Oral candidacy exams: An investigation of student perspectives

Candidacy exams are required of all graduate programs. However, the format and scope of candidacy exams differs from one department to the next. Literature on the purpose, format, and efficacy of candidacy exams is scarce.  Our study seeks to contribute to the body of literature on candidacy exams in physics. In this phenomenological study, we are interested in the perspective of those who are most impacted by candidacy exams: the students taking them. To narrow the scope of our study, we focus particularly on oral candidacy exams. We utilize social developmental network theory in the conceptual framework for our study. Developmental networks are groups of people who take an active interest in and action toward advancing a protégé’s career. In this work we will investigate what developmental networks or groups of people support graduate students through the process of preparing for and completing oral candidacy exams. Preliminary results based on one-one-one semi-structured interviews will be presented.