Students electing to take comprehensive exams first choose three of the four general exam areas listed below, and then in each area chosen, elect one exam. (Click on the highlighted links for reading lists.)
| A | B | C | D |
|
Epistemology Metaphysics |
Ethics Social/Political Phil |
Ancient Philosophy Modern Philosophy |
19th Century Phil Aesthetics Asian Philosophy Contemporary Continental Phil Latin American Phil Logic Phil Mind Phil Language Phil Religion Phil Science |
Approaches to philosophy that cut across examination fields, for example, feminist philosophy or philosophy of race, are incorporated into the appropriate examinations. For example, questions in feminist metaphysics would appear on the metaphysics examination.
Students electing to take comprehensive exams must have already been advanced to candidacy and must be enrolled in PHIL 596 Comprehensive Exams, during any quarter in which they will take an exam. When enrolling in PHIL 596, please also notify the Director of Graduate Studies as to which exams you will be taking. Once you elect to take an exam, you must pass that exam; you may not switch from one exam to another.
Comprehensive exams may be spread over more than one quarter. Note, however, that no comps will be offered during summer term.
All comprehensive exams are scheduled on the Thursday and Friday of the 5th and 9th weeks of each quarter. Exams will be 2 hours and 15 minutes each. Each exam will ask the student to answer two questions (chosen from among several on the exam). The exam schedule for Fall '09 is as follows:
| Week 5 | Week 9 | ||
| Wednesday 10/21 | Wednesday 11/18 | ||
| 11:00-1:15 Epistemology Ethics |
3:00-5:15 Ancient Language |
1:45-4:00 Metaphysics Social/Political |
4:00-6:15 Modern Cont. Continental |
| Thursday 10/22 | Thursday 11/19 | ||
| 12:00-2:15 19th Century Logic |
3:45-6:00 Asian Latin-American |
11:00-1:15 Science Mind |
4:00-6:15 Aesthetics Religion |
In the event that a student fails one or more comprehensive exam(s), those exams will need to be taken again in a future quarter.
Students should consult the Comprehensive Exam Preparation Guides for information about exam content and advice on preparing for the exams. In the event that an individual student needs more direction in preparation for a comprehensive exam than is available in the Preparation Guide, s/he should enroll in coursework in the area or in a directed study course (PHIL 598) with a faculty member in the area in which s/he is preparing. Comprehensive exam questions will be drawn primarily from the posted reading lists, though there may also be a question or two from a recent graduate seminar on the topic. (If you have not taken the seminar, you would not be expected to answer such questions.)
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