Thesis Programs Guide

Overview

• 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.

  We welcome your questions, feedback and recommendations and look forward to working with you to establish ‘best practices’ in this area of Graduate Studies operation. Please contact gradthesis@ontariotechu.ca with your inquires.
• 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. Graduate Student Supervisory Committee Policy Oral Examination for Master’s and Doctoral Candidates Policy Graduate Submission of Thesis, Project, or Major Paper Policy Doctoral Candidacy Examination Policy

   

• 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.

• 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 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.

  The appointment of the supervisory committee is made once the RS is satisfied that the student has made adequate progress in their research area.  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.

• 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 RS(s) 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 and to download the form, 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, as noted in section 10.1 of the Graduate Grading System, Research Progress and Academic Standing Policy and submitted for processing by the end of the registration period in the following term.

• 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 asked 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.

  A deadline document provided by SGPS recommends 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 in the Graduate Studies Policies and Procedures 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 can be found here and a Doctoral calculator can be downloaded here.

Doctoral candidacy examination

• 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.

  Please note that students transferring from a master’s to a doctoral program must strictly adhere to these deadlines, so if successful, they can officially apply to the doctoral program in the next available intake.  See transfer section below for more information.
• 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 RS(s) must inform the 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:

  1. 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.
  2. Appointment of Doctoral Candidacy Committee: GPD/GPS submit 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.
  3. After the candidacy exam is completed, the Chair or the GPD will submit the Doctoral Candidacy Examination – Summary of Committee Decision form and the DGPS must approve the transfer. Once the transfer is approved, SGPS sends the signed form to the chair of the candidacy committee, the RS(s) and the GPS and will notify the student.

  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 their Admissions and Registration Coordinator 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.
• 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 RS(s) inform the GPD when they wish to initiate the exam procedure.

  The GPD confirms the student’s eligibility for the candidacy examination. In consultation with the student and the RS(s)/supervisory committee, the GPD lists members of the candidacy committee, and 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 ensures that the form is reviewed by the DGPS 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, the DGPS approves the nomination. The approved form is sent back to the GPD. The GPS and RS(s) are copied.
• 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.
• Candidacy examination procedures

  The day of the exam

  Preparation of room and documents

  The chair of the candidacy committee/GPS 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 GPD following the examination.

  If the judgement was successful, SGPS registers the student into the candidacy exam course. The student’s RS(s) or GPD/GPS 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 are the first examination.

• Summary of possible outcomes of candidacy exam