Graduate Student Handbook

Oral Qualifying Exam

Fondly known as orals, this exam is as scary as the stories you'll hear about them, but no worse. The written portion of the comprehensive exam consists of the core class final exams; you need to pass them all with a B average. The oral portion is intended to test your general fundamental knowledge of your major and minor fields. It is also the point where you present your proposed dissertation research plan to your committee. It is expected to last at least two but not more than three hours.

The Official LPL Policy on Oral Preliminary Exams is as follows:

LPL Policy on Oral Preliminary Exams

The Oral Preliminary Exam serves two primary functions: The first is to test the candidate's general knowledge of his or her major and minor subjects. In pursuance of this goal the examining committee may ask any question that requires the candidate to display familiarity with a general background fund of knowledge in Planetary Sciences and in the minor subject area. This general background will emphasize material covered in the core curriculum but is not limited to it. It is expected that the candidate will have kept current with all recent developments in his or her subject areas, and be able to discuss them knowledgeably.

The second principal goal of the Oral Preliminary Exam is to ascertain whether, in the opinion of the examiners, the candidate is ready to go forward with research leading to a Ph.D. degree. To demonstrate this ability it is expected that the candidate will have made some progress on two research projects (neither of which will necessarily be the topic of the Ph.D.) and is able to defend the scientific merit of these projects before the committee. Questions in this part of the exam may seek to probe the candidates understanding of the scientific issues, technical problems, and overall feasibility of the proposed research projects.

Prior to taking the Preliminary Oral Exam, the student must distribute their pre-exam package to the exam committee. This package must include the following items:

  1. A cover letter to the exam committee
  2. A copy of the student's Doctoral Plan of Study
  3. The student's graduate transcripts
  4. A written proposal outlining the primary proposed dissertation research
  5. A second written proposal presenting an alternate thesis project

The Doctoral Plan of Study and the transcripts can be obtained from Pam Street in the Academic and Administrative Support Office. It is the student's responsibility to distribute these documents to the exam committee. Both proposals should include a clear statement of the problems, a description of the proposed research objectives, description of prior results, the suitability of the methods proposed for carrying out the proposed investigation, and the significance of the proposed work as it relates to broader issues in planetary science. It is essential that both proposals present a clear work plan as to how the project will be implemented. In addition, the proposals should include a description of the appropriate skills and techniques necessary for project success as well as how they will be developed or acquired by the student.

The proposal for the primary research project should be 2 - 3 single-spaced pages in length plus supporting figures, tables, and references. The proposal outlining the alternate thesis project should be 1 - 2 single-spaced pages in length plus figures, tables, and references. Font size should be no larger than 12 pt and no smaller than 10 pt, in Times New Roman or similar. Margin sizes should not exceed 1" on all sides. The entire package must be submitted to the exam committee no later than two weeks prior to the scheduled exam date.

Before taking the exam the candidate should have completed the core curriculum and written minor requirements. In addition, a period of preliminary research is necessary to prepare the research propositions, but this does not mean that a substantial fraction of a Ph.D. dissertation must be completed: The research projects need not have been brought to a final conclusion, so long as the candidate can demonstrate to the committee that he or she possesses sufficient scientific maturity to complete them in reasonable time. Typically, this implies the equivalent of 6 months experience.

(End policy)


The committee

Five or more faculty members administer the test. The Department "standing member" is common to all orals committees to ensure continuity within the Department--you must have this person at your exam. Most students choose to put this person on their committee since the standing member will be there anyway, but you do not have to do this. You personally choose your 5-person committee with the help of your advisor and the Graduate Admissions and Advising Committee. Three people must be from your major department (one must be your advisor) and two from your minor.

The exam

Your committee will have your official transcript, and any class you've taken is fair game for questioning. The purpose of the exam is not only to quiz you but also to evaluate the thought process that leads to the answers you give. It is often valuable to talk through a question as you work it out--the oral equivalent to "show all work." You will also be asked to give a brief (15-20 minute) presentation of your proposed dissertation research and to have a "backup" 10-minute presentation on an alternate thesis project. This allows your committee to determine whether your research topic will be of value to the planetary science community and if your goals are achievable in a reasonable period of time. A one to two-page abstract of your major proposition should be presented to each member of your committee at least one week in advance. Suitable propositions may be of various forms such as:

You'll be expected to be able to answer questions and refute criticism of either the logic or the importance of both proposals and to relate your ideas to other areas in planetary science. Thus, it is anticipated that you have about a year of investigation under your belt before taking the exam.

The outcome

You have two chances to take the exam subject to the approval of your committee, the Department, and the Graduate Council. If you pass the first time, congratulations! However, if the committee feels that your general knowledge is deficient or that your research topic is either inappropriate or inadequate, they may do one of two things: pass you conditionally and ask you to reappear before the committee, or not pass you at all. If you fail the first time, you're not the only one!! Don't get permanently discouraged. Your advisor will go over the committee's recommendations with you. You may retake the exam after 6 weeks, but you may have up to a year to redo them if you like. It may also be worthwhile to talk to your committee individually to discuss their expectations--and not necessarily after your exam! Having a clue what your committee is likely to find important will definitely help you in your exam.

The timetable

You must have completed all seven PtyS core classes, and your minor classes before you may take your orals. You will have to take more classes to fulfill the requirement to graduate, but not before your Orals. The University stipulates that your oral exam be taken within one year of your written exam, which for us is the final exam of your last core class. If you have not been working on your project long enough to feel prepared, or if extenuating circumstances prevent you from taking the exam in this time frame, you must petition the Graduate College to take the exam after one year. This is usually a lot of paperwork but not a big problem in terms of getting the extension. See Pam Streett for information on how to petition.

Taking your orals involves a fair bit of organization beforehand on your part. As always, the best way to get a grip on what goes on in the orals is to talk to people. Talk to your advisor and committee members about what their expectations and/or reservations are. Talk to the grad students to hear what other orals have been like. We're all more than willing to help you out (even if we do like telling scary orals stories!).