Monday, May 29, 2006
Comprehensive Dates and Guidelines
Students from the 2005 Cohort and Thesis Supervisors,
In November 2006 students from the Doctoral program in Population Health, cohort 2005, will be completing their comprehensive examination. You will find enclosed the guidelines.
On Wednesday, November 1, a paper copy of the three questions will be available from the PhD in Population Health program office, 1 Stewart Street , room 302B, Roseline Savage, as of 09:00 a.m. Each student must pick up their questions in person. Your signature will be required to confirm that you have received the questions. Please note that the questions will not be sent by email. You will have 14 days to respond to the questions.
On the 14th day, Tuesday, November 14, you will submit 4 copies of your paper by 16:00 to Roseline Savage. Please do not submit your responses by email. This year there will be 12 students completing their comprehensive exams. At the last PhD in Population Health program meeting, April 12, the committee agreed that there will be 2 days of presentations, 2 sets of jury members and one chair for both sessions. Members of the jury will be determined at a later date. There will be 6 students presenting on Monday, November 27 and the other 6 on Tuesday, November 28. See attached schedule.
(I am at 9:00 am on November 28th)
The oral presentations will be held at the Institute of Population Health , room 223. An LCD projector and a laptop will be available.
__________________________________________________________
PhD IN POPULATION HEALTH
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION GUIDELINES
Prerequisites
Completion of three core courses for Population Health Program; POP 8910, POP8920 and POP8930.
Background - Program Objectives
The objective of the Population Health PhD program is to prepare graduates with the skills needed to:
· Generate new knowledge for, and thus advance the science of population health.
· Undertake transdisciplinary analyses of complex population health problems.
· Apply rigorous scientific methods to studies of population health.
· Function as effective members of transdisciplinary research and implementation teams.
On program completion, graduates are expected to have acquired analytic, research and behavioral skills to:
· Assemble, synthesize and analyze complex data from diverse sources to provide a comprehensive description of a population health problem and its causes or determinants.
· Draw valid conclusions from multiple sources of evidence to formulate clear and appropriate recommendations for research, practice and/or policy.
· Demonstrate insight as to the ways in which various disciplines may contribute to the analysis of complex population health issues.
· Demonstrate a repertoire of research skills applicable to population health problems in one or more domains for the framework.
· Demonstrate advanced use of research skills appropriate to the in-depth study of a population health issue in one domain of the framework.
· Articulate strengths and limitations of qualitative and quantitative research methods for investigating different types of population health problems.
· Perform in-depth analyses of, and describe interactions among, one or more of the following: determinants of health, intervention components, or intersectoral policies.
· Effectively contribute as a member of a transdisciplinary team.
· Appropriately summarize complex ideas and research findings for policy-makers and health professionals.
Overview of Comprehensive Exams
Students in the Population Health PhD program are expected to demonstrate a breadth of knowledge in the field of population health (as defined by the PhD program framework). Your mastery of this breadth of knowledge is evaluated through two distinct mechanisms: a set of questions and an oral defense of your answers to these.
Objectives
The specific objectives for the comprehensive exams are:
1. To assess your knowledge and application of core competencies in the field of population health.
2. To assess your ability to select, critique, interpret and synthesize relevant data and quality evidence to address population health problems.
3. To determine your ability to articulate and defend orally your written responses to questions pertaining to population health issues.
4. To assess your competence as a critical consumer of interdisciplinary qualitative and quantitative research in the field of population health.
Comprehensive Exam Components
Comprehensive exams have been designed based on the following principles:
· Several domains of competence will be evaluated: a) core competencies in the field of population health, b) problem-solving and critical analysis of population health issues requiring intervention and c) ability to formulate and orally defend written answers to specific sets of questions.
· In order to test the breadth of your knowledge in the field of population health, problems selected for the comprehensive exam will be independent of your thesis topic.
· Examining juries will be comprised of an interdisciplinary team of faculty.
Trajectory
The two evaluation mechanisms used for comprehensive examinations are outlined below.
· A set of three questions with a two-week deadline to respond to all of them..
· An oral defense of written responses two weeks after the submission of your written answers.
1. The set of three questions (provided in both French and English) is designed to assess fundamental competencies for the field of population health. These questions will focus on:
- the learning objectives of the scientific paradigms, investigative methods and population health intervention core courses, and
- the five core knowledge areas of the program.
You will have 14 days to respond.
During this period, you are not permitted to consult with your thesis supervisor or any members of the examination jury regarding your written responses or the oral defense of your answers.
Your answers should have a maximum of 3-4 pages in 1.5 spacing, 12 point-font pages per question (excluding references and appendix). You may write them in English or in French, but only one language must be used throughout. Quotations should follow this definition: A passage taken verbatim from a source text and entered on a terminology record, with reference to the source. Also refer to the University rules on plagiarism www.uOttawa.ca/plagiarism.pdf.
On the 14th day you will submit four copies of your paper to Roseline Savage, Academic Assistant, by 16:00. Roseline will then submit the copies to the jury members and chair. If you wish you can also send your paper by email to the jury members (please note that this is not compulsory).
This component of the comprehensive exam will be worth 80%.
2. An oral defense of the three questions will take place fourteen days following submission of your written answers.
- You will have 20 minutes to present a formal and polished oral defense of your written answers.
- A 20 to 30 minute period of questioning by the examining jury will follow.
- You will choose your preferred language for the questions asked during the oral presentation. Both English and French may be used but must not be mixed in the same sentence.
This component of the comprehensive exam will be worth 20% (oral presentation 5%; defense of written responses 15%).
Following the submission of the written answers and the oral defense the examining jury will submit a grade (satisfactory/not satisfactory) to the Academic Assistant. You will be advised of this grade through an e-mail from the Academic Assistant.
Timing of Comprehensive Exams
Comprehensive examinations will be offered once a year, normally in October/November, and should be completed during the second year of the program.
Comprehensive Examination Jury
The membership of the jury is determined as follows:
- The jury will be chaired by the Director of the Population Health PhD Program, except if he/she is your Thesis Supervisor. In such case, the jury will be chaired by a faculty member appointed by the Graduate Program Committee.
- Your thesis supervisor may not sit on the jury for your comprehensive exam. The Program Director will not be present for the examination of his/her students.
- Two jury members will be selected by the Graduate Program Committee.
- Potential supervisors in the Population Health program are eligible as jury members.
- Jury members will be from two different disciplines and from two different faculties.
- For each component of the exam, there will be one jury member with a qualitative research background and a second jury member with a quantitative research background.
- Normally, at least one member of the written questions jury will be common to all of the students.
- One jury member will have active language ability in French; the other will have active language ability in English. Both will have passive language ability in the other official language (as defined by the University of Ottawa).
- The chair of the jury will cast the deciding vote where the two voting jury members are unable to agree on a pass or failure for an exam component.
Failures
Students must pass both components of the comprehensive exam.
The oral portions of the exams will be taped in the case of an appeal for a failure.
All Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies regulations regarding comprehensive exams apply (http://www.grad.uottawa.ca/regulations/examinations_grading/comprehensive_examination.html). ¶ 1:10 p.m.
In November 2006 students from the Doctoral program in Population Health, cohort 2005, will be completing their comprehensive examination. You will find enclosed the guidelines.
On Wednesday, November 1, a paper copy of the three questions will be available from the PhD in Population Health program office, 1 Stewart Street , room 302B, Roseline Savage, as of 09:00 a.m. Each student must pick up their questions in person. Your signature will be required to confirm that you have received the questions. Please note that the questions will not be sent by email. You will have 14 days to respond to the questions.
On the 14th day, Tuesday, November 14, you will submit 4 copies of your paper by 16:00 to Roseline Savage. Please do not submit your responses by email. This year there will be 12 students completing their comprehensive exams. At the last PhD in Population Health program meeting, April 12, the committee agreed that there will be 2 days of presentations, 2 sets of jury members and one chair for both sessions. Members of the jury will be determined at a later date. There will be 6 students presenting on Monday, November 27 and the other 6 on Tuesday, November 28. See attached schedule.
(I am at 9:00 am on November 28th)
The oral presentations will be held at the Institute of Population Health , room 223. An LCD projector and a laptop will be available.
__________________________________________________________
PhD IN POPULATION HEALTH
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION GUIDELINES
Prerequisites
Completion of three core courses for Population Health Program; POP 8910, POP8920 and POP8930.
Background - Program Objectives
The objective of the Population Health PhD program is to prepare graduates with the skills needed to:
· Generate new knowledge for, and thus advance the science of population health.
· Undertake transdisciplinary analyses of complex population health problems.
· Apply rigorous scientific methods to studies of population health.
· Function as effective members of transdisciplinary research and implementation teams.
On program completion, graduates are expected to have acquired analytic, research and behavioral skills to:
· Assemble, synthesize and analyze complex data from diverse sources to provide a comprehensive description of a population health problem and its causes or determinants.
· Draw valid conclusions from multiple sources of evidence to formulate clear and appropriate recommendations for research, practice and/or policy.
· Demonstrate insight as to the ways in which various disciplines may contribute to the analysis of complex population health issues.
· Demonstrate a repertoire of research skills applicable to population health problems in one or more domains for the framework.
· Demonstrate advanced use of research skills appropriate to the in-depth study of a population health issue in one domain of the framework.
· Articulate strengths and limitations of qualitative and quantitative research methods for investigating different types of population health problems.
· Perform in-depth analyses of, and describe interactions among, one or more of the following: determinants of health, intervention components, or intersectoral policies.
· Effectively contribute as a member of a transdisciplinary team.
· Appropriately summarize complex ideas and research findings for policy-makers and health professionals.
Overview of Comprehensive Exams
Students in the Population Health PhD program are expected to demonstrate a breadth of knowledge in the field of population health (as defined by the PhD program framework). Your mastery of this breadth of knowledge is evaluated through two distinct mechanisms: a set of questions and an oral defense of your answers to these.
Objectives
The specific objectives for the comprehensive exams are:
1. To assess your knowledge and application of core competencies in the field of population health.
2. To assess your ability to select, critique, interpret and synthesize relevant data and quality evidence to address population health problems.
3. To determine your ability to articulate and defend orally your written responses to questions pertaining to population health issues.
4. To assess your competence as a critical consumer of interdisciplinary qualitative and quantitative research in the field of population health.
Comprehensive Exam Components
Comprehensive exams have been designed based on the following principles:
· Several domains of competence will be evaluated: a) core competencies in the field of population health, b) problem-solving and critical analysis of population health issues requiring intervention and c) ability to formulate and orally defend written answers to specific sets of questions.
· In order to test the breadth of your knowledge in the field of population health, problems selected for the comprehensive exam will be independent of your thesis topic.
· Examining juries will be comprised of an interdisciplinary team of faculty.
Trajectory
The two evaluation mechanisms used for comprehensive examinations are outlined below.
· A set of three questions with a two-week deadline to respond to all of them..
· An oral defense of written responses two weeks after the submission of your written answers.
1. The set of three questions (provided in both French and English) is designed to assess fundamental competencies for the field of population health. These questions will focus on:
- the learning objectives of the scientific paradigms, investigative methods and population health intervention core courses, and
- the five core knowledge areas of the program.
You will have 14 days to respond.
During this period, you are not permitted to consult with your thesis supervisor or any members of the examination jury regarding your written responses or the oral defense of your answers.
Your answers should have a maximum of 3-4 pages in 1.5 spacing, 12 point-font pages per question (excluding references and appendix). You may write them in English or in French, but only one language must be used throughout. Quotations should follow this definition: A passage taken verbatim from a source text and entered on a terminology record, with reference to the source. Also refer to the University rules on plagiarism www.uOttawa.ca/plagiarism.pdf.
On the 14th day you will submit four copies of your paper to Roseline Savage, Academic Assistant, by 16:00. Roseline will then submit the copies to the jury members and chair. If you wish you can also send your paper by email to the jury members (please note that this is not compulsory).
This component of the comprehensive exam will be worth 80%.
2. An oral defense of the three questions will take place fourteen days following submission of your written answers.
- You will have 20 minutes to present a formal and polished oral defense of your written answers.
- A 20 to 30 minute period of questioning by the examining jury will follow.
- You will choose your preferred language for the questions asked during the oral presentation. Both English and French may be used but must not be mixed in the same sentence.
This component of the comprehensive exam will be worth 20% (oral presentation 5%; defense of written responses 15%).
Following the submission of the written answers and the oral defense the examining jury will submit a grade (satisfactory/not satisfactory) to the Academic Assistant. You will be advised of this grade through an e-mail from the Academic Assistant.
Timing of Comprehensive Exams
Comprehensive examinations will be offered once a year, normally in October/November, and should be completed during the second year of the program.
Comprehensive Examination Jury
The membership of the jury is determined as follows:
- The jury will be chaired by the Director of the Population Health PhD Program, except if he/she is your Thesis Supervisor. In such case, the jury will be chaired by a faculty member appointed by the Graduate Program Committee.
- Your thesis supervisor may not sit on the jury for your comprehensive exam. The Program Director will not be present for the examination of his/her students.
- Two jury members will be selected by the Graduate Program Committee.
- Potential supervisors in the Population Health program are eligible as jury members.
- Jury members will be from two different disciplines and from two different faculties.
- For each component of the exam, there will be one jury member with a qualitative research background and a second jury member with a quantitative research background.
- Normally, at least one member of the written questions jury will be common to all of the students.
- One jury member will have active language ability in French; the other will have active language ability in English. Both will have passive language ability in the other official language (as defined by the University of Ottawa).
- The chair of the jury will cast the deciding vote where the two voting jury members are unable to agree on a pass or failure for an exam component.
Failures
Students must pass both components of the comprehensive exam.
The oral portions of the exams will be taped in the case of an appeal for a failure.
All Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies regulations regarding comprehensive exams apply (http://www.grad.uottawa.ca/regulations/examinations_grading/comprehensive_examination.html). ¶ 1:10 p.m.
