Candidacy Examination Procedures

Scheduling

1. Student Responsibility: In collaboration with the committee members and advisor, the student determines three potential available dates and times of the candidacy examination. The oral component of the candidacy examination can be completed on-campus, remotely, or hybrid. If remote or hybrid options are used, all exam participants must be able to see and hear each other during the entire exam. Please see Appendix B of the Graduate School Handbook for all guidelines of remote or hybrid exams.Once the preferred format and three potential dates and times for the oral examination are determined, the student must complete the PhD Candidacy Exam Scheduling survey: https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eLsTsa1IUHZZkkR.
   1. Items for the Candidacy Exam survey: The three preferred dates and times for the exam must be approved by the faculty advisor and committee members before completing the survey. The Candidacy Exam is required to be completed in person, over the course of two hours.
      1. Student’s name/email/phone number
      2. Names and Ohio State email addresses of Committee Chair and all committee members
      3. Preferred format of the oral examination
      4. Three preferred dates and times for the defense
      5. Please indicate your AV needs
2. Academic Program Coordinator Responsibility: The results of the PhD Candidacy Exam Scheduling survey will be routed to the Graduate Academic Program Coordinator. If an on-campus format is indicated, the Graduate Academic Program Coordinator will reserve a conference room or classroom through Outlook for the exam. The room should be reserved for a two hour block of time. If rooms are not available during the preferred dates, the Graduate Academic Program Coordinator will contact the student for three new meeting dates.
3. The Graduate Academic Program Coordinator will send the Outlook upon receiving the results of the PhD Candidacy Exam Scheduling survey, but no later than two weeks prior to the exam. The meeting invitation will include the room location or remote link and will be sent to the following groups or individuals:
   1. The Graduate Data Manager
   2. The student
   3. All committee members. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure all information included in the Outlook invitation is accurate and all committee members have been included on the invitation.
4. Student Responsibility: If the exam must be rescheduled, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the Graduate Academic Program Coordinator. The Graduate Academic Program Coordinator will cancel the Outlook invitation and the student will be required to resubmit the PhD Candidacy Exam Scheduling survey with new potential times for the rescheduled exam.

Written portion of candidacy examination procedures

1. The written portion of the Candidacy Examination is completed in a “take-home” format.
2. The written portion of the candidacy exam consists of three areas, detailed below. These areas are individualized by the Candidacy Committee for the specific student.
   1. Philosophy of Science and Theoretical Underpinnings: The purpose of this section is for the student to present the topic of study for the dissertation, including:
      1. a brief discussion of the problem and rationale for the study; implications of the study for nursing (research, policy and practice);
      2. discussion of the theoretical or conceptual framework(s) that will guide the dissertation research including an overview of the theoretical or conceptual framework(s);
      3. an analysis of how knowledge can be developed using the identified theoretical/conceptual model(s), and
      4. a description of the benefits and limitations of knowledge generation of the specific area of research through the use of the identified theoretical/conceptual model(s).
   2. Literature Review: The purpose of this section is for the student to conduct an integrative literature review on the dissertation topic including both quantitative and qualitative research as is available on the topic.
   3. Methods and Measurement: The purpose of this section is for the student to present and discuss in detail the design of the dissertation research including:
      1. the rationale for the design, strengths and limitations;
      2. consideration for the vulnerabilities of the target population, including the investigator role as the researcher;
      3. sampling strategy and rationale;
      4. study setting and plans to gain entrance and conduct research in the setting;
      5. measures for the study; and
      6. the analysis plan.

The student will write the exam using each of the major headings and subheadings above to organize the response. Written examinations should be no longer than 30 pages total excluding references and select tables. No supplemental materials are allowed. Exams must be prepared in 11 font with 1 inch margins; all text should be double spaced. Pages must be numbered. Style format should be approved by the candidacy advisor. Candidacy committee members may request a print copy of the examination.

The completed written portion must be submitted to the candidacy committee within 2 weeks of the scheduled oral examination. A copy of the exam (unbound print copy or in electronic form such as PDF) must also be submitted to the Student Data Manager in Newton Hall for the College of Nursing’s archives.

Oral portion of the candidacy examination procedures

Oral portion of the candidacy examination procedures must follow Graduate School guidelines.

1. The oral portion, which lasts approximately two hours, is held after completion of the written portion.
2. The oral portion must be held within one month of completion of the written portion.
3. The Graduate School must be notified at least two weeks in advance of the oral exam’s proposed time and place by the submission and APPROVAL of the Application for Candidacy Examination form.
4. After the Candidacy Examination Committee has been confirmed by the Graduate School, the Report on Candidacy form is generated electronically for access by the student’s advisor (Chair of the Advisory Committee).

Candidacy examination evaluation

The Candidacy Exam is evaluated on the basis of comprehension of the field, allied areas of study, and thoroughness. The decision about the outcome of the candidacy exam is reached in the absence of the student. After discussion, a decision of satisfactory or unsatisfactory is reached by means of a vote. Each examiner indicates judgment by logging into Grad Forms and electronically completing the Report on Candidacy Examination form that must be submitted to the Graduate School. A unanimous affirmative vote is required to receive a satisfactory and successfully pass the candidacy examination. If the vote is unsatisfactory, the committee must decide whether the student will be permitted to take a second candidacy examination and must record that decision on the Report on Candidacy Examination form.

Procedures for a second candidacy examination, failure and review are available in the Graduate School handbook.