Ph.D. Qualifying Exam Guidelines (under review)

I. Introduction

    A. Purpose and Rationale

    B. Substantive Areas to be Addressed

II. Format

III. Procedures

IV. Evaluation criteria

      A. Criteria

      B. Grading

C. Notification and Feedback to Students

I.       INTRODUCTION

The qualification experience is designed to provide the student with an opportunity to demonstrate that she/he has mastered the body of knowledge and skills necessary to engage in independent research and knowledge development. It occurs at the point in the student’s doctoral studies at which all required coursework has been successfully completed. Successful completion of the qualification process is a prerequisite for the submission of the Ph.D. Dissertation Prospectus and is a necessary condition for admission to Doctoral Candidacy.

The qualification experience is essentially a juried process. It provides each student with an opportunity to profess to his/her colleagues in a scholarly format that demonstrates the student’s ability to apply, in an integrative fashion, knowledge from practice, policy, human behavior and research as well as the student’s external minor to problems or issues of significance to social work. It is intended to be educational in nature, and as such, attempts to establish a viable nexus between the student’s past educational and professional experiences and her/his future knowledge building ventures.

The Indiana University Graduate Council determines the general policies governing the conduct of graduate study for all PhD programs. Among the requirements established by the Graduate Council is the successful completion of a Qualification Examination. According to University policy:

The qualification examination shall cover the major subjects and may, at the discretion of the major department(s) or the interdepartmental committee, cover the minor subject as well. This examination, given at such time and in such manner, as the major department shall determine, shall be written, although additional oral examinations may be required.

Normally, the qualification examination is taken after the student has completed all course work for the Ph.D. All such work offered in partial fulfillment of degree requirements must either have been completed within seven consecutive calendar years of passing of the qualification examination or be revalidated according to procedures outlined in the Graduate School Bulletin.

Students who fail the qualification examination are normally allowed to retake it only once. The qualification examination must be passed at least eight months before the date the degree is awarded. ( Indiana University Graduate School Bulletin)

In accordance with Graduate School policies, the Ph.D. in Social Work at Indiana University requires successful completion of a comprehensive/qualification process as a condition for formal acceptance of a student as a candidate for the doctoral degree. The following guidelines have been developed to help clarify the expectations and process for the qualifying exam.         top

A.      Purpose and Rationale:

The comprehensive/qualification process for students enrolled in the Indiana University School of Social Work PhD Program is intended to serve both a “summative” as well as a “foundational” purpose. It is summative in the sense that it provides students with an opportunity to synthesize or pull together in a “comprehensive” manner the knowledge, values and skills that have been accrued as a result of their formal doctoral studies. Within this context, it is intended to be extensive and inclusive of content from both the social work and external minor areas of the student’s doctoral studies. It is foundational in the sense that it also provides the student with an opportunity to analyze in a very focused way the meaning and relevance of that body of knowledge, values, and skills in terms of an emerging research agenda. Within this more formative context, the qualifying process is intended to be intensive and specific with respect to the student’s knowledge building interests.

The comprehensive/qualification process is tied directly to the contents of the student’s educational experience. It is intended to provide tangible documentation that the student has indeed attained the requisite knowledge and demonstrated the expected competencies as prescribed by the program. It is designed to address issues that are related to all aspects of the Ph.D. Program, including, but not limited to, requirements established by the School of Social Work; the external minor; and the student’s research internship. The student is required to prepare a written scholarly product of publishable quality that: (1) summarizes and synthesizes their doctoral educational experiences, and (2) lays the foundation for a developing research agenda related to an identified area of social work practice.         top

B.      Substantive Areas to be Addressed:

Within the context of these two major organizing foci (i.e., summative and foundational), the written document is expected to demonstrate the student’s capacity to critically analyze, synthesize, apply, and evaluate the contents of her/his educational experience in relation to the following substantive areas:

1. A summary synthesis of the various components of the student’s educational experience in relation to a specific area or issue of central importance to social work. This component must make clear how the completion of an external minor has helped inform the student’s conception of the identified issues and the theoretical and empirical questions that need to be addressed.
2. A critical discussion of the underlying epistemological issues and their relationship to the development of theory and research related to the student’s specified area of social work interest. This should include an analysis of the prevailing paradigms that have shaped the debate in relation to the student’s specified area of social work interest.
3. An analysis of the identified area of social work interest in terms of its implications for the development of theory and research related to social work practice, policy and human behavior. This component must include content specifically related to issues of ethics, diversity and oppressed populations.
4. The articulation of a general research agenda that reflects the student’s emerging area of theoretical and research expertise. This component should circumscribe the parameters of the student’s research interests as well as demonstrate how the pursuit of those interests will contribute to the body of social work knowledge. The formulation of the research agenda must include a critical review of the relevant literature, a discussion of its importance and relevance to social work, and a conceptualization of the theoretical issues that are at stake.       top

II.     FORMAT

The comprehensive/qualification process culminates in a written substantive paper of publishable quality (approximately 40-60 pages in length). The style and format for the presentation should follow the guidelines established in the most recent edition of The American Psychological Association Manual. Following the initial review of the paper, there is an oral component in which the faculty reviewers meet with the student to clarify and further develop ideas presented in the paper. Copies of written comprehensive/qualification materials that have been approved in the past are available for review by students in the Doctoral Lounge.       top

III.    PROCEDURES

The following procedures shall govern the scheduling and implementation of the comprehensive/ qualification process:

1. Students must complete the written component of the comprehensive/ qualification process within one year following completion of the required courses. For example, if the required courses are completed at the end of the spring semester, the written paper must be submitted by the end of the spring semester the following year. The paper may be submitted any time during that period. Exceptions to this time frame should be requested in writing to the PhD Program Director.
2. Students submit their written comprehensive/qualification materials to a faculty review panel appointed by the Dean, in consultation with the Program Director and the student’s primary advisor.
3. The panel will consist of three members, two from among the graduate faculty in the School of Social Work and one from the faculty of the school or department in which the student completed her/his external minor.
4. Ideally, at least one of the panel members must have expertise in the student’s substantive area.
5. The student may nominate up to five faculty members to serve as possible members of the review panel.
6. The panel is responsible for (a) evaluating the written materials; (b) conducting the “oral” component of the process; and (c) providing written feedback to the student.
7. Students are expected to prepare for the comprehensive/qualification document independently. However, they are encouraged to consult orally with their advisor as well as other faculty members about their general plan or outline for the qualifying exam. Faculty members should not provide a review of multiple drafts of the qualifying exam.
8. If a student’s written comprehensive/qualification materials are judged to be “unsatisfactory,” he/she may petition to resubmit the materials only once after additional preparation and within one year of the initial submission.       top

IV.      EVALUATION CRITERIA

   A.   Criteria:

Student performance is evaluated in relation to the substantive areas discussed above in Section III, and on the basis of the following criteria:

1. Accuracy with respect to the application of the concepts and principles selected for discussion.
2. Organization and integration of content as specified in guidelines.
3. Creativity, imagination and insight with respect to the presentation of ideas.
4. Documentation and use of relevant literature and other academic and professional resources.
5. Evidence of a constructively critical and objective approach to the subject matter:
6. Scholarliness as reflected in intellectual discipline, logical consistency and critical judgment.
7. Understanding of research concepts, methods and related issues.
8. Recognition of the implications for social work practice.
9. Recognition of the implications for the development and revision of theory.
10. Recognition of the implications for related research.
11. Recognition of the implicit values and assumptions operating in the approach to the subject matter.
12. Ability to analyze, synthesize and evaluate the practice, theory, and research issues identified.
13. Recognition of issues related to diversity, oppressed populations, and social and economic justice.
14. .Recognition of appropriate ethical issues related to the identified research agenda, especially those involving human subjects.       top

  B.    Grading:

The written materials are reviewed and assessed independently by two (2) members of the social work graduate faculty and one (1) faculty member representing the student’s external minor area. A rating form providing evaluation criteria is attached. The written materials are graded in relation to fourteen (14) criteria with a maximum possible score of fifty-six (56) points. Each criterion is equally weighted. A minimum score of twenty-eight (28) by each panel member and an average score of thirty-six (36) is required for passing. Students who fail the comprehensive/qualification process may petition to repeat it only once.       top

  C.    Notification and Feedback to Students:

Students are officially notified of their performance in relation to the comprehensive/qualification process by the Chair of the Qualifying Review Committee. Faculty readers are expected to provide an overall written assessment of the student’s written materials as well as specific comments explaining the justification for any rating of a criterion that is judged to be “Unsatisfactory.” A copy of the rating form and the reader’s comments will be given to the student.       top