MH Track I and MSS Thesis or Project Students

Oral Exam Instructions

(click here for a pdf of this document)

(MH Track II scroll down)

• Meet with the MH/MSS Director or Assistant Director. To discuss required paperwork and deadlines.

• Be sure you have finished all necessary coursework. Or be in the process of finishing.

• Choose your Committee.Every student who wishes to graduate must have three faculty members on his or her examination committee: a chair/director of the examination committee and two other members.  The director must be a full-time faculty member at UC Denver. The other two members can be full-time or part-time but must have “graduate faculty status.” One member can be from outside the CU system with approval of the Program Director and CLAS Dean. It is the responsibility of the student to ascertain the committee members’ graduate faculty status.

• Notify all committee members of their role in your exam, and provide each member with a copy of this document.

• Complete your final draft of the thesis or project. And provide a copy to your committee chair at least one month in advance of your oral examination date. With his or her approval, you may then distribute copies to other committee members no later than 10 days before the exam date.

• Arrange a Time and Place for your exam. At least one month in advance of your exam, select a time and place that is convenient for all members of your committee. Re-confirm these arrangements with every member of your committee once arrangements have been made.  You may contact the Program Assistant (in the MH/MSS and Philosophy Dept. offices) at 303-556-4868 to reserve the Haber Library in Plaza M108, the traditional venue for exams.

• Prepare for your Oral Exam.

• Prepare a 10-15 minute presentation based on your thesis or project topic.
• Be prepared to answer any questions posed by your committee regarding your work and presentation and to engage in a discussion about your work.

 

MH Track II Non-Thesis and Non-Project Students

Comprehensive Exam Instructions

(click here for a pdf of this document)

 

• Meet with the MH/MSS Director or Assistant Director. To discuss required paperwork and deadlines.

• Be sure you have finished all necessary coursework. Or be in the process of finishing.

Choose your Committee. Every student who wishes to graduate must have three faculty members on his or her examination committee: a chair/director of the examination committee and two other members.  The director must be a full-time faculty member at UC Denver. The other two members can be full-time or part-time but must have “graduate faculty status.” One member can be from outside the CU system with approval of the Program Director and CLAS Dean.

• Notify all exam committee members of their role in your exam, and provide each member with a copy of this document.

• Select Your Topic.The topic of your paper and presentation will be based on readings centered on the theme that you focused on in your cluster. You will develop a bibliography with the members of your examination committee that addresses this theme. Each committee member should assign readings related to your studies. You may suggest scholarly readings to the committee as long as the committee member(s) approve.

• Submit Your Reading List.Once the reading list is agreed upon, you must submit a list of the selected readings, along with a brief description of the theme around which they cohere, to the MH/MSS office for approval within the first month of the semester in which you will sit for your exam and hope to graduate.

• Write a Short Paper (15-20 pages). In this paper, you should demonstrate you ability to critically address the content of your bibliography. For example, you should analyze, compare, connect, contrast, and draw conclusions regarding the material prepared for the oral exam. This is not a book report. Rather it will have some methodological sophistication that reflects your mastery of your topic. The content of this paper will form the basis for a 10-15 minute presentation at the opening of the comprehensive exam meeting.

You must hand your paper to the committee AT LEAST TEN DAYS BEFORE the exam.

• Prepare a Printed List of your Courses.List all of the courses you have taken toward this degree. Highlight those courses that counted as “cluster” courses. You will present this list to your committee during your oral exam.

• Arrange a Time and Place for your exam.At least one month in advance of your exam, select a time and place that is convenient for all members of your committee. Re-confirm these arrangements with every member of your committee once arrangements have been made.  You may contact the Program Assistant (in the MH/MSS and Philosophy Dept. offices) at 303-556-4868 to reserve the Haber Library, the traditional venue for exams.

• Prepare for your Oral Exam.
• Prepare a 10-15 minute presentation based on your readings and short paper (outlined above).
• Be prepared to answer questions posed by your committee regarding your paper and presentation and to engage in a discussion about your work.
• Be prepared to discuss how the various courses in your interdisciplinary program (and listed on the printed sheet you have given your committee members) are interwoven around your chosen theme.