B Exam
The final exam for the PhD is an oral defense of the dissertation (B exam). In compliance with the Graduate School rules and procedures, the B exam is to be scheduled at least seven calendar days in advance via the Schedule of Exam form. The exam may be conducted in person, by video conference, or in a hybrid format. If video conferencing is used, accommodations must be made for all committee members and Field faculty to participate.
The format for the exam begins with an open presentation by the student, followed by a closed question and answer portion with the student and faculty, and concludes with the special committee privately conferring to discuss the result. The student may invite guests to the research presentation. Per the Graduate School’s Code of Legislation, any member of the graduate field is allowed to attend the B exam, but the exam decision is under the sole purview of the special committee.
During the defense, Field faculty and committee members can ask the candidate to clarify, expand upon, and otherwise develop the theories, methods, and conclusions set out in the dissertation. The candidate may not bring materials to the oral exam beyond the dissertation itself and should be prepared to:
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the materials in the dissertation
- Clarify the argument(s) of the work
- Explain and justify the method(s) used
- Situate the dissertation within the Field of Communication and any relevant subfield or related discipline
- Discuss how the dissertation may inform future research
Following the oral defense, the committee will privately confer to discuss the exam result. This decision will then be communicated to the candidate before the end of the meeting.
Evaluating the B Exam
The committee will consider both the dissertation and the oral defense in their evaluation. In accordance with the Graduate School rules, the committee must award one of the following options in evaluating the exam:
- Pass: Upon successful completion of the B exam, the candidate is granted a PhD. The candidate may revise the dissertation, if necessary, after successful completion of the B Exam.
- Conditional Pass: If more substantial revisions are required, the candidate may conditionally pass the exam, in which case the examining committee provides them and the Graduate School with the conditions for passing. Once these conditions are met, the B exam is passed, and the PhD is awarded.
- Fail With the Option to Retake the B Exam: If the candidate fails the exam, the candidate may be asked to rewrite parts of or add significant content to the dissertation. The committee will then reconvene for a second B exam.
- Fail With No Option to Retake the B Exam: If the committee decides not to give the option of revising the dissertation, the PhD will not be awarded.
The dissertation will be published on ProQuest. The Graduate School maintains suggested timelines for completing the necessary steps to graduate in time for the three different conferrals that happen each January, August, and December.