PhD Candidacy Exam

Candidacy Examination

The candidacy examination is normally held after the student has completed between two and three years of study and after completion of course work.  In the Faculty of  Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation, Candidacy Examinations consist of four parts:

• • • Written Examination

    • Oral Examination

    • Research Proposal

    • Dissertation Plan

The examining committee will reach a decision on satisfactory completion of the written component prior to proceeding to the oral component.

The oral examination and the research proposal may be scheduled for the same day however the two components must be treated as separate meetings.  The examining committee will reach a decision on satisfactory completion of the oral component prior to consideration of the research proposal.

Following acceptance of the research proposal, the committee should be briefed on the intended plan for the format of the dissertation.   For example, if a paper format thesis is planned, the committee should agree on the number and content of the papers.  The Faculty recognizes that the dissertation plan may change between completion of candidacy and production of the thesis.

A working agreement form should be completed after the examination by the supervisor.   A copy of this completed form must be kept in the student's file.   If substantive changes are made to the student’s research program prior to the final examination, the supervisor is responsible for updating the Working Agreement to reflect these changes.

A.   Written Examination (2 options)

Option 1 - Traditional

An appropriate written examination focusing on the knowledge base in the student's area is required.   Members of the examining committee will be invited to submit questions to the supervisor who, with assistance from the other supervisory committee members, will approve the final questions for the written examination.   Each committee member should interact with the student in the weeks prior to the examination to assist in the student’s preparation.   At the discretion of each examiner, questions may be open or closed book.

The examination will be written at the University of Alberta under supervised conditions.   The supervisor is responsible for booking the room and making all other arrangements for the examination (e.g., provision of a laptop computer) and supervising the examination.   The answers must be distributed to all committee members as soon as possible after the written examination is completed (usually the next day).   The content of the examination is left to the discretion of the supervisory committee, however the main emphasis must be on the broader research area, not the specific research project(s) undertaken by the student.

Option 2 – Alternative Written Examination

At the discretion of the Supervisory Committee, an alternate form of the written Candidacy Examination may be considered.

• The Supervisory Committee may propose an alternative to the normal written candidacy examination format.

• The alternative written examination should remain consistent with the “spirit” of the traditional written examination. That is, it should be focused on relevant research within the discipline, but not specifically on the student’s research project(s).

• The Supervisory Committee should submit a brief proposal to the Associate Dean (Graduate) outlining the following points:

  • • The nature and format of the alternative written exam (e.g., review papers)

    • A rationale for the alternative written examination that explains why this approach is more suitable for this particular student

    • An assurance that the alternative examination is more or less equivalent, with respect to time and effort, to the traditional examination

    • A set of guidelines indicating the amount of interaction with the examining committee that is considered appropriate

• The proposal should be submitted in a timely manner so as to allow review by the Graduate Program Committee.

B.   Oral Examination

The oral examination must follow the written examination with a sufficient interval (usual practice is up to two weeks) to allow the examination committee to adequately assess the written portion of the examination.  The oral examination will cover the substantive area of research, either through follow-up questions on the written component, or other questions at the discretion of the examining committee.   The examining committee will reach a decision on satisfactory completion of the oral examination prior to considering the research proposal.

For candidacy examinations, students must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the examining committee that they possess:

1. an adequate knowledge of the discipline and of the subject matter relevant to the thesis;

2. the ability to pursue and complete original research at an advanced level;

3. and the ability to meet any other requirements found in the department's published policy on candidacy examinations.

The candidacy examination must be held within three years of the commencement of the program in accordance with the Degree of PhD of the University Calendar. The candidacy examination must be passed no less than six months prior to taking the final examination.

C.   Research Proposal

The student will prepare a written research proposal well in advance of the candidacy examination.  Each exam committee member will be provided a copy of the document in order to prepare for the proposal meeting.  Typically, the student will make a brief presentation of the proposal to the examination committee (including the candidacy exam chair), which is followed by questions from each examining committee member.  The outcome is approval for the student to undertake the research and it is important that the committee be in agreement that the student has the necessary knowledge, skills and resources to conduct the project.

D.   Research Plan

As mentioned above, this part of candidacy ensures that the members of the committee are informed as to the intended format and content of the dissertation.  While no formal decision is required, it is important that the student have the opportunity to discuss matters pertaining to needed modification to the intended research with the committee.   A Thesis Proposal Working Agreement should be completed and filed with the Graduate Program Administrator.

For further information regarding exams, please refer to the Guidelines for Oral Examinations and the University of Alberta Calendar.