Preliminary Exam

For Doctoral Students in the HED Program
Virginia Tech

Note: The Written Prelim Exam for Fall Semester 2009
will be held on September 3 & 4.

The outline that appears here is designed to help students understand and prepare for the preliminary exam that leads to the Ph.D. in Higher Education. Students are also encouraged to use this Check List to help them with this important task.

The HED preliminary exam is scheduled early in the fall and spring semesters. Students should declare their intention to take the preliminary exam as soon as they feel they are ready. They should meet with their respective advisor and the preliminary exam coordinator at their earliest convenience to discuss this process. As a precursor to the exam, a program of study must be approved.

The exam consists of three parts. Part I is a two-item timed, closed book exam. Part II is a two-item timed, closed book exam. And, Part III is an oral defense of the answers provided to these questions. Each is described below.

PART I - Part I of the exam is a timed, closed book exam that lasts up to eight hours. Students should be prepared to answer questions related to their coursework in two of four major areas of study: (a) organization theory, (b) law, and (c) policy and governance, and (d) research. Answers should reference authors and their work when appropriate. Students must prepare their responses in electronic form. At the end of day one, students should leave one copy of their answers on disks (or some form of electronic file) with the preliminary exam coordinator.

PART II - Part II of the exam is designed as a timed, closed book exam that lasts up to eight hours. Questions in this section of the exam will focus on the remaining two core areas.

Students must prepare their responses in electronic form. At the end of day two, students should leave one copy of their answers on disks (or some form of electronic file) with the preliminary exam coordinator.

Questions for the research part of the exam may take various forms. Students may be given a questionnaire and a case study. From the items on the questionnaire, students may be asked to define a quantitative study that must include: (a) a purpose statement, (b) appropriate research questions, (c) a sampling plan, (d) data collection procedures, and (e) a plan for data analysis. From the case study, students may be asked to define a qualitative study that must include: (a) a purpose statement, (b) appropriate research questions, (c) a sampling plan, (d) data collection procedures, and (e) a plan for data analysis. Alternatively, students may be asked broader questions about research methods, both quantitative and qualitative.

Once responses to all four questions have been completed and turned in, students will have the opportunity to edit their responses to all four questions for spelling, grammar, and syntax errors. Students may NOT supplement their answers or correct content errors. Students who change the substance of their responses would be in violation of the Graduate School Honor Code of Virginia Tech and dealt with accordingly. These edited responses must be turned into the Exam Coordinator in hard copy by 8:30 a.m. on the very next Monday.

PART III - Part III of the preliminary exam consists of an oral defense of the student's written answers. All students who complete the written portion of the exam will schedule an oral defense for approximately two hours. This oral exam constitutes the official Preliminary Exam as required by the Graduate School.

TIME & DATE - The written preliminary exam is given each semester when students express an interest. Part I is given on the Thursday of the date selected (usually around the second week of classes in the fall and spring semesters) in East Eggleston Hall from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The exact location will be determined at a later date. Students will receive Part II of the exam at 8:00 a.m. on Friday and must complete it by 4:00 p.m. Hard copies of the student's edited final responses must be turned in by the following Monday. The Oral Defense is Part III of the exam and will be scheduled in advance.

GRADING - Grades used for this exam are:

  • Part I & II

    • P+ = Pass with Distinction
    • P = Pass
    • P- = Pass with Deficiency
    • F = Fail

Three HED faculty members will grade each item in Parts I & II. A member of the EDRE faculty professor will also grade the research question.

  • Part III

    • Satisfactory
    • Unsatisfactory

For Part III, the examining committee must consist of four faculty members. Three of the four must award a grade of "satisfactory" for the student to successfully complete this part of the Preliminary Exam. NOTE: A student may take the Preliminary Exam no more than twice. Should a student not pass on the second try, the student is dismissed from the program.

Nature of the Questions - Questions in Part I & II are designed as "big" questions that cover major themes in the student's coursework. They will be designed to test the student's knowledge of theory as well as it's application to contemporary problems in the field of higher education. These questions will have multiple parts. It is critical that students read carefully and answer comprehensively each part of the question. Effective time management is essential.

Nature of the Answers - Ideally, each question will allow students to demonstrate their: (a) knowledge of the specific literature and current research on the topic, (b) knowledge of current or best practice, and (c) ability to analyze and think critically about a topic. Answers that contain this three-part perspective are more likely to be scored higher than those that do not. Students will be expected to demonstrate that they are widely read and current on the topics of inquiry regardless of when their coursework may have been completed. Texts, supplemental course readings, and outside reading should be cited appropriately.

Note to Students: Procedures connected with the Preliminary Exam change from time to time. These instructions may or may not apply to exams given in the future. Students with additional questions should contact their major professor or the Preliminary Exam coordinator.

Posted: March 17, 2009
Copyright © 2000 Virginia Tech