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The Comprehensive Examination Option
Students enrolled in twelve-month programs in Regional Security Studies and in the 15-month version of the Defense Decision-Making and Planning (687) curricula have the option of satisfying their degree requirements by successfully completing an alternative “thesis substitute program” in place of their Master's Thesis . For Regional Security Studies curricula (681-4), the thesis substitute program will consist of a written Comprehensive Examination during their final quarter in residence and evidence of mastery of a language relevant to the region of study. For Defense Decision-Making and Planning (687), the thesis substitute program will consist of a written Comprehensive Examination during their final quarter in residence and the completion of an additional 12 units of 4000 level coursework. Please note that fulfilling the language requirement for the Regional Security Studies thesis substitute may require postponing graduation until after the completion of language training.
- Students are free to elect either option, consistent with the wishes of their sponsoring organizations—which in some cases require a thesis.
- Eligible students who fail to submit and secure approval for a thesis proposal in accordance with the timetable established by the NSA Department's thesis policy are automatically regarded as having elected to take the Comprehensive Examination in their subject. Conversely, students who, having obtained approval for a thesis proposal, subsequently enroll in NS-810, Thesis Preparation, must complete the thesis in accordance with the Departmental Thesis Policy.
- Students may not elect to take the Comprehensive Examination as a consequence of having failed to write a satisfactory thesis.
Purpose of the Examination
The purpose of the Comprehensive Examination is to provide a basis on which to evaluate a student's ability to synthesize a wide range of information, and to develop analytic arguments based upon a firm knowledge of the relevant facts and the pertinent scholarly literature.
Structure of the Examination
Each examination will consist of two sets of questions, designated Section A and Section B. Students will answer one question from each section.
- Section A—Section A questions are broad in scope. They typically draw on NSA departmental core courses and the student’s curricular core courses. They aim to get students to synthesize material from across different courses. Questions might focus on issues within the international system as a whole, on U.S. policy or strategy toward a particular region or problem, or on other similarly general themes.
- Section B—Section B questions are more narrowly focused. They are often tailored to address material from specific courses the student has taken within their curriculum, either curriculum core classes or electives. Typical questions will focus on politics or security issues within a single country or region, or on a specific problem of strategy, civil-military relations, or the like.
Section A and Section B questions count equally in determining a student's overall grade on the examination.
Administration
- Comprehensive Examinations are "take-home" exams.
- Questions will be distributed on Thursday of the eighth week of each quarter.
- Completed answers must be returned no later than close of business on the following Tuesday.
- Answers are to be submitted in triplicate (one copy for each grader, plus one for the Academic Associate).
- Each answer should be eight to ten pages in length, double-spaced, using 12-point type with one inch margins.
Students should refer to relevant course readings and other sources as appropriate, and provide full citations to all sources referenced.
- Fancy covers or binding should be avoided.
Composition and Grading
- Comprehensive Examinations are composed by an Examination Committee consisting of two NSA faculty members familiar with a student's academic background and preparation.
- Students are invited to inform the Academic Associate for Area Studies of the names of those faculty members whom the student regards as most appropriate to serve on his or her committee. The final choice of committee members, and final approval of examination questions, rests with the Academic Associate.
- Completed examinations are graded by the Examination Committee. Three grades are possible: Pass With Distinction, Pass, and Fail. In the event the members of the Committee disagree, the tie will be broken by the Academic Associate.
Preparation
All students who take the Comprehensive Examination enroll in NS-811, Preparation for Comprehensive Examination, during their final quarter. NS-811 affords students time to fill in whatever gaps may exist in their knowledge of the literature in their field, to rectify deficiencies that may have become apparent during prior course work, or to pursue topics of particular interest in greater depth. Appropriate preparation methods will vary greatly among individuals. All those taking the exam are urged to consult periodically with the members of their examination committee to ensure that their efforts are properly focused. The examination's take-home format is intended to afford students an opportunity to prepare sophisticated, well-argued, polished responses to difficult questions. Students should prepare for the examination with these basic expectations in mind.
Recourse in the Event of Failure
A student who fails the written Comprehensive Examination will be offered the opportunity to take an Oral Examination, administered by the Examination Committee, the Academic Associate, and one other member of the NSA department, appointed by the Department Chair. Oral examinations are administered during the eleventh week of the term, and last between two and three hours. Only two grades—Pass and Fail—are possible. A student must obtain three votes out of four to pass. Failure of the oral examination is final.
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