Comprehensive Exam Overview and Procedures

For students not writing theses, comprehensive examinations are intended to demonstrate students’ ability to synthesize historical knowledge acquired in their fields of study and from a variety of material covered in regular courses. Students are expected to incorporate analysis and insights from readings into conceptual frameworks that illustrate mastery of their subjects.

Comprehensive examinations contain written and oral components for three fields, each of which is overseen by a faculty member with whom the student has previously completed or is presently completing course work. Together, these three faculty members constitute a student’s comprehensive exam committee. For each field, the student completes an essay (10-14 pages for the primary field; roughly 10 pages for other fields). Then, the student undertakes an 60-90 minute oral examination administered by their committee. 

While each faculty member possesses ultimate discretion regarding their written examinations, the Graduate Studies Committee advises that written examinations adhere to the following parameters:

• A student’s written examinations shall ideally consist of one question per field. No field examination should consist of more than two questions.
• A written examination in a student’s primary field should be 10-14 pages long. It should mainly draw on readings for coursework associated with that field and no more than 5 additional monographs selected through consultation between the student and the faculty member. (For the purposes of these guidelines, 3 articles shall count as one monograph.)
• Each written examination in a student’s additional fields should be roughly 10 pages long. It should mainly draw on readings for coursework associated with that field and no more than 3 additional monographs selected through consultation between the student and the faculty member. (For the purposes of these guidelines, 3 articles shall count as one monograph.)
• Written examinations may include a variety of essay formats, including historical essays, historiographical essays, primary source analysis, and questions about syllabus design and pedagogy. Committee chairs are encouraged to facilitate conversation within committees to ensure that each student is assigned a reasonable diversity of essay formats.
• At their discretion, committee members can consider the inclusion of non-essay formats (such as an exhibit or a building preservation report).

1. Partway through the semester prior to a student’s intended graduation, if not earlier, the student should select the three members of their committee in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies.
2. Once a committee has been agreed upon, the student is responsible for contacting committee members to request their participation and discuss reading lists and possible essay prompts and formats. 
3. Once the committee has been formed, the student should complete the History Department Comprehensive Examination Form (available on the Graduate Forms page) and submit this form to the History Department office. The student may obtain committee members’ signatures prior to submitting the form or request that the History Department circulate the form for committee members’ signatures.
   • Students wishing to change their committees following submission of the Comprehensive Examination Committee Form must submit Committee Member Change form (available on the Graduate Forms page) and submit this form to the History Department office.
4. Students should undertake their comps in the last semester of graduate coursework. 
   • Students beginning their studies in Fall 2023 or later must enroll in HIST 5388: Comprehensive Examinations (or the equivalent 5- or 9-hour versions) with their committee chairs as the instructors of record. Students must complete the departmental approval form in order to request permission to register for HIST 5388. Such permission will not be granted until the History Department Comprehensive Examination Committee Form has been filed.
   • Students who began their studies prior to Fall 2023 and wish to enroll in HIST5388 for degree credit in lieu of one elective should contact the Director of Graduate Studies. 
5. Given the heavy workload associated with completing comprehensive examinations and coursework simultaneously, students are encouraged to utilize summer break to begin work on fall semester exams, winter break to begin work on spring semester exams, and the month of May to begin work on summer exams. Students should keep in mind that committee members may be less accessible during breaks and should take care to discuss reading lists and examination questions prior to such breaks, if necessary.
6. No later than early in the semester of a student’s examinations, each committee member will provide the student with ideally one question, and no more than two questions, to be answered in essay form. Committee chairs are encouraged to facilitate conversation within committees to ensure that each student is assigned a reasonable diversity of essay formats.
7. Essays must be completed and submitted to the appropriate committee member by October 15 (fall semester), March 15 (spring semester) and June 30 (summer term). Committee members are free to designate alternative deadlines based on the University calendar and History Department deadlines.
8. Committee members will review their respective essays within two weeks of receipt and inform both the student and the Committee Chair if the essays are approved as submitted. Alternately, each committee member will inform the student and the Committee Chair if revisions are required. If revisions are requested, a new deadline for completion will be provided. It is common for essays to require at least one round of revisions, and students should factor this into their planning.
9. The written essays form the content basis for the oral comprehensive exam. NO oral exam dates will be scheduled until all committee members have approved the written essays as submitted or revised.
10. The Committee Chair will coordinate the time and date of the final oral exam.
11. The oral exam consists primarily of questions drawn from the written exam essays. Student performance is evaluated as either passing or failing. Outstanding student performance may be designated as passing with distinction. 
12. Following the oral exam, the Masters Comprehensive Examination Report Form (available on the Graduate College Website) must be submitted to the Graduate College by that semester’s deadline.
13. Students who do not pass the oral exam may be allowed to retake the exam once. The scheduling of a second oral exam is at the discretion of the committee but is encouraged for no earlier than the subsequent semester. The student may be requested to prepare new comprehensive exam essays should faculty membership on the committee change.
14. A student must be enrolled in at least one credit hour during the semester in which they complete their comprehensive examination. Thus, a student who does not complete or pass their comps within a single semester must enroll in either HIST 5388 or the Graduate College’s one-credit equivalent, GC 5100: Comprehensive Examination Contingency, during the subsequent semester in which they intend to complete or re-take their exam. Permission to register for either HIST 5388 or GC 5100 can be requested via the departmental approval form. 
15. Exams must be completed within one year of a student’s last semester of classes except under extraordinary circumstances.

* These dates are contingent on Graduate College deadlines and change slightly each year. 2021-2022 dates have been used in this chart for illustrative purposes only. Students and faculty should check Graduate College Deadlines for current information.

Ver. 07/31/25