Department of Elementary Education

Policies for the Master of Arts Comprehensive Examination

Candidates who have elected the comprehensive examination register for EED 697 in the final semester of their master’s program; generally, candidates should not be taking more than one other course during this semester. Registration is restricted so that each candidate must consult with the Graduate Coordinator regarding their eligibility, as well as to provide information on University graduation processes and timelines.

The University policy states that the comprehensive exam, as the selected culminating activity in the degree program, must “test the range of subject matter covered in the student’s grad program. The purpose of the comprehensive examination is to allow students to demonstrate their ability to integrate content knowledge, independent thinking, and critical analysis” (CSUN catalog 2006-2008, p.55).

In order to fully reflect the principles of the Department of Elementary Education and the Michael D. Eisner College of Education in promoting creative, critical, and reflective thinking and practice, in preparing graduates to assume service and leadership roles, and in valuing high standards in the acquisition and application of professional knowledge and skills in subject matter, pedagogy, and technology, Elementary Education graduate students will undergo both written and oral components of a comprehensive examination.

The comprehensive exam is composed of two separate and sequenced elements: (1) Written Qualifying Exam and (2) Academic Conversation.

Written Qualifying Exam

Candidates for a Master’s degree will receive potential exam questions at the beginning of the course. A timeline will be prepared by the Professor detailing the specific requirements for each of the responses to the exam questions and the due date for each. The written responses to the three exam questions will comprise the Written Qualifying Exam.

Elementary Education Department Graduate Committee members read the exam responses and provide formative feedback using an evaluation rubric. A determination is made by the Graduate Committee and the Professor related to the readiness of each candidate to proceed to the Academic Conversation, or oral component of the comprehensive examination. The Professor then consults with each candidate regarding the results of the Written Qualifying Exam and candidate’s readiness to proceed to the oral component of the comprehensive examination.

Only those candidates who adhered to the timeline set by the Professor and whose Written Qualifying Exam has met the benchmark criteria will be scheduled for the Academic Conversation during the 12th week of the semester.

Academic Conversation

The Academic Conversation is the oral component of the comprehensive examination, which provides the candidate the opportunity to explain their written work and respond to questions about the key ideas in their written qualifying exam. The candidate will be scheduled for a one-hour Academic Conversation with three Department of Elementary Education Faculty members. The faculty members will ask questions pertaining to two of the three exam papers. Candidates will have a ten-minute break during this time. At the end of the one-hour time period, the faculty will convene to evaluate the candidate according to a rubric and award a pass, fail, or honors grade. A candidate earning passing grade or a passing with honors grade on the oral portion of the comprehensive examination will be awarded a Master of Arts degree.

Each candidate receives the results of the exam from the Professor, including a rating of passing, passing with honors, or failing.

  • Any candidate who passes only one question in the Academic Conversation has the option to reschedule an Academic Conversation within the final weeks of that same semester.
  • Any candidate who fails both questions in the Academic Conversation may not retake the oral component of the comprehensive examination during the same semester; this candidate must re-enroll in EED 697 during the subsequent semester to prepare and re-take both the written and oral portions of the comprehensive examination.

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