduate faculty member grading the examination. Copies of this paper are not given to others attending the hearing.

The doctoral student will have 30 minutes to present the model/metaphor. The faculty advisor/appointed graduate faculty member and the other participants at the hearing will then have 20 minutes to ask the student questions about the model/metaphor and the positions presented.

The position paper and copy of the model/metaphor presented to the faculty advisor/appointed graduate faculty member are placed in the student’s permanent file.

The LEAD Office will notify students of the grade received on the oral examination along with the grade received on the written examination.

8.5 Oral Examination Evaluation

Students must receive a grade of “B” (8.0) or higher on the oral examination to pass. A grade of “B-” or below on the oral examination will require remedial work determined by the faculty advisor (not an appointed graduate faculty member), which may require retaking the oral examination. Remedial work usually takes the form of additional reading and/or research.

A second oral examination hearing follows the pattern of the first hearing in all respects. Failure to pass the oral examination a second time will result in termination from the program.

Documentation submitted at each attempt of the oral examination is filed in the permanent academic record, but only the final grade appears on the official transcript.

8.6 The Written Examination

The written examination is modeled along the lines of the professional writing task, resulting in one article worthy of consideration for publication. In the written examination, students explore a line of scholarly inquiry devoted to the analysis of precedent literature related to the proposed dissertation topic.

The written examination topic is developed in consultation with the dissertation supervisor and is developed during the fourth/final semester of course work (PhD).

The dissertation-related examination topic is submitted to the dissertation supervisor as a statement of no more than 3-4 sentences containing at least 3 parenthetically referenced significant precedent literature sources. The statement is preceded by an appropriate descriptive title, the student’s name appears below the title, and a reference list of the 3 primary sources follows the statement. Revisions proposed by the dissertation supervisor are then incorporated into the statement and resubmitted to the supervisor for final approval.

Once a dissertation supervisor approves the final version of a written examination topic, students must file a copy of the statement with the LEAD School Office a minimum of 30 days prior to the exam.

Students cannot change the written examination topic in any way once it is approved. Due to the nature of the examination process, students are strongly advised not to write-out a practice exam as a means of studying for the exam.

8.7 Written Examination Day Protocols

On examination day, students are given a four-hour block of time to write the on the pre-approved topic. The exam is proctored by the LEAD School Office. Students bring into the examination room:

1.      A copy of the previously approved statement, which serves as the title page for the exam; and

2.      An unmarked pre-printed reference list of the significant precedent literature studied for the written examination, which is attached to the back of the written examination.

Students are allowed to bring into the exam one worksheet of notes to guide them in the organization of their thoughts. The worksheet is attached to the exam following the reference list and must fall within the following style parameters:

1.      Use one inch margins on all sides;

2.      Use only 12 point Times New Roman font;

3.      Use single-line spacing; and

4.      Use only one side of an 8.5” x 11” sheet of white paper.

No other previously prepared document templates, study helps may be brought into the examination room, including Bibles.

Students are encouraged to use a notebook computer to write the exam. Students have the full four-hour block of time to write the exam, and will be given time for printing the exam immediately following the four-hour period.

No corrections to content, spelling, or grammar can be made at the time of printing.

Students who do not have a notebook computer will need to handwrite the exam. Students who handwrite the exam will be given a photocopy of the original handwritten document immediately following the exam so that they may create—without editorial change—a typed copy of the exam to be submitted to the LEAD Office the same day. The examination must therefore be taken at such a time as to insure the submission of the typed copy within the normal business hours of the LEAD Office.

Students have the option of bringing their own printer to the exam, sharing a printer brought by other students taking the exam, or printing the exam in the Computer Lab within two hours of the end of the examination period. Students printing the exam in the Computer Lab must provide the proctor with an electronic copy of the exam before leaving the examination room. Students must supply this electronic copy on their own digital media (floppy disk, zip disk, CD or DVD), keeping in mind it will not be returned to them even after printing the document.

The LEAD Office will notify students of the grade received on the written examination along with the grade received on the oral examination. The dissertation supervisor is given two weeks to grade the written examination.

The following rules of etiquette are observed during the examination period:

1.      Cell phones and pagers must be disabled throughout the examination period;

2.      Students may take rest breaks inside or outside the examination room, but must not disturb other students in the room while doing so;

3.      Students may take a beverage into the examination room if the facilities allow food to be consumed in the room;

4.      Students are not allowed to listen to any recorded media during the examination period;

5.      Students are not allowed to print an exam during the four-hour examination period if other students in the room are still writing the exam; and

6.      Students who complete the exam early are not allowed to engage other students in the exam room in conversation if other students are still writing the exam.

8.8 Written Examination Evaluation

Students must receive a grade of “B” (8.0) or higher on the written examination to pass. A grade of “B-” or below on the written examination will require remedial work determined by the dissertation supervisor, which may require retaking the written examination. Remedial work usually takes the form of additional reading and/or research.

A second written examination follows the pattern of the first written examination in all respects. Failure to pass the written examination a second time will result in termination from the program.