Protocol for Comprehensive Examinations, Ph.D. in Business Business Information and Technology (formerly MIS) Concentration
Doctoral Major Examination
To be admitted to candidacy each student must take and pass a written examination
and an oral examination in the major(Management Information Systems). In addition,
the student must pass an examination in his/her minor area as determined by the faculty
in the minor area. The graduate faculty (full and associate) will develop a set of
general criteria for grading the written major exams (such as the level of response
required, organization, grammar, etc.). These criteria will be provided by the doctoral
coordinator to the students scheduled to take the exam at least one month prior to
the scheduled exam date.
Exams will be given over a two day period. There will be four questions on the first
day exam. The graduate faculty will meet and decide the four topic areas (not specific
questions) to be included on the day one portion of the exam. All of these topic areas
will be drawn from the Management Information Systems domain.
The day two portion of the exam will consist of one question, generally multipart,
and will focus on research readiness. The doctoral coordinator will assign a group
of three faculty members for each question on the exam. For day one questions assignments
will be based first on who has most recently taught the course material related to
the topic area and secondarily on who has not taught the course recently but who has
special expertise in the topic area. For the day two question graduate faculty members
with special and current expertise in the formulation and conduct of research will
be assigned. No faculty member will be assigned to more than two groups unless there
are not sufficient graduate faculty members to satisfy this criterion.
The responsibilities of the group are to: write the question, develop specific criteria
for grading the question, grade the question, and provide a summary assessment of
each student's performance on the question. If the committee cannot reach agreement
on any part of the summary information, differences are to be noted on the summary.
Copies of each student's answer to the question asked by a group will be distributed
by the doctoral coordinator to each member of that group within two days of completion
of the exam. The grade by the group will be either pass or fail by a majority vote.
This grade will be provided in writing by the group to the doctoral coordinator. The
summary assessment from each group will be provided to the doctoral coordinator in
electronic form. The doctoral coordinator will work with each group to determine the
proper electronic form for the summary assessment (e.g., Microsoft Word 97 or Microsoft
Excel 97). Both the grade and the summary assessment from each group will be provided
to the doctoral coordinator within two weeks of the completion of the exam. In order
to pass the day one portion of the exam, the student must pass at least three of the
four questions on that day's exam. If a student does not pass at least three questions
on the day one portion of the exam then the student will have failed the entire day
one portion of the exam. The doctoral coordinator will notify each student and all
members of the graduate faculty in writing of whether the student passed or failed
each day of the exam. This information will be provided to each student and all members
of the graduate faculty within three weeks of the completion of the exam.
The doctoral coordinator will provide the summary comments from each group for a student
to the student. This information will be provided to each student within three weeks
of the completion of the exam. A student may retake, at subsequent scheduled exam
dates, either the day one portion of the exam, the day two portion of the exam, or
both portions of the exam. No student may retake either portion of the exam more than
once. Administrative procedures will be used to help facilitate the anonymity of students
taking the exam. These procedures include use of computers for writing exam responses
and coding of answer sheets rather than use of student names and student Ids. No information
related to any exam will be distributed other than as specified in this policy document.
No article of this policy may be modified except by vote of a majority of the (MIS
Department) graduate faculty. Upon successful completion of both days of the written
examination, the student will take an oral examination. This examination will be administered
within 30 days of notification of the results of the written examination. Three members
of the graduate faculty will administer the examination. The result will be pass or
fail by majority vote of the three members of the graduate faculty administering the
examination. A student who fails the oral examination on the first attempt will be
given one and only one additional chance to take the oral examination. This second
attempt on the oral examination may be scheduled not less than one month following
a failure on the first attempt on the oral examination.
Doctoral Minor Examination
A written examination will be administered to a student with a minor in Management
Information Systems. The examination will consist of three questions – one question
from each of the three courses that comprise the student's minor. The doctoral coordinator
will assign a group of three faculty members for each question on the exam. Assignments
will be based first on who has most recently taught the course material related to
the topic area and secondarily on who has not taught the course recently but who has
special expertise in the topic area. Typically, the chair of each No faculty member
will be assigned to more than two groups unless there are not sufficient graduate
faculty members to satisfy this criterion.
The responsibilities of the group are to: write the question, develop specific criteria
for grading the question, grade the question, and provide a summary assessment of
each student's performance on the question. If the committee cannot reach agreement
on any part of the summary information, differences are to be noted on the summary.
Copies of each student's answer to the question asked by a group will be distributed
by the doctoral coordinator to each member of that group within two days of completion
of the exam. The grade by the group will be either pass or fail by a majority vote.
This grade will be provided in writing by the group to the doctoral coordinator. The
summary assessment from each group will be provided to the doctoral coordinator in
electronic form. The doctoral coordinator will work with each group to determine the
proper electronic form for the summary assessment (e.g., Microsoft Word 97 or Microsoft
Excel 97). Both the grade and the summary assessment from each group will be provided
to the doctoral coordinator within two weeks of the completion of the exam. In order
to pass the exam, the student must pass at least two of the three questions on the
exam. If a student does not pass at least two questions on the exam then the student
will have failed the exam.
The doctoral coordinator will notify each student and all members of the graduate
faculty in writing of whether the student passed or failed each day of the exam. This
information will be provided to each student and all members of the graduate faculty
within three weeks of the completion of the exam. The doctoral coordinator will provide
the summary comments from each group for a student to the student. This information
will be provided to each student within three weeks of the completion of the exam.
A student may retake the examination once. No student may retake the exam more than
once. Administrative procedures will be used to help facilitate the anonymity of students
taking the exam. These procedures include use of computers for writing exam responses
and coding of answer sheets rather than use of student names and student Ids. No information
related to any exam will be distributed other than as specified in this policy document.
No article of this policy may be modified except by vote of a majority of the (MIS
Department) graduate faculty.
