School Update #3: NO more coursework!

10 a.m. this morning I met with my PhD Committee (see school update #2) and they gave me their blessing to move to the next step in the PhD process. Woohoo! That means no more coursework, except that one class that has been a thorn in my side--Quantitative Regression. Ick! So, in the fall I will finish up that course and forever be liberated from taking another MANDATORY PhD course. Let me tell you...I am breathing a sigh of relief. I was unsure whether or not my coursework in Oxford would be counted. Good news...it was without any explanation needed! The next step: Comps (the final exams before dissertation research and writing). During the meeting we discussed potential comps questions and the literature I will need to read/study. This is going to be a busy summer as comps are scheduled for August.

What are comps? Each committee member (there are four) writes a question for the comps exam. Comps take place over four consecutive days. I will receive one question/day and have four hours to answer each question, no books, no notes, just my brain, my typing fingers, and a laptop. We discussed the general idea of each question today and I will receive a (LARGE) reading list from each faculty member to help answer the question. The comps questions are specific to my dissertation topic...so most likely I will have one question on the qualitative method, one on theory, one on policy theory, and one on European higher education reform. Very good!