Welcome to the comprehensive exam.

Below are some guidelines to help you with the completion of your exam.

1. Make sure you answer the questions explicitly and clearly.

The most common comprehensive examination mistake is failure to explicitly and clearly

answer the question that was asked. Read the question very carefully and make sure that

you offer an explicit answer to it. Do not rely on the readers to draw out implicit answers.

2. Make appropriate reference to the literature.

You will be expected to support assertions that you make in your answer with references

to the appropriate literature. These should be documented in the form of citations and a

reference list, formatted according to APA style rules.

3. Write full answers that are logically structured.

As in all writing, structure and organization are important to effective communication.

Just because there is a time limit is no excuse for jumbled, incoherent writing. Take the

time to think through and outline your argument and its structure before you write. As in

all professional writing, an appropriate set of headings and clear explicit language can

help communicate your ideas. Providing a concise conclusion for each response can help

you summarize your central point and reassure the readers that you have, in fact,

explicitly answered the question.

4. Make an argument.

As a scholar prepared to embark on independent dissertation work, it is important that

you demonstrate an ability to effectively articulate your own views. The comprehensive

examination is not just about knowing what is contained in the literature. It is also about

demonstrating that you can think about management and economic issues critically and

come to your own conclusions. Avoid wishy-washy answers that simply describe some of

the ideas extant in the field and then conclude that they are all correct. Take a stand and

defend it with appropriate theoretical, analytical, and empirical material.

5. Length

It is expected that the answer to each question on the exam will range between 5 and 10

pages in length.

6. Allowed Assistance

D.B.A. students may speak or write to the Program Director for clarification on the

examination questions. The program director will not be available on weekends to answer

questions.

Students may seek the help of Saint Mary's University of Minnesota library staff in

obtaining specific resources.

7. Not allowed assistance

***Students may not ask librarians to perform general searches during the comp

exam process.

***D.B.A. students may not discuss the questions, approach, strategy, or anything

pertaining to the comprehensive examination with any person, internal or external to

Saint Mary's of University of Minnesota at any time during the comprehensive exam

process until they have received their final outcome.