The comprehensive exam is a writing task that happens after you have completed your coursework. In LLE, comps happens at the same time as your proposal writing. In C&P, you write your comps first and then submit your proposal later.

The general purposes of the Curriculum, Teaching, & Learning (CTL) doctoral comprehensive examination are to assist doctoral students to integrate and deepen their understanding of major current theories and alternative views in Canadian and international scholarly literature in the field of curriculum studies, and in a particular area of study within curriculum studies. Equally important, this examination requires students to apply some of these ideas from scholarly literature to outlining and justifying a research method for research in the chosen area of specialization. The examination process is intended to review the students’ capacity to address these topics in a more systematic and coherent manner than will have been accomplished in individual courses.

Although the comprehensive examination paper is not a thesis proposal, it could serve as a basis for a subsequent thesis proposal. The examination format is designed to balance the goals of conceptual synthesis and review of readiness for thesis work. The student's written work for this examination is expected to be somewhat broader (more “comprehensive”) than the typical literature review in some thesis proposals. Important goals of this process are:

1) To help the student to focus on a particular area of study,

2) To receive constructive feedback from the reviewers,

3) To inform the subsequent development of a thesis research proposal.

Finally, this examination is designed to ascertain whether a student has obtained adequate knowledge base to continue in the doctoral program

Timeline

Students should expect to complete the comprehensive examination soon after completing coursework, and before writing a thesis proposal.

The following optimal sequence of doctoral work is recommended:

1. to complete coursework;

2. (concurrent with above) to identify and begin working with an intended thesis supervisor, to begin preparing for the comprehensive exam;

3. to notify the Program Assistant and the advisor or intended supervisor of intent to complete comprehensive examination, with approximate date;

4. to complete and pass the comprehensive examination;

For detailed information please visit: https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/ctl/UserFiles/File/Comprehensive-Exam-Guidelines-CSTD.pdf