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Hi Lukas,

At the University of Washington (in Seattle) comps for OB/HR students consist of three exam sessions on the fields of HR, OB, and research methods respectively. These sessions are 5 hours each and spaced about one week apart. In each exam session students are required to answer 3 of 5 questions and it is closed book and closed notes.

Hope this helps.

Brad


_________________________________________
Brad Owens
Doctoral Candidate
Management and Organization
Michael G. Foster School of Business
University of Washington
(206)543-0552

On Wed, 30 Jan 2008, Blake Ashforth wrote:

> Hi Lukas:
> At Arizona State U., our comps are as follows: Day 1, students do 1 of 2
> Strategy/OT questions, 1 of 2 OB/HR questions, and 1 of 2 Research
> Methods questions; Day 2, they do 1 of 2 OB/HR OR Strategy/OT questions,
> depending on their speciality, and 1 of 1 specialty questions, written
> specifically for them. They have 3 hours for each question, open book,
> open notes (we email the exam to them so they can take it wherever they
> want). They have a day off between Day 1 and Day 2.
> Blake
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> Blake Ashforth
> Rusty Lyon Chair
> Department of Management
> W. P. Carey School of Business
> Arizona State University
> Tempe, AZ 85287-4006 USA
> (480) 965-0917 fax (480) 965-8314
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Organizational Behavior Division Listserv
> [mailto:OB@AOMLISTS.pace.edu] On Behalf Of Lukas Neville
> Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 9:44 AM
> To: OB@AOMLISTS.pace.edu
> Subject: Comprehensive Exam Formats?
>
>
> Hello all,
>
> I'm a Ph.D. student in Organizational Behaviour, and I'm quickly
> approaching the end of my coursework. This means, of course, that I am
> facing my comprehensive exams this summer. I'm in something of a
> fortunate position: The format of the comps is being reviewed, and
> there is the opportunity to provide some input.
>
> As a first step, I'm hoping to gather a snapshot of current
> practice. If Listserv readers would be willing to describe the format
> and requirements of their OB comprehensive exams, I would be pleased to
> collate the responses and share a summary document with the list.
>
> As an aside, I would also be interested in whether the topic of
> comp design has attracted any attention in the management teaching
> literature. I scanned through the archives of AMLE and didn't turn
> anything up. Pointers to coverage of this topic elsewhere would be
> appreciated (and will be included with the summary of responses!)
>
> All the best,
>
> Lukas
>
>
> --
> Lukas Neville
> --
> Ph.D. Student, Organizational Behaviour
> Queen's School of Business
> --
> 443 Goodes Hall, 143 Union St.
> Queen's University
> Kingston, Ontario K7L 3E7
> --
> lukasneville@tricolour.queensu.ca
> (613) 331-0196
>
>

Hi Lukas



I feel very fortunate to be a doctoral student in the PhD in Leadership and Change Program at Antioch University where the emphasis is on student learning and where the faculty practice what they preach. We don't have comprehensive exams but rather a series of fifteen learning achievements that must be submitted over the course of the program in order to progress to candidacy and dissertation. While the program is not specifically OB the concept still works.



For an overview of what these required achievements look like see the link below:



http://www.phd.antioch.edu/Pages/APhDWeb_Program/learningareas



You may also wish to consult a provocative new book The Formation of Scholars:Rethinking Doctoral Education for the Twenty-First Century that raises questions that will no doubt make some uncomfortable.


http://www.josseybass.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470197439.html



As a student I find this format to be a far more effective way for me to demonstrate my learning than the comps (a.k.a. hoop jumping) that I endured in previous graduate iterations. As a business faculty member at a community college where a significant percentage of students in my classes are non-traditional, my experience in this program has changed the way that I approach the classes I teach. While the positive feedback I'm getting from my students is great, even better is the amazing quality of work that many of them are submitting. There are better ways to "do" adult education and assuming that those who are to the level of doctoral comps are adults, forcing these outdated rituals because it is way we had to do it is just plain dumb. It sounds like your faculty are already engaged in a conversation about the purpose of comprehensive exams and hopefully your efforts and input will lead to rethinking the process at Queens. Best wishes!



Beth


Beth Valicenti
Professor, Accounting and Business
Community College of Beaver County
Monaca, PA 15061


________________________________

From: Organizational Behavior Division Listserv on behalf of Lukas Neville
Sent: Wed 1/30/2008 11:43 AM
To: OB@AOMLISTS.pace.edu
Subject: Comprehensive Exam Formats?


Hello all,

I'm a Ph.D. student in Organizational Behaviour, and I'm quickly approaching the end of my coursework. This means, of course, that I am facing my comprehensive exams this summer. I'm in something of a fortunate position: The format of the comps is being reviewed, and there is the opportunity to provide some input.

As a first step, I'm hoping to gather a snapshot of current practice. If Listserv readers would be willing to describe the format and requirements of their OB comprehensive exams, I would be pleased to collate the responses and share a summary document with the list.

As an aside, I would also be interested in whether the topic of comp design has attracted any attention in the management teaching literature. I scanned through the archives of AMLE and didn't turn anything up. Pointers to coverage of this topic elsewhere would be appreciated (and will be included with the summary of responses!)

All the best,

Lukas


--
Lukas Neville
--
Ph.D. Student, Organizational Behaviour
Queen's School of Business
--
443 Goodes Hall, 143 Union St.
Queen's University
Kingston, Ontario K7L 3E7
--
lukasneville@tricolour.queensu.ca
(613) 331-0196