M.A./Ph.D. and Ph.D. Programs

Doctoral Course of Study:  Preliminary Review Procedures

A preliminary review meeting with the student's two Program Advisers (and a representative of the Department Ph.D. Committee if one of the Advisers is not a member of this committee) is intended to assess progress to date and plan for subsequent studies. In preparation for the Preliminary Review, the student should organize a portfolio, in duplicate, which is to be submitted to the advisers and Ph.D. Committee representative no later than October 1 for a Fall Preliminary Review, and no later than March 1 for a Spring Preliminary Review.

The Preliminary Review Portfolio should contain the following:

• An updated curriculum vita, outlining experience and academic background.
• A transcript of course work completed.
• A plan of study, including a statement of goals and a proposal for the schedule of course work, internship, related experiences and plans for developing further competency. The student should also include a brief description of possible internship settings and qualifying review topics to be developed in consultation with the advisers.
• Publications and/or sample term papers and reports demonstrating evidence of research competency. These papers should include faculty comments.
• Letters of recommendation from those who have supervised or collaborated on recent research or applied experiences. Typically these letters are requested from people outside the Department. Letters are not required if the student has had no courses nor applied nor research experiences outside the Department since entering the Department.

The Portfolio is reviewed by the Advisers and Ph.D. Committee Representative in preparation for the Preliminary Review Conference. The Conference is scheduled sometime before November 15 for the Fall semester, before April 15 for the Spring semester, but at least three weeks after the Program Advisers and Ph.D. Committee Representative have received the Portfolio. At the Preliminary Review Conference, the student, his/her two Advisers, and the Graduate Programs Committee Representative review the plan of study, course work completed and other Portfolio materials. Students may be advised at this meeting to take additional course work, participate in research activity or to plan applied experiences as part of their program and in preparation for their internship and dissertation work.

A summary of the recommendations and discussion held at the Preliminary Review Conference is prepared by the student and approved by the two Program Advisers. The summary is submitted with the completed Preliminary Review Certificate (in form box) and a copy of the complete Portfolio to the Director of Graduate Studies by December 1 (Fall semester) and by May 1 (Spring semester), with a recommendation for one of the following:

1. pass
2. pass, pending specific documentation due at a specified time
3. deferred until a specified time, pending documentation
4. recommend withdrawal from the program

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