Specialty Exam

The Specialty Exam is an in-depth examination in the area of research that the student plans to pursue. There should be no significant overlap between the Specialty Exam and the Qualifier. The student's Advisory Committee will conduct the exam. To allow the student to prepare for the specialty exam, the advisory committee will provide a reading list of appropriate material. The student passes the Specialty Exam if 75% of the Advisory Committee votes pass. The Specialty Exam must be taken within one year of passing the Qualifier. The Specialty Exam may be retaken once only with the approval of the student's Advisory Committee and the CS Graduate Director.

After each part of the comprehensive examination, the Advisory Committee may, if it wishes, meet with the student to discuss the results and/or contents of the examination. After successfully completing the comprehensive examinations, the form Report on the Comprehensive Examination(*) should be filled out and turned in to the Graduate School. The student is now said to have obtained Doctoral Candidacy.