Supervisory committee
As a doctoral student, you must be supervised by a committee consisting of at least three faculty members. The committee may include faculty members from other graduate programs and, with the approval of the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, it may also include qualified non-faculty members. The majority of the committee must be members in the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Your supervisory committee guides you in planning your research and preparing your dissertation.
Supervisory committees may have either one supervisor and at least two committee members, or one primary supervisor and one co-supervisor and at least one committee member, or two co-supervisors and at least one committee member. They may not have three co-supervisors.
Program of study
When you start your degree program, you will consult with your supervisor(s) to develop a program of study. The program of study will consist of any required courses, seminars, directed readings, consultations and any other relevant courses. Some graduate programs require competence in languages other than English. A major part of your work will consist of a doctoral dissertation describing the process and results of your original research, which you will be required to defend at a public oral examination.
It is sometimes possible to change your program of study during the course of your degree. Any changes must be reviewed and approved by your supervisory committee and home graduate program.