The objective of the qualifying examinations is to assess the ability of students to carry out interdisciplinary research, based on sound knowledge of technical and social processes combined with the appropriate application of cutting-edge analytical methods. Students must show first-rate ability to analyze complex and unstructured problems in engineering and policy. The qualifying examination consists of two parts: Part I is an extended take-home exam on an applied problem in engineering and public policy analysis; Part II includes a oral presentation and examination of a research paper prepared by the student.

Part I:

Part I of the qualifying examinations occurs after three semesters into the program. For this part, students have five days to prepare a written response to a problem in networked infrastructures and public policy. Such response must show the student’s ability to tackle an unstructured complex problem on their own, and to select and apply the most appropriate problem-solving techniques. A fundamental course offered in the policy sequence is the Workshop in Applied Policy Analysis. This course is designed to provide experience in setting up, analyzing, and writing about engineering policy problems. Students in the PhD in EPP will be given, as Part I of their qualifying examination, a problem in networked infrastructures and public policy that must be addressed along the lines discussed in this workshop.

Part II:

Part II of the qualifying examination students must prepare an original research paper that tackles a problem in networked infrastructures and public policy in which the issues of technology and engineering are identified, addressed and enough progress towards results has been made, altogether showing the ability of the student to carry out high-quality research. This paper is thus expected to demonstrate the student's ability to structure and perform research on problems in engineering and policy, including the ability to apply formal analytical tools to such research. The typical paper requires approximately one year of preparation, in parallel with regular course work. Students must prepare this paper with close assistance and supervision from faculty advisors, who must support the students' work.

Part II of the qualifying examinations is conducted once a year, in July. Students that have been in the program for four semesters must take this exam. Students must have the topic of their paper approved during the fall term and give a preliminary oral presentation of their paper to the faculty in early spring. Preliminary approval of the topic for the paper is given based on a one-page prospectus which is distributed to all members of the faculty and approved by the Scientific Committee of the EPP PhD.

At the examination, the student makes a oral presentation of the paper and is then questioned by the faculty. Faculty questions may relate to the specifics of the paper, as well as to related but more fundamental material which forms the basis of the paper topic or the methods used. The oral examination may also include questions on the fundamental and core issues of science, technology and engineering in the scientific area of the student’s specialization, thus related to the sequence of elective courses on engineering that the student has attended (Type A courses).

Students can pass both parts of the qualifying examination at the PhD level, in which case they are expected to proceed with research toward their thesis proposal. Students that pass one or both parts at the MS level, but not at the PhD level are encouraged to get an MS degree in Technology Management and Public Policy. Still, students can also retake examinations one more time when next offered and attempt to pass both parts at the PhD level. Students receive individual guidance on whether they should plan to retake the examination. Students that fail one or both parts of the qualifying examinations are typically advised to withdraw from graduate studies in EPP. They can choose to retake qualifying examinations next time they are offered but they must not expect to receive assistantship support while waiting to retake the exams.