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  3. CBE Qualifying Examination Requirements

Purpose and Format - Successful PhD candidates will have a sound background in engineering, as well as the creativity and judgment necessary to conduct independent research. The purpose of the Qualifying Examination is to assess these qualities with an emphasis on evaluating the student's potential to conduct an original course of study and investigation. The Qualifying Examination tests the student's ability (1) to define, describe and examine critically relevant literature; (2) to think creatively and to apply basic chemical/biomedical engineering concepts; (3) to communicate in a scholarly and rigorous manner the progress and results of research; and (4) to conduct productive, rigorous and creative scientific investigations.

This exam will be based on the student's ability to evaluate a fundamental research article from the literature of chemical engineering. Specifically, the student will be asked to:

  • Identify the problems addressed in the paper;
  • Formulate a critical appraisal of the authors' contributions to the problem and the significance of the work;
  • Critically evaluate the technical soundness of the approach used and results obtained;
  • Summarize and critique advances in the field since the publication of the assigned article;
  • Propose in concrete terms research work that might be done to extend and (if necessary) improve upon the study discussed in the article; and
  • Comment on the incorporation of the article's findings into the potential course of dissertation work of the student.

The Graduate Qualifying Examination Committee, which will be comprised of at least three faculty members, will assign a fundamental article from the literature of chemical or biomedical engineering. Three weeks following the assignment of the chosen research article, the student will be required to submit a written report on the exam problem as well as any additional commentaries or simulations deemed critical by the student. This report will be distributed to all members of the Qualify Examination Committee for review. Committee members will submit comments and questions back to the prospective PhD candidate within 5 business days. This review will identify (a) aspects of the written report that require additional attention or (b) critical research points that will need to be addressed in the oral presentation.

After the submission of the report and the return of the committee's review, the student will give an oral presentation to the Qualifying Examination Committee. The oral presentation will be approximately one hour in length. The student will give a 40-minute presentation open to the public, followed by a 20-minute question and answer session. The oral presentation should address the exam criteria, as well as any issues raised by the committee's review of the submitted written report. Additionally, the student is permitted to submit any supplementary information to augment the written report. An edited written report should have been submitted by this time.

Following the oral presentation, the Qualifying Examination Committee will evaluate the student's performance in closed session. Three outcomes are possible: pass, provisional pass, or fail. An affirmative majority vote from the faculty is required for the student to pass the examination. A unanimous vote for a provisional pass will require the student to satisfy additional requirements deemed necessary by the Qualification Examination Committee, such as (but not limited to) the successful completion of specific coursework or the completion of a M.S. degree prior to granting full PhD candidacy. A pass or provision pass of the Qualifying Examination will permit the student to begin or continue research work contributing to the student's dissertation. If neither a pass nor provisional pass vote is reached, the student will have failed the Qualifying Examination. At the discretion of the Qualifying Examination Committee, the student may have one further opportunity to retake the examination. This re-examination will be scheduled at the discretion of the Graduate Committee, and may require the student to retake the exam in a subsequent semester. Failure of the Qualifying Exam on two occasions will eliminate the student from consideration for PhD candidacy.

Upon successful completion of the comprehensive exam, the student is admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D.

All prospective PhD candidates must enroll in the appropriate Doctoral Qualifying Exam course (either BME 8965r or ECH 8965r) for the semester that they intend to take the qualifying examination.