The preliminary examination is a significant milestone in a doctoral student’s academic career. It is given to assess knowledge of areas within the academic discipline. Passing of the preliminary area exam, obtaining approval of the minor if the major program requires it, and completing all the major course requirements culminate in admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree.

Eligibility Requirements

Students are eligible for the preliminary exam when they have fulfilled the following requirements:

• All required coursework has been completed or is in progress, including for minors and certificates

• A committee of at least three members has been formed, in accordance with preliminary exam guidelines

• All transfer coursework has been approved and submitted, if applicable

A warrant is needed for the examination. The student should communicate with the Graduate Program Manager to ensure they have met the requirements and notify the GPM of when they plan to complete the preliminary exam. If grades are in order, the Graduate School will issue a warrant.

Format of the Examination

The preliminary exam consists of two parts: a written exam followed by an oral exam.

Written Exam Options:

Students may choose one of the following formats for the written portion:

• Four 4-hour sessions conducted over two consecutive days, or

• Four 4-hour sessions conducted over five days

The written exam consists of four multi-part questions: two questions from the student’s advisor/chair and one question from each committee member. Each question must be answered within a 4-hour time block.

Important Considerations for the Written Exam:

The Department of Kinesiology does not have official guidelines for the format of the written exam, with the exception that the use of Generative AI is strictly prohibited unless explicitly permitted by the student’s advisor. Students should discuss the following logistical details with their mentor:

• Use of notes and/or an annotated bibliography
• Whether to use a personal laptop or a department-provided laptop
• Access to email and/or the internet during the exam
• The method of disbursing exam questions
• Whether answers should be handwritten or typed

The Graduate Program Manager is available to assist with the distribution and collection of exam questions and answers.

Oral Exam:

• Must be held within two weeks of completing the written exam.

• There is no time limit for the oral portion. The department recommendation is 2-3 hours.

Scheduling of Examination

At least three weeks before the scheduled oral examination, please provide the following information to the Graduate Program Manager:

• Any completed minors or certificates, including the name of the faculty lead for each

• Names and email addresses of all committee members

• Scheduled dates and times for the written portion of the exam

• Proposed date and time for the oral examination

• Any room reservation or scheduling requests

Evaluation/Grading

All committee members will complete assessment rubrics for both the written and oral portions of the preliminary examination. These rubrics will be distributed by the Graduate Program Manager (GPM).

If the examination is deemed unsatisfactory, the student may repeat it once.

The GPM will coordinate with the committee to collect all required signatures and will work with the committee chair to obtain a copy of the written exam questions and student responses for departmental records.

Following successful completion of the preliminary exam, the Graduate School will confer dissertator status beginning in the immediately following semester.

Dissertator Status

A dissertator  is a graduate student pursuing a PhD who has completed all requirements for a doctoral degree except for the dissertation. The Graduate School automatically places a graduate student who passes the preliminary examination into dissertation fee status which restricts enrollment to exactly 3 graded research credits per term. A student may opt out if they wish to enroll in other than 3 graded research credits.

Dissertator status is not a requirement to graduate with a doctoral degree.

Effective Date

Dissertator status becomes effective at the start of the semester or term following completion of all dissertator requirements referenced in the Eligibility section. All requirements must be met before the first day of classes to be considered dissertator status for the semester or term. A student may confirm their status by contacting their graduate program coordinator.