War and Peace Studies Comprehensive Exam Guidelines
War and Peace Studies students will generally undertake a comprehensive exam as the primary element of their Capstone Experience for the course. Those that pursue this option in fulfilment of their culminating experience will complete an exit exam that will be prepared and evaluated by the director of the War and Peace Studies program in consultation with the instructor of the core course and one other faculty member with whom the student has taken courses and that has agreed to be on the exam committee. The exit exam will be in written form; the exam committee will write the questions which will require the student to synthesize the knowledge gained through the courses.
The comprehensive exam consists of two areas of content:
- War and Peace Studies general synthesis
- Specific area of thematic or regional focus in relation to War and Peace Studies
The following procedures outline the steps necessary to take the comprehensive exam:
- The comprehensive exam will be offered in each semester in which students in the program have indicated they want to take it during that specific semester. Generally, it will be given during the tenth week of the semester, with a total of four hours allotted for the exam. Students will take the exam in their second semester of the program. Should it be required the exam can be given in the summer semester should a student be unable to take the exam in the spring semester.
Students who intend to take the comprehensive exam must:
A. Select relevant faculty members who will provide guidance, a reading list, and exam questions. Faculty should be experts in the focus area for which they are responsible. The student and his or her comprehensive exam committee should fill out the Comprehensive Exam Faculty Selection form by the end of the student’s first semester.
B. Submit a Comprehensive Exam Intent Form to the War and Peace Studies director during the second week of the semester in which the exam will be taken.
C. Verify that committee members have submitted questions to the director before the fifth week of classes of the semester in which the exam will be taken.
D. Appear at the designated time and place to take the exam. In certain extenuating circumstances a remotely proctored exam can be undertaken.- Comprehensive exam faculty will each prepare an interdisciplinary essay question that attempts to delve into the key debates of war and peace studies. Questions will focus on the students methodological and areas studies interests, which the student will identify to the exam committee. Ideally the faculty will reflect the interests of the students and hold expertise in the area or methodological focus of the student. Relevant faculty will submit their essay questions to the War and Peace Studies director by the fifth week of classes in which the exam is going to be taken.
- The War and Peace Studies director will prepare the comprehensive exam using the submitted questions. The student will generally be expected to respond to two essay prompts: 1) Debates in War and Peace studies – 2 hours; 2) Thematic/ Region/Area Focus – 2 hours.
- Faculty members will comment on answers to their own questions, giving the student either a satisfactory or an unsatisfactory grade.
- The War and Peace Studies director will assign one of three outcomes:
A. Pass : If the student receives a satisfactory for all three sections of the comprehensive exam, he or she will receive a pass grade.
B. No Pass: If the student receives an unsatisfactory in one or more sections of the comprehensive exam, he or she might receive a no pass grade. The student may retake the sections he or she did not pass one time only, at a date determined by the exam committee.
C. Fail: If the student receives an unsatisfactory in all three sections, he or she will receive a fail grade. After completing additional remedial work determined by the examining committee, the student may retake the exam one time. Failure to pass the reexamination will result in the student being dropped from the program.
Required forms for the comprehensive exam:
- Comprehensive Exam Intent Form
- Comprehensive Exam Faculty Selection