Spring 2023 PhD Comprehensive Exam 

1. Eligibility 

Doctoral students who admitted on and after 2016 academic year are required to (be expected to) complete 36 credits and register 3 semesters to apply for comprehensive exam.

Combined students are required to (be expected to) complete 60 credits and register 6 semesters to apply for comprehensive exam.

2. Application

Please consult with your (dissertation) advisor and fill out the Form 7-2 (attached) and submit it to GDIS TA (gdis@ewha.ac.kr) by April 5 (Wed). 

* In case if students do not have a dissertation advisor yet, they can consult with your academic advisor instead.

* Inquiry: GSIS office (gsis97@ewha.ac.kr)

3. Exam Date Between May 8 - May 12 (Tentative)

* Exam Date will be assigned from GSIS office by considering the courses that students applied for the exam and student's timetable.

(NOTE: All students are mandatory to conduct its test in the designated date and time.)

* Students will be assigned from 1 to maximum 2 courses within a day.

* Date and time for each course will be announced during Mid-April.

4. Details Please refer to the attached file or Student Handbook for the detailed guideline on the exam. 

(Please check the changes in red that are effective from Spring 2023 in the below.)

-----------Excerpt from the attachment:

2) Comprehensive Exam 

(a) Qualification and Application Period 

Students who are in their third semester (or more) and have successfully earned or expect to earn the necessary number of course credits in the applying semester may apply for the comprehensive exam. 

- Application period: Spring semester: late March / Fall semester: late September

[GSIS 7-2] Application Form for Comprehensive Exam Screening for Doctoral Program 

(b) Notice for exam schedule
 Spring semester: second week of April / Fall semester: second week of October
 The Department chair will decide and inform the exam date (1-day exam).

(c) Exam period 

The exam will be taken during the second week of May and November.

* Re-examination is offered only once to students who have previously failed the comprehensive exam. The schedule for re-examination will be determined by the department chair. 

d) Subjects for examination (applicable for students admitted on and after 2017) 

A student must select three courses on which to be examined, one of which must be the required course for her major, and at least one other course must also be from her major concentration. For the third course, the student can select any of courses from her major concentration or other major concentration of Dept. of International Studies excluding 21st Century program courses.For each comprehensive exam relating to each of the three courses, a student must choose to answer any two out of the three questions listed. Thus, in total, a student will answer six comprehensive exam questions.

* Required course for each major: The paper for this course will test foundational knowledge within the major. 

*BUT, the courses that Professor and Department Chair regard not to be suitable for Comprehensive exam purpose cannot be selected as Comprehensive exam course. For example, IS709 Writing and Publishing a Journal Article is not theory-based but skill-based course and so it cannot be selected as Comprehensive exam course. Therefore, please discuss with professors if the course can be selected as Comprehensive exam course in case it is not suitable.

*Students should discuss which courses will be examined with their dissertation advisor, and apply for such fields to the department office. The screening committee will evaluate exams up to 1 subject per student (3 faculties for 3 subjects).

+ NOTE: Overlapping of the professors of Required Course & one other subject may be exceptionally accepted if avoidable and approved by the advisor (From 2023.3.10. PhD Town Hall Meeting). In this case, please consult with GSIS office in advance.

(e) The comprehensive exam is a written test based on lectures and coursework. The exam questions will be provided by members of the Screening Committee. The exam will be conducted in-class. 2 hours are given for each subject and all 3 subjects will be covered in one (1) day. (Applicable for students admitted on and after 2017)

+ NOTE: 1 or maximum 2 subjects will be covered in one day (From 2023.3.10. PhD Town Hall Meeting).

(f) The comprehensive exam will be scored with 3 grades: "Distinguished Pass", "Pass", or "Fail". Absence is considered to be non-pass/fail: In exceptional cases based on Ewha University Academic Affairs Regulation  Article 5 Clause 2 (Request for Absence of Exam), the Department Chair can designate an alternative exam date.

(g) Re-examination will be allowed only once for non-pass subjects. If a student has more than one failed subject, all re-examinations will be taken at the same time. The schedule for re-examination will be determined by the department chair.

(h) If a student does not earn the required number of credits after passing the comprehensive exam, then the student shall be considered as not have taken the exam. 

[GSIS 7-2] Application Form for Comprehensive Exam Screening for Doctoral Program 

[GSIS 7-4] Evaluation Form for Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam 

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