Ph.D. Qualifier Exam
To be officially considered as admitted to candidacy in the Ph.D. program, applicants must pass a qualifying exam directed at testing understanding and application of basic concepts, including open-ended questions, and mastery of technical knowledge in different areas. This exam is administered near the end of the Autumn and Spring semesters. Not taking the exam by the third time (entering with a B.S.) or second time (entering with a masters degree) it is offered in the student's schedule will be equivalent to failing the examination. The student will then have only one more opportunity to take the exam. Students should notify the graduate committee of their intent to take this exam by the third week of the semester in which the exam is to be taken.
Each qualifying exam consists of individual exams in three different subject areas. The overall examination pass or fail decision is made on the basis of a majority vote by the faculty as a body. This vote is taken in a faculty meeting held shortly after the examination. The overall exam score is determined by adding the scores from all six faculty involved in testing a particular candidate.
Prior to taking the exams, the student will select three subject areas from the three major subject groups in which to be evaluated. The student is required to select subject areas from at least two major subject groups as shown below. Clicking on each specific link will take you to past exams in that area.
Ph.D. Qualifying Exam Major Groups and Subject Areas ( click on link for past Q Exam)
| Major Subject Groups | Thermal, Fluids, and Energy Systems | Solid Mechanics | Design, Manufacturing, and Controls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject Areas | Heat
Transfer Thermodynamics Fluid Mechanics |
Elasticity, 2 Strength of Materials, 2 Dynamics & Vibrations, 2 Materials Engineering, 2 |
Design, 2 Manufacturing, 2 Controls, 2 Ergonomics and Safety, 2 |
Exam questions are designed to establish students' understanding of the essential fundamentals in the area, capability of independent thought, and academic potential for admission to the Ph.D. program, and test students' fundamental understanding of, and ability to apply relevant knowledge at the advanced Bachelor of Science degree and Master of Science degree levels. The exam also tests students' abilities to synthesize and respond to open-ended problems.
Each subject exam includes both written and oral components. Faculty in the appropriate subject areas provide written questions. Two faculty are selected by the Director of Graduate Studies from each subject area to provide these questions. These faculty assignments are rotated on an annual basis whenever possible. The written exam is limited to two hours in each subject area and is open book.
An oral exam is taken shortly after the written exam, usually in the afternoon of the same day. The oral exam time is approximately one hour. A total of three days is generally required for testing in three different subject areas.
Interpreters may not be used in the oral portions of the Ph.D. Qualifying Exams. International students are expected to possess verbal and written English language skills equivalent to TOEFL scores greater than 560 and SPEAK test scores greater than 50. Departmental faculty are expected to be tolerant of international students' English language skills during administration of the Ph.D. Qualifying Exams.
Scoring of the written and oral questions for each subject area is done by the two faculty members assigned in that subject area. A single integer score of 0, 1, or 2 is designated by each faculty member giving the exam to represent the exam performance in the portion of the subject area tested by that faculty member. Each score then represents the overall score for oral and written portions of the exam for one faculty member in one subject area. A score of 2 is given if the student passes the exam. A score of 1 is given if exam performance requires discussion by the departmental faculty before a decision is made regarding passing or failing. A score of 0 is a failing grade.
Students with scores totaling 11 or 12 for the three subject areas automatically pass the qualifying exam. Students with scores of 0, 1, 2, or 3 automatically fail. Students with a score ranging from 4 to 10 are voted on by the faculty.
Students failing the exam are permitted to take the exam a second time at the next regularly scheduled examination.
Students in the middle category with a score of 4 to 10 may pass the entire exam, may fail the entire exam, or may be given a partial pass and be required to repeat exams in one or more subject areas, depending upon their performance.
Students may contact the specific faculty examiners to view the graded written exams and to obtain information on the grading procedures employed for both the written and oral exams.
A file of previous exam questions is available from the Department Director of Graduate Studies.