Preliminary Examination

All doctoral students are required to take the preliminary examination during the summer following their second year in the doctoral program, with completion no later than the start of the next academic year.

Objective

The objective of the preliminary examination in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education is to assess whether students are adequately prepared to conduct independent research, both in general, and specific to the proposed research area that they anticipate will be the focus of their dissertation. The prelim process is designed to evaluate breadth of knowledge central to HBHE, and ability to independently, creatively, and rigorously apply theory, knowledge and research methods to real‐world public health problems. There are three aspects of this process: 1) theory; 2) methodological and analytic skills; and 3) the interpretation and application of study findings.

Theory: The goal is to evaluate the breadth and depth of theoretical/conceptual knowledge students have acquired in the social and behavioral sciences; student’s ability to critically evaluate scientific literature; and ability to work independently to synthesize and apply scientific knowledge to the development of original theoretical/conceptual models and research questions.

Methodological and analytic skills: The goal is to evaluate student’s ability to select appropriate data collection and analysis applications, provide a full explication of the selected methods, and operationalize them.

Interpretation: The goal is to evaluate the students’ ability to draw on their conceptual models to interpret study findings and apply these findings to the development of interventions and/or policies that address public health problems through social and/or behavioral change.

Format

The preliminary exam consists of a two‐part written document that students prepare over a 12‐day period of independent work, in response to written instructions distributed at the beginning of the exam and following parameters agreed upon with their grading Committee (see below). The two parts of the exam, conceptual and methodological, are equally weighted. The specific focus of the exam will be agreed upon by the student and their Committee (see below) within the following parameters:

The preliminary examination document is not to exceed 50 double‐spaced pages, and it will be divided into two parts, each responding to distinct, but complementary questions. In Part 1, students are asked to demonstrate theoretical and conceptual understanding of a public health problem of the student’s choosing and agreed upon in advance in conversation with their grading Committee; in Part 2 the student will demonstrate their methodological competence through development of a research proposal, or the design of an intervention study, again as agreed upon in discussions with the Committee. Part 1 will include a literature review, a description of the social patterning of the chosen problem, and a conceptual model that defines and locates their chosen research question. The prelim will include consideration of how the student’s selected public health problem is influenced by race, class or gender as mutually agreed upon with the grading Committee. The Committee and student should agree upon a single determinant (race, class or gender), which should be discussed across multiple levels of a social‐ecological model.

Brief Overview of Process and Timeline

This section provides a brief overview of process and timeline. For additional detail, students should refer to the HBHE Preliminary Examination Handbook. Students are expected to complete the preliminary exam during the summer following their second year in the program, after having completed all four of the required HBHE Doctoral Seminars. The exam should be completed no later than the start of the next academic year.

Students will identify potential members of their Preliminary Exam Faculty Grading Committee (henceforth Committee) during the fall term of their second year in the program. Once the Committee has been finalized, the student and Committee will come to agreement on the specific question that will be addressed in the exam, and the timeline for the exam process (see below for further detail).

Once the exam begins, students will write for two weeks, at which time the exam will be submitted for Committee review. The Committee will grade the preliminary exam within two weeks, and provide feedback. The student will have four weeks to complete revisions, as needed. Grading should be completed no later than one week prior to the UM Deadline for Candidacy for the fall term of the student’s third year.

Suggestions on Preparing for the Preliminary Exam

Students are provided with a general overview of the preliminary exam in the professional socialization seminar (HBEHED 800). It is strongly recommended that students take this seminar during their first year in the doctoral program. Additional preparation for the preliminary examination is embedded within the other HBHE doctoral seminars and their related requirements.

The intention of the preliminary examination is to assess research readiness in general with readiness demonstrated through the scholarly definition of a research topic and the elaboration of a chosen research plan, which in the vast majority of cases will ultimately become the dissertation topic itself. Successful completion of the preliminary exam and a successful trajectory thereafter depends particularly on preparation during Year 2. Preparation for the preliminary exam should be regarded as the opportunity to build the foundation of the dissertation.

There are multiple strategies that students can use to prepare for the preliminary exam. During the fall of their second year in the program, students are encouraged to develop, with guidance from their advisor and/or potential dissertation committee chair, a directed reading list to prepare for development of their exam question. This reading list should encompass key foundational readings as well as more recent literature. They might consider enrolling in a directed reading/independent study course with their advisor or another potential member of their dissertation committee, for the purpose of, for example, selecting and beginning to refine a proposed dissertation topic, review relevant literature, develop a conceptual model, consider potential innovative research questions, and begin to examine possible research plans to address those questions. The focus should be on a guided process with the goal of preparing the student to conduct independent research. This directed reading course should not replace HBEHED 900. Ideas and writing segments may also be developed during coursework during the students’ first and second years in the program. Because early writing is strongly encouraged, students may want to use course writing assignments as an opportunity to examine aspects of a dissertation interest area. All possible pedagogical opportunities in Year 2 should be used to explore and refine plans for dissertation research. While previous course or research work may not be used verbatim for the preliminary examination, it is expected that these prior writings will be brought to bear on the preliminary examination paper.

The prelim cohort is encouraged to initiate at least one meeting with the Chair of the Doctoral Curriculum Committee to receive more guided instruction and clarify questions they may have about the exam and preparation. Students in previous cohorts have formed study groups, and students are encouraged to ask more advanced students about strategies they may have used to prepare for the exam.

Note: The emphasis should be on adequate preparation during Year 2, for once the exam begins, students may NOT consult faculty, other students, or the staff at CSCAR, Sweetland Writing Center, or any other potential advisors.