Before the exam
Submit practicum completion form (2+ weeks before exam)
Study for Comps (3+ months recommended. Review course materials, review past Comps questions, write short practice responses, work closely with your advisor)
Advisor submits Specialization Question
During the exam
There are two options for taking the comps
1 week option. The last week of the exam period. Start day is Monday, but alternatives can be negotiated ahead of time. Regardless of when the 1-week exam is taken, it will be graded at the same time as the 4-week exams.
4 week option begins on the first date of the exam period. Start day is Monday
Scoring and Revisions
All scoring begins at the conclusion of the 4 week exam period.
Scoring of first responses takes a week
Revisions will begin Monday after submitting first response. You will have one week.
Scoring of revisions takes a week. Final outcome will be ready after this week.
You can request to start the Comps a couple days before or after the official dates.
You should make this request at least a two weeks beforehand to the Comps Coordinator.
Students are expected to continue their normal work during Comps (classes, project work, job etc.)
Each response will also be read and scored by two faculty members who will make substantive comments and rate each response along following criteria:
Disciplinary content understanding
Quality of argument
Use of sources
Responsiveness to question
Clarity and focus of writing
Each criteria will be evaluated according to the following rubric (adopted February 1, 2021).
See Comps FAQ for more information on the Comps process and scoring.
Note: In addition to this site, students should also review the EPET Program Handbook for official Comps policies. https://education.msu.edu/cepse/epet/resources/handbook/#comprehensive-examination
University regulations require that all doctoral candidates satisfactorily complete a comprehensive examination. Beyond that, the Comprehensive Examination is a summative assessment of knowledge and skills considered important for success as an advanced doctoral student and future scholar. This knowledge and skills include:
a broad understanding of theory and research. Students' understanding should extend beyond particular courses or a specific domain. Thus, understanding should be comprehensive.
a good understanding of research methods and methodology. Students should be able to comprehend, critique, synthesize, and apply a variety of research methods.
a developing specialization. In addition to comprehensive knowledge of the field, students should also be developing a deeper knowledge of a particular area of interest.
an ability to write well as an academic scholar. That is, students should be able to express ideas clearly, make arguments that are sound and compelling, and respond to questions concisely and incisively.
Amount of Time. Students should plan on investing a large amount of time preparing for Comps. Typically, students have spent one semester studying past Comps questions. One useful guideline is to think of your Comps preparation as a course that requires you to set aside time each week (8+ hours week).
Feedback. It is highly recommended that you write some practice responses and get feedback from your advisor.
What to Study. The comprehensive exam is an examination of students' comprehensive knowledge of their field and specialized knowledge of a particular topic in that field. Study materials should include all readings and assignments for courses, research projects, and practicum studies. Students should plan on additional reading should they feel the need.
All students should review the archive of past Comps questions. Students with an Ed Tech emphasis should concentrate on the ed tech questions. However, students should also review the ed psych questions. The same goes for students with an Ed Psych emphasis. All students should study the research methodology questions.
Write responses, get feedback from your advisor. The Comps is a written exam and success depends heavily on students' ability to express ideas clearly, knowledgeably, and convincingly. It is strongly recommended that students write responses to several past Comps questions and get feedback from their advisors.
The Practicum Completion form must be submitted to the program administrative assistant before taking Comps. https://edwp.educ.msu.edu/cepse/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2020/07/EPETPracticumCompletionForm2018-08-08.pdf
The Comps application form must be completed at least three weeks before the Comps exam date. https://edwp.educ.msu.edu/cepse/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2020/07/ComprehensiveExamForm_8.2019.pdf