IV. GENERAL DEPARTMENTAL ACADEMIC DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
THE PsyD COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION
ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY CRITERIA FOR CONDUCTING AND EVALUATING THE ORAL SPECIALTY COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION
Purpose:
The purposes of the oral comprehensive examination are for students: (1) to present a written sample of their professional practice, and (2) to have that work examined by faculty who have expertise in the specialty area:Preparation:
The examination process begins after a student has completed a significant body of practice on which he or she wishes to be examined.The student then proposes two faculty members who will serve as the examining committee by completing the appropriate form and presenting it to the Program Administrator Secretary, who in turn gives it to the Program Director for approval. No more than one faculty member may serve on both the student's oral specialty committee and dissertation committee. This faculty member may not chair both committees. Students may not use versions of papers that have been used to fulfill course or other academic requirements. Once the topic and the committee have been approved, the student meets with the committee members to agree upon the scope of the case. After agreement with the committee, the student shall prepare a written document of approximately twenty 8 1/2 x11 inches of double-spaced 12 font type pages, which should be given to the committee members two weeks in advance of the date set for the exam. The document should include references to the literature cited in APA format.Written Case:
The case cannot be one that students already have used to fulfill another program requirement, such as an assignment in a course. So, for instance, students cannot use the case that they worked on for the Organizational Diagnosis course or the Executive Coaching course. Cases based on practicum/internship experiences are acceptable. The written case should contain the following elements: (1) a description of the problems presented in the case and the context in which they were embedded; (2) the theory which the student employed in the work, the reasons for choosing that theory, and comparison with other theories that might have been employed; (3) the methods by which the client system was assessed; (4) the interventions that were made and the reasons for using them; (5) the empirical research (case and/or statistically base) supporting and/or contradicting the procedures employed: (6) the ethical considerations relevant to the case; (7) an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the assessment and interventions for the particular case; and (8) reflection about how the case might have been handled more effectively. (Revised 9/05)
Examination: The exam should be scheduled for a ninety-minute period. Up to 40 minutes of that time may be used for the student to present the case.The oral presentation should assume the faculty have carefully read the written document and, in turn, should emphasize crucial aspects of the case that are particularly interesting for discussion and reflection (not repeat the written document).Following the presentation, the faculty shall comment and ask questions to enhance the student's learning and to evaluate the student's analysis and action in the case.
Evaluation:
The student shall be informed of the evaluations when he or she returns to the examination room. Then the signed forms should be returned to the Program Administrator by the faculty.As soon as possible, thereafter, the student should receive a signed letter from the Program Director affirming the overall evaluation (either pass or in need of remediation) determined by the faculty committee.
After the examination is completed, the student will be asked to leave the room, while the faculty discuss the student's performance and complete their evaluation sheets.Evaluations are made on the following dimensions: (1) overall mastery of the case; (2) written presentation of the relevant dimensions of the case; (3) oral presentation of key aspects of the case; (4) soundness of answers to questions; (5) degree of learning demonstrated by the student in the examination and (6) overall evaluation of the oral examination as a whole.