Skip to main content Link Menu Expand (external link) Copy Copied
Kulkarni Group Handbook

Qualifying Examinations

Table of contents

  1. Qualifying Examinations
    1. Qualifying Examination
      1. What to Expect
    2. Writing the Dissertation
    3. Pro-Tips

Qualifying Examination

What to Expect

The qualifying examination, or QE, is an oral exam typically taken in the spring quarter of your second year. It consists of a 30 minute presentation along with questions from the commitee which typically takes 2.5 hours. The focus of the presentation is to outline your research plan for the rest of your Ph.D., including previous research, theory, and a timeline for future work.

Writing the Dissertation

Your dissertation is a 10-15 page document where you summarize the background, proposed work, and preliminary results for your research. It is easiest to write your dissertation after you are mostly done making your slides, so that the two can be coherent. See the writing section for advice on how to write your dissertation. The group maintains past QE dissertations on Box, use these as a guide.

Pro-Tips

  1. An easy QE is just a well prepared QE. You got this!

  2. Make a full rough draft of QE presentation over winter break.

  3. Practice in January with a few different people, make changes.

  4. Get the low-down on professors and schedule the exam ASAP to make the stress real. Scheduling time with 5 professors is hard so do this at least 3 months in advance

  5. 2 months before the exam, regularly by yourself with slides, then eventually without slides, burn the images and words into your memory. Daniel did this while walking to get in exercise and learn to change attention.

  6. Questions will come up in your head, find the answers if unknown and practice answering during solo practice too.

  7. Practice with group(s), multiple times! Daniel did 5 full practices in the Moule group. Practice until its easy.

  8. Gather other people’s questions and feedback on your slides, make sure you know the answers to questions and incorporate feedback.

  9. Your committee members are encouraged to sit with you and hear your QE, take advantage of that. You can ask them which topics they are interested in and utilize that to anticipate questions and know what parts of your presentation to focus on to make it more interesting.

  10. Review the fundamentals: know how to explain your research starting from quantum mechanics, to DFT, to computation of properties, and have an understanding of the errors/assumptions made along the way.

  11. Review the literature: read a significant number of papers in your field. Look over the related papers of your committee members, this will help you anticipate questions and understand their general approach to problems.

Note: the group has past QE presentations on Box. Use these as a guide.