PhD Qualifying Exam Guidelines

Purpose of the Qualifying Examination

The Ph.D. Qualifying Examination is a key milestone in the EMSE doctoral program. Its purpose is to:

  • Confirm doctoral readiness by evaluating foundational knowledge, research aptitude, and scholarly thinking

  • Support advisor matching for students who have not yet identified a Ph.D. supervisor

  • Ensure students are prepared to conduct original research and contribute meaningfully to the field of systems engineering

Successful completion indicates readiness to proceed as a Ph.D. student and, when applicable, to establish a dissertation advisor.

Examination Components

1. Scholarly Literature Evaluation (ca. 30 minutes)

  • Approximately two weeks prior to the exam, students will receive 6–8 scholarly articles
  • Students must select three articles for examination
  • Students should not present the articles, but will receive questions from faculty present during the examination that span across core themes and methodologies in the respective fields
  • Evaluation focuses on:
    • Comprehension and synthesis
    • Critical analysis
    • Ability to connect literature to broader research challenges in the field

2. Fifteen-Minute Research Presentation

Students will deliver a 15-minute presentation using the department-provided template. This presentation introduces the student as an emerging researcher and helps faculty assess the alignment of the student's research.

Download the PowerPoint template to prepare your presentation.

The presentation should include:

  • Student Introduction (Academic background and preparation for doctoral research)
  • Research Motivation (Why the topic matters and the problem being addressed)
  • Initial Literature Review (Key themes, gaps, and framing of the research area)
  • Prior Research or Publications (if applicable)
  • Anticipated Impact and Contributions (Potential contributions to theory, practice, or society

Students should be prepared to expand beyond slides and respond to faculty questions.

Additional Preparation

(Especially for Students Without an Advisor)

Students who have not yet secured a Ph.D. supervisor are expected to prepare additional materials, which may include:

  • A one-page research white paper outlining:
  • Intended research focus
  • Preliminary research questions
  • Anticipated methods or data sources
  • Alignment with faculty expertise

These materials may be shared with EMSE faculty to help identify prospective advisors. Here is the list of EMSE faculty currently accepting Ph.D. students: