Content Areas and Reading Lists
The HCC Comprehensive Examination covers the HCC Comprehensive Review Reading List. This list is also used by students from the IS PhD program.
Updates to the reading lists are announced by July 1.
Students are responsible for notifying the Graduate Program Director about when they propose to take the exam. They should make contact by email by the Friday of the first week of the Fall semester. Students are expected to be knowledgeable regarding the articles on the HCC reading list. They are also expected to integrate material into their exam answers from the research methodology courses they have taken.
Written Exam
All students will take the written exam on the same day and at the same time (see timetable for more details). Students will have access to all articles (in print format) and personal notes. Students cannot access electronic files or the Internet during the exam. The students will receive one or more questions to reflect the reading list. They will type their answers on a computer provided by the Department.
Students are expected to adhere to the UMBC Policy on Academic Integrity. The answers to the questions must be original work and not contain material previously written by the students for assignments or other purposes. The student is free to cite material from the reading list.
When answering questions in the written exam, students are free to make any reasonable assumptions and should clearly state these assumptions as a prelude to the answer. While an examinee is free to ask the GPD for clarification of a question, it is important to realize that understanding the question and possible approaches to answering it are part of the examination.
The written exam will be evaluated by the faculty committee. Anonymity is not guaranteed during this process.
Portfolio Review
Exactly two weeks after the exam, each examinee must also submit a portfolio that includes:
- Name of advisor
- List of courses taken and grades achieved
- Self-assessment of progress so far including strengths and weaknesses
- Copies of all papers (published as well as unpublished course papers)
- Dissertation plans
In order to develop a successful portfolio, students are recommended to demonstrate how their learning has grown since starting the graduate program, offering evidence from their completed assignments, projects and publications. This should be done in a reflective fashion. Students are recommended to place emphasis on developing the self-assessment of progress and plans for the intended dissertation. Both should be explained in sufficient detail. Contributions to knowledge should also be described.
The portfolio will be evaluated by the Comprehensive Review Committee. The HCC GPD has the right to requests revisions to the Portfolio and to defer decision if a revision was necessary