Comprehensive Exams

Students applying for the Summer 2022 Comprehensive Exam/Portfolio will receive confirmation of their application and additional information after the June 1st application deadline. Click here to complete the comprehensive exam application form.

Many GSEHD programs require students to successfully 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 some education specialist programs, as well as for the following master's programs:

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:

Semester of Exam	Application Deadline
Fall Sitting	October 1st
Spring Sitting	February 1st
Summer Sitting	June 1st

To determine the exact date for any given sitting please contact Marc Wollenschlaeger at gsehdosl@gwu.edu or by telephone at 202-994-9701. You may also refer to the Critical Dates.

If a student experiences a compelling reason preventing him/her from sitting for the comprehensive examination on the regularly scheduled date, s/he may request a special sitting by completing a Special Sitting Request Form. This form must first be approved by the Faculty Advisor and then submitted to the Office of Student Services at least 10 business days prior to the date of the requested examination.

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.

All students must be enrolled in the semester in which they sit for the comprehensive examination. Master's students who have completed all coursework may prepare for and sit for the comprehensive examination in Continuous Enrollment (CE) status. Should a retake of the examination be necessary, Master’s students who have already reached their two semester limit for CE are required to sign up for the 0920-Continuing Research course, which carries a fee equivalent to one credit hour of tuition.

Students who have failed to pass the Master's comprehensive examination twice may not sit for the exam a third time without the approval of the Master's Appeals Committee.