(Download a sample Preliminary Examination Proposal as a PDF)

• The Preliminary Examination has two purposes:
  • To provide guidance to the student;
  • To determine if the student is qualified to continue in the Ph.D. program.
• All students who enter the Ph.D. program must take the exam.
• The exam must be taken no later than the end of the second semester after entering the Ph.D. program.
• Students who fail to pass the exam are allowed one more attempt, to be taken no later than the end of the third semester after entering the Ph.D. program.
• The exam is a one hour oral exam. The suggested format is a series of short (5-10 minute) question and answer periods covering the areas of examination.
• Examination Committee will include:
  • Four members of the AS&T Group with research interest similar to that of the student;
  • One member will be the student's research advisor, if available;
  • The committee chair will be selected from the List of Approved AS&T Preliminary Examination Committee Chairs (see attached list).
• The examination will cover basic undergraduate coursework appropriate to the student's chosen research area, broadly interpreted, and which, if possible, is consistent with the student's undergraduate coursework. Students are urged to consult with the members of their examination committee in advance to determine the scope of the examination.
• As an example, for Applied Physics, students with undergraduate backgrounds in Physics will normally be examined in three areas:
  • Electromagnetics (Phys 110AB or equivalent);
  • Quantum Mechanics (Phys 137A or equivalent);
  • One other area of Physics, Mathematics, Engineering, or the life sciences, roughly equivalent to a one or two semester basic undergraduate course of study.
• Students with other undergraduate backgrounds will normally be examined in three coherent areas, each equivalent to a one or two semester basic undergraduate sequence, as above.
• The Examination Committee and its Chair will be appointed by the Chair of Graduate Advisors, after consultation with the student. The student's Research Advisor cannot be the Chair.
• The appropriate areas of examination will be specified by the Chair of Graduate Advisors after consultation with the student, and the student's Research Advisor, if available.
• The student will provide a list of past and future planned graduate courses to be approved by the Chair of Graduate Advisors before the exam is scheduled. The courses must form a coherent program of studies and a firm foundation on which to base a future career.
• The location, date and time of the exam will be scheduled by the College of Engineering Interdisciplinary Studies office.
• The IDS office will deliver a written description of the purpose of the exam, its format, the areas of examination, and the student's list of courses to each member of the Examination Committee.
• The Chair of the Examination Committee will conduct the exam. The Committee will meet immediately after the exam is over to determine one of the following actions:
  • The student passes the examination;
  • The student fails the examination.
• In addition, the Committee should identify strengths and weaknesses in the student's exam performance and in the student's overall record of performance in the AS&T program. The Committee can make recommendations for future coursework and other actions to be undertaken. Examples are:
  • "Take course X."
  • "Improve oral (or written) presentation skills."
  • "TA course Y" (serve as a Teaching Assistant).
• The pass/fail decision and the recommendations should be communicated immediately to the student by the Chair of the Examination Committee.
• The Chair of the Examination Committee will provide a written description of the Comittee's actions and recommendations to the Chair of Graduate Advisors.
• The results and recommendations will be recorded on the student's "Blue Card" which documents progress toward a degree.