Exams

Prelim A

FORMAT OF WRITTEN COMPREHENSIVE QUALIFYING EXAMINATION
By the end of a student’s second year of graduate study in the Cellular and Molecular Pathology Graduate Program, a qualifying examination is administered. The written qualifying examination is intended to determine a student’s breadth and depth of knowledge of Cellular and Molecular Pathology and the ability to apply this knowledge in a research context. The CMP Graduate Office will solicit two questions from each committee member for inclusion in this exam. The candidate will be required to answer only one of the two questions submitted by each committee member. Each of the four answered questions will be worth 25 points (100 points total). The questions should reflect the candidate’s chosen area of interest and the coursework completed. The questions may be modified by the Chair of the Graduate Education Committee. Each committee member will be responsible for grading their question. It is expected that the questions will be graded and returned to the Graduate Office within two weeks of the day of the exam.

Listed below are some guidelines for the format and type of questions sought for the written Qualifying Examination:

• Questions should deal with interpretation of data and experimental design and be constructed to test the student’s ability to think and to express those thoughts as logical arguments.
• All questions should be multi-part in order to distinguish between an adequate knowledge of the subject and a more detailed understanding. For example, part of the points for a question may be based on an easier introductory part that leads to more challenging subsequent questions.
• The questions should be easily read in approximately 5 or fewer minutes and answerable in one hour.
• The questions should address topics of importance that the student has reasonably been exposed to in her/her didactic studies. If questions outside this mode of teaching (i.e., group meetings, seminars) are included, the student should be aware of this potential type of questioning.
• The use of a table or figure of original or contrived data can be useful to test the student’s ability to analyze data and draw conclusions. However, the question should not focus too narrowly on the student’s research.
• Answers to the questions should require advanced-level, factual knowledge, thought, and application of knowledge. Questions that involve simple regurgitation of information or excessive memorized detail are discouraged (i.e. list all the components, or include appropriate molarity of buffers, etc.).
• Part of each question should be straightforward, assuming the student has a good grasp of the subject. The remaining part could be more difficult and require application of factual and conceptual knowledge or more sophisticated problem solving abilities.

Advisory committee members will be responsible for grading their own questions. For uniformity of grading committee-based exams, the following point distribution is recommended:

24 or 25 points- An excellent answer where there are few, if any, errors or omissions. Any errors present in the answers are very minor. It is clearly written and well-organized.
22 or 23 points- The answer is good but contains some errors or omissions. The answer should clearly indicate that the student has a good grasp of the subject or has an excellent factual knowledge pertaining to the subject. An excellent answer that lacks clarity or organization should receive these scores.
19 to 21 points- An acceptable answer that contains enough strong features to balance any errors, omissions, or lack of organization.
13 to 18 points- An answer that indicates below acceptable knowledge and logical thinking. Contains substantial errors or omissions, may also be very deficient in organization or clarity.
<12 points- Indicates a totally inadequate answer where the errors or omissions in knowledge and logical thinking outweigh the correct portions of the answer.

The possible outcomes are:

1. Pass. 75 to 100 points results in a passing score if the student receives at least 19 points on each question.
2. Pass, with a deficiency. If the student receives an overall passing score (at least 75 points) on the exam but does poorly in a specific area (18 or fewer on any question), this indicates additional work is required to demonstrate advanced-level knowledge and/or problem solving abilities. The student must then meet with his/her advisory committee to discuss an avenue for correcting the deficiency (outside reading, coursework, etc.). The major professor must send a letter to the Graduate Education Committee explaining what measures will be taken to remedy the deficiency.
3. Fail. Students receiving scores below 75 points fail the exam. The candidate must then meet with her/her advisory committee to determine a course of action, which may include additional course work. A second examination will be schedule no later than six months after the first exam. A second failure will result in dismissal from the program.

Prelim B

FORMAT OF ORAL RESEARCH PROPOSAL EXAMINATION

The written proposal should be in the format of a standard NIH grant application (see below) and submitted to the Advisory Committee two weeks prior to the examination date. Although there is no specific length required for the proposal, it is recommended that the entire proposal not exceed 20 pages (single spaced, 12 point font or larger). Please keep in mind that the object is to clearly and concisely express your ideas, plans and rationale. Often shorter, more focused applications have greater success because the reviewers comprehend the issues better and do not get lost.

NIH Format:
Specific aims: State the broad, long-term objectives and describe concisely and realistically what the specific research described in this proposal is intended to accomplish and any hypotheses to be tested. One page is recommended.

Background and significance: Briefly sketch the background to the present proposal, critically evaluate existing knowledge, and specifically identify the gaps which the project is intended to fill. State concisely the importance of the research described in this application by relating the specific aims to the broad, long-term objectives. Two to three pages are recommended.

Preliminary Studies: You may use this section to provide an account of your preliminary studies pertinent to the application and/or any other information that will help to establish the experience and competence of the student to pursue the proposed project.

Experimental Design and Methods: Outline the experimental design and the procedures to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the project. Include the means by which the data will be collected, analyzed and interpreted. Describe any new methodology and its advantage over existing methodologies. Discuss the potential difficulties and limitations of the proposed procedures and alternative approaches to achieve the aims. Provide a tentative sequence or timetable for the investigation.

Literature Cited: Each citation must include the title, names of all authors, book or journal title, volume number, page numbers, and year or publication. Make every attempt to be judicious in compiling a relevant and current list of literature citations; it need not be exhaustive.

Figures: Figures critical to the proposal may be included within the 20 page limit. The student will have the opportunity to present other figures at the oral examination.

The student will prepare a brief (approximately 20 minutes) oral presentation describing the research proposal. After the presentation, the student will respond to questions by the Advisory Committee. The questions will deal with the proposal itself and any related material. The oral exam is usually completed within two hours. Following the examination, the Advisory Committee will reach a consensus on the student’s performance.

If the student does not pass the Prelim B, the major professor and student should decide what course of action to take. Some options are: to reschedule the exam; terminate with a Master’s degree (only with the consent of the GEC); or drop from the program. A letter outlining the course of action to be taken should be sent to the Chair of the Graduate Education Committee for approval at the next Graduate Education Committee Meeting.

Final Thesis Defense

The following steps should be followed when reaching this point in your degree program:

Inform the CMP Graduate Office of your intended date of defense. This must be done at least one month before your proposed defense to allow for the processing of forms as required by the Graduate School.

Obtain a "Ph.D. Final Oral Exam Committee Approval Form" from the CMP Graduate Office. This form must be filled out by you and signed by your major professor and by the Department Chair. The form should be returned to CMP Graduate Office (6120 MSC); allow three weeks for the Graduate School to process and approve. The Graduate School will then send a packet of thesis information to the CMP Graduate Office. The Graduate Office will inform you when the material is received. NOTE: If changes are necessary, i.e., committee members are changed, then a revised form must be signed and submitted to the Graduate School to be approved. A second packet will not be issued. Follow the instructions outlined in the material. If you should have questions regarding the information in the packet, please call the Graduate School or CMP Graduate Office for clarification to avoid misinformation.

After you have successfully defended your thesis, you should submit a copy of the signed Warrant, a copy of your thesis, a forwarding address, and the name of your prospective employer and position to the CMP Graduate Office. The CMP Graduate Office appreciates receiving notification of changes of address by graduates for the Program to be able to stay in touch.

You must file the signed warrant with the graduate school and the thesis with Memorial Library by the deadline established by the graduate school in order to receive your degree.

Reminder: To receive your diploma, all fines and charges must be satisfied with the university.