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Doctoral Students

Registration

All doctoral students admitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies must register when they begin their studies. Students must remain continuously registered until the degree is completed, except for periods of time for which the student is away on an approved leave of absence. Failure to register for two consecutive terms may result in the student being required to withdraw.

Supervisory Committee

Each doctoral student is supervised by a committee of not less than three faculty members, which may include faculty members from graduate programs other than the student's home graduate program. With the approval of the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, the committee may also include qualified persons who are not faculty members.The majority of the committee must be members in the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The supervisory committee is responsible for guiding the student in planning research and preparing the doctoral dissertation.

In some graduate programs, the student is responsible for securing the chair of the supervisory committee; in others, the graduate program will assign the chair. Students should consult with their graduate program advisor in this respect. Changes may be made to the student's committee with the approval of his or her home graduate program. Students who are unable to secure a chair should ask either the graduate program advisor or the department head for assistance. In very exceptional circumstances, the head may ask the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies to appoint a chair. In some instances and for a brief period of time only, a student may be assigned an interim committee until such time as a more permanent committee can be established.

Program of Study

Upon registration, the doctoral student will consult with his or her supervisor(s) to develop a program of study, subject to the approval of the home program. The program of study will consist of seminars, directed readings, consultations and such formal courses as may be deemed essential for the fulfillment of the requirements for the degree. Some graduate programs require competence in languages other than English. The graduate program in which the student intends to write the thesis/doctoral dissertation shall determine the number of such languages and a satisfactory level of competence. A major part of the doctoral student's work will consist of a thesis/doctoral dissertation embodying the results of original research.

Changes in the program of study may be required during the period of study. These changes must be reviewed and approved by the student's supervisory committee and the home graduate program.

Note: Courses listed in the Calendar may not all be offered annually. Students should apply to the department concerned for detailed information about course offerings in any given year.

Master's Students

All master's degree students admitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies must register when they begin their studies. Students must remain continuously registered until the degree is completed, except for periods of time for which the student is away on an approved leave of absence. Failure to register for two consecutive terms may result in the student being required to withdraw.

Each student's program of study must be approved by the home graduate program.

Some graduate programs require competence in languages other than English. The graduate program in which the student intends to write the thesis/doctoral dissertation shall determine the number of such languages and a satisfactory level of competence.

Faculty of Graduate Studies regulations for master's degrees provide for full- or part-time studies, as well as for programs with thesis and programs without thesis. The choice of these options lies with the individual graduate program and student. Graduate programs are also free to prescribe work beyond the minimum requirements described below. Students should contact graduate programs directly for more information on program options.

Program Requirements (Thesis and Non-Thesis Programs)

The minimum course requirements are 30 course credits, of which at least 24 must be numbered 500 to 699. A maximum of 6 credits at the undergraduate level in courses numbered 300 to 499 may be counted toward the requirements of a master's degree. A comprehensive examination in the form of a final written and/or oral examination is at the discretion of the graduate program.

In specific programs, minimum requirements may be higher than 30 course credits. Students should consult the graduate program listing in the Calendar for more information.

Note: Courses listed in the Calendar under graduate programs may not all be offered annually. Students should consult the graduate program listing in the Calendar for more information.