General Information:
A comprehensive examination is a requirement for the Master of Education and Human Development from the Graduate School of Education at The George Washington University. (It is not a requirement for ETL Graduate Certificate programs.)
When to Take the Exam:
Comprehensive examinations are usually taken during the last term of coursework - on the designated date listed below. Masters degree students also have the option of taking the comprehensive examination the semester after having completed all required coursework. This option is available to students who want additional time to prepare for the exam.
If you choose to take the exam while not also enrolled in courses, you must register for "Continuous Enrollment" by completing the required form below prior to the start date of the semester. Students should indicate “Comprehensive Exam” as reason for Continuous Enrollment.
Required Form: Continuous Enrollment
Comprehensive Exam Request Form:
Students must submit a GSEHD Comprehensive Exam Request Form in order to be eligible to sit for the exam.
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- Spring Graduates : Form Due February 1st
- Summer Graduates : Form Due June 1st
- Fall Graduates : Form Due October 1st
After student completes the Comprehensive Exam Request Form and is cleared for taking the comprehensive exam, the student will receive an email with instructions for accessing and completing the exam. In order to be cleared to sit for the comprehensive examination, students must be in good standing and have completed all of their coursework or be in their last semester of coursework, and have no Incompletes ("I's") or In Progress Grades ("IPG's") on their record.
Exam Time and Dates:
- Spring 2024 Comprehensive Exam Date: April 2, 2024.
- Summer 2024 Comprehensive Exam Date: July 10, 2024.
- Fall 2023 Comprehensive Exam Date: November 29, 2023.
Students will be contacted in advance of the exam date to schedule the specific start time of the exam (between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm Eastern Standard Time). Exam duration is 3 hours.
If a student experiences a compelling reason preventing him/her from sitting for the comprehensive examination on the regularly scheduled date, s/he may request a special sitting by completing a Special Sitting Request Form. This form must first be approved by the Faculty Advisor and then submitted to the Office of Student Services educrep@gwu.edu and the ETL Program Administrative office etladmin@gwu.edu at least 10 business days prior to the date of the requested examination.
Exam Administration:
Students will receive an email with instructions for accessing and completing the exam. The exam is administered via Blackboard in the "My Communities" section. The exam will be made available 15 minutes before the scheduled exam time and students will have three hours to complete the exam.
Proctor:
Proctors are not currently required.
Format:
The exam will be "open resource". You may use books, notes, and online resources, but you may not ask someone else for assistance.
Exam Content :
The ETL comprehensive exam is a capstone assessment of your knowledge and skills in the field of educational technology leadership. The exam consists of a minimum of three essay questions each focusing on the required course content of the program. Students should answer each of the questions as completely as possible using examples and references to course work, readings, and personal experiences to support their position.
Each question focuses on the analysis, synthesis, integration, and application of multiple concepts and techniques taught in ETL courses, giving you the opportunity to demonstrate your mastery in a cross-section of disciplines (e.g., technology development, instructional design, research methods) that comprise the field of educational technology leadership.
As with any paper you submit as part of your graduate education, your responses to the exam questions should provide adequate support for your conclusions. Your responses to each essay question should clearly answer each question. Punctuation, grammar, and spelling should meet the standards of graduate education. References are not required, but in most cases provide additional confirmation of the student's understanding of the concepts addressed in the essay question.
Your exam should use 1" margins, be double-spaced, use appropriate grammar and punctuation, be checked for spelling errors, as well as include page numbers, your name, and the date in the header.
Preparation:
Active course participation and completion of course assignments and readings throughout your program should help prepare you for the test. The exam is practical and application oriented. It seeks to determine your competency with real world issues in education, technology and leadership. To prepare for the comprehensive exam, you should:
- review your notes and readings from the required courses in the ETL Program,
- reflect on your experiences of integrating and applying educational technology theories, tools, and techniques across ETL courses, and,
- identify major themes that you believe can be used to illustrate
your mastery of knowledge and skills taught in the ETL program.
