English PhD Comprehensive Exam

Timeframe
PhD students will take the oral portion of the Comprehensive Exam at the end of their second year in the program, either in May or in late August.

In May, the Exam will take place on the designated Reading Day, as indicated on the FCRH academic calendar. In late August, it will take place on one of two Exam Days, the two non-holiday weekdays before the first day of fall semester classes.

The May Exam is strongly recommended as it allows students to begin developing their dissertation proposals during the summer before they begin teaching.

Format
The PhD Comprehensive Exam consists of two components:

  • A revised course essay
  • A two-hour oral exam covering one major field and two minor fields

Exam Committee

The PhD Comprehensive Exam Committee will usually consist of three English department faculty members, one of whom serves as the Committee Chair. In consultation with the DGS, the student will select their Committee Chair. The DGS and Committee Chair assist in selecting two additional Committee Members; students may opt to add a fourth examiner, with DGS and Committee Chair approval.

Committees must be finalized during the Fall semester prior to the May or August exam date.

Planning and Registering for Exams

To register, students:

  • All registrations must be completed through fordham.edu by the add/drop deadline for continuing students as indicated in the GSAS academic calendar.
  • Review the PhD Handbook and Informal Comps Guide.
  • Use DegreeWorks to verify that all degree requirements have been met or are in progress
  • Meet with the DGS to finalize the exam committee members and exam fields. 
  • If taking the May exam and not taking any credit-bearing coursework in the Spring, register for the Spring semester ENGL 0912: Requirement Prep. Also register for the Fall semester ENGL 0950: Proposal Development and ENGL 8935: Dissertation Writing Workshop.
  • If taking the August exam and not taking any credit-bearing coursework in the Spring, register for the Spring semester ENGL 0912: Requirement Prep. If not taking any credit-bearing coursework in the Fall either, also register for the Fall semester ENGL 0912: Requirement Prep and ENGL 8935: Dissertation Writing Workshop. 
  • If taking the December exam and not taking any credit-bearing coursework in the Fall, register for the Fall semester ENGL 0912: Requirement Prep. Also register for the Spring semester ENGL 0950: Proposal Development and ENGL 8935: Dissertation Writing Workshop.
  • If re-taking the exam and not taking any credit-bearing coursework during the semester that the exam is being re-taken, register for ENGL 0912: Requirement Prep in that semester. 
  • Students are required to enroll in ENGL 8935: Dissertation Writing Workshop during the semester following a successful comps exam, in order to receive structured support in the timely preparation of a dissertation prospectus.

Exam Results
GSAS grades include Pass, High Pass, and Failure. All grades require the agreement of at least three of the four examiners.

A Pass grade requires the oral and written expression of a sound conceptual grasp of literary history and form, as well as evidence of a solid familiarity with the individual works discussed. Successful students are able to respond productively to questions and argue points with clarity and specificity, while demonstrating competent knowledge of their major and minor fields.

A High Pass grade requires a higher order of synthetic understanding, historical range, original insight, theoretical sophistication, and detailed recollection. In assigning a High Pass, Exam Committees look for evidence of serious and sustained independent thinking.

Students who fail the exam may retake it once, within six months of the first attempt. The first failure does not appear on a student's transcript. Students may read faculty comments on their exams after submitting a written request to the graduate administrator.

Students whose Exam is only marginally passable but not indicative of the ability to complete a dissertation will receive a departmental grade of Low Pass. Because this grade is officially recorded as a Pass, it allows for a student to receive the MPhil degree. But students receiving a Low Pass will not be allowed to continue work toward the PhD

For further information about the PhD Comprehensive Exam, please review the PhD Handbook and Informal Comps Guide, and consult the GSAS Policies and Procedures Guidebook.