Thesis Programs Guide
Overview
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Introduction
This section of the website has been designed to serve as a guide for graduate students, graduate program staff, graduate faculty and members of the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS). It aims to:
- Clarify the roles of SGPS and the individual program/faculty offices, which administer graduate programs.
- Clarify the procedures to be followed for students completing a thesis.
- Provide and explain the purpose of forms and checklists required as part of the process.
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Definitions
A note regarding terminology used in this guide:
The term "thesis" is used to refer to a doctoral or masters’ theses. (In some universities, a doctoral thesis is known as a ‘dissertation’.)
The oral examination is sometimes referred to as the oral defence because students are required to demonstrate mastery of their subject matter and defend their position(s) in response to questions from members of an examining committee. In this document, the terms ‘oral examination’ or ‘oral exam’ will be used. These are consistent with the terminology used in the Graduate Studies policies.
Doctoral and Master’s students who have submitted their theses for examination are often referred to as ‘candidates’. In this document, the term ‘student’ will be used.
A Master's thesis must demonstrate that the student knows the background and principal works of the research area and can produce significant scholarly work. It should contain some original contribution whenever possible. Students are guided by a research supervisor (or co-supervisors) and a supervisory committee. A thesis is usually considerably longer than a project and takes a longer time to research and write. Its credit value is higher. Once the thesis has been completed, students must undergo an oral examination. This examination is conducted by an examination committee; this may or may not have a member from outside the student’s home university. A doctoral thesis must contain a substantial contribution of new knowledge to the field of study. It presents the results and an analysis of original research and should be significant enough to be published. Doctoral students are guided by a research supervisor (or co-supervisors) and a supervisory committee. Each student in a doctoral program is required to prepare a written thesis proposal and pass a candidacy exam. Full-time students are expected to do so within 18 months of their initial registration in the program. A judgement of satisfactory allows the student to proceed with their doctoral studies.
Once the thesis has been completed, students must undergo a formal and demanding oral examination, often called the oral defence. This examination is conducted by an examining committee, usually with at least one member from outside the student’s home university. Naturally, the doctoral thesis is longer and the credit value much higher than that of a Master’s thesis.
Disclaimers:
Every discipline and program have slightly different requirements for each component of their degree requirements. The program’s graduate program director and faculty are the best resources for detailed information about the requirements of each and the specific distinctions in their programs.
Although SGPS makes every attempt to notify all stakeholders when important additions/revisions are made to information and forms on the website, all individuals are encouraged to check these sites and announcements on the SGPS site regularly to ensure that they have the most up-to-date forms and information.
Some information in this guide may be available in the Graduate Academic Calendar, however, the Academic Policies are the authority. It is the student’s responsibility to review these policies and ensure they are being followed.
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Personnel related to the thesis process
Title Acronym Comments/Descriptions
**Roles and responsibilities are outlined in the Responsibilities of Graduate Program Directors, Faculty Advisors, Research Supervisors and Graduate Students Policy.
Student With the guidance of faculty advisors, research supervisor(s) and/or supervisory committees, the student conducts research, prepares a written thesis and presents/defends their work in an oral exam.
Students can consult the supervisor-student conversation starter’s document to help align expectations with their supervisors.Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies DGPS DGPS (or their designate) approves thesis, external, and university examiners.
Receives report from examiners and has right to postpone oral exam if report is not received by deadline or if report suggests there are issues to be resolved.School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies SGPS Information directed to SGPS is referred to the DGPS as suitable.
SGPS coordinates administrative processes related to the implementation of thesis procedures, registration in thesis related courses and coordination of documentation.
Accepts final thesis package, checks materials, and forwards to the university library.Graduate Program Director GPD Appointed by the dean of the home faculty in consultation with the DGPS.
GPD (or their designate) approves and coordinates many of the people and processes associated with theses.Graduate Program Staff GPS This refers to the administrative staff who support the GPD and graduate faculty in the program. Faculty Advisor FA Appointed by GPD.
In programs that do not have a thesis, students are guided by an FA throughout their program. In programs which require a thesis, students may initially be assigned a FA, but they are then assigned a Research Supervisor when they begin their research.Research RS Approved by the dean of the home faculty.
Supervisor In some cases, a student may have two co-supervisors. Supervisory Committee SC Appointed by GPD, usually by end of student’s second semester.
Composition of Master’s Supervisory Committee:
- Includes RS and at least one other faculty member with graduate faculty appointments in the student’s program.
- Chairs of these committees are appointed by the GPD, and they may or may not be the student’s RS.
- May include a non-voting advisory member.
Composition of Doctoral Supervisory Committee:
- Includes RS and at least two other faculty members with graduate faculty appointments in the student’s program.
- Chairs of these committees are appointed by the GPD, and they may or may not be the student’s RS.
- May include a non-voting advisor.
Examining Committee EC Composition of Master’s Examining Committee:
- Includes all members of student’s SC plus one thesis examiner.
- ECs are chaired by the program GPD or designate.
Composition of Doctoral Examining Committee:
- Includes all members of student’s SC plus one other university examiner and one external examiner.
- ECs are chaired by the program GPD or designate.
Doctoral External Examiner EE Someone ‘outside’ the student’s program or faculty.
Appointed by DGPS on recommendation of GPD.
Doctoral University Examiner UE Examining committees for doctoral dissertations must have one other university examiner in addition to the SC members and the external examiner.
Appointed by DGPS on recommendation of GPD.
Master’s Thesis Examiner TE Someone ‘outside’ the student’s program or faculty. Appointed by DGPS on recommendation of GPD.
University Library The library receives electronic copies of the student’s thesis from SGPS. It sends electronic copies to the Library and Archives Canada and uploads them to the university’s digital repository of research.
Office of the Registrar RO When the thesis process is complete and a grade of pass has been entered for the thesis course, the student is eligible to apply to graduate as per RO procedures. The RO conducts a degree audit and, if all is in order, the Registrar will recommend to the university’s Academic Council that the student graduate. The student may then participate in the next scheduled convocation.
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Establishment of student’s supervisory committee
Each graduate student in a program that requires a thesis has a supervisory committee. Form 1 – Establishment of a Supervisory Committee is used to document the committee and is submitted to SGPS for processing and record keeping.
In consultation with the student and the Research Supervisor(s) (RS), the Graduate Program Director (GPD) appoints the committee members and a chair. The chair of the supervisory committee may or may not be the RS. The responsibilities of the supervisory committee members and its chair are described in the Graduate Student Supervisory Committee Policy. Each member of the supervisory committee will have a graduate faculty appointment to the student’s program.
As noted in section 6.1 b) of the Graduate Student Supervisory Committee Policy, the supervisory committee is formed no later than eight months after the student begins their program (normally no later than the end of the student’s second semester of study).
If there are any changes made to the committee throughout the student’s program, an updated Form 1 must be submitted to SGPS. A thesis defence cannot be scheduled/processed if Form 1 has not been sent to SGPS.
Composition of Master’s Supervisory Committee:
- Includes RS and at least one other faculty member with graduate faculty appointments in the student’s program.
- Chairs of these committees are appointed by the GPD, and they may or may not be the student’s RS.
- May include a non-voting advisory member.
Composition of Doctoral Supervisory Committee:
- Includes RS and at least two other faculty members with graduate faculty appointments in the student’s program.
- Chairs of these committees are appointed by the GPD, and they may or may not be the student’s RS.
- May include a non-voting advisor.
If there are any changes made to the committee throughout the student’s program, an updated Form 1 must be submitted to SGPS. A thesis defence cannot be scheduled/processed if Form 1 has not been sent to SGPS.
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Research progress
Student 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 their research. This is an opportunity for the student to check in with their supervisor and/or supervisory committee to ensure they are on-track to complete in a timely manner. It is also a chance to identify any academic or non-academic challenges and identify strategies to address them.
Policies and Procedures related to Research Progress Reports are found in the Graduate Grading System, Research Progress and Academic Standing Policy (see sections 10-12).
The research progress report should be completed in full between the student, their Research Supervisor (RS) and their supervisory committee member(s), if applicable. It is approved by the GPD and submitted to SGPS.
The student is responsible for commenting on their academic and/or research progress. The RS and/or committee is responsible for evaluating the student’s research progress in relation to the student’s overall research plan across 5 areas including: research progress, research plan, requisite knowledge, research skills, and motivation and work ethic. Students may receive an overall evaluation of Satisfactory Research Progress, Difficulties with Research Progress or Unsatisfactory Research progress. For more information, visit the Research Progress Reports section of the SGPS website.
Failure to meet objectives on progress reports may be cited as ground for a warning, probation, or dismissal from the program of study.
Progress reports should be evaluated at the end of each Semester, and submitted for processing by the end of the registration period in the following term.
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Program time limits
As outlined in the graduation and conferral of degree policy, there are minimum and maximum times allowed for completion of all requirements in a doctoral and a master’s program. Students who are in their final term or have exceeded the maximum program length will be required to submit a request for program extension, a plan for completion and reasons for delay in progress to SGPS for approval.
Doctoral students have a maximum of 6 years (or 18 full-time terms) from the time of initial registration to complete their degree. Students registered on a part-time basis have a maximum of 8 years to complete the degree.
Master’s students have a maximum of 3 years (or 9 full-time terms) from the time of initial registration to complete their degree. Students registered on a part-time basis have a maximum of 6 years to complete the degree.
If a student switches between full-time and part-time throughout their studies, they can email gradthesis@ontariotechu.ca to determine where they are regarding their program time-limit.
Students needing to exceed the maximum allotted time for completion of their program will be contacted and must formally submit a request for program extension form to their supervisor, their GPD, and the SGPS Dean for consideration.
For more information on time limits and extensions, see section 7 of the Graduation and Conferral of Degrees Policy. -
Thesis deadlines
Each term there is a set deadline for the submission of all required post-defence thesis package documentation to be eligible to apply to graduate, this date is published in the Academic Calendar Schedule.
Refer to the Doctoral and candidacy timelines or the Master's timelines for the last possible date for oral examinations and other forms to be submitted in a given term. Thesis package submissions/oral examinations after these dates may require registration in the following term. Note: Documentation may be submitted, or exams conducted at any time prior to the recommended dates, provided the time frames specified on this webpage are observed.
A student or supervisor can also use the thesis defence calculator to determine when specific tasks should be completed to defend a thesis by a particular examination date. A Master’s calculator and a Doctoral calculator are available for students or supervisors.
Doctoral candidacy examination
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Introduction
Each student in a doctoral program is required to prepare a written research proposal and pass a candidacy exam. Full-time students are expected to do so within 18 months of their initial registration in the program. The examination is to determine whether the candidate has the appropriate knowledge and expertise to undertake a thesis in the selected field of study. A candidacy committee conducts the examination.
Each term there are recommended deadlines for the submission of required documentation in the candidacy exam process; this can be found on the SGPS website. Documentation may be submitted at any time prior to these deadlines.
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Transfer from thesis-based master’s to a doctoral program
Exceptional students in a master's thesis program may request to transfer from the master's to a 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.
Applicants are considered on a case-by-case basis and may not be considered in some programs. Criteria to transfer from a master’s to a doctoral program is outlined in the Graduate Program Changes and Program Transfers Policy (see section 7).
To begin this process/request, the student and their Research Supervisors (RS) must inform the Graduate Program Director (GPD) that they would like to transfer from the master’s program to the doctoral program. The Supervisory Committee and GPD fill out the Recommendation to Transfer from Master’s to Doctoral program form.
Once the transfer form has been submitted to SGPS, the committee must also ensure the following are completed:
- A new Form 1- Establishment of Supervisory Committee for the doctoral program, which must be submitted to SGPS prior to the Appointment of Doctoral Candidacy Committee form.
- Appointment of Doctoral Candidacy Committee: The graduate program office submits the form to SGPS for approval at least five weeks prior to the proposed examination date. Once approved, the candidacy exam processing should follow the same steps as any other candidacy exam.
- After the candidacy exam is completed, the Doctoral Candidacy Examination Decision form is completed by the Chair of the Candidacy Exam, signed by all committee members, and submitted to SGPS. SGPS will review the master’s to doctoral transfer request. Once the transfer is approved, SGPS will inform the student of the decision and the next steps in the transfer process.
Important: A judgment of satisfactory in the candidacy exam allows the student to transfer from a master’s to a doctoral program. The student will be required to apply to the doctoral program for the next available intake.
- Students are only required to submit an application and a fee; they are not required to submit any letters of recommendation or transcripts.
- Upon transferring, the student must fulfill all other requirements for the doctoral program. The student should email gradthesis@ontariotechu.ca and gradadmissions@ontariotechu.ca with any questions about their application.
- If the judgment is unsatisfactory, the student will continue in the master’s program. There will be only one examination allowed for the transfer from a master’s to a doctoral program.
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Appointment of doctoral candidacy committee
Within 18 months of initial registration into the doctoral program, each student is required to prepare a written research proposal and pass a candidacy exam. The student and the Research Supervisor (RS) inform the graduate program office when they wish to initiate the exam procedure.
The graduate program office and the Graduate Program Director (GPD) confirm the student’s eligibility for the candidacy examination. In consultation with the student and the RS/supervisory committee, the GPD nominates a candidacy examiner (see section 6.2 of the Doctoral Candidacy Examination Policy). The Appointment of Doctoral Candidacy Committee form should be received by SGPS no less than five weeks before the exam date.
Please contact the graduate program office in your faculty for the form.
The RS and/or the GPD contact the candidacy examiner nominee to confirm they are interested. If the nominee is not a member of the university’s graduate faculty, an up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) is obtained. The Appointment of Doctoral Candidacy Committee form is completed, signed, and sent to SGPS (with CV, if applicable).
SGPS reviews the nomination and notifies the GPD if there are any questions/issues. Conflicts of interest must be avoided for all examiners. The Conflict of Interest for Examiners section of the Thesis Oral Examination for Master’s and Doctoral Candidates Policy also applies to candidacy examiners.
If the nominee is deemed acceptable, SGPS informs the graduate program office and RS that the nomination is approved. -
Preparation and submission of materials by student
The supervisory committee provides the candidate with guidelines for the written report and outlines expectations for the oral presentation. They can refer to the thesis template on the SGPS website and modify it as necessary.
The student should submit their proposal document to SGPS for distribution no less than four weeks before the candidacy exam date.
If confidentiality disclosure agreements are required from members of the examining committee to protect confidential information, please inform gradthesis@ontariotechu.ca as soon as possible, to ensure time for completion prior to the exam.
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Candidacy examination procedures
The day of the exam
Preparation of room and documents
The chair of the candidacy committee/graduate program staff ensures the space is properly arranged and that the necessary documents are ready at the time of the exam.
Conduct of candidacy exam
The candidacy exam is conducted as outlined in the Doctoral Candidacy Examination Policy.
The student makes an oral presentation (preferably 20 minutes and not to exceed 30 minutes). The presentation will summarize those parts of the students’ written report that they feel to be most significant. This will be followed by open questioning of the student by committee members. For further guidance see sections 7-8 of the policy.
The student is asked to leave, and the committee meets in closed session. The committee deliberates and evaluates the student’s work as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. All decisions of the examining committee are made by majority vote. All members of the committee are voting members. In the case of co-supervision, co-supervisors collectively have one vote. The chair of the examining committee is a non-voting member unless the chair's vote is needed to break a tie.
The student is invited to return, and the chair informs the student of the committee’s decision and, if required, any follow-up actions.
After the exam
Completion and distribution of Candidacy Decision Form
The chair oversees the preparation of a written report using the Doctoral Candidacy Examination Decision form and ensures that it is signed by all examining committee members. Please contact the graduate program office in your faculty for the form.
The chair of the candidacy committee submits the decision form and each committee member’s report to SGPS with copies to the members of the candidacy committee, the student and the graduate program office following the examination.
If the outcome of the candidacy exam is successful, SGPS registers the student into the candidacy exam course. The student’s graduate program office enters the student’s mark (pass or fail) for the candidacy exam course in the program.
If the candidacy exam was unsatisfactory, SGPS will work with the program office to reschedule the exam within four months. The second examination will follow the same procedures as the first examination.
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Summary of possible outcomes of candidacy exam
A judgment of satisfactory allows the student to proceed with doctoral studies.
If the judgment is unsatisfactory, the student is required to retake the exam within four months. For a second exam, the examination team must include an additional member of the graduate faculty who was not involved in the original examination.
A judgment of satisfactory in a second exam allows the student to proceed with their studies. If a student receives an unsatisfactory judgment in a second attempt at a candidacy exam, or if a student does not retake the candidacy exam within four months after an unsatisfactory first attempt, the student shall receive a grade of Fail and be dismissed from the doctoral program.
Preparing for final thesis oral examinations
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Transcript check – verify completion of coursework
The student shold confirm with their graduate program office that all course requirements have been met.
SGPS must receive confirmation from the program office that the student has met all course requirements before the oral examination can be approved by SGPS as per section 8.2 of the Thesis Oral Examination for Master’s and Doctoral Candidates Policy.
Note: Students may have their oral exam while they are completing their last seminar course provided that all other course/degree requirements are met. -
Information for employed international students who are expecting to complete/graduate
If you are an international student who is expecting to defend or have completed their program, please note the following information about employment:
Off-campus employment
You may work until the first date you receive written confirmation of program completion (for instance, an email, a letter, a transcript or a diploma, whichever comes first) if your study permit remains valid during this period and you meet the work off-campus eligibility. More information can be found on the IRCC website.
On-campus employment
You must stop working on campus on the day you stop studying full-time, unless you’re in your final semester and you meet other requirements to work on-campus.
If you have questions regarding on or off campus employment, please contact International Office at iss@ontariotechu.ca. -
Intellectual property and work with external partners
Students who are engaged in research projects with industrial or community partners may be required to submit their thesis to the partner for review in advance of the oral examination. Often with contract research projects there are legal obligations around disclosing Intellectual property and delaying publication to protect intellectual property. Ideally, the student and their supervisor(s) will ensure that any issues or recommendations pertaining to intellectual property and research results are addressed before arrangements are made to proceed to the oral exam.
In those instances where issues have not been resolved prior to the examination, the thesis defence will not be delayed. There may, however, be special conditions imposed on the conduct of the examination and/or the student may be required to apply for approval to withhold the thesis from publication for a specified period.
If confidentiality disclosure agreements are required from members of the examining committee to protect confidential information, please inform gradthesis@ontariotechu.ca as soon as possible, to ensure time for completion prior to the exam.
Please refer to the university’s Intellectual Property policy.
For further details, contact the Office of Research Services (ORS).
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Examining committee formation
Doctoral students
All doctoral students are required to submit a written thesis and participate in an oral examination in which an examining committee, which includes an external examiner and a university examiner, assesses their work. Form 2.1D - External Examiner Nomination and 2.1D – University Examiner Nomination are used to nominate the examiners.
In consultation with the chair of the student’s supervisory committee, the Graduate Program Director (GPD) recommends the external and university examiner(s). Conflicts of interest must be avoided for all examiners. Information related to examiners are found in section 6 and 7 of the Thesis Oral Examination for Master’s and Doctoral Candidacy Policy.
A CV is required for the external examiner. The Research Supervisor or GPD will confirm if the nominee(s) have been contacted and are in agreement. The nominations are sent to SGPS.
SGPS reviews the nominations to ensure there are no conflicts of interest (or perceived conflicts of interest), and will notify the supervisor/GPD if there are any questions or issues. SGPS will inform the graduate program office and supervisor of the outcome.
If approved, the program office then contacts all examining committee members to determine their availability and schedule the examination date.
The external and university examiner nominations should be submitted no less than 10 weeks before the scheduled oral examination.
Please contact the graduate program office in your faculty for assistance with the forms.Master’s students
All master’s students in thesis options are required to submit a written thesis and participate in an oral examination in which an examining committee, which includes a thesis examiner, assesses their work.
In consultation with the chair of the student’s supervisory committee, the GPD nominates a thesis examiner(s) on Form 2M. The RS or GPD will confirm if the nominee(s) have been contacted and are in agreement (when a thesis examiner from outside the university is nominated, the curriculum vitae of the nominee must be obtained by the supervisor/faculty and is attached to Form 2M).
Conflicts of interest must be avoided for all examiners. Information related to thesis examiners are found in section 6 and 7 of the Thesis Oral Examination for Master’s and Doctoral Candidacy Policy. The nomination(s) are sent to SGPS for approval. The DGPS must approve the nomination.
SGPS reviews the nominations to ensure there are no conflicts of interest (or perceived conflicts of interest), and will notify the supervisor/GPD if there are any questions or issues. SGPS will inform the graduate program office and supervisor of the outcome.
If approved, the program office then contacts all examining committee members to determine their availability for an examination date.
SGPS must receive Form 2M no less than 5 weeks before the scheduled oral examination (see Request to Schedule an Oral Examination – Scheduling a master’s oral examination below).
Please contact the graduate program office in your faculty for assistance with the form.
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Preparation and submission of thesis materials by student
Note: If a written thesis and thesis defence requires a confidential disclosure agreement, this should be brought to the attention of the GPD and SGPS before a thesis is distributed. Please see section 4.2 of the Intellectual Property Policy.
The student must prepare their thesis for distribution to the examining committee. The original PDF must be submitted in accordance with the specifications of the university’s Thesis Template and the Thesis Checklist and Formatting Guidelines, as well as any guidelines the faculty may have.
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all materials are prepared and assembled appropriately. Students should consult with their research supervisor(s) for specific regulations on the preparation and presentation of thesis/dissertation materials.
Students should refer to the following resources:
Section 8.3 of the Thesis Oral Examination for Master’s and Doctoral Candidacy Policy outlines the time frames for submission of the thesis.
For doctoral candidates, the examination copy of the thesis should be submitted to SGPS at least 8 weeks prior to the date of the oral exam, for distribution to the examining committee.
For master’s candidates, the examination copy of the thesis must be submitted to SGPS at least 4 weeks prior to the date of the oral exam, for distribution to the examining committee.
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Request to schedule an oral examination
Scheduling a doctoral oral examination
The examining committee for a doctoral student includes:
- All members of the student’s supervisory committee*.
- One external examiner,
- One university examiner,
- The chair of the committee is the Graduate Program Director (GPD) or designate.
*If any changes have occurred since the establishment of the original supervisory committee, the new committee members are named and an updated Form 1 must be submitted.
In consultation with the chair of the student’s supervisory committee, the GPD confirms the members of the student’s examining committee and informs SGPS of the oral examination information (date, location, time) on Form 2.2D - Doctoral Request to Schedule an Oral Examination.
The form is signed by the student, members of the supervisory committee, and the GPD/designate and submitted to SGPS at least 9 weeks before the oral examination date, as per section 6.2 of the Thesis Oral Examination for Master’s and Doctoral Candidacy Policy.
SGPS will review the form and notify the graduate program office/GPD of any questions or issues. Once the Request to Schedule the Oral Examination is approved, SGPS will inform the supervisor(s) and graduate program office, who can then proceed to schedule the exam.
Please contact the graduate program office in your faculty for assistance with the form.Scheduling a master’s oral examination
The examining committee for Master’s thesis students includes:
- All members of the student’s supervisory committee*,
- One thesis examiner, and,
- The chair of the committee is the GPD or designate.
*If any changes have occurred since the establishment of the original supervisory committee, the new committee members are named and an updated Form 1 must be submitted.
In consultation with the chair of the student’s supervisory committee, the GPD confirms the members of the student’s examining committee and informs SGPS of the oral examination information (date, location, time) on Form 2M - Master’s Thesis Examiner Nomination and Request to Schedule an Oral Examination.
The form is signed by the student, members of the supervisory committee, and the GPD/designate and submitted to SGPS at least 5 weeks before the oral examination date, as per section 6.1 of the Thesis Oral Examination for Master’s and Doctoral Candidacy Policy.
SGPS will review the form and notify the graduate program office/GPD of any questions or issues. Once the Request to Schedule the Oral Examination is approved, SGPS will inform the supervisor(s) and graduate program office, who can then proceed to schedule the exam.
Please contact the graduate program office in your faculty for assistance with the form. -
Scheduling of oral examination
Once the Request to Schedule an Oral Examination is approved, the graduate program office, in consultation with the student and all members of the examining committee, schedules the date of examination as listed on Form 2.2D or Form 2M. Any changes to information recorded on these forms (e.g. date of exam, chair of examining committee, attendance of committee members) must be communicated to SGPS as soon as possible.
The graduate program office co-ordinates the booking of a suitable room for the exam and sends email notices to the student and all members of examining committee regarding the date, time and location of exam. The graduate program office can then arrange for the presentation component of the oral examination to be advertised to the broader university community after the defence is approved to proceed by the examiner(s).
Note: As outlined in the Fees and charges section of the Graduate Academic Calendar, students with fees outstanding beyond the due date will be assessed a late payment fee and will be subject to the university’s hold policy. Students on hold cannot be registered in the final thesis course or apply to graduate. An oral examination may be postponed if a hold is not cleared.
In-camera defence
Normally, the presentation is an open event that can be attended by all interested parties, although extraordinarily, it may be closed to a restricted audience, or no audience, for reasons of confidentiality, safety, or intellectual property. In some cases, committee and audience members may be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Please contact gradthesis@ontariotechu.ca if such an agreement is required.
Prior to the defence: The chair of the examining committee, in consultation with the GPD and the RS(s), will determine whether the defence is open or closed. Once deemed closed, the RS will complete the top portion of the appropriate Intellectual Property Disclosure form and send it to SGPS, if applicable. SGPS will ensure that each member of the examining committee completes the bottom portion of the form.
After the defence: The reasons for closing a defence are to be provided in the chair’s report to SGPS.
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Distribution of thesis materials to examining committee members
The student’s thesis document is sent to all members of the examining committee members by SGPS.
A doctoral thesis is to be distributed to members of the examining committee at least 8 weeks prior to the oral exam.
A master’s thesis is to be distributed to members of the examining committee at least 4 weeks prior to the oral exam.
Failure to adhere to the above timelines (e.g. a delay in the submission of the thesis or required forms to SGPS may result in a delay of the oral exam. See section 8.3 a) of the Thesis Oral Examination for Master’s and Doctoral Candidacy Policy for more information regarding timelines.
The SGPS Thesis Coordinator sends the approved examiner(s) information outlining their responsibilities, providing them with the appropriate form for their report and confirming the deadline for submission of the form/report.
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Thesis defence examiner reports
The doctoral external and university examiners, and a master’s thesis examiner shall prepare a report of their assessment of the student’s thesis and will submit it to SGPS by a specified deadline using an online form. The examiners are asked to indicate their recommendation as to whether the thesis should proceed to oral examination as scheduled.
The Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (DGPS) or designate receives and reviews the examiner’s reports. A copy is signed by SGPS and sent to the examining committee and graduate program office.
Depending on the content of the examiner’s report, the examination committee and the DGPS may meet to determine whether to proceed with the final examination.
The DGPS reserves the right to postpone the final examination if examiner(s) report is not received by the deadline.
As per, section 7.4 a) of the Thesis Oral Examination for Master’s and Doctoral Candidacy Policy, the external and university examiner reports are due 10 Calendar Days before the scheduled examination date. *If the deadline date falls on a weekend, the examiner has until the following Monday morning to submit their report.
Link to website/form:
- Thesis Defence Examiner’s Report
NOTE: the content of the report is confidential and must not be discussed with the student prior to the examination. Following the defence, the supervisor can relay information from the report to the student, but the physical report shall remain confidential.
Negative reports and re-scheduling of oral exam
The examiner's report may recommend that the student not proceed to the oral examination.
If an examiner recommends the student should not proceed to oral examination, the DGPS informs the Graduate Program Director (GPD) and all members of the examining committee of the recommendation.
The committee’s options are:
- Student proceeds to scheduled oral exam and risks thesis being assessed as requiring major revisions or failure, or
- The scheduled oral exam is cancelled and the student has the opportunity to use feedback to revise and resubmit their thesis.
If the decision is made to cancel the exam, the following process will apply:
- The DGPS or designate will send an email to the GPD and committee to confirm that the oral exam will be cancelled and rescheduled at a later date.
- The GPD will inform the student of the cancellation.
- The supervisor will verbally disclose the content of the examiner’s report and provide an electronic copy of the examiner’s comments provided in the body of the thesis to the student.
- The remaining members of the examining committee can submit comments on the thesis to be passed on to the student.
- The committee will meet with the student as soon as possible to outline a pathway for the completion of the thesis.
Thesis defence procedures
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Thesis procedures – the day of the oral exam
Preparation of room and documents
The chair of the examining committee ensures the space is arranged properly and that the necessary documents are ready at the time of the exam.
Note: Guidelines for the Chair of the Examining Committee are available on the SGPS Doctoral thesis and Master's thesis webpages.
Required forms include:
- Chair’s Report on Thesis Examination
- Certificate of Approval – please contact the graduate program office in your faculty for assistance with the form.
Conduct of exam
The oral examination is conducted as outlined in the sections 9-12 of the Thesis Oral Examination for Master’s and Doctoral Candidacy Policy.
The chair presides over the oral presentation and examination. They also chair the proceedings of the in-camera deliberation of the examining committee as a non-voting member. The chair verifies that the student and all the members of the examining committee are present.
Chairs are requested to ensure that the exams proceed with minimal interruptions to the presenters. Interruptions occur especially when people walk in after the presentations have started. Committee chairs can use their discretion to see the available seats are not near the presenter. They may also arrange for a note to be posted outside the room to indicate that a presentation is in progress.
The chair of the examining committee ensures all required documentation for the final examination is completed and they record the outcome of the exam. The student and SGPS are provided with a copy at the conclusion of the oral examination. -
Summary of possible outcomes of oral examination
Review section 12 of the Thesis Oral Examination for Master’s and Doctoral Candidacy Policy, for the possible outcomes of completion of the oral examination. If you have any specific questions, please email gradthesis@ontariotechu.ca.
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Thesis procedures – after the exam
Chair’s Report on Thesis and Certificate of Approval
The chair of the examining committee completes the online Chair’s Report on Thesis Examination form to record the outcome of the oral examination. The student is not given a numerical or letter grade. The options open to the examining committee are defined in section 12 of the Thesis Oral Examination for Master’s and Doctoral Candidacy Policy.
The chair of the examining committee ensures that the Certificate of Approval is signed by all members of the examining committee. The student’s supervisor is required to sign off on the bottom portion of the Certificate of Approval when the student has completed all required revisions (if applicable).
Please contact the graduate program office in your faculty for the appropriate Certificate of Approval.
The chair’s report must be completed and submitted to SGPS no later than 1 week after the date of the examination.
Link to website/form:
Note: Depending on the decision rendered by the examining committee at the time of the oral exam, there may be additional revisions and actions required that may take varying amounts of time.
The Supervisor(s) (and any other committee members as determined at the oral defence) ensures that the student makes all the required revisions to the thesis by the deadline and signs off on the lower section of the Certificate of Approval form.
The Supervisor or graduate program office provides the student with a copy of the final Certificate of Approval form (with all required signatures) for inclusion in their final thesis package submission.
Once the student’s final thesis package has been approved by SGPS (see section below), the student will be registered in the appropriate thesis course. The graduate program office will then ensure the student’s grade (pass or fail) is entered within the appropriate timelines. For information on grading policy, refer to section 6.1-6.4 of the Graduate Grading System, Research Progress and Academic Standing Policy.
Thesis package submission and next steps
- Forms for thesis package submission
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Google drive submission and approval
Thesis package preparation and submission
Once a student's thesis and revisions (if applicable) have been approved by their supervisor/committee, the student must submit the work formally to SGPS for approval to be eligible to graduate. Specifically, as per Section 5 of the Graduate Submission of Thesis, Project or Major Paper Policy, each student must submit their post-defence final thesis in PDF form to SGPS via a shared google drive provided by the Thesis Coordinator.
The student should consult the Thesis Checklist and Formatting Guidelines document to ensure their thesis document complies with specific formatting requirements.
Link to website/form:
- Checklist #1 – Thesis Checklist and Formatting Guidelines
- Checklist #2 – Checklist for Final Thesis Package
For the final thesis package, students are required to submit PDF files in a shared google drive (sent to their ontariotechu.net account). Each document should be saved in the following format: Student Name_Document Name_Student No:
- A copy of their thesis
- A copy of their completed Certificate of Approval
- A copy of their Submission of Master’s or Doctoral form
- A copy of the Theses Non-Exclusive License
- A copy of the completed Checklist for Finall Thesis Package
- A copy of the ProQuest Form (if applicable)
- A copy of the Withhold Form (if applicable)
All forms are available on the SGPS website – see the Forms for thesis package submission section above.
Role of SGPS
When the final thesis package is submitted to google drive, SGPS reviews the documents inchecks the folder. The student is notified if there are any missing components or obvious formatting errors. Once complete, SGPS signs off on the Submission of Master’s or Doctoral Thesis form and sends the final electronic thesis package to the university library.
SGPS must approve the thesis package items. Students should take this into consideration if they are trying to submit by a specific deadline. It is highly advisable to submit well in advance of the deadline to allow time for any corrections that may be required.Requirements completed and mark entered
When the requirements for the thesis are complete and submitted, SGPS registers the student into the thesis course and the faculty's graduate program office enters the grade for the thesis course. When SGPS receiveds confirmation that the final thesis grade has been added, they will ensure the title of the thesis is entered on the student's final transcript.
Role of the University Library
The Library submits the students Thesis Non-exclusive License form and electronic copy to ProQuest so their thesis can be placed in the archives of Theses Canada and the National Library of Canada.
The Library uses the information from the files in a google drive folder to upload an electronic copy to E-Scholar, the library’s digital repository of university research. The student’s work can be accessed on the library website.
For more detailed information, please visit the university library thesis publishing website.
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Personal thesis binding
Students may choose to pay and have their thesis bound through Wallaceburg Bookbinding. They should contact Wallaceburg directly to have the thesis printed, bound, and shipped to them directly.
Visit the Thesis Publishing section of the Library for further information. -
Applying to graduate
All students completing degree requirements in a given semester are required to apply to graduate using the online application to graduate. Applying to graduate enables the Office of the Registrar to perform the steps required to grant the degree. If the student does not apply, the degree audit process will not occur.
The application to graduate is located on MyOntarioTech and is open to students during the time periods specified on the Application to graduate page.
