Typically, the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam is offered after Fall quarter (in late November/early December) and after Spring quarter (mid-June). Students with an M.S. in Chemical Engineering must take the Qualifying Exam at the first opportunity following the beginning of their studies. Students without an M.S. in Chemical Engineering must take the Qualifying Exam at the first offering after all four M.S. core courses have been offered after their entry into the program. A student whose first attempt is unsuccessful must make a second attempt at the next offering. Students are allowed a maximum of two attempts to pass the exam. Students failing two attempts will not be permitted to continue in the Ph.D. program.
The Qualifying Exam consists of two questions in each of the four areas generally covered by the four core M.S.-level courses
The higher of the two scores in each area, plus the highest two of the remaining scores, are counted. To be successful, a student must pass the entire exam in one attempt. You cannot pass if you do not attempt at least one question in each of the four areas, and if you must take the exam a second time, you must repeat the entire exam, not just any specific portion that you did poorly on the first time.
This page last revised on August 3, 2006 by Daniel Gulino.