At the conclusion of their seminar studies and before the dissertation or project-related courses, students must successfully complete 3 written comprehensive examinations, 2 in the area of the major and 1 in the area of their minor, of approximately 3 hours of writing for each.

Comprehensive examinations require mastery of field bibliographies distributed at the beginning of the student’s program. The major and minor supervisors may make minimal alterations to their respective bibliographies throughout the seminar stage, but no later than four months prior to the comprehensive examinations. Any change to a comprehensive bibliography must be communicated both to the student and to the Dean of the respective doctoral program in writing.

Students are expected to continually prepare for the comprehensive examinations throughout the program.