Chapter 1 – General Information
- 1.1 Graduate Program Resources
- 1.2 Academic Information
- 1.3 Program Advisors, Major Professors, & POS Committees
- 1.4 Degree Progress, Planning, and Time Limits
- 1.5 Minors and Co-majors
- 1.6 Course Policies
- 1.7 Registration
- 1.8 Graduate Assistantships
- 1.9 Graduate Student Travel and Support
- 1.10 Program Completion
- 1.11 Graduate Faculty Members
- 2.1 About the MA programs
- 2.2 MA in English Degree Requirements
- 2.3 MA in Rhetoric, Composition, & Professional Communication Degree Requirements
- 2.4 MA in TESL/Applied Linguistics Degree Requirements
- 2.5 Minoring and Co-majoring in the MA Programs
- 2.6 The Graduate Committee Membership and Academic Plan (MA)
- 2.7 Guidelines for Thesis and Creative Component (MA)
- 3.1 About the MFA program
- 3.2 M.F.A. in Creative Writing & Environment Degree Requirements
- 3.3 The Graduate Committee Membership and Academic Plan (MFA)
- 3.4 Minoring and Co-majoring in the MFA Program
- 3.5 Guidelines for Thesis (MFA)
- 4.1 About the Doctoral programs
- 4.2 PhD in Applied Linguistics and Technology (ALT)
- 4.3 PhD in Rhetoric and Professional Communication (RPC)
- 4.4 Minoring and Co-majoring in the PhD Programs
- 4.5 The Graduate Committee Membership and Academic Plan (PhD)
- 4.6 Preliminary examination requirements and ABD Status
- 4.7 Guidelines for the Dissertation (Ph.D.)
- 5.1 About the Concurrent Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Programs
- 5.2 Concurrent BA in Linguistics/MA in TESL/Applied Linguistics Degree Requirements and Curriculum Plans
- 5.3 Concurrent BS in Technical Communication/MA in Rhetoric, Composition, and Professional Communication Degree Requirements and Curriculum Plan
- 5.4 The Graduate Committee Membership and Academic Plan (Concurrent MA) (UPDATES COMING SOON)
- 5.5 Guidelines for Thesis and Creative Component (Concurrent MA)
- 6.1 About the Certificate Programs
- 6.2 Certificate in TESL/TEFL Program Requirements
- 6.3 The Certificate Academic Plan (COMING SOON)
4.6.1 Preliminary examination requirements
The Graduate College requires a preliminary oral examination of doctoral degree students and most programs add a written portion to be completed before the preliminary oral examination. The exam rigorously tests a graduate student’s knowledge of major, minor, and supporting subject areas as well as the student’s ability to analyze, organize, and present subject matter relevant to the field. More information about the preliminary examinations for each program is found within that program’s particular section of this manual.
The following conditions must be met before you will be allowed to take either of the two parts of your preliminary examinations (written or oral) in each of the doctoral programs:
- The Graduate College requires that your POSC Form be approved (for the first time, not modifications) at least three months before the date of the preliminary oral examination; approved DPS and POSC required documentation (by the English department) as well
- There must be a minimum of six months between the preliminary oral and final oral examinations; exception to the rule, in rare extenuating circumstances, is allowed if a written request is made by the major professor(s), supported by the DOGE(s), and approved by the Dean of the Graduate College
- Registration for at least the equivalent of 1.0 credit during the semester in which either portion of the preliminary exam (written or oral) is taken—this can be final POS coursework, any other course at ISU, or 6990 research credits with your major professor(s)
- Qualifying exam passed (Portfolio Assessment)
- No Incompletes (I’s) on your record (except research ENGL 6990 credits) to take the oral portion of the examination
- Full admission status in the PhD program and not on probation
- English requirement met (nonnative speakers only)
- Time-to-degree limit not exceeded (expired coursework must be approved for POSC inclusion)
4.6.2 ABD status
PhD candidates will be considered ABD (“All But Dissertation”) when they have met these conditions:
- all required POS documentation approved by the English department
- POSC Form approved by the Graduate College
- received a grade for all coursework listed on their approved POSC Form
- (ALT only) language requirement completed and the Language Requirement Form submitted to the Graduate Program Administrative Assistant
- all Incomplete (I) grades except those for ENGL 6990 must be removed
- passed the written portion of the preliminary examination
- passed the oral portion of the preliminary examination
- submitted the Graduate College’s Report of Preliminary Oral Examination form reporting the results (if a conditional pass, ABD status not granted until the conditions are met changing the results to a full pass and submitted to the Graduate College)
Salary raises for graduate assistants contingent on ABD status will begin the semester after ABD status is achieved.