Comprehensive Exams
Comps At A Glance
After you complete all your coursework, most doctoral programs require students to pass a comprehensive (or qualifying) exam. The purpose of this exam is to show that you have attained an expert-level knowledge in your subject area and that you have the research skills neecssary to begin designing your dissertation study.
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Many universities (such as Capella) have a three-paper comprehensive exam that assesses you on i) subject-specific knowledge (via the completion of a in-depth literature review), ii) your knowledge of seminal theories in your field, and iii) how to apply different methodologies in your field.
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Passing comprehensive exams usually gives you the privilege of being called a doctoral candidate (as opposed to student) and using the post-nominals ABD (all-but-dissertation). This is a key milestone in your doctoral journey and allows you to officially begin work on your dissertation.
How will Dissertation Demystified help me?
Given the alignment between the standard three-essay comprehensive exam and the literature review, theoretical framework, and methodology sections of your actually dissertation manuscript, Dissertation Demystified will coach you in leveraging as much of this content to inform your dissertation topic.
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Attending office hours will allow you to work with coaches to review your exam responses and ensure that you meet all of the comprehensive exam requirements. Engaging with your peers in Skool will also provide you insight with members who are further along in the dissertation process and can provide tips based on their experiences doing comprehensive exams. ​