Speciality Comprehensive Examination
Guidelines:
To encourage completion of the specialty
comprehensive examination within the three-year period,
we recommend the following.
1. This examination should normally be completed during
or after the second year. * The thesis proposal cannot
be accepted until the specialty examination is passed.
2. A one-hour oral examination shall precede the thesis
proposal meeting by no more than one month. This examination
shall be conducted by two members of the Department,
one of whom must be the thesis supervisor.
3. Students shall prepare for this examination upon
the basis of a list of readings approved by the thesis
supervisor. (Normally, the student will prepare a
list of no more than 20 readings which must be approved
by the thesis supervisor.) These readings must reflect
the broader area of theory, research, and practice
in which the thesis is to contribute. For example,
a study of vocational adjustment or choice would require
a broader understanding of career development. It
is expected that there might be some ambiguity in
designating the broader area. For example, research
on coping at work might suggest either health psychology
or career development. Ambiguity must be resolved
by the thesis supervisor who designates the specialty
area.
This specialty must be justifiable
as a recognized part of Counselling Psychology (e.g.
career, health or wellness, family, etc.). The student
will prepare a brief statement (e.g., one paragraph),
indicating their area of expertise along with a rationale
for the choice.
4. The student's performance in the oral examination
will be judged by general awareness of the knowledge
base for an area, depth of understanding, and critical
capacity to evaluate issues.
5. Upon completion of the oral examination, the student
will leave the room while the committee deliberates.
The student will be informed immediately of the outcome
of deliberation and the thesis supervisor shall communicate
the result with a memo to the department head. If
the judgment is failure, the memo will specify areas
that require improvement in the student's preparation.
This memo will be placed in the student's file.
6. If the student fails the specialty examination,
but the committee finds the thesis proposal acceptable,
the committee shall suspend formal acceptance until
the specialty examination is passed.
