Setting Up Your Graduate Oral Examination

Information for Faculty of Science MSc and PhD students on candidacy and dissertation procedures.

Academic Calendar: Candidacy Academic Calendar: Thesis Examinations

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:

  • Active in program: A student must have an active registration status, and their student account is in good standing. 
  • Time 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.
  • Candidacy Program Requirements: The student has met all program requirements to proceed to the Candidacy Examination. Each department has candidacy requirements that are specific to their department. 

Your program’s candidacy requirements

Biological Science: Candidacy requirements

Chemistry: 

Earth, Energy and Environment: Thesis proposal and doctoral candidacy requirements

Mathematics and Statistics: Candidacy Requirements

Physics and Astronomy: Candidacy examination document

  • Supervisory Committee Approval:  Document from the Supervisory Committee approval submitted to the Graduate Science Center.

 

Once a student is eligible to proceed to their candidacy exam, the supervisor must:

  • 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.

  • Candidacy Oral Exam Scheduling Request Form

Thesis Examination

All thesis-based students must complete an oral examination to defend their thesis. 

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.

For a student to be eligible to proceed to their thesis exam they must:

  • Active in program: A student must have an active registration status, and their student account is in good standing. 
  • Maximum Completion: the student must not have exceeded their maximum completion time in program.  If the maximum completion time will be exceeded, then an Extension to Program form needs to be submitted.
  • Program Requirements: The student has met all program requirements to proceed to the Thesis Examination. 
  • Supervisory Committee Thesis Approved:  Document from the Supervisory Committee approval on file.

 

Master of Science

MSc Oral Exam Scheduling Request Form

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.

 

Doctor of Philosophy 

External Examiner Scheduling Form

In order to meet FGS requirements, the External Examiner Scheduling Form must be submitted to the Graduate Science Center (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: 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.

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.