Before You Read this Page
The information provided on this page about the Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam may vary from one university to another. The information stated here concerns the Comprehensive Exam administered at Karabuk University. If you are taking this exam at another university, please check the instructions and regulations about the exam at your university.
Eligibility and Registration
The Comprehensive Exam should be taken by Ph.D. students who complete two semesters of study and pass 7 courses + seminar, including the mandatory course Research Ethics and Methods. To register for the exam, students should download, fill out and submit the following forms to the department and to their supervisors:
The first form (DR-03) is the APPLICATION FOR DOCTORAL PROFICIENCY FORM. The second (DR-04) is the DOCTORAL PROFICIENCY EXAM JURY APPOINTMENT FORM. These and all the other forms you may be required to submit are available on the Forms web page.
Exam Structure and Content
The exam is administered towards the end of every semester (June and December). The exam consists of two sections: written and oral. Students take the written test first and then they take the oral test. In both tests, students are expected to provide comprehensive and detailed answers to questions on literary periods, genres, devices and movements, on literary theory, and on specific authors and movements. One of the most important questions students are asked at the oral test is about the their dissertation project. Each students is supposed to talk in detail about the topic, title, objectives, findings, originality, scope, purpose and limitations of the dissertation he or she is planning on writing, the literary texts selected for analysis and the literary theory intended for application.
The examining committee is formed by a number of professors from KBU and from other universities.
What if I Fail?
Students who pass the exam should select a research topic and start working on their dissertations. Students who fail should take the exam again the following semester. Students who fail twice lose the chance of continuing their study program at the university.
How to Prepare
To prepare well for the exam, students should master three areas in literature, as shown in the table below:
Recommended Rreading Lists for the Exam (prepared by Zamira İzzetova)
Click Here to download the Comprehensive Exam Reading List
Post-Exam Procedures:
Students who pass the exam should fill out and submit two forms to the university. The first form is the DISSERTATION MONITORING COMMITTEE APPOINTMENT FORM below:
The second form is the DISSERTATION PROPOSAL DEFENSE INFORMATION FORM below:
To know more about this form (DR-08), CLICK HERE. To know how to fill it out, CLICK HERE.
These and all the other university forms you may be required to submit are available on the Forms web page.
Note: Students I am supervising should also send me the Dissertation Project Information Form.
Last Updated: November 22, 2021