Comprehensive Exam Overview

Comprehensive Exam Overview

The comprehensive examination is a significant milestone in a student’s PhD journey. The
purpose of the exam is to assess the student’s breadth and depth of knowledge in their
chosen area of scholarship. Developing this critical assessment of theory and research
serves as a steppingstone towards formulating research question(s) to be addressed in the dissertation.

The Comprehensive Exam is a take-home written test that involves the following steps:

• Completion of Comprehensive Exam Prerequisites
• Selection of Second Reader
• Enrollment in SWK8000H
• Submission of the Comprehensive Exam Proposal and Annotated Bibliography
• Submission of the Comprehensive Exam
• Assessment of the Comprehensive Exam
• Final Submission of the Final Comprehensive Exam

By successfully completing the Comprehensive Exam, students develop and demonstrate their capacity for critical analysis, research and writing to showcase the following:

1. Comprehensive understanding of the broader research area related to your area of specialization,
2. The relevance of your proposed dissertation topic to the field of social work, and
3. Ability to articulate an independent critical perspective on the field.

NOTE: See additional details below regarding the submission timeline, procedures and guidelines for the Comprehensive Exam Proposal, the Annotated Reading List and
Comprehensive Exam.

Steps for Completing the Comprehensive Exam

1. Comprehensive Exam Prerequisites

PhD Students must complete at least 9 of the 10 half-credit course requirements and
the Comprehensive Exam Seminar (SWK 7000H) before they are eligible to enroll in SWK 8000H to complete the Comprehensive Exam.

2. Second Reader Selection

•  At the time of enrolling in SWK 8000H, the student must notify the PhD Program of their selection of the Second Reader (to be identified in consultation with the
student’s supervisor).

• The second reader provides a formal assessment of the final comprehensive exam paper and thus, must be a faculty member at FIFSW and a full or associate member of the School of Graduate Studies (e.g., tenured, tenure-stream, teaching-stream, status-only, visiting, adjunct).

• The second reader should be selected based on their knowledge of the student’s area of practice, policy, and/or research interests. Although it is not required, faculty who serve as a second assessor are often invited to be a member of the student’s Supervisory Committee, as their involvement in the Comprehensive Exam process can support the student in the development of their thesis research.

NOTE: See Comprehensive Exam Supervisor and Second Reader Membership Form.

3. Enrolment in SWK8000H

• Students must enroll in SWK 8000H to take the Comprehensive Exam during the
second or third semester of Year Two (e.g., Winter or Summer session).

• To enroll in the Comprehensive Exam., students must submit the completed and signed SGS Add/Drop Form (PDF) AND the completed Comprehensive Exam Supervisor & Second Reader Membership Form (PDF) to the attention of the FIFSW Registrar’s email: registrar.fifsw@utoronto.ca.

• Once the enrollment has been approved by the School of Graduate Studies, the PhD Program Assistant will set up a Quercus shell for the student to submit the comprehensive exam proposal, annotated reading list, and the comprehensive exam.

4. Submission of the Comprehensive Exam Proposal & Annotated Reading List

• To prepare for the Comprehensive Exam, students work closely with their thesis supervisor to develop a Comprehensive Exam Proposal and Annotated Reading List, which will serve as a guideline for the Comprehensive exam.

• Students will have an opportunity to develop a draft of their comprehensive exam
proposal in SWK 7000H during the fall of Year 2 with guidance from the course instructor and in consultation with the student’s thesis supervisor.

• Prior to finalizing the comprehensive exam proposal and annotated bibliography, the student and supervisor shall select the second reader who will assess the final comprehensive exam paper and notify the PhD Program of this selection.

NOTE: See additional requirements for Comprehensive Exam Proposal below.

5. Submission of the Comprehensive Exam

• Receiving approval from the supervisor and submitting both a) the comprehensive exam proposal and b) annotated reading list marks the beginning of the independent exam period.

• The second reader may provide feedback on the submitted comprehensive exam
proposal and annotated reading list, within two weeks of when they are submitted.

• Students will have a maximum of three months from the date they submit the approved comprehensive exam proposal, to complete the comprehensive exam paper. During this period, the supervisor and second reader may not provide further guidance on the scholarly writing or scope of research for the Comprehensive Exam.

6. Assessment of the Comprehensive Exam

• The supervisor and second reader will independently assess the Comprehensive Exam and submit their assessment within three weeks.

NOTE: See Assessment of the Comprehensive Exam Form

7. Final Submission of the Comprehensive Exam

• The PhD Program Director will notify students of the Comprehensive Exam Results,
with details regarding whether the exam “passed” or “failed” and if further edits or changes are required.
• In cases of failure, students will be informed of the courses of action available to them, including the procedures for review, appeal, or retaking the exam.

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Comprehensive Exam – Enrollment & Submission Timeline

The Comprehensive Exam is offered in Winter or Summer term of Year 2 in the PhD Program. All deadlines are 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time on the designated date.

Winter 2024 – Comprehensive Exam Enrollment & Submission Dates

Summer 2024 – Comprehensive Exam Enrollment & Submission Dates

*NOTE: The Comprehensive Exam Assessors are expected to submit their evaluation of the Comprehensive Exam within three weeks after the Exam is submitted for review. The specific date may vary accordingly.

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