Qualifying Exam Guidelines for DVSc candidates

Please see the process outlined below for the process leading up to the examination. Details regarding the timing of the written and oral examination are outlined on the Request for DVSc Qualifying Examination form.

Prior to the Examination:

  1. The Examination Chair should receive the reading list, names of examiners and date/time of exam 3 months prior to the examination.This means that the graduate student should also receive the reading list 3 months in advance as mandated by Clinical Studies. This is different in other departments so please make sure examiners from other departments are aware of this timeline.
  2. Approximately two weeks prior to the examination, the department’s graduate secretary will collect all exam questions from examiners and schedule a meeting for the Chair of the examination andall examiners to review the questions submitted.
  3. The examination chair will review the final exam with consideration of:

a)Scope of the exam. Consider the reading list and the goals of the examination as outlined in the Graduate Calendar.

b)Duration. The examination should be designed to be completed in 6-8 hours.

c)Editorial issues.

4.The final version of the examination, as agreed by the examination committee should be returned to the department’s graduate secretary for final preparation at least one week prior to the exam.

5.The department’s graduate secretary will book room and send final details of the exam to the entire committee.

6.The department’s graduate secretary prior to the examination should receive a written submission from the student’s advisory committee evaluating the student’s applied skills and performance to date in the program.

7.The department’s graduate secretary will provide Examination Chair with a blank Report on Qualifying examination, a copy of DVSc qualifying examination regulations and the letter of evaluating the student from the advisory committee.

8.AT LEAST ONE DAY PRIOR TO THE ORAL EXAMINATION ALL EXAM COMMITTEE MEMBERS MUST CONFIRM THAT THE STUDENT HAS PASSED EACH WRITTEN COMPONENT OF EXAM. In the event that a student has failed a significant portion of the written exam, the oral examination may be delayed.

Preferred dates for Examination:

In order to plan ahead for all the Qualifying Exams and defences, please send Ariah Easley () yourfirst and second choice exam datesfor each candidate's Qualifying exam. We will do our best to accommodate date requests whenever possible.

Qualifying Exam Committee Regulations:

The examination is conducted by a committee consisting of five members, as follows:

  • The departmental graduate co-ordinator of the program committee, who acts as chair of the examination committee;
  • Two members, normally of the regular or associated graduate faculty who are not members of the advisory committee, at least one of whom must be a member of the department in which the student is registered;
  • Two members of the advisory committee.