Department of Communicative Disorders

CaliforniaStateUniversity, Long Beach

Comprehensive Examination Policy

Modified December 8, 2009

1)Comprehensive examinations will encompass one comprehensive written response to questions in each of the following topic areas:

  1. Adult Language Disorders
  2. Motor Speech Disorders/Dysphagia
  3. Child Language Disorders
  4. Autism
  5. Phonologic Disorders

2)Students must complete comprehensive examinations based on the Department’s posted timeline (first week in November for Fall graduates and first week in Aprilfor Spring graduates). Please note that actual dates will vary based on the calendar year. Students should contact the Graduate Advisor at the beginning of the semester they are completing comprehensive examinations to confirm the actual date of examination.

3)Students must request to take a comprehensive examination the semester prior AND must enroll in CD 695 the semester in which the comprehensive examination is attempted.

4)Students MUST PASS ALL 5 QUESTIONS at a minimum of 80% accuracy.

5)If a student does not pass all 5 questions, the following procedures will be implemented:

  1. When a student fails any one question, he/she will be allowed to re-take that question; however, when re-taking a question, both a written and oral examination will then be required. The oral component will occur after the written response has been graded.
  2. Based on the number of questions failed, students may need to delay graduation as follows:
  3. If a student fails only one question, the student may re-take that question within the same semester.
  4. If the student fails more than one question, the student must delay graduation by one semester and re-take all failed questions the following semester.
  5. Students may only re-take a question one time. If a student does not pass any question on the second attempt, an alternate assignment will be determined in conjunction with the Graduate Advisor and the faculty member(s) responsible for instruction in the topic area(s) failed.
  6. Students who require an alternate assignment (due to failure of one or more questions upon the second attempt), MUST delay graduation an additional semester (after the second failed attempt) so that appropriate planning and implementation of an alternative assignment can take place.

6)Effective Fall 2010, all comprehensive examinations will be on-campus only. On-campus examinationsare completed in designated rooms within the Department, across two separate days. Students are given 1.5 hours to complete each question, with a 15 minute break between questions. Three questions are given on Thursday (between 8:00am - 1:15pm) and two questions are given on Friday (between 9:00a.m.-12:30pm). Extra time will not be given, except for students who present documentation of a disability (from Disabled Student Services at CSULB).

7)Students completing comprehensive examinations in Spring 2010 will be allowed to select from either a take-home or on-campus option. All other students must complete an on-campus examination (as described above).