Students are required to complete a variety of exam to progress to degree. Reading lists for each track’s field exam can be found below. Students are also required to complete the qualifying exam and dissertation exam. More information about all exams can be found in the CSLC Graduate Student Handbook and on the USC Graduate School’s site.
Field Exam Reading List
The screening examination, known as the field exam in CSLC, is a designed to evaluate student’s competencies in core concepts related to their field of study. Each area has their own reading list as a foundation for those concepts.
Faculty advisor administers the exam in conjunction with faculty that work in the area of competency. Typically these are faculty a student has taken course work with.
Per the USC Catalogue, the field exam should be taken by the time the student has completed 24 units in the program.
Qualifying Examination
After completing nearly all coursework requirements for their track as well as the field exam, students will enroll in CSLC 700, Writing the Prospectus, and GRSC 800, Studies for the Qualifying Exam. GRSC-800 ensures full-time enrollment (0 units = 6 units/full-time enrollment).
The qualifying exam committee requires five faculty, which includes the faculty chair of the committee. All Dornsife qualifying exam committees require an outside member, defined as a faculty outside the student’s program but internal to USC.
Students are responsible for completing top portion and the committee the PDF committee form and sending it to the Staff Graduate Advisor to distribute for signatures (link below).
More information about this exam can be found in the Graduate Studies Handbook and on the USC Graduate School website.
Dissertation
The dissertation is the collimating step in the doctoral program. Following the completion of the qualifying exam, students will begin researching and writing the dissertation. To maintain full-time enrollment, students will enroll in the series of CSLC 794 dissertation courses.
The dissertation committee requires three faculty, which includes the faculty chair of the committee. All Dornsife dissertation committees require an outside member, defined as a faculty outside the student’s program but internal to USC.
Students are responsible for completing top portion and the committee the PDF committee form and sending it to the Staff Graduate Advisor to distribute for signatures (link below).
More information about this exam can be found in the Graduate Studies Handbook and on the USC Graduate School website.