Masters and PhD students are required to take comprehensive exams to satisfy graduation requirement. This process is common for PhD programs however it is less common for masters programs. Specifically, during the closed door session after the public presentation of the thesis the graduate student’s committee is expected to query the student about the thesis and discipline specific knowledge. Recent examinations, particularly at the masters level, have been abysmal. Likely in part due to insufficient guidance from the advisor, insufficient preparation by the student, and lack of overall clarity. To that end the material in this document outlines what learning objectives we expect students engaged in research in our lab to be able to achieve during their time at Mississippi State University. These learning objectives will also provide clear guidance to prepare for your final comprehensive exam.
PhD students require completion of a rigorous comprehensive written and oral examination prior to transitioning to PhD candidate status. This process is directed by the committee and therefore should be more clear as to roles and expectations but it is incumbent on the student to identify any points that are unclear.
The content below is organized into broad categories that we believe a practicing fish or fisheries biologist or manager should be able to competently do. There are obvious expectations to some of these depending on your anticipated career.