TheOralCandidacyExamination
Background
TheFacultyofGraduateStudies(FGSR) admitsallPhDstudentsasprovisionaldoctoralcandidates;studentsdo not get reclassifiedascandidatesfor adoctoraldegreeuntiltheytakean OralCandidacyExam.FGSRdefinesthegoalsof theDoctoralProgramCandidacyExamas:
Studentsmustdemonstratetothesatisfactionof theexaminingcommitteethattheypossess:an adequateknowledgeofthedisciplineand ofthesubjectmatterrelevantto thethesis;andtheabilityto pursueand completeoriginalresearchatanadvancedlevel.
Thus, theOralCandidacyExamshouldexaminethestudentaboutmuchmorethanthestudent'sdissertationtopicoreventhebroaderliteraturerelevanttothattopic;itisdefinedbyFGSRasdisciplinary,notjustthesis-oriented.Nonetheless,thestudentmustalsodemonstratethatheorsheiscapableof conductingresearchinthesubjectmatterrelevantto thethesis.
TheDepartmenthas interpretedthissetofgoalsto meanthattheDissertationProposal,inan idealworld,would “falloutof”thereadings done for theCandidacyExam.Thatis,theareareviewedshouldbebroadenough so thatthestudentwould knowwhatheor shewantedtodo forthedissertationand couldimmediatelyproceedtowritetheproposal.
Thereisno strictureagainstexaminingthestudentfirston general,disciplinaryissues,followedbyquestionsthatarequitespecificallyrelatedtoresearchissues.
ReadingListsand AreaStatement
Studentsareresponsible,togetherwiththeirsupervisorycommittee,fordevisingGeneralandSpecializationReadingLists;thesubstanceof theCandidacyExamwillbetaken fromthematerialontheselists. TheGeneralReadingLististo cover thestudent’sbroadarea(e.g.,Cognitive;Developmental;Neuroscience;Social),andanyotherdisciplinaryreadingsdeemednecessarybythestudentandhisor hersupervisorycommittee. TheSpecializationReadingLististo cover thestudent’sintendeddissertationtopic(e.g., ObjectRecognition;Memory;NeuralMechanismsof Memory;SpellingandReading;ScientificLiteracy;Affectand Cognition).
Thereadinglistsshouldbedesignedtoensurethatthestudentencounterscorematerialsand integratingframeworksin thestudent’sdisciplineand areaofconcentration,anditshouldhelpthestudentto situatehisor herinterestswithinbroaderperspectives.InspecifyingaCandidacyReadingList,supervisorycommitteesinvariousareasmightalsowish to considerspecialobjectives(e.g.,proficiencyinrelevanttechniques)thatwilldeterminethecharacterof thereadinglist.
SometimepriortotheOralCandidacyExam,butnotnecessarilybeforetheSpecializationReadingListhasbeenapproved,eachstudentshouldwriteabrief(2-5page)Area Statementto begiventotheOralCandidacyExaminationCommitteemembers. Astudent’sAreaStatementshould reflecthisor herSpecializationReadingtopicand thedisciplinaryrationaleforhowthegeneralandspecificreadingsfitinto thattopic.Inaddition,thestatementshouldincludethelineof researchthatthestudentenvisionswillcomeoutof thesereadingstoformhisor herDissertationProposal.Thestatementmaybesimilartotheone-page(single-spaced)summarystatementthatisrequiredfor NSERCand SSHRCgrantproposals.
AdministrativeConsiderations
Toaidin theconstructionof CandidacyReadingListsandtofostersomeconsistency,theDepartmentattemptstoimplementtwosupportmeasures.First,eachareainthedepartmentis chargedwithmaintainingaGeneralReadingList to beused asdeemedappropriatebythesupervisorycommittees.TheGeneralReadingListfor anareashouldreflectthemembers’consensuson a set of readings thatcompriseswhatisnecessarytobeknownaboutagivenarea.Thus,itisnotenvisionedthattheselistsshouldbecompletelyoverhauledeach year;rather,theyshouldchangeincrementally.
Studentsmayrequestthemostrecentversionsof theReadingListsfromthePsychologyGraduateAssistant.On an annualbasis, areminderwillgo outfromtheAssociateChairfor GraduateStudiesinearlyAugustthatareasshouldupdatetheirGeneralReadingLists(ifdesired).ThisupdateshouldbeaccomplishedwithinatimeframetoallowtheGeneralReadingListsfor eachareatobeavailabletostudentsandsupervisorycommitteesnolaterthanmid-September.
Second,theDepartmentwillberesponsiblefor accumulatingSpecializationReadingListstoserveasmodelsof theSpecializationReadingListstobedevelopedbystudentsfor theirOralCandidacyExams.Theideaisthattheexamplereadinglistsmodelboth thescopeand thedepth ofa“modal”readinglist.Itisunderstood thatthiscan(andprobablyshould)varyfromareatoarea,as wellaswithinareasfromspecializationtospecialization.
AftercompletingtheirOralCandidacyExams,studentsshouldgiveacopyoftheirAreaStatement,and GeneralandSpecificReadingliststotheGraduateProgramAssistanttobekeptin theirfile.Thereadinglistswillbecollectedand madepubliclyavailabletootherstudentsandfaculty.
QualifyingExam
StudentswillnormallycompleteawrittenQualifyingExambeforetheOralCandidacyExamisscheduled aspartialassessmentof thestudent’spreparation for theoralexam.Thestructure,format,andspecificgoalsof theexamaredeterminedbythesupervisorycommittee.If thesupervisorycommitteefindsthatthequestionshavenot
beenansweredadequately,thecommitteemayrequireeitherthattheexamberetakenwithnewquestionsor thatotherremedialactivities(e.g., writingapaperon aparticularissue)becompletedsatisfactorilypriortotheschedulingof theoralexam.Studentsshouldbeprovidedwith detailedfeedbackon theirperformance.Abriefreportonthesupervisorycommittee’sevaluation of theQualifyingExamshouldbewrittenbythesupervisor for thestudent’sfilepriortoschedulingtheOralCandidacyExam.Theanswerson thewrittenexamwould normallybesuppliedtotheothermembersof theoralcandidacyexaminingcommittee.
Thereisusuallyafairamountofambiguityconcerningthebreadthor natureofquestionsthatwill be coveredduringtheOralCandidacyExam.For example,CandidacyReadingListscanbeverylong,and itisoftennotcleartostudentsfor howmuch,orforwhatkindof informationfromthelist,theyareresponsible.ThewrittenQualifyingExamrequirementaddressesthesechallengestosomeextent.Ithelpsstudentsunderstandthekindsof issuesandquestionsthattheirsupervisorycommitteesregardasimportant.Thestudent’sresponsesin theQualifyingExamcanservetostructuretheoralexmor tohighlightissuesthatneedtobeaddressedatthattime.TheQualifyingExamalsohelpsthesupervisorycommitteesdecidewhetherstudentsareproperlypreparedfor theoralexambeforeitisscheduled.
TheformatandcontentoftheQualifyingExamisdeterminedbythesupervisorycommitteeand shouldbetailoredto thestudent’sprogramof studyand thenatureof theresearcharea.Thereareseveralpossiblemodelsfortheexam.Oneisto have3-5 take-homeessayquestionsto becompletedina48-hour period;anothermodelistohavethestudentwriteasuitablycircumscribedreviewpaperbyan agreed-upondeadline.
However,inselectingaformatfor theexam,supervisorycommitteesshouldbecarefulnotto imposerequirementsthatarelikelytotakeasignificanttimetocomplete.Forexample,apaperthatwouldtakemanymonthsto researchand writewouldbeinappropriate.
Timing
TheDepartmentalinterpretationof the FGSRrulesfor candidacytimingisthatforstudentsenteringthePhDprogramwith aBachelor’sdegree, theCandidacyExam shouldnormallybetakensometimeaftertheirfirstyearand no laterthantheendof theirthirdyearintheprogram.For studentsenteringthePhDprogramwithan externalMaster’sdegree, theCandidacyExam shouldnormallybe taken nolater thantheend of theirsecondyearintheprogram.
CompositionoftheCandidacyExaminingCommittee
FGSRguidelinesstatethattheexaminationshallbecarriedoutbythesupervisorycommittee,towhichatleasttwootherfulltimefacultymembershavebeenadded.The NoticeandApprovalof theDoctoralCandidacyExaminingCommitteeand Examination
Datemustbesubmittedto FGSRatleastthreeweeksinadvanceofthecandidacyexaminationdate.Theintenthereisthatthereshouldbeatleasttwoarm's-lengthindividualsattheexaminationwhoareaddedtothecorecommitteefortheexamination.Oneof theadditionalmembersmust be fromadepartmentotherthanPsychology.
Theexamischairedbysomeonewho isnotthestudent'ssupervisor, and mayserveasasixthexaminer.Aftersuccessfulcompletionofthecandidacyexamination,a Reportof Completionof CandidacyExaminationis filedwith FGSR.
RevisionHistory
AmendedSeptember,1999
AmendedOctober,2001
RewrittenAugust,2003
RevisedDecember,2003
EditorialRevisionNovember2008
Revisedbasedon motioninDepartmentCouncilApril29, 2011