Comprehensive Examinations

Comprehensive Exam Application Online Form

Students applying for the Summer 2013 Comprehensive Exam will receive confirmation of their application and additional information after the June 1st application deadline.

Many GSEHD programs require students to succesfully complete a comprehensive exam.

After completing all required coursework, all doctoral candidates must successfully complete the doctoral comprehensive exam. The examination must be passed within five years from the start of the doctoral program. For more information on the comprehensive examination, refer to the Doctoral Handbook.

Successful completion of the comprehensive exam is also required for all education specialist programs, as well as for the following master's programs:

• Educational Leadership and Administration
• Educational Technology Leadership
• Bilingual Special Education
• International Education (Option to take comprehensive exam or a 3-credit course)
• Individualized Master's Program
• Elementary Education
• Secondary Education
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Early Childhood Special Education
• Special Education for Children with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities
• Secondary Special Education and Transition Services/Teacher Certification (Non-certification programs may have a portfolio or research project in lieu of a comprehensive exam, or may give an alternative exam.)

Comprehensive exams are offered once per semester, usually in December, April and July for on-campus programs. Off-campus students should contact their programs for specific exam dates.  All students must apply to take the comprehensive examination by the following deadlines:

To determine the exact date for any given sitting please contact Daniel Dupuis at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by telephone at 202-994-9701.

If a student experiences a compelling reason preventing him/her from sitting for the comprehensive examination on the regularly scheduled date and submits the online application by the deadline listed above,  s/he may request a special sitting by completing a Special Sitting Request Form. This form must first be approved by the Examination Field Advisor and then submitted to the Office of Student Services.

In order to be cleared to sit for the comprehensive examination, students must be in good standing and have completed all of their coursework or be in their last semester of coursework (with the exception of 8998 and a level B Research Methods course for doctoral students) and have no Incompletes ("I's") or In Progress Grades ("IPG's") on their record.