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Posted

I'm about a semester away from writing my comp exam for my MA in history. I've read through the graduate handbook and will be discussing this with my advisor, but I thought I'd ask around for the types of books that make up an exam list?

Do we include all the books from the classes we've taken, or just classes relevant to our field? Do we satisfy our advisor and second chair (the only ones who ask questions on the exam)? Or do we make an effort to broaden our scope? Can we include books we've never formally studied for a class, but like, or think relevant? Do we include pure theory or method texts?

Just curious what people who have taken the exams did or what others who will be taking them will do. :)

Posted

I took mine last spring, and every department is different. In my program, the written comps tested us in the classes we had in each of the classes we had with our committee members. I took one class with one prof, two with another, and four with my thesis chair. Any of these classes and the materials covered were fair game. Each prof provided two questions, and I chose one to write on for an hour. So, it was basically three hours of vomiting words. I wrote a thesis, so I did not have to take the oral comps. If I had done the non-thesis track, all of the classes I took over the two years I was in the program would have been fair game. We didn't have an additional book list assigned for our comps. Good luck!

Posted

Hey thanks, sandyvanb! Studying texts used in the classes taught by the people on your committee makes complete sense. I'm going to start drawing up my list with those so I have something to show my advisor when we meet.

Posted

TRR--

A suggestion. Formulate a list of issues/questions that can define the 'big picture' of your field and tie in most (if not all) of the works on your list so that they are in conversation with each other.

HTH.

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