PhD thesis and candidacy

Templates and formatting

The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS) requires discipline-specific standards with respect to thesis format (including electronic format), organization, manuscript (co)authorship and any other requirements.

For more information on these specific requirements and to ensure standards are met, refer to the Thesis Checklist and Formatting Guidelines (PDF). A thesis template (.docx format) has also been created for your ease of use and/or reference.

Students are responsible for informing themselves of any special formats or standards required by their program or discipline.

If you need assistance, there are many resources available to assist you with your writing.

Timelines and deadlines

There are PhD thesis deadlines each term in order to guide students through each step of the examination process. The objective is to help students meet requirements for specific program end dates or for graduation ceremonies.

If you are a doctoral student or research supervisor looking to plan a final examination within the next year, please use the following material for guidance. First, review the PhD Thesis handbook, which describes each step in the examination process, and then prepare a plan of action using our example timeline and checklist.

• Timeline and checklist: example doctoral timeline of what must be done and when prior to an oral defence.
• Deadlines: list of doctoral deadlines in order to complete all program requirements by the end of an academic term. 
  • 2018-2019 deadlines
  • 2019-2020 deadlines

• Doctoral Thesis Deadline Calculator: Use this calculator to determine when specific tasks should be completed in order to defend your PhD by a particular examination date.

Students who defend and submit the final thesis package to SGPS prior to the end of an academic term may be eligible for a partial tuition refund. 

PhD candidacy

Each student in a doctoral program is required to prepare a written research proposal and pass a candidacy exam. Full-time students are normally expected to do this within 18 months of their initial registration. The examination is to determine whether the student has the appropriate knowledge and expertise to undertake a thesis in the selected field of study.

The candidacy examination is comprised of the three components described below:

• A written thesis proposal.
• An oral presentation of the PhD research plan (20 to 30 minutes).
• Open questioning of the student by the candidacy committee to ascertain the readiness of the student to carry out the proposed research. The examiners may ask questions which allow them to judge the student's mastery of relevant background knowledge for their thesis topic, including an appropriate breadth of knowledge in the discipline and the student's ability to undertake independent and original research.

Each program may have slightly different requirements for the PhD Candidacy (for example, comprehensive exam). The supervisory committee/faculty will provide guidelines for the format and content of the written proposal and oral presentation.

For details regarding the composition and responsibilities of the PhD candidacy committee and possible outcomes of the examination, see PhD candidacy examinations in the Graduate Academic Calendar. 

The roles and responsibilities of all parties and forms and procedures related to the examination are described in the Handbook for PhD Candidacy Exams.

Forms for faculty

• Appointment of PhD Candidacy Committee: GPD/GPS submit form to SGPS for approval at least five weeks prior to the proposed examination date.
• PhD Candidacy Examination - Committee Member's Report: Committee members must submit this report to the chair of the examination committee by the day of the examination. The reports will be sent to SGPS and the GPD for record keeping.
• PhD Candidacy Committee Decision: Chair of Candidacy Exam submits decision form to SGPS after the examination is completed.

Deadline and timelines

• PhD Candidacy Examination Timeline: example candidacy examination timeline of what must be done and when prior to the examination.
• PhD Candidacy Examination Deadlines: list of candidacy examination deadlines in an academic term.
  • 2018-2019 deadlines
  • 2019-2020 deadlines

Transfer from a master's to a PhD program

Exceptional students in a master's thesis program may request to transfer from the master's to the PhD program before they have completed their master's degree. Admission to the PhD program is conditional upon satisfactory completion of the program's PhD Candidacy Examination and approval from the Dean of the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. 

For transfer criteria, see the transfer from a thesis-based master's to a PhD program policy in the Graduate Academic Calendar.

The procedure to be followed in this case is described in the Handbook for PhD Candidacy Exams.

In addition to the three forms for faculty noted above, the student's supervisory committee must first complete the Recommendation to Transfer from Master's to PhD form.

Faculty forms

• Form 1 - Establishment of Supervisory Committee*: Form is completed by the GPD in consultation with the student and the research supervisor(s), normally to be completed by the end of the student’s second semester.
• Research Progress Report*: The student completes the research progress form with the supervisor and/or supervisory committee member(s). Research progress is evaluated at the end of each semester for every student in a program with a thesis, project or major paper, starting when the student is engaged with research.  
• Confidentiality Disclosure Agreement (CDA): Agreement may be used in order to protect certain confidential information related to the student’s research.
• Supervisory Committee Declaration of Thesis Readiness: The student’s supervisory committee signs this form to confirm that the thesis is ready for oral defence.
• Form 2.1P EE - PhD External Examiner Nomination: Form required to appoint up to two external examiners for a doctoral examination. The form must be signed by the supervisor(s) and the GPD, and is submitted to the Dean of SGPS for approval.
• Form 2.1P UE - PhD University Examiner Nomination: Form required to appoint up to two university examiners for a doctoral examination. The form must be signed by the supervisor(s) and the GPD, and is submitted to the Dean of SGPS for approval.
• Form 2.2P - PhD Request to Schedule Oral Examination: Form must be submitted to SGPS to obtain approval to book a PhD oral examination after nominees have been approved.
• Form 3P EE – PhD External Examiner's Report on Thesis: External Examiner must submit this form to SGPS for approval at least one week prior to the examination date.
• Form 3P UE – PhD University Examiner’s Report on Thesis: University Examiner must submit this form to SGPS for approval at least one week prior to the examination date.
• Form 4 - Chair's Report on Thesis Examination: The Chair of the Examination Committee will prepare a report recording the overall decision of the defence and it is to be submitted to SGPS no later than one week after the examination date.
• Request for Approval to Withhold a Thesis from Publication*: The supervisor(s) and student must complete this form and obtain necessary signatures if they would like to request a delay in publication of the thesis (embargo) on the library website.
• PhD Certificate of Approval: A student’s examination committee must sign the Certificate of Approval to confirm the thesis is ready for final, post-defence submission to SGPS.

*Form also found under student forms; can be initiated by faculty member or student.

Student forms

• Form 1 - Establishment of Supervisory Committee*: Form is completed by the GPD in consultation with the student and the research supervisor(s), normally to be completed by the end of the student’s second semester.
• Research Progress Reports*: The student completes the research progress form with the supervisor and/or supervisory committee member(s). Research progress is evaluated at the end of each semester for every student in a program with a thesis, project or major paper, starting when the student is engaged with research. 
• Confidentiality Disclosure Agreement (CDA)*: Students must complete this agreement (if applicable) in order to protect certain confidential information related to the student’s research.
• Checklist for Final Thesis Package (revised 2020): Completed checklist submitted with final thesis package to SGPS. SGPS checks contents of package against checklist for any missing components or obvious formatting errors.
• Submission of Master's or PhD Thesis: Students must complete this form and submit it to SGPS with the final, post-defence thesis package.
• Theses Non-Exclusive License: A license to allow the thesis to be reproduced by the National Library of Canada must be submitted with the final thesis package.
• ProQuest Publishing Agreement
• Request for Approval to Withhold a Thesis from Publication*: The supervisor(s) and student must complete this form and obtain necessary signatures if they would like to request a delay in publication of the thesis (embargo) on the Library website.
• Early Completion Tuition Refund Form: Students who defend and submit the final thesis package to SGPS prior to the end of an academic term may apply for a partial tuition refund.
• Thesis Binding: Students who would like the thesis bound can submit a form to SGPS.  More information is available on the Library website or an email can be sent to gradthesis@ontariotechu.ca for thesis drop off and pick up dates.

* Form also found under faculty forms; can be initiated by student or faculty member.

 More forms required in the thesis process are found in Faculty Forms.