Comprehensive exams
are designed for learners to illustrate their understanding of
a body
of knowledge
at the level of synthesis rather than knowledge or comprehension.
This is an opportunity to show how well you can analyze and apply
what you have learned in your course work.
Description
The CUIN Master's comprehensive examination consists of three, one-hour examination periods, each period covering a specific area or topic that is generally addressed in a master's-level education course. Two areas must be chosen from the student's area of emphasis (e.g., early childhood education, science education, or curricular and instructional studies). The third area can be chosen from either the student's area of emphasis or from a College or Department core area (e.g., Historical or Philosophical Foundations or Psychological Foundations).
At least two different full-time faculty members in the College of Education should write the examination questions. All questions will be graded by the faculty member who wrote the question. All faculty members will provide official feedback to the student's advisor on the form.
Procedures
Approximately three months prior to taking the comprehensive exam, the student and his/her advisor should meet to decide the three courses/areas for which the student will request questions. Following this meeting, the advisor will then ask the student to contact the specific faculty member who taught the class and request a question from them. After the student notifies the advisor which faculty members have agreed to write questions, the faculty member should submit a one-hour question for the student within 20 working days to the student's advisor. Accommodations will be made for students with learning disabilities.
Grading
Within five working days after the student completes the comprehensive exam, staff in the Curriculum and Instruction Department will send the student's response to the faculty member who wrote the question. The faculty member is responsible for grading the exam and returning the grade and responses on the attached form back to the advisor within 15 working days. The grading system will consist of the following ratings: (a) High Pass, (b) Pass, or (c) Fail/Oral. In the case of a failed question (Fail/Oral), an oral defense is required. The faculty member who graded the question and the student's advisor or another faculty member from the student's examination committee will meet with the student and listen to the student elaborate his/her responses to the question. These two faculty members will decide on the final grade for that question within 19 working days after the oral defense. The advisor will notify the student of the status of the exam in writing within 10 working days after receiving all the faculty grades. If a student fails any of the three questions, he/she needs to retake a similar question (or questions) from the same general area(s) within the next academic year. Students have two opportunities to pass all three questions from the exam. Should the student fail any portion of the comprehensive examination a second time, the student shall be ineligible for a Master's degree in Education at the University of Houston.
Notification of Results
The Associate Dean for Graduate Studies notifies the student of the results of his/her examination. Each student is also informally notified by his/her advisor regarding the degree of success.
