Counselor Education Doctoral Program

Comprehensive Examination

Each student must take and pass a written comprehensive essay examination prior to admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree.  The comprehensive examination is typically administered the week before the beginning of the fall semester courses (i.e., Thursday 12:00-4:00 and Friday 8:30-12:30). In the spring semester, the comprehensive examination is typically administered Monday and Tuesday the week classes begin (i.e., Monday 12:00-4:00 and Tuesday 8:30-12:30).

Students who have completed the doctoral counselor education concentration courses (with the exception of internship hours are eligible to take the comprehensive examination. Students must inform their advisor of their intent to take the examination the previous semester. The entire comprehensive examination must be completed during the semester in which it is begun. The examination is written and evaluated by Counselor Education faculty members and additional faculty members as appropriate.

The comprehensive examination is taken as a sit down proctored exam. The examination consists of five questions and is given in a two-day sequence, four hours each day with three questions the first day and two questions the second day. Each question is evaluated on a pass/fail basis.

If a student fails any exam question, the student may re-take the failed question(s) the following semester. A retake will consist of question(s) that are similar in content, but not identically repeated questions. No retakes of any question may occur within the same semester. 

Questions focus on traditional areas of counselor education (e.g., the foundations of counselor education [counseling, teaching, and supervision], counseling theory, career development, individual and group counseling, multiculturalism, ethics, research and evaluation). 

Updated 04/27/2009

Contact EPC

525 Jane & David Bailey Education Complex
1122 Volunteer Boulevard
Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-3452

Phone: 865-974-8145
Fax: 865-974-0135