Current MS-PhD Student FAQs
What do I need to know about taking my Q Exam?
1. What is the Q Exam?
The Q Exam is the opportunity for your Advisor and Special Committee members to effectively evaluate your academic standing upon entering the MS-PhD program. The results of the exam will determine if there are any shortcomings in your academic background that will need to be supplemented by additional coursework, which will then be determined by both your Advisor and your Special Committee.
2. What is the format of the Q Exam?
The format of the Q Exam is up to the discretion of the student’s Advisor and Special Committee. Generally, it is an oral examination.
3. When do I need to successfully complete the Q Exam?
All MS-PhD students are required to take their Qualifying (Q) Exam preferably before the end of their second semester, and no later than their third semester as a graduate student in ECE. Failure to successfully complete the Q Exam prior to the completion of the third semester will be considered a failure to make satisfactory academic progress, and the ECE Department will no longer be obligated to provide additional funding for your graduate program.
4. How do I reserve a room for my Q Exam?
You will need to select a time that is convenient for you, your Advisor and your Special Committee Members to schedule your Q Exam. If you need to reserve a Conference Room in Phillips Hall, you should contact an ECE Administrative Staff member in 224 Phillips; if a Conference Room in Rhodes Hall is needed, you should contact an ECE Administrative Staff member in 314 Rhodes.
5. What Form do I need to bring with me to my Q Exam?
You are required to bring a blank ECE Qualifying Exam form with you to your Q Exam. Your Advisor and Special Committee Members will need to complete and sign off on the form, indicating the final results of the Q Exam. The Q Exam form can be downloaded and printed here or can be found in hard copy form in the ECE Student Services Office located in 223 Phillips Hall.
6. Where do I submit the completed form after my Q Exam?
You will need to submit the signed and completed original form to Scott Coldren, the Manager of Student Services in the ECE Student Services Office, located in 223 Phillips Hall.
More Information
“I decided to come to Cornell because of the wide diversity it offers in
areas of research and the excellent faculty in the ECE department. Moreover, the flexibility provided in choosing the topics of research makes it a really great place for graduate study.”
- Parvathinathan Venkitasubramaniam, ECE MS/PhD Student