PhD in English Language and Linguistics: preliminary examination
The preliminary examination may be taken only after the student has completed the English course requirements. It is recommended that students take the exam as soon as possible thereafter. Those not admitted to candidacy (because of failure to fulfill the foreign language requirement or for other reasons) by the end of their sixth semester will be placed on departmental probation beginning the next semester of enrollment. Any student entering the PhD program with more than a two course deficiency may request an appropriate extension of this deadline.
The exam will consist of two parts, a written component and an oral component. The student is expected to demonstrate clear and comprehensive knowledge of the main lines of scholarship in FOUR of the following six areas of English linguistics, at least ONE of which is in the core areas:
Core Areas
syntax
phonology
Applied Areas
discourse analysis
language variation and language change
second language acquisition
stylistics
Examination committee
The English Language and Linguistics faculty committee constitutes a standing committee for the design, administration, and evaluation of the preliminary examination. The chair of the committee coordinates the contributions of the faculty members to the construction and evaluation of the examination.
Written component
The written component has two parts: a prelim paper, and three written examinations.
prelim paper
For ONE of the four areas chosen from the above listing, the student will present a substantial research paper dealing with a central issue in the area chosen. The topic for this paper must be approved by the ELL faculty ommittee through its chair. The student secures this approval of the topic circulating an abstract of the proposed paper. The paper must demonstrate a wide-ranging familiarity with the important literature on the topic. In addition, the paper should offer conclusions for the problem researched, as well as the evidence on which the conclusions are based.
When completed, the paper is duplicated and distributed to all members of the ELL faculty committee no later than two weeks prior to Prelim Exam Week (the week before registration in August or January). If the paper has been based on previous course or seminar work, then the student is expected to broaden or deepen its initial inquiry substantially.
written exams
The remaining THREE of the four areas chosen from the above listing are examined in three four-hour written tests. These tests are based on the Basic Prelim Bibliographies which have been prepared for each of the areas listed above.
The three four-hour written tests will be taken on three days during Prelim Week (the week before registration in either the fall or spring semester).
Oral Component
The oral component of the preliminary examination covers the same four areas as the written component. The length of time for this examination will vary, normally lasting two to three hours. The oral component of the preliminary examinations provides the student with an opportunity to defend positions taken in either the prelim paper or the written tests, and to clarify or elaborate on particular points. A coincident purpose of the oral component is to assess the student's ability to make an oral presentation with clarity and effectiveness.
Members of the ELL faculty conduct the oral component of the preliminary examination, coordinated by the chair of the committee. The oral component is taken within two or three weeks after completion of the written tests. If the committee judges a student's written component to be a clear failure, the oral component will be cancelled.
Retaking the exam
Failure of the preliminary examination places the student on Departmental probation beginning with the following semester. A student may be allowed to take the preliminary examination a second time with the approval of the Graduate Committee.
(rev. 8/2005)
