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Doctoral thesis and candidacy

Handbook and Guidelines

Note: For an alternative format of any form or document on this thesis webpage, contact gradthesis@ontariotechu.ca.

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.

 

Note: For an alternative format of any form or document on this thesis webpage, contact gradstudies@ontariotechu.ca.

Timelines and Deadlines

There are 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 Thesis Programs Guide, which describes each step in the examination process, and then prepare a plan of action using the resources below.

  • Timeline: chart of required steps and timelines leading up to oral defence.
  • Deadlines: list of doctoral deadlines in order to complete all program requirements by the end of an academic term. 

  • 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.

 

Note: For an alternative format of any form or document on this thesis webpage, contact gradstudies@ontariotechu.ca.

Doctoral 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 doctoral 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 doctoral 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 doctoral candidacy committee and possible outcomes of the examination, see Doctoral Candidacy Examination policy. 

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

Deadline and Timelines

Forms for Faculty

  • Appointment of Doctoral Candidacy Committee: SGPS must receive this form at least five weeks prior to the proposed examination date. Please contact the graduate program office in your faculty for assistance. *If the student is transferring from their Master's, see the section below for more details.
  • Doctoral Candidacy Examination - Committee Member's Report: Committee members must submit this online report and it will be sent to the chair of the examination committee by the day of the examination. The reports will also be sent to SGPS and the GPD for record keeping. 
  • Doctoral Candidacy Committee Decision: This form is submitted to SGPS following the completion of the candidacy exam to record the exam outcome. Please contact the graduate program office in your faculty for assistance.

Transfer From a Master's to a Doctoral Program

Exceptional students in a master's thesis program may request to transfer from the master's to the doctoral program before they have completed their master's degree. Admission to the doctoral program is conditional upon satisfactory completion of the program's doctoral 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 Degree Program to a Doctoral Degree Program policy.

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

In addition to the three forms for faculty noted above, the student's supervisory committee must first complete:

 

Note: For an alternative format of any form or document on this thesis webpage, contact gradstudies@ontariotechu.ca.

Faculty forms

Most thesis and candidacy forms (those not listed below) must be initiated by the graduate program office. Please contact the graduate program office in your faculty for assistance with the forms.

  • Research Progress Reports are sent out to students each term. The student will first complete their section of the report, after which the supervisor(s) will receive the report for completion. The student will then have the opportunity to review and sign. For questions related to this process, please contact gradthesis@ontariotechu.ca. 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.
  • Thesis Defence Examiner Report: External and University Examiners must submit this online form to SGPS for approval at least 10 Calendar Days prior to the examination date.
  • Chair's Report on Thesis Examination: The Chair of the Examination Committee will prepare an online 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 the 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.

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

 

Note: For an alternative format of any form or document on this thesis webpage, contact gradstudies@ontariotechu.ca.

Student forms

Most thesis and candidacy forms (those not listed below) must be initiated by the graduate program office. Please contact the graduate program office in your faculty for assistance with the forms.

  • Research Progress Reports are sent out to students each term. The student will first complete their section of the report, after which the supervisor(s) will receive the report for completion. The student will then have the opportunity to review and sign. For questions related to this process, please contact gradthesis@ontariotechu.ca. 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.

Final thesis package forms

The following forms are submitted with the final thesis package. Instructions for submitting these forms are sent to students following successful oral thesis examination.

Required forms

In addition to the thesis and certificate of approval (which can be obtained from the student's graduate program office or research supervisor), the following forms are required to be submitted with every thesis package:

  • Checklist for Final Thesis Package: Completed checklist submitted with final thesis package to School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS). SGPS checks contents of package against checklist for any missing components or obvious formatting errors.
  • Submission of Master's or Doctoral Thesis: Students must complete this form and submit it to SGPS with the final, post-defence thesis package.
  • Theses Non-Exclusive License: Students must complete this form. It is a license to allow the thesis to be reproduced by the National Library of Canada.
Optional forms

The following forms may be submitted, depending on students' preferences and/or the circumstances surrounding the thesis:

  • ProQuest Publishing Agreement: Library and Archives Canada submit an electronic thesis for processing to ProQuest, to become available online on AMICUS. ProQuest requires a separate license form. It is a free publishing service and has potential royalties.
  • 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.
  • Thesis Binding: Students/Faculty who would like a thesis bound can submit their thesis to an outside company. Details are available on the Library website.

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

 

Note: For an alternative format of any form or document on this thesis webpage, contact gradstudies@ontariotechu.ca.