Student Handbook: Qualifying Examination
Doctoral students take a qualifying examination by the end of the second year of the program. The timing of the qualifying examination allows for fair evaluation of the student’s mastery of the essential of the core leadership and methodological program elements, and is consistent with the student’s readiness to begin dissertation research. The qualifying examination will be a written assessment of student knowledge that must be passed prior to the student’s advancement to candidacy.
The purpose of the qualifying examination is to assess the student’s breadth and depth of knowledge in solving and analyzing challenges at the primary, secondary, and community college education levels, and serves as a determining factor as to whether he/she should be advanced to candidacy. This is accomplished by applying the theories, strategies, and information learned through the program curriculum to assess and analyze, in written form, a specific case study scenario.
A student’s Ed.D. qualifying exam responses must demonstrate evidence in the forms of knowledge of the field, originality, adherence to the context of critical and independent thinking, and appropriate form and organization to derive conclusions and recommendations.
Elements of the Qualifying Exam
The important elements of Sacramento State’s qualifying exam include:
- a timed written examination;
- candidates given a case study scenario to address pertaining to either K-12 or community colleges, or both, as appropriate;
- open book and open notes;
- an honor system in regard to answer all questions with no outside help;
- lunch break allowed, but no discussion of exam questions during break;
- evaluation rubric shared with students prior to examination;
- possible outcomes are: (1) Pass, (2) Revise, or (3) Fail.
Membership of Qualifying Examination Committee
A qualifying examination committee evaluates the performance of the student taking the examination. This committee has three faculty members. The committee chair must be a tenured or tenure track member of the Sacramento State faculty, and will normally be a member of the Ed.D. core faculty. Two of the committee members (which may include the chair) must be members of the Ed.D. core faculty. The committee may include a member who holds a position in a K-12 institution, a community college, or another post-secondary education institution.
Qualifying Examination Committee Decisions
The qualifying examination committee has multiple decision options. First, it may judge the examination to be a “Pass,” having met program standards. Such a decision must be by unanimous vote. Second, the committee may determine that the examination is capable of receiving a passing evaluation with a specific “Revise.” These revisions must be completed within two weeks, after which time the committee must vote to give the revised examination a passing or failing grade. Third, the committee may determine that the examination does not meet standards and warrants a “Fail.”
A candidate who receives a Fail on their qualifying examination will have one more opportunity to gain a Pass. Four calendar months must pass before the second attempt. A student who fails the examination a second time is dismissed from the program.
Advancement to Candidacy
Students may advance to candidacy after completing their qualifying exam. Advancement to candidacy is a University requirement, requiring completion and Graduate Center approval of an advancement form. While advancement is largely a formality for anyone making satisfactory progress, students cannot enroll in dissertation classes until an advancement application is approved.