Qualifying Examination


The PhD Qualifying Examination is the first in the series of three PhD exams and is followed by the preliminary exam (dissertation proposal) and final defense exam (completion of degree).

The main purpose of the qualifying examination requirement is to assess the extent to which each PhD student has achieved mastery of core departmental content, as related to specialization, and to gauge students’ readiness for future doctoral study. Evidence of mastery enables the student and dissertation committee to proceed with confidence to the dissertation phase of their program. The results also inform faculty about features of the program that are satisfactory and that need attention.

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Examination

The Qualifying Examination consists of two parts :

  • A written examination appropriate to the academic background and research focus area of the students is developed by the Qualifying Examination Committee. The committee is responsible for preparing the examination questions and evaluating the results.

  • An oral examination administered by the Qualifying Examination Committee. The oral examination generally consists of follow-up questions on the responses provided by the students in the written examination. It may include questions on other topics related to the academic background and research focus area of the student.



    • Time Frame


    The Qualifying Examination will be scheduled following study plan of the PhD program or after one semester for direct-entry PhD student type 1.1 and after three semesters for direct-entry PhD student type 1.2, the written examinations will be open book. The oral examination will take place following review of the written parts of the Qualifying Examination.

    The oral examination should be scheduled after the written examination. In the interim period, students may not communicate or discuss with others the content of the written examination or their responses, but they may (and should) review their written responses prior to the oral examination and be prepared to defend their responses.


    Qualifying Examination Committee

    The Qualifying Examination Committee consists of at least five members including :

  • Three dissertation advisory committee, one of whom must be major advisor and the chair who is appointed by the university to work as a graduate instructor

  • At least two faculty member who is appointed by the university to work as a graduate instructor from either the department or another faculty at Chiang Mai University, another university, or a governmental or industrial research group as appropriate in the same or nearby fied of the dissertation and must not be a dissertation co-advisor.


    • The composition of the committee should be mutually agreed upon by the student and his/her advisor. It is the responsibility of the Chair of the dissertation advisory committee to :

  • Organize the committee

  • Make necessary requests to faculty from the established requirements

  • Make recommendations on the examination results to faculty


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