ED 333 School of Education University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222 518-442-5100/5594 fax: 518-442-5094
For CAS students:
When can I take the Comprehensive Exam? When should I?
Exam Format Three Essays Portfolio Closed-book Exam Prior to taking the Comprehensive Examination you must have completed at least 54 hours of course work (including courses applied to the program). These courses must include the required department core 700-level courses (see Doctoral Core Structure). However, being well prepared for the exam is more important than number of credits. You should understand that doctoral study involves structured and independent reading and that development of expertise in a field should not be dependent solely on coursework. We expect students to read beyond their coursework.
The exam may be taken when you have completed the required coursework in each domain and when you feel you can demonstrate knowledge of the three domains. The closed-book exam, should you select that option, will be held on a designated day in October or March. The portfolio and essay exam options may be submitted at any time, however the four-week turnaround time (see here) is only guaranteed during March and October.
You should make full use of consultation with your advisor during your preparation for the Comprehensive exam. Your advisor is a touchstone who can recommend resources and respond to work, however, you are also expected to consider other faculty and advanced students as important resources. We recommend study groups.
Do not rush to take the exam early. There is little advantage to this. Writing the exam consumes much more of your time when you are barely prepared than when you are well prepared.