Exams

Comprehensive Exams

First-year PhD students will take a Microeconomics and an Econometrics comprehensive exam. They are offered at the end of May and the end of August. Each test may be taken twice. Successfully passing these exams ensures your continuation in the PhD program. The University of Wyoming requires all graduate students to maintain a 3.00 or higher GPA. If a student falls below a 3.00 GPA, they will be placed on academic probation. If the GPA is not raised to 3.00 or higher in the subsequent semester, the student will be placed on academic suspension and asked to leave the university for a minimum of one semester. We will not allow students on academic probation or suspension to sit for the qualifying exams in May or August.

Field Exams

PhD students are required to pass two field exams. These exams may not be taken before the student has an approved Program of Study on file in the Registrar’s Office. The format and conduct of the field exams are determined by the student's committee and department. The exams are normally given in May, August, and/or January.

Admission to Candidacy

PhD students are admitted to candidacy once they have successfully passed the comprehensive exams. The examination results must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar on the Report on Preliminary Examination for Admission to Candidacy form, together with the Committee Assignment form and Program of Study form. Master’s students are admitted to candidacy after the Program of Study has been accepted and approved by their department head and the dean of the College.

Time to Completion

PhD students have four calendar years after the successful completion of the preliminary examination to complete their degree. Master’s students have six years to complete their degrees, beginning with the semester of the oldest course listed on the Program of Study.