The comprehensive exam in the LIS doctoral program consists of the preparation and development of written essay(s) and other approved works as described below. The student may select, in consultation with their Academic Advisor(s), either of the following two options:

A complete first draft of their dissertation proposal (30-40 pages), OR

Both of the following:

• A scholarly paper, 15-20 pages, on a topic selected in consultation with their Academic Advisor(s), that is related to the proposed area of inquiry for the dissertation; AND
  
  
• A flexible format work, devised in consultation with the Academic Advisor(s), that may be one of the following:

The Qualifying exam is normally completed by the final term of the student's required course work. For full-time students this would normally be the summer term of Year 1, or the fall term of Year 2.

Steps to complete the exam:

1. Student declares choice of exam option 1 or 2
2. Student and/or Examination Committee prepare a description, bibliography and an additional reading list (if necessary)
3. Examination Committee sets due dates for submission and evaluation of the exam
4. Student submits their completed exam on the agreed upon due date

Grading:

As the student writes the exam, they can communicate with and have feedback from the Examination Committee, in a way that is mutually agreeable to both the student and the committee. Once the exam has been submitted, each examiner independently assesses the exam.

Each examiner assigns a Pass, Pass with Revisions, or Adjournment grade. The grades are compiled by the Examination Chair and the final grade is determined by the majority.

Students passing with revisions have up to four weeks to revise the work in light of the comments, questions and feedback from the examination committee. If further revisions are needed after that, the student has up to two months from the receipt of the initial grade to satisfactorily complete the exam, or they will receive adjournment.

Students receiving adjournment have up to two months from the receipt of their initial grade to revise and resubmit their work. As the student works on their revisions, they can communicate with and have feedback from the Examination Committee, in a way that is mutually agreeable to both the student and the committee.

Revised work will be regraded by the committee. If at this point the exam is still considered unsatisfactory, the student must withdraw from the program.

If the student completed a thesis proposal as part of their Qualifying exam they will be expected to submit a final, further refined version of the proposal to satisfy the proposal milestone requirement.

If no preliminary proposal was submitted, the student is expected to produce a 30-40 page proposal (plus bibliography) of the thesis research. The proposal is normally due no later than the end of the 7th term and must be approved by the student's Advisory Committee before work can commence on the thesis.

Upon approval of the proposal, the student proceeds to undertake the research for the thesis. The completed thesis is approved by the student’s Advisory Committee at which point the student is permitted to proceed to the final examination. For the examination, the student must give a public presentation of the results of the research, followed by an oral examination, in accordance with the Guidelines of the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS).

Specific dates will vary each year.

Example Time Frame (Spring):

• Deadline to submit a completed thesis - mid-March
• Deadline for a thesis defence - mid-April
• Deadline for final submission of the thesis - late April

The following faculty members are approved by the School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies to supervise LIS doctoral students. For more information about a faculty member, visit their online profile.