In addition to the examinations that are required for various courses, graduate students in Materials Science and Engineering are required to take the examinations described below. These are considered "milestone" examinations and you must pass them in order to proceed with the program. Failing to take these exams as required, can result in dismissal from the program, without notice.

SPEAK Test

Required of all foreign students. Taken during orientation, or as soon as possible thereafter. This is a diagnostic test of spoken English, administered by the Linguistics Department. The Graduate School requires all state supported TAs to pass this test as a prerequisite for receiving support. The Materials Science and Engineering Department requires it of all graduate students, since all are expected to teach as part of their academic programs. Students who perform poorly on this test may be required to take one or more English as a Second Language (ESL) courses. Students assigned to these courses must complete them with a grade of B or better in the earliest available semester. It is not permissible to delay taking these courses.

Qualifying Examination

Required for the Ph.D. To be taken in the first January after the student is admitted to the Ph.D. program. This is a diagnostic examination, intended to identify the particular strengths and weaknesses of each student. The results of the exam are used to determine whether the student will be required to take any particular courses to correct weaknesses, and they are also reviewed by the faculty in making decisions about accepting students as research advisees. Students whose performance on this examination is only moderate may be required to complete a master's degree (research thesis option) before proceeding to the Ph.D.. Students who perform poorly may be dropped from the Ph.D. program and placed in the master's degree program (coursework option).

The examination is a written test, in two parts. Part 1 consists of 25 short questions, based upon the typical undergraduate curriculum in Materials Science and Engineering. Students must attempt all of the questions in Part 1. Part 2 of the test is based upon the graduate core program and is intended to assess the students' preparedness to take the graduate core courses. This part of the test has seven questions, of which you must answer five.

The Qualifying Examination is a "closed book" test, taken under normal examination conditions.

Preliminary Examination

Required for the Ph.D. Scheduled by the student, in consultation with his or her advisor. This is an oral examination and is public. Attendance is open to any member of the University. An examining committee of four members is formed, usually comprising the student's advisor, two other members of the Department's faculty and one external member. This committee normally also serves as the student's final defense committee.

The student is required to provide the committee with a written description of his or her research project at least two weeks before the date of the examination. This proposal should be between ten and twenty pages long, typewritten. It should describe the research problem at hand, review any pertinent literature, explain the techniques to be used, describe any preliminary results, and clearly outline future research plans for Ph.D. A timetable with expected dates of completion for different aspects of the work should be included.

In the examination, the student will be required to make a presentation based upon his or her proposal and to answer questions about it. The committee members will ask questions about the field of Materials Science in general, in order to assess the student's preparedness to undertake the research and the preparation of a dissertation. The student should also be prepared to defend his future Ph.D. research plans and expected dates of completion.

Defense of the Dissertation

Required for the Ph.D. degree and scheduled by the student, in consultation with his or her advisor. This is an oral examination and is public. Attendance is open to any member of the University. An examining committee of four members is formed as described for the Preliminary Examination. The student is required to provide the committee with a complete dissertation no less than three weeks before the date of the examination.

In the examination, the student will be required to make a presentation based upon his or her dissertation and to answer questions about it. He or she is expected to demonstrate that the findings of the research are correct, original and substantial: in short, that they are worthy of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and that they uphold the standards of the Department.

SCHEDULING EXAMINATIONS

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL ARRANGEMENTS FOR PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS AND DISSERTATION DEFENSES MUST BE MADE WITH THE DEPARTMENTAL OFFICE AT LEAST TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE SCHEDULED DATE OF THE EXAM. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STUDENT TO MAKE THESE ARRANGEMENTS IN A TIMELY MANNER.

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09/04/98 JQ