Previous academic records provide useful, but often incomplete information about the true academic and research potential of a student.  The preliminary assessment is given in the first semester of enrollment, after the selection of the faculty adviser.  The preliminary assessment is administered by an assessment committee consisting of the faculty adviser and at least two other faculty selected by the faculty adviser.  An important objective of this preliminary assessment is to redirect candidates with poor prospects of success.  Other, more positive, objectives are categorized below.

Objectives 

• Demonstrate the student's ability to integrate and conceptualize general industrial engineering concepts.
• Demonstrate the student's written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrate the student's intellectual maturity.

Format

The preliminary assessment is a one-day evaluation.  The selection of the specific question(s) presented to the student will be determined by the faculty assessment committee.  For example, prior to the scheduled preliminary assessment, the assessment committee may request that the student provide several journal articles related to the student's anticipated area of research interest.  Alternatively, if the student does not have a tentative area or direction chosen for his/her research, the faculty assessment committee may provide articles to the student on the day before the scheduled date of assessment.  The student should read and be knowledgeable of the content of the articles before the scheduled preliminary assessment.  The assessment committee would read the selected articles and develop the preliminary assessment question(s).  The student would have access to a computer and will not be allowed to use any reference materials during the assessment.  The student will be given three hours in the morning in which to develop a written response to the question(s).  The faculty assessment committee will immediately convene to review the student's response.  In the afternoon, the student will give a short presentation summarizing his/her responses followed by a question and answer session.  The faculty assessment committee will determine the assessment outcome.  The specific outcome agreed to by the faculty assessment committee requires the approval of the faculty adviser and no more than one negative vote from the other faculty assessment committee members.  The result of this preliminary assessment should be submitted to the Graduate Program Director on the Result of Preliminary Assessment form (this form is the last page of this document).

 Specific Outcomes 

• Pass  - The faculty assessment committee agrees that the student has passed the preliminary assessment and no additional prerequisite course work or other remedial action is necessary.
• Conditional pass  - The faculty assessment committee agrees that additional prerequisite course work or other remedial action is necessary.  The new requirements will be formally defined by the faculty assessment committee and incorporated into the degree requirements for the student.
• Conditional failure  - The faculty assessment committee agrees that there are serious concerns about the ability of the student to successfully complete the program and a formal review by the assessment committee, the GPD, and the School Head after the first semester of enrollment should be undertaken.  This review will occur before the start of the second semester of enrollment and will consider the student's academic performance during the first semester of enrollment and the results of the preliminary assessment in order to determine if the student should be dismissed from the program or assessed with additional prerequisite course work or other remedial action.
• Failure  - The faculty assessment committee agrees that the preliminary assessment has indicated serious deficiencies and concerns about the ability of the student to successfully complete the program and the student should be dismissed from the program.

Click here to download the Result of Preliminary Assessment Form (PDF Format)