Setting Up a Graduate Oral Examination
Information for the Faculty of Science MSc and PhD programs on candidacy and dissertation procedures.
Candidacy Examination
Doctoral students must be admitted to candidacy before they can complete a thesis
Purpose of the Candidacy Exam: to ascertain that the student is ready and able to carry out high-quality doctoral level research independently, with the support of the supervisory committee.
Responsibility: as your primary mentor, it is your supervisor’s responsibility to guide you through the candidacy process and schedule your candidacy exam.
The Faculty of Science Candidacy procedure falls under the Faculty of Graduate Studies Candidacy Regulations.
For a student to be eligible to proceed to their candidacy exam they must follow these five checklist items:
1. Be active in program: A student must have an active registration status, and their student account is in good standing.
2. Follow timeline to Candidacy: The entire candidacy process must be completed within 28 months of registering in the program. If that is not the case, an extension to candidacy must be applied for.
3. Meet Candidacy Program requirements: The student must meet all program requirements to proceed to the Candidacy Examination. Each department has candidacy requirements that are specific to their department
Each department's candidacy requirements:
- Biological Sciences
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Computational Media
- Earth, Energy, and Environment
- Mathematics and Statistics
- Physics and Astronomy
4. Submit Supervisory Committee approval document: Document from the Supervisory Committee approval submitted to the Graduate Science Centre.
__________________
Once a student is eligible to proceed to their candidacy exam, the supervisor must:
5. Schedule the exam: Supervisor can then initiate arrangements for scheduling the candidacy oral examination by submitting:
Candidacy oral exam examination committee and scheduling requests should be submitted 3 weeks ahead of the proposed exam date.
Thesis Examination
Purpose of the Thesis Exam: is not only to defend independently the thesis, but also to serve as confirmation of the student’s knowledge of the research topic within the context of their field of study.
Responsibility: as your primary mentor, it is your supervisor’s responsibility to schedule your thesis exam and coordinating your supervisory committee.
The Faculty of Science Thesis procedure falls under the Faculty of Graduate Studies Thesis Regulations and thesis exam administrative procedures.
Guidelines for Neutral Chair: A Neutral Chair ensures that policy and procedure are correctly followed during and after an oral examination, and guards against perceived conflict of interest or undue influence. Here is the link Faculty of Graduate Studies - Guidelines for Neutral Chair for a Thesis Examination
MSc Oral Exam Scheduling Request Form should be submitted 6 weeks ahead of the proposed exam date. FGS must approve the Notice of Thesis Oral Examination at least 4 weeks before the exam date.
For a student to be eligible to proceed to their thesis exam they must follow these five checklist items:
1. Be active in program: A student must have an active registration status, and their student account is in good standing.
2. Follow maximum completion time: The student must not have exceeded their maximum completion time in the program. If the maximum completion time will be exceeded, then an Extension to Program needs to be submitted.
3. Meet program requirements: The student must meet all program requirements to proceed to the Thesis Examination.
4. Have Supervisory Committee thesis approval: Document from the Supervisory Committee approval on file.
__________________
Once a student is eligible to proceed to their thesis exam, the supervisor must:
5. Schedule the exam: Supervisor can then initiate arrangements for scheduling the thesis oral examination by submitting:
In order to meet FGS requirements, MSc oral exam examination committee and scheduling details be submitted 6 weeks ahead of the proposed exam date. FGS must approve the Notice of Thesis Oral Examination at least 4 weeks before the exam date.
The appointment of the External Examiner marks the beginning of the examination process. In order to meet FGS requirements, the External Examiner Scheduling Form must be submitted to the Graduate Science Centre (GSC) 8 weeks ahead of the proposed exam date. FGS must approve the External Examiner at least 6 weeks before the exam date.
External Examiner CV requirements for FGS approval:
- have a well-established research reputation
- Note: research reputation is based on publications, grants/funding received and presentations at conferences, membership of important bodies etc.
- have expertise in the area of the student’s research
- have experience in evaluating theses at the graduate level
- have experience in supervising to completion at the graduate level
- is not a close personal friend of the supervisor
- Note: FGS may conduct website searches to look for collaboration
- have not collaborated with the supervisor in past five years
- is not closely related to, or have worked with the candidate
- must not have been a supervisor in the candidate’s graduate program in the past three years
- must not have served as external examiner in the candidate’s program in the past two years
Submit your External Examiner
PhD oral exam examination External Examiner Form must be submitted 8 weeks ahead of the proposed exam date. FGS must approve the External Examiner at least 6 weeks before the exam date. .
PhD Oral Exam Scheduling Form must be submitted 6 weeks ahead of the proposed exam date. FGS must approve the Notice of Thesis Oral Examination at least 4 weeks before the exam date.
For a student to be eligible to proceed to their thesis exam they must follow these five checklist items:
1. Be active in program: A student must have an active registration status, and their student account is in good standing.
2. Follow maximum completion time: The student must not have exceeded their maximum completion time in the program. If the maximum completion time will be exceeded, then an Extension to Program needs to be submitted.
3. Meet program requirements: The student must meet all program requirements to proceed to the Thesis Examination.
4. Have Supervisory Committee thesis approval: Document from the Supervisory Committee approval on file.
__________________
Once a student is eligible to proceed to their thesis exam, the supervisor must:
5. Schedule the exam: Supervisor can then initiate arrangements for scheduling the thesis oral examination by submitting a PhD Oral Exam Scheduling Request Form.
In order to meet FGS requirements, the PhD Oral Exam Scheduling Request Form must be submitted 6 weeks ahead of the proposed exam date. FGS must approve the Notice of Thesis Oral Examination at least 4 weeks before the exam date.