Comprehensive Examination

When applying for clearance to graduate,* each student must successfully complete a four-hour comprehensive examination. The student must be enrolled during the semester in which they take the comprehensive examination. This comprehensive examination is usually taken during a student’s final semester of enrollment in the program. The exams are scheduled twice a year: usually in mid to late November of each Fall semester and in mid to late April of each Spring semester.

Administration

A three-member M.A. Examination Committee (the student’s advisor, who usually chairs the examination committee, and two faculty members selected by the student) will create the exam after soliciting questions from all graduate faculty members in the field(s) of the exam, and will oversee the grading of the exam as Pass, Fail, or Delayed Decision.

The exams will be kept confidential during the grading. In preparation for the examination, it is expected that the student will meet with their advisor, members of the Examination Committee and the graduate faculty for guidance regarding the exam. After they have received the exam grade, the student may meet with the Committee in order to review the exam and receive feedback. The exam itself will not be released to the student.

Format

The format of the MA exam differs depending on the concentration in which the student is enrolled. Specific guidelines will be provided by the Graduate Program Director and the student’s advisor during the semester in which they will take the exam. In general, the exam has the following components:

  • Essays. The student will choose three essay topics out of six provided. These topics will come from the student’s M.A. concentration and coursework. Students will be instructed during the exam whether to respond in either English or Spanish.
  • Spanish Plus Element. The student enrolled in the LLC concentration will respond to three essay questions based on additional material indicated in three of their graduate courses. This information is provided on the course syllabus under the heading Spanish Plus Element. Students must answer the questions in Spanish.
  • Translation. The student enrolled in the TI concentration will be required to translate a passage from either English to Spanish or from Spanish to English as part of the Comprehensive Exam. Students can bring bilingual dictionaries for this component of the exam.
  • Reading List. The student enrolled in the TI concentration will be required to respond to questions based on the reading list provided by the Graduate Program. The reading list can accessed by contacting the Graduate Program Director.
  • Oral examination. Thirty minutes. If the written examination has been evaluated as “Delayed Decision,” the examinee will be required to take an additional 30-minute oral examination before the final grade is determined. The oral exam will be based on the written exam and will be developed, administered, and evaluated by the Examination Committee. It is expected that the oral examination will be scheduled within one week after the examinee has received an evaluation of the written exam.

*For graduation clearance, it is the student’s responsibility to (i) check the audit in DegreeWorks, (ii) meet with the academic advisor or Graduate Program Director, and (iii) apply for graduation by the published deadline in the final term.

To apply to graduate, in compliance with the deadlines published by the Graduate School, it is the student’s responsibility to complete and submit the Graduation Application to the Graduate School. Students may log into my.charlotte.edu, select Banner Self-Service, Student Services, Student Records, and Online Graduation Application. Click “Continue” if this is the first time a graduation application has been submitted, or “Create a New Application” if one has been submitted previously. After completing all sections, click the “Submit” button.