The general examination is composed of both written and oral sections. The written portion precedes the oral examination in time and is entirely designed and assessed according to departmental guidelines. The oral portion of the general examination is the required by the Graduate School and is formally referred to as the General Examination.

The following are required by the Graduate School prior to the General Examination:

• At least 18 credits of course work at the 500 level and above must be completed prior to scheduling the General Examination.
• Numerical grades must be received in at least 18 quarter credits of course work taken at the University of Washington prior to scheduling the General Examination. The Graduate School accepts numerical grades in approved 400-level courses accepted as part of the major, and in all 500-level courses.
• Completion of 60 credits prior to scheduling the General Examination (a master's degree from the UW or another institution may be used as a substitute for 30 of these credits).
• You must have formed your Supervisory Committee at least four months prior to taking your exam.
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 is required for a graduate degree at the University.
• Registration and completion of a minimum of 2 credits is required for the quarter the oral portion of the General Exam is taken and candidacy is conferred.

In addition, the department requires that :

• All departmental course requirements for the Ph.D. be met.
• The departmental language requirement must be completed.

The General Examination and Final Examination (Dissertation Defense) may not be taken in the same quarter. However, you may take the General Examination one quarter and take the Final Exam the next.

The written portion of the general exam should:

• assess the student's understanding of basic concepts in Women Studies such that the committee is assured that the student is capable of preparing and presenting (a) basic undergraduate course(s) in Women Studies and/or that the student has a basic understanding of feminist theories and their implications for practice in the student's field of interest.
• assess the student's in-depth understanding of research, theory and/or methods of study pertinent to their area of specialization.

The exam should not only review materials covered during past years of training but should encourage the student to synthesize information in new ways that will aid in the development of a solid question for her dissertation research.

The final structure and content of the General Exam is determined by the student's Supervisory Committee. Typically, the student and the committee are expected to work collaboratively to develop the reading list and the exam format and content. Students should be encouraged to meet with committee members individually and as a group to plan questions and reading lists. When necessary, students should be encouraged to engage in Independent Readings (Women 598 or the equivalent) with individual committee members in preparation for the exam.

The typical exam may involve the development of 1 to 3 scholarly papers indicating the student's understanding of major issues related to Women Studies and/or Feminist Theory as well as the student's understanding of past research and current developments in a specific area of research specialization. Exams should be shaped by the student's career goals. For example, students planning academic careers may be asked to generate a syllabus for an introductory course in Women Studies or Feminist Theory/Methodology while those aiming for careers outside academia may be asked to apply general principles of Women Studies/Feminist Theory to the functioning of a public or private agency meeting the needs of women.

Ideally, the format of the written exams should be specified to the satisfaction of the student and the committee during the quarter prior the one during which the exam will occur. The exam plan and any stipulated reading list should be submitted to the Graduate Committee at that time.

The timeframe of the proposed exam will vary with the test format and needs of the individual student and committee. Typically, all written components and the formal oral General Examination would occur within a time span no greater than 10 weeks (1 quarter).

To schedule the oral portion of the general exam, a Request for General Examination form, signed by all the Supervisory Committee members must be submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School at least three weeks prior to proposed date of the oral exam. The committee members' signatures on the request to schedule the exam are verification that the committee members judge the student's academic background and preparation sufficient to justify the undertaking of the general examination. The Dean of the Graduate School approves the warrant only after all Graduate School requirements and the departmental language requirement have been completed.

Requests to schedule the General Exam MUST be made through the Graduate Program Coordinator who will advise graduate students on the filing of the appropriate paperwork. It is the graduate student's responsibility to identify a time for the oral exam that is acceptable to the committee members.

• Oral exams are typically 2 hours in length.
• The supervisory committee chairperson, the Graduate School Representative (GSR), and at least two additional committee members must be present for the general exam.
• The student must be registered for at least 2 credits during the quarter the oral exam is taken and candidacy is conferred.

Oral Exam Structure :

• The specific structure of the oral exam is to be determined by the student and the supervisory committee. Most often this exam will provide an opportunity to follow-up issues arising from the student's performance on the written exams. In many cases a portion of the oral exam period may be spent discussing plans for dissertation research and the relationship between issues raised in the written exams and the student's intended research.
• Typically, issues not addressed in the written exams are not introduced at the time of the oral exam.
• If the committee determines a gap in coverage of the previous exams and desires to include the topic in the oral, the student should be informed of the change prior to the oral exam if at all possible.
• Faculty examiners rate the student's performance on the exam as Pass, Fail or they may recommend re-examination after a period of further study. The Graduate School permits up to two re-examinations.
• Upon satisfactory completion of the General Examination, the warrant will be signed by the Supervisory Committee and returned to the Graduate Program Coordinator. It will then be filed with the Graduate School. The designation of doctoral candidate (Ph.C.) becomes effective the quarter following the one during which the warrant is filed.

• Most full-time students are expected to take the general examination by the end of fall quarter of their 4th year of study. All full-time students are expected to complete the general exam prior to the end of Spring quarter of their 4 th year of study.
• Any full-time student who has not passed the General Examination prior to the first day of classes of her or his 5th year of study may be recommended for Probation until such time as the exam has been successfully completed. Any such student who has not passed the General Examination by the beginning of the third quarter (usually Spring Quarter) of her 5th year of study may be recommended for Final Probation. Petition to extend these deadlines may be made to the Graduate Committee. However, such a petition will be very closely scrutinized and not routinely approved.

• The Graduate School requires at least four months between the time your Supervisory Committee is officially appointed by the Graduate School and the date of your General Examination.
• Three or more weeks before the oral portion of the exam, give the date and time arranged with your committee to the Graduate Program Coordinator who will help you to:

A. schedule a room

B. prepare and send the General Examination application (warrant) to the Graduate School for scheduling the examination.

THE GENERAL EXAMINATION REQUEST MUST BE SIGNED BY YOU AND ALL YOUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AND RECEIVED AT THE GRADUATE SCHOOL AT LEAST 21 CALENDAR DAYS BEFORE THE EXAM DATE.

On the day of the oral General Examination, you or the Chair of your Supervisory Committee should get the warrant from the Graduate Program Coordinator to take to the meeting, if the warrant has not already been placed in your Supervisory Chair's mailbox. After your Supervisory Committee has signed it, return the warrant to the Graduate Program Coordinator.