msc to phd transfer

Program transfers between MSc and PhD 

You may request to transfer from the MSc to the PhD program with the recommendation of your thesis advisory committee.  

The transfer examination must take place between 16 - 23 months after the start of your MSc program (i.e. January - August in your second year).

Procedure for MSc to PhD transfer  

1. set up and prepare the committee .

Upon the recommendation of the thesis advisory committee, you and your supervisor will schedule the transfer examination and set up an Examination Committee.

If you are using the  Faculty directory  to seek members for your committee, only approach faculty  marked ‘yes’ under Graduate Faculty.

You will submit a transfer request at least four weeks before the examination using the  Transfer Request Form  (online form).  

The Examination Committee consists of:  

• Examination Chair, a member of the LMP graduate faculty, who chairs the examining committee, and at her/his discretion may participate in questioning you;  
• Two of your thesis advisory committee members, excluding your supervisor(s); and  
• One other graduate faculty member from any graduate unit.

2. Prepare a research proposal 

You will prepare a Research Proposal and distribute it to the members of the examination committee (including the Chair) at least two weeks before the examination.  

You should also send the committee: 

• Instructions for the MSc to PhD Transfer Examination Chair  (PDF) 
• The transfer report to the Examination Chair  (Word Doc) 

Your research proposal should describe the experiments that you intend to perform as a PhD student. 

It is your task to convince the committee members that your proposed work will likely lead to novel and significant findings – passing the Transfer Exam depends on this.  

In general, good experiments have clearly described hypotheses, strong rationales (based on published data or your preliminary data that support your hypotheses), and feasible experimental approaches (well-established assays or assays that are within the expertise of your laboratory or your collaborator’s laboratory). 

Your research proposal should not exceed 11 pages (12-point font; double-spaced; page limit does not include references and figures/figure legends).  

The research proposal should include the following sections:  

• Abstract : Summary of the proposal (~1 page)  
• Introduction : The purpose of the introduction is to provide background information that allows the examiners to understand your proposed work. Try to avoid writing a generic overview of the field. Your introduction should be tailored to your proposal. (~3 pages)  
• Preliminary data : This section should contain data you have generated that is relevant to your proposed work. The style should be similar to that of a Results Section of a manuscript. (~3 pages)  
• Research plan : The research plan should contain two to three specific aims. Ideally for each aim, you should provide a rationale (the reason why you believe the aim is strong), describe the experiments you will perform to achieve the aim, discuss potential pitfalls, and indicate alternative approaches if your primary approach fails. (~4 pages)  

3. Deliver a presentation at the examination 

At the examination, you will give a presentation describing your research carried out to date as well as the research proposed for the PhD thesis. 

Your presentation should be 20 minutes. 

The committee will examine you on: 

• your research 
• the proposed research, and 
• general knowledge related to the proposal. 

You should be prepared to discuss background knowledge and techniques as well as to defend the significance and feasibility of the proposed research.  

4. Committee discussion 

After the formal examination, you and your supervisor will leave the room. 

The Committee will then discuss your: 

• examination 
• written proposal 
• academic record 
• progress in research 
• the proposal for PhD thesis. 

They will pay special attention to whether you have developed, or you have the potential to develop, the intellectual processes required for original thinking and independent research. 

All committee members must unanimously agree for the recommendation to transfer to the PhD program for it to be passed.   

If the Examination Committee does not recommend transfer to the PhD program 

Three options are available. The Committee can recommend you: 

• revise the proposal and re-take the oral examination within 6 weeks; 
• re-take the oral examination within 6 weeks, with no proposal revision; 
• complete an MSc degree.  

Final decisions 

If the Examination Committee recommends transfer to the PhD program, the final decision will be made by the School of Graduate Studies.  

Use The Transfer Examination Checklist  (Word doc) to ensure you meet all the requirements. 

PhD to MSc transfer  

Your advisory committee may recommend you transfer to the MSc program, or you may request the back-transfer. 

This request requires approval of the Vice Dean, School of Graduate Studies.  

PhD to MSc Back-Transfer Request form  (PDF). 

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Masters-PhD Transfers

Workday student support.

Graduate students can find "how to" guides and support information on our Workday support page .

 There are two types of transfer:

• Transfer from master's to doctoral programs without completing master's requirements
• Transfer from doctoral to master's programs
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Transfer from the MSc to the PhD

Epidemiology (epi) students.

Please read refer to these specific conditions and required documents to transfer to the PhD .

BCH, CMM, MIC and NSC students

You must meet the following conditions:

• Obtain a minimum of A- in all MSc level courses and a minimum of B+ in the last 30 units.
• Complete all the core courses required for the MSc.
• Must be enrolled for the thesis (THM7999)
• Successfully complete the transfer exam before the end of the 5 th  term.
• Submit the required documents with the required approvals.
• Obtain final approval from the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office of the Faculty of Medicine.

Description arrow_drop_down

The Transfer Exam is a 2-part exam used to evaluate an MSc student’s depth of knowledge and research skill, and therefore suitability for the PhD program.

The exam consists of both a written component (a research proposal) and an oral examination.

If an MSc student fails one of the components of the Transfer Exam, the MSc student will be asked to complete an MSc degree.

A second examination is not permitted.

If successful, the transfer exam will be accepted in lieu of the PhD  comprehensive examination .

Note: Courses completed during the master's program will not count towards the PhD program requirements.

Learning objective arrow_drop_down

The transfer exam will evaluate whether a candidate has the knowledge and research skills required to successfully complete a doctoral program, such as:

• General and project-specific scientific knowledge
• Knowledge of the scientific literature in the proposed field of study
• Ability to generate a research question and to propose an experimental plan
• Ability to use research methodologies and to interpret results (generated during the first year of studies)
• Ability to communicate science both written and orally
• Ability to put the proposed work in the context of the broader field of research
• Potential to identify limitations of their chosen approaches and make informed judgments in their specific field of research

Each of these learning objectives will be tested both at the time of the submission of the written report (the research proposal) and at the oral exam.

Writing a research proposal through the generation of a research question and an experimental plan to address it, will:

• develop scientific writing skills;
• develop critical thinking skills;
• develop scientific creativity;
• expand knowledge in the field of research.

Timing arrow_drop_down

At the second meeting of the TAC committee, normally in the 4 th  term after first enrolment, the student’s research project and the Transfer Exam should be discussed.

The transfer exam must be successfully completed before the end of the 5 th  term.

Scheduling arrow_drop_down

At least six weeks prior to the transfer exam, you need to inform the Graduate and Postdoctoral Office (GPSO) by email ( [email protected] ) of the date chosen by the supervisor and the evaluation committee for the examination, or of your preferred date if your supervisor and committee members haven’t yet agreed on a specific date.

To your e-mail you must add your supervisor in cc and co-supervisor if applicable and attach the following documents:

• your research abstract
• The  Transfer Exam (Fast-track) Examiner nomination Form (PDF)  (names of potential examiners should be chosen by the supervisor)

The Program Director will approve the nomination of the committee members.

As soon as the GSPO has the approval of the director we will assist with the scheduling of the event by confirming the time and location of the exam.

At least 3 weeks prior to the exam, you must circulate your research proposal by e-mail to the examination committee with the GSPO in cc.

Topic arrow_drop_down

The candidate will prepare a PhD research proposal on their thesis project.

This research proposal cannot be a summary of a grant proposal submitted by the research supervisor, but rather, must be specific to the research questions to be investigated by the candidate and reflective of research progress made in the first year of studies.

Examination committee arrow_drop_down

The committee must be composed of 3 members:

• Two TAC members, and
• One additional examiner who will be nominated as the chair for the exam.

At least one of the committee members should be from the home graduate program.

Following submission of the written component, the members of the examination committee will be granted 1 week to complete its evaluation.

All examiners and supervisors are required to be present during the oral examination.

Roles of the supervisor and student arrow_drop_down

The thesis supervisor must support the student's request to transfer to the PhD program.

The transfer exam is intended to be an independent learning process.

The proposal is to be written by the student as an independent exercise. The supervisor will not edit the proposal, but should provide feedbacks on the scope of the research and the hypotheses.

The supervisor may also be consulted on matters of methodology or format of the proposal.

Assessment and evaluation arrow_drop_down

The exam is evaluated as Pass/Fail. The student can fail either the written or oral component. Each component (written and oral) is evaluated by the examination committee.

A minimum of 2 satisfactory votes are required to successfully pass the Transfer Exam.

Following a Verdict 1 The student will be asked to prepare for oral defense.

Following a verdict 2 A student whose performance on the written component is deemed to be not satisfactory (more than one not satisfactory vote) will be asked to write a Master’s thesis.

Evaluation form (PDF)

Part 1: The research proposal arrow_drop_down

General requirements.

The research proposal is a formal document that will be prepared based on your proposed research plan for the PhD.

While you will have already discussed your research direction with your supervisor and TAC, the research proposal required for the Transfer Exam is neither a TAC report nor a re-submission of your supervisor’s grant proposal.

Rather, the research proposal will cover the direction of your work from the time of the exam through to thesis submission and its scientific rationale will be based on your knowledge of the field as well as your own results.

You must, therefore, decide your topic in a very narrow scope and ensure that all of your experimental aims are sufficiently independent enough to allow you to make a significant contribution to scientific knowledge in your field by the end of your studies, a requirement for the completion of a doctoral degree.

Required sections

1. title page.

The title page should include the title of your proposal, your name and student number, your supervisor’s name, the date you began the PhD program, the date of submission of the research proposal and the following statement: Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Comprehensive Exam.

2. Abstract

A 350 word summary of the proposed research proposal. This abstract should include:

• a statement of the problem
• a rationale for the proposed research
• the hypothesis and experimental aims
• a brief description of the experimental plan
• a statement about the significance and/or implications of the proposed work

3. Introduction

The Introduction section should include the necessary information and context to understand your research question. The introduction should aim to summarize the literature in the field as well as your own research progress in a concise fashion with the objective of setting the stage for the hypothesis (next section). The Introduction should inform the reader about the important facts while also hinting at the significance of the field.

4. Rationale and Hypothesis

This short section should briefly summarize the known information that serves as the foundation for your research question, followed by your specific (and testable hypothesis). This section should not be more than one paragraph.

5. Experimental Aims and Methods

In this section, you will typically describe 2-3 experimental aims that will test your hypothesis. These aims can be formulated as smaller research questions (eg. Is protein X necessary for process Y?). For each aim, you will develop an experimental approach that is modern and feasible, and that will answer your research question. There should be sufficient detail to allow an independent researcher to complete the work. Also, it is best to think of multiple ways to validate your findings and to test your hypothesis to demonstrate scientific rigor. Ask yourself “If I do experiment A and get result B, what else, other than a correct hypothesis, could cause this result?” Asking yourself this question will reveal important control experiments that will make your approach more comprehensive.

In this section, you should also summarize for the reader what results you expect to see based on your hypothesis and literature review. While this section will cover the experimental approach that you think is ideal for answering your question, it is possible, perhaps even likely, that you will have to find another strategy to address your hypothesis. Also use this section to briefly point out pitfalls to your approach and to suggest alternative ways to answer your research questions.

6. Significance

Use this section to convince your reader of the potential impact of your research. It should be brief, but should put your expected findings into the broader context of the field of research you work in.

7. References

Each reference should be numbered sequentially as it appears in the text. The numbers should be placed in the text as a superscript. The Reference section should follow the format for the journal Nature, as shown below:

39.  Schmidt, D., del Marmol, J. & MacKinnon, R. Mechanistic basis for low threshold mechanosensitivity in voltage-dependent K+ channels. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A109, 10352-7 (2012).

General Format

1. page length and margins.

The Research proposal should not exceed 15 type-written pages including figures but excluding references. Margins must be set to a minimum of 1 inch (2.54 cm).

2. Acceptable font

The document should be prepared using Times New Roman 12 pt. The document should be prepared single spaced.

Figures should be prepared in PowerPoint, Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator and saved as image files (jpg, tif) and inserted into the text with tight text wrapping using Arial 10 pt as a minimum font size in the final version.

Each figure should include a concise legend using the acceptable fonts in 3.2 that describes the experiment performed similar to what is appropriate for scientific publication.

Figures can be integrated into the text or added at the end of the proposal, provided that they meet the formatting guidelines.

Assessment and evaluation

• The Transfer Exam is evaluated as (S) Satisfactory or (NS) Not Satisfactory.
• Each component (written and oral) is evaluated by the examination committee including the Chairperson.

Following submission of the written component, the examination committee will be granted 1 week to complete its evaluation with two possible verdict outcomes:

• Verdict 1: The research proposal is ready to proceed to oral examination, the candidate will be asked to prepare for oral examination.
• Verdict 2: The candidate will be asked to complete an MSc degree.  A second examination is not permitted.

A minimum of 2 satisfactory votes are required to successfully pass the written component of the Transfer Exam.

Part 2: Oral evaluation arrow_drop_down

Description.

For the oral exam, the MSc student will be asked to present a short 15 minute summary of their research topic and their proposal, followed by two rounds of questioning in which the student’s basic scientific and technical knowledge will be evaluated.

Specific questions relating directly to the research proposal will be asked.

At the end of the Oral Exam, the student will be asked to leave the room and the Supervisor will be given the opportunity to express his/her opinion of the student’s performance to the Committee.

The Supervisor will then be asked to leave the room and members of the Examining Committee will deliberate in the absence of the student and the Supervisor.

At the end of the examination, each examiner, including the Chair, will vote (satisfactory or not satisfactory).

A minimum of 2 satisfactory votes are required to successfully pass the oral exam. A student whose performance is deemed to be not satisfactory (more than one not satisfactory vote) will be asked to complete an MSc program.

The candidate and Supervisor will be invited back into the room and will be informed of the Committee’s decision and will, if necessary, suggest areas where the student needs to improve his/her background knowledge.

The forms included in the chair package (Report of Comprehensive Examination and an Oral Evaluation Form from each examiner) (which will be given to the Chair prior to the defence), along with additional recommendations, will be submitted to the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office (RGN2016) immediately after the exam.

• Each component (written and oral) is evaluated by the examination committee including the Chair.
• The Transfer examination is evaluated as (S) Satisfactory or (NS) Not Satisfactory.

Roles of the supervisor

The Transfer Exam is intended to be an independent learning process.

It is expected that the supervisor will be present for the exam but will only participate as an observer.

The thesis supervisor may not ask or answer questions during the exam.

The supervisor will be asked by the chair of the examining committee to comment at the end of the exam, after the student has left the room (in particular the supervisor will be requested to describe his/her involvement in the preparation of the exam).

The thesis supervisor and the candidate are not to be present during deliberation following the exam.

The Chairperson’s responsibilities

• Distribute and collect the completed evaluation forms from the Examiners;
• Fill out the Report on Comprehensive Examination; ensure to obtain the signatures from all committee members;
• In the case of an unsuccessful comprehensive examination, provide a detailed report in writing to  [email protected]  addressed to the Director of the Graduate Program

The documents must be returned to the Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Office (RGN2016) once the oral exam is completed.

The Chairperson must also:

• Ensure the efficient conduct of the exam and a respectful examination environment.
• Assure that the exam is conducted within the guidelines;
• Ensure the thoroughness of the assessment of the candidate according to the format of the examination;
• Oversee the order, nature and timing of the questioning
• Invite the supervisor to comment at the end of the exam, after the student has left the room (in particular the supervisor will be requested to describe his/her involvement in the preparation of the exam).

The Chairperson may intervene:

• In the questioning, if needed to maintain the appropriate level or conduct of the Exam;
• In the discussion and assessment by examiners, if the vote or consensus does not accurately reflect the results of the questioning during the Exam;
• To deny the privilege of voting, and thus participating in the formation of a consensus, to any member of the Examining Committee who is absent from any part of the Exam.

Submission and approval of the required documents arrow_drop_down

Additional information is required to support your request to transfer from the msc to phd (fast-track)..

The following documents must be submitted to the Graduate and Postdoctoral Office of the Faculty of Medicine through a  Service request  in  uoZone :

• For students enrolled in an PhD in BCH, CMM, MIC or NSC (PDF, 147KB)
• For students enrolled in EPI (PDF, 193KB)
• Annual Research Progress Report (PDF, 1,458KB)
• Modification/Cancellation of Registration form (PDF, 128KB)
• Registration of thesis topic / Appointment of thesis supervisor (PDF, 139KB)

Please submit 3 separate Service Requests and inform your supervisor that his approval is required to process the requests.

In your uoZone, under Request Category:

• Select Research Related / Modify a supervisor Attach the PhD Disclosure Form and the Registration of thesis topic / Appointment of thesis supervisor form to your request. This request will document that your supervisor has agreed to take you on as a PhD student, that you will be properly funded and confim your thesis topic.
• Select Research Related/ Progress Report Attach the Annual Research Progress Report. This will document your annual requirement, in the event the Transfer Exam replaced your annual Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting. If a Progress Report has been submitted this year, with a TAC report, this request can be waived.
• Note the change from MSc to PhD, for the upcoming term
• Drop THM7999 (left hand side of the form)
• Add THD9999 (right hand side of the form) and other relevant courses required to meet the  PhD program requirements , such as the PhD seminar course and PhD Comprehensive Exam.

Note: Students must be enrolled to the MSc (THM7999) to request to fast-track to the PhD. If not enrolled to THM7999 for the upcoming term, attach a Graduate Registration form to add THM7999 for the upcoming term.

Final approval from the graduate and postdoctoral studies office arrow_drop_down

Once all levels of approval are received, your request to fast-track will be complete.

The Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office will process the change within 2-4 weeks; the student will be enrolled for his/her PhD courses and receive a confirmation e-mail.

Transferring from MSc to PhD

Pros and cons of transferring from msc to phd.

The transfer from MSc to PhD without completing the MSc is designed to allow a student who has developed a great project during their MSc work to transfer that project into the PhD program. While this can sound pretty attractive there are some distinct disadvantages of doing this. Both the pros and cons of taking such a transfer are summarized below.

Advantages to Transferring from MSc to PhD

• write only one thesis rather than two graduate theses, and thus have only one thesis defence
• move into PhD program without need to have completed a research project
• spread the course load over more years as you do not need to complete the required 4 MSc courses before transferring to the PhD program

Advantages to Completing the MSc Thesis and Degree

• Garner some valuable experience in writing a thesis . Most students have no idea how long it will take them to put together their thesis. Writing up your MSc will give you some valuable insights into both the process and your ability. Such writing also helps tremendously in formulating new research for your PhD as it gets you reading the relevant background, and will provide you with excellent feedback on your organizational, writing and analytical skills.
• Gain confidence in both your work and your writing . Until you have actually written and defended a thesis you have no idea how much confidence you will gain in going through this process successfully. The extra time taken to write up an MSc can certainly be countered by the increased efficiency you will get from this confidence boost.
• Submit a paper or two for publication . If you are planning to stay on to extend your MSc work into a PhD, then focus the MSc thesis on work that can now be written up for publication. This too s invaluable experience but even better, it's a great way to enhance scholarship, and eventually job, applications. Published papers will also introduce you to and raise your profile in your field of research, also invaluable.
• Put some of your research behind you . By writing up some of your research for publication, you will not be tempted to collect more data on the subject of that work. This will allow you to focus your PhD research on more important topics.
• Have a thesis completed and a degree in hand . In the unlikely event that your PhD research flounders, or you change your mind for whatever reason, you will already have a degree completed. If you take this route there is no going back.

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Transfer from MSc to PhD Program

Guidelines for transfer from MSc to a PhD program are based on minutes of the Graduate Studies Committee meeting of January 10th, 2006.

1. The program coordinator should be notified by the student and supervisor of the intention to request a transfer from the MSc to the PhD. This would normally be done between the 3rd and 5th semester.

2. The program coordinator and supervisor should explain to the student the requirements in completing a PhD in contrast to those for completion of the MSc.

• The change to PhD status is retroactive to the time of acceptance into the graduate program.
• Comprehensive examination which covers the field of specialization and is examined both orally and written.
• Independent piece of research.
• Thesis and oral defence examined by one external and two internal specialists.
• course work
• written thesis normally examined by one external and one internal examiners
• independent research
• comprehensive examination
• written thesis must be accepted to proceed to oral examination
• thesis examination board normally one external two internal examiners

3. Requirements for transfer:

• Student submits a written report and oral presentation of this material to supervisory committee.
• Supervisory committee recommends transfer based on this information and presentation, this is indicated on the supervisory report form.
• Transfer is indicated on the program of study form.
• The Associate Dean - Graduate Studies (Medicine) must support the transfer request.
• Final decision for transfer from MSc to PhD rests with the Dean of School of Graduate Studies.
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Related Content

PhD Semesters 4-6 (MSc to PhD Transfer)

Registration.

• UNIV*7510*01 Active Full-time Registration or UNIV*7520*01 Active Part-time Registration
• UNIV*7500*01 Research/Writing

Progress Reports

Submit Semester 3 Graduate Student Progress Report

MSc to PhD Transfer

• See details for process of  MSc to PhD transfer

The student must have a good quality undergraduate degree (normally B+ to A) in an unofficial transcript. 

The student must have completed at least 1.0 graduate level course credits (two 0.5 credit graduate courses), plus a Seminar or equivalent course, recognized for credit at the University of Guelph, with at least A- grades, also with an unofficial transcript. 

The formal request must be initiated in writing by the student within the department/school. The student must provide  3.a.) a written summary of progress in research to the Advisory Committee and the departmental Graduate Studies Committee. This summary should be accompanied by 3.b.) a copy of the MSc research proposal, 3.c.) a review of research conducted for the master’s thesis and any papers presented, published or submitted, research seminar title, etc. It should also include 3.d.) an outline of the future studies (approximately 3 pages), and 3.e.) an updated CV.

The Advisory Committee must comment on the candidate’s aptitude for doctoral level research and on the suitability of  the Master's research project for expansion to a doctoral project. The student should be highly rated by the Advisory Committee.

The Advisory Committee’s recommendation must be supported by the Department Chair and by the departmental Graduate Studies Committee.

After a positive departmental evaluation, the student  submits the request for transfer form , together with the proof of payment. The Graduate program assistant forwards the student's request for transfer and the required documentation along with its own recommendation to the Board of Graduate Studies.

The Admissions and Progress Committee, on behalf of the Board of Graduate Studies, examines the documentation, including the official academic record, and, if appropriate, recommends admission to the PhD/DVSc program without completing the Master’s program. The Admissions and Progress Committee may review the application directly with the student concerned and/or with the faculty proponent(s) of the transfer.

Student starts the process by providing 1, 2, and 3 to her/his advisory committee. They write 4) . Student submits 1, 2, 3, and 4 to the IB Graduate Program Assistant. The Graduate Studies Committee completes 5, and, if approved, the student submits 6), and the department will submit everything (1-6) to the Office of Graduate Studies. The advisor(s) and graduate student will also have to sign a new funding form. Contact Karen White for the details.

Submit Semester 4 Graduate Student Progress Report

Advisory Committee + PhD thesis approval

• Make sure that you have enough members for a PhD advisory committee: at least 3 members, and we recommend that one person is from outside the department.
• Submit revised version of Advisory Committee Appointment Form to Grad Program Assistant.
• Write/update PhD thesis proposal
• Defend your revised thesis proposal (see above), Advisory Committee signs PhD Thesis Proposal and Qualifying Exam Request Form which is submitted to the IB Graduate Program Assistant.

Submit Semester 5 Progress Report

Qualifying Exam Information

• General info on the QE can be found on page 26 of the Graduate Calendar
• IB Qualifying Exam Guidelines
• submit PhD Research Proposal and QE Request Form (in standard form) to IB Graduate Program Assistant, Kate Artuso at [email protected] before 14th class day of semester 3
• QE committee appointed by Graduate Program Coordinator.  Advisors are encouraged to include their recommendations for exam committee members on the QE Request Form.
• QE planned starting month after PhD research proposal submission
• How to prepare for your QE

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Transfer to the Ph.D. Program

• The student's Thesis Supervisor and Supervisory Committee must first approve a transfer.
• The Thesis Supervisor must confirm that sufficient funds are available to provide the student with the minimum level of support for the duration of the Ph.D. program.
• The transfer must be approved by the Graduate Training Committee, who will then recommend to the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies office that a change of status take place.

M.Sc. students who transfer into the Ph.D. program are considered to be at level Ph.D. 2 and are required to take the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination within 8 months of their registration into the Ph.D. program.

M.Sc. students who intend to transfer to the Ph.D. program must apply on-line by the following deadlines.

September Registration

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• March 15th for Canadian citizens

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Oral Examinations and Thesis

Oral examination guidelines:.

For all examinations, the student must attend in person. In extenuating circumstances, the examination may be held in hybrid mode with approval.

For questions about the MSc Oral Exam, MSc-PhD Transfer Exam and PhD Qualifying Exam, please contact [email protected] .

For questions about the PhD Final Oral Exam, please contact  [email protected] .

• Important : For students planning for their MSc-PhD Transfer Examination or PhD Qualifying Examination, please review the proposal guidelines.

Thesis Preparation

There are two formats for the preparation of theses:

• Traditional
• Alternative

Please see the document titled  Guidelines for Thesis Format  for more information, and check this very useful SGS  Student Guidelines for the Doctoral Thesis .

Writing the thesis generally requires a few months of intense effort. The student and supervisor must make time to shape the results of the research into a document that will be carefully evaluated. This critical period demands that the student set aside enough time for the task. It is best to be liberal in the time allotted for thesis writing, completing the examination and revising the thesis as needed.

Students must acquaint themselves with the section on  Code of Behaviour  in the School of Graduate Studies Calendar and be fully aware of the consequences of plagiarism before submitting the thesis to Committee members for the final defense.

MSc Oral Examination

When the Supervisor and Advisory Committee have approved the written thesis, a final committee meeting should be held to agree that the student may proceed to defense. 

Getting Started

Students must submit the following to the Graduate Office 6 weeks before the desired examination date:

• MSc Oral Examination Committee Nomination Form
• Thesis Assurance Form
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• A copy of the thesis

Following the examination, the Examination Committee will vote and recommend that the thesis be accepted with a) no revision, b) minor corrections, c) or minor modifications.

If Minor Corrections are required, the student’s supervisor must sign the Thesis Approval form attesting that the changes have been made to the thesis.  In the case of Minor Modifications, the student’s Supervisor and at least one member of the student’s thesis Advisory Committee must sign the Thesis Approval Form attesting that the changes have been made.  In both cases, the signed form must be submitted to the Graduate Office.

If major changes are required, a second oral exam may be necessary. There will be no more than two oral examinations for the MSc degree program.

Examination Committee

The Examination Committee will consist of 4 to 5 voting members. Although quorum is  4  voting members, it is recommended that the Examination Committee include  5  voting members to ensure the examination proceeds as scheduled.

The Committee must include the following:

• Supervisor/Co-supervisor
• Appraiser (The student, in consultation with her/his supervisor should identify a professor who can serve as the thesis appraiser. S/he must have a Graduate Faculty Membership with the School of Graduate Studies, expertise in the field of research, and not a member of the student’s Advisory Committee); 
• At least 2 other voting members (normally from the Advisory Committee);
• External Examiner (the Appraiser can serve as the External Examiner).

Oral Examination

All the necessary forms will be prepared and provided to the Chair by the Graduate Office. The examination typically lasts for 1-2 hours. The student will give a 20-minute presentation, which is followed by questions from the Examination Committee.

Upon receipt, the Graduate Office will assign a Chair, schedule the exam, and book a room. The Graduate Office will distribute the thesis to each voting member of the Examination Committee. Please note the oral examination will not be scheduled if requested later than six (6) weeks prior to the desired examination date.

Final Responsibilities

Before submitting the final thesis online, students should review  Electronic Thesis Submission .

MSc-PhD Transfer Examination

Students in the MSc program may transfer to the PhD program by successfully completing the MSc-PhD Transfer Examination. The exam takes place within  15-18 months (24 months for Part-time students)  of the student’s initial registration. The student must have completed at least one graduate full course equivalent with a final grade of A-.

• MSc-PhD Transfer Examination Nomination Form
• PhD program proposal
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) including any publications

Upon receipt, the Graduate Office will assign a Chair, schedule the exam, and book a room. The Graduate Office will distribute the progress report, PhD program proposal, and CV to each voting member of the Examination Committee. Please note the examination will not be scheduled if requested later than six (6) weeks prior to the desired examination date.

Program Proposal Guidelines

Exams scheduled to take place on or after september 1, 2020 must adhere to the following guidelines..

The student must provide a written description of the research that includes:

• A title page with the project title, date of the exam, student's name, the name of the supervisor(s), and members of the advisory committee
• Introduction to the subject of the research (including its context in the current knowledge, the timelines, and potential impact of the proposed work)
• The methods to be used
• A summary and interpretation of the results obtained to date
• A description of the experiments in the future
• A timeline for completion of the degree
• Appropriate citations

The body of the proposal should be no more than 15 pages, double spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch (2.5 cm) margins, and include page numbers. The title page and citations are not included in the 15-page limit.  Citations should be single-spaced. A separate appendix may be included that contains figures and tables and should not exceed 10 pages.

These regulations will be strictly enforced and proposals that do not meet these page limits will not be accepted by the graduate office

• Supervisor/Co-supervisor;
• Two Advisory Committee members;
• External member (external to the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and NOT a member of the student’s Advisory Committee; must have an SGS appointment)
• Internal member (cannot be a member of the Advisory committee and must be a  Graduate Faculty  member in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences).

The format of this examination is similar to a thesis defense. The procedure for the exam is as follows:

• The student will give a 20-minute presentation summarizing the research and PhD proposal. The working hypothesis to guide the research at the PhD level should be stated.
• After the summary, the student will be asked questions by the Committee.
• When there are no further questions, the candidate will be asked to leave the exam room.
• The Committee will discuss the student’s performance, complete the  MSc-PhD Transfer Examination Report Form  (prepared by the Graduate Office) and vote to recommend transfer to the PhD program. The vote must be unanimous, as one negative vote or abstention constitutes failure.
• Once the vote is complete, the student will be readmitted to the room and the results discussed.

If successful, the student is transferred to the PhD program and will be given transfer credit for graduate course work completed during the MSc program.

If unsuccessful, the student may repeat the exam before the end of the 21st month of registration in the program. If it is the student’s second attempt or there is not enough time in which to complete a retake, the student will not be transferred to the PhD program.

PhD Qualifying Examination

The Qualifying Examination provides a basis for determining whether a student should continue toward the degree. Students are expected to understand the scientific basis, methodological details and the broad context of their research, as well as the relationship between their proposed research and cognate bodies of knowledge. The aim of the Qualifying Examination is to assure that the student is prepared to carry out the proposed research program and write a defensible thesis within a reasonable period. The Qualifying Examination is based on a defense of the scientific and experimental aspects of the thesis project before a committee.

The deadline to hold the exam and a retake, if necessary, is 24 months for the full-time program and 32 months for the flex-time program.

After the first Advisory Committee meeting, the student should plan to present to a Qualifying Examination Committee.

• PhD Qualifying Examination Committee Nomination Form
• Thesis proposal

Thesis Proposal Guidelines

Exams scheduled to take place on or after september 1, 2021 must adhere to the following guidelines..

These regulations will be strictly enforced and proposals that do not meet these page limits will not be accepted by the graduate office.

• At the beginning of the examination, the student will make a 20-minute presentation based on the proposal distributed to the Qualifying Examination Committee.
• After the presentation, each member of the Qualifying Examination Committee will ask the student questions related to the proposed thesis research. The student is expected to demonstrate that s/he has an appropriate understanding of the scientific basis of the research, the methodological approaches, and the technical details. The student will also be expected to answer questions concerning the relation between the thesis research and the scientific field in which it is based, as well as its relation to cognate sciences.
• The Qualifying Examination Committee will discuss the student’s performance with the research supervisor and complete the  PhD Qualifying Examination Report Form .
• The Committee will then vote on whether to pass or fail the student. More than one negative vote and/or abstention will result in failure.
• The student is readmitted to the room and notified of the outcome of the exam.

If the student passes the Qualifying Examination , s/he may continue toward the PhD degree.

If the student fails the Qualifying Examination , s/he may repeat the exam prior to the end of 24 months in the full-time program and 32 months in the flex-time program. In this case, the Committee will provide a written evaluation of the student’s performance that details the areas of improvement. If a student fails the QE twice or cannot pass the QE prior to the end of 24 months in the program, enrolment in the PhD program is terminated. For students without a MSc degree, termination will result in either reclassification to the MSc program or withdrawal from the graduate program. Students who hold a MSc degree from another department may reclassify to the MSc program in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Students who hold a MSc degree from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences will not be allowed to continue further studies in the Department.

Final Advisory Committee Meeting

The final step towards completion of the PhD program is the presentation and defense of the research thesis at the Final Presentation and Oral Examination. In order to proceed to the presentation and exam, the student must successfully complete a final Advisory Committee meeting.

A final Advisory Committee meeting is required prior to the Final Presentation and Oral Examination. At this meeting, Advisory Committee Members must:

• Complete the  Advisory Committee Assessment Form  which clearly indicates the student may proceed to the Final Oral Exam;
• Complete the  Thesis Assurance Form . The Thesis Assurance Form must be signed by the student, supervisor, co-supervisor (if applicable) and at least two other Advisory Committee members.

Public Seminar & Final Oral Examination

A Public Seminar is held immediately preceding the Final Oral Examination ( Exception: Students who started the program prior to January 2015 may opt out of the Final Oral Presentation before their Exam ). A Final Oral Presentation is 40-50 minutes in length and is open to the public. The Examination that immediately follows is a closed meeting attended by the student and the Examination Committee.

Students must submit the following to the Graduate Office   8 weeks before the desired examination date:

• Completed  Advisory Committee Assessment Form  which clearly indicates the student may proceed to the Final Oral Exam;
• Completed  Thesis Assurance Form ;
• Completed  PhD Oral Examination Committee Nomination Form ;
• A copy of the thesis;
• A copy of the thesis abstract.

The SGS also has a Student Checklist for Doctoral Final Oral Examination .

No arrangements will be made for the Final Oral Exam until the signed forms are submitted. The thesis must be distributed to all Committee Members no later than six weeks prior to the date of the exam. The Graduate Office will submit the thesis to the External Examiner.

The Examination Committee must have a minimum of four voting members for quorum. Students can have a maximum of 6 members (3 from the supervisory committee and 3 as non-supervisory members). A minimum of TWO non-supervisory members must be present in order to proceed with the exam and to achieve quorum of four members in total. It is acceptable to have an Examination Committee with only ONE supervisory member and four or five non-supervisory members. If the student has more than  three supervisory members, the extra member(s) may participate as non-voting member(s). All members should have graduate appointments with SGS, except for the External Examiner who must be external to the University of Toronto. It is recommended that students check the Committee Members’ status before submitting their selections.

Final Oral Examination (FOE) Committee Composition  ( Effective July 1, 2012 )

The External Examiner must submit a brief, written report to the PhD Examination Office, School of Graduate Studies and also to the Graduate Department. This report must be submitted 10 working days prior to the date of the exam.

An Examination Chair is appointed by the Associate Dean of Division IV of the School of Graduate Studies (the Chair will be a Graduate Faculty member from another department). The scheduling of the Chair for the exam is the Department’s responsibility.

Before submitting the final thesis online, students should review  Electronic Thesis Submission . The Department does not require a bound copy of your thesis.

Post Thesis Defense Graduate Student Follow up

It is the student’s responsibility to submit the completed  Post Thesis Defense Graduate Student follow-up form .

School of Graduate Studies Resources

Post thesis defense resources, msc final oral examination, phd final oral examination.

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MSc to PhD transfer policy

Transfer from msc to phd.

A graduate student in an MSc program may request to transfer to a PhD program, following discussions with the supervisor. Normally, to be eligible for a transfer, the student must have completed at least all but 3.0 units of the MSc program courses, have a graduate GPA of at least 7.0, submit a Transfer Report, and pass a Transfer Exam. Students who do not transfer within 16 months of their entry in the MSc program are normally expected to complete an MSc degree.

Students who have completed more than 16 months in the MSc program at the time of their transfer exam must submit a letter, signed by the student and supervisor(s) to the Graduate Program Assistant and Graduate Advisor, justifying the late transfer.

A student proceeding to transfer should prepare for distribution to the Supervisory Committee a short, typed Transfer Report (10-15 pages including figures and text; references can be included in additional pages) which describes the research thus far, and presents what is expected to be achieved in the PhD program. The report is due to the Supervisory Committee two weeks prior to the scheduled date of the exam.

Content of the transfer report

The Transfer Report is meant to inform the Supervisory Committee on the level of progress thus far in the student's research, and to convince the Supervisory Committee of the student's capability of completing sufficient research for a PhD dissertation, and that the proposed PhD program is of the right scope and has been appropriately thought through. As the information being conveyed by the Transfer Report has more emphasis on the PhD plans than on what has been achieved so far, a proposal format is the most appropriate.

Format of the exam

The student will be invited to make an oral presentation (about 20 minutes) on the Transfer Report. The Supervisory Committee will question the student (typically 20 to 40 minutes) to ensure the student reasonably understands the research material, has a satisfactory view of the project's doctoral scope, and has sufficiently developed research skills commensurate with entry level PhD expectations. The transfer examination is open only to faculty members and the Supervisory Committee. The Supervisory Committee will discuss the student's academic and research progress and reach a decision regarding transfer.

If the Supervisory Committee unanimously decides that this is successfully completed, it will advise the Graduate Adviser who will recommend to the Faculty of Graduate Studies that the transfer take place. The student must apply to re-register via the online application system (under type of study, select As a current student transferring to a different degree). The transfer takes effect from the start of the next academic term.

Please speak with the Graduate Program Assistant for more details.

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Faculty of Science

Department of chemistry & chemical biology, chemistry phd. (transfer).

If you are looking for information on how to transfer into the PhD program from the MSc, click here.

Degree Requirements

• All remaining requirements for the MSc must be completed within one year of starting in the PhD program.
• No additional courses
• Comprehensive Exam
• Departmental Seminar
• Thesis embodying original research

Course Requirements

• Transfer PhD students are not required to take any further courses
• It is possible to get permission to count courses outside of the CHEM program toward your degree.  You will need to fill in a  Request for In-Program Course Adjustments Form  and obtain signatures from your supervisor and the Graduate Chair. Return the completed form to  [email protected] .
• For graduate students, the minimum passing grade for any module or course is B-.
• In all cases, additional courses beyond the minimum requirement may be recommended by the supervisory committee.

The Colloquium

All graduate students are expected to attend departmental seminars and colloquia regularly.

MSc and direct-entry PhD students are required to present a departmental colloquium on their research progress in their second year of study. Chemistry Graduate Colloquium Day is typically held at the end of Winter term each year (in exceptional cases, there may also be an opportunity to deliver your colloquium presentation in the Fall term).  Talks are usually 25 minutes including time for questions. The Colloquium Coordinator will communicate with students earlier in the term to request a title and abstract and will let you know the schedule of presenters.  For examples of past colloquium talks and abstracts see the program from  Spring 2021  and  Fall 2021 .

How To Have A PhD Supervisory Committee Meeting

Note: this is an email-based process; there are no paper/pdf forms or signatures required.

• Confirm the date and time of your committee meeting with your advisory committee members. Please note: if the committee meeting will take place virtually, it is the student’s responsibility to set up the videoconference.
• Email the grad admin ( [email protected] ) to let them know that you want to have a committee meeting at least one week before your scheduled meeting.
• You will receive an email link for an online committee report – fill in the top portion of this form and submit one week before your meeting.
• Your supervisor and committee members will all receive an email link in order to access this form during the committee meeting.
• Once your supervisor and committee members submit their portion of the form, you will receive an email link asking you to review the report.
• Once you approve it, the system will send it to the graduate chair for approval.
• Once they submit their approval, the process is complete – you have had a committee meeting!

Expandable List

Guidelines for phd supervisory committees and committee meetings.

The PhD supervisory committee consists of the supervisor and two other faculty members. For students who transferred into the PhD program from the MSc program, this committee is typically the same as the examining committee from the transfer exam. These faculty members are usually, but not necessarily, from within the Department, and additional members may be added at the discretion of the Department.

The guidelines for supervision can be found in  Section 3.31  of the Graduate Calendar.  In general, the role of the the PhD supervisory committee will be:

• to assist in planning and to approve the student’s program of courses and research;
• to approve the thesis proposal;
• to decide, within departmental regulations, on the timing of the comprehensive examination and, where applicable, of the language and other examinations;
• to maintain knowledge of the student’s research activities and progress;
• to give advice on research, usually through the student’s supervisor;
• to provide the student with regular appraisals of progress or lack of it;
• to perform such other duties as may be required by the department;
• to report on the above matters annually, in writing, on the approved form to the department, which in turn will report to the Faculty Graduate Committee on Admissions and Study;
• to initiate appropriate action if the student’s progress is unsatisfactory (indicated by a grade of marginal or unsatisfactory in a committee meeting), including any recommendation that the student withdraw, for approval by the department and the Faculty Committee on Graduate Admissions and Study;
• to decide when the student is to write the thesis and give advice during this process;
• to act as internal examiners for the student’s thesis;
• to act as members of the examination committee for the final oral when so appointed.

The PhD supervisory committee must meet at least once per year, before November 30th, to review the student’s progress.  It is the joint responsibility of both the supervisor and student to ensure that supervisory committee meetings take place at the proper times. With respect to the timing of PhD committee meetings, important points are:

• For students with a January or May start date , a PhD committee meeting must be completed before November 30th of the same year (even if you had an M.Sc. committee meeting and/or transfer exam within this time period – this is a regulation from graduate studies).
• For students with a September start date , a PhD meeting must be completed before November 30th of the following year, but an earlier meeting is strongly encouraged.
• Please note that ~$8,000 of your PhD funding will not be transferred from grad studies to our department if your PhD committee meeting does not happen before the end of November each year, so it is very important that students and supervisors ensure that this happens!More frequent meetings may be held at the student’s or committee’s request.

All PhD committee meetings will involve an oral presentation detailing progress and results since the last meeting (or transfer meeting), accompanied by questions from committee members and discussion of the results and future directions.

The exact format of reports or documentation required for a meeting may vary between research groups. Check with your supervisor before your first PhD meeting. Most committees will require a written report of progress, results, and future work. This must be delivered to the committee members at least one week before the meeting. Some committees may only require a hard copy of the slides from the oral presentation, also delivered to the committee members one week before the meeting. In all cases, any publications or drafts of publications since the last meeting should be appended to the report. Students are strongly encouraged to write up completed work continuously throughout their studies rather than waiting to write everything in the thesis at the end of their studies. Please include a summary page at the beginning of your report.

On the report, each committee member must indicate whether the progress made by the student has been excellent, good, satisfactory, marginal or unsatisfactory. If an unsatisfactory grade is given by any member of the supervisory committee, another committee meeting must be held within three to six months to re-assess the student’s progress. A specific course of action will be recommended to help ensure a satisfactory result at the next meeting. The Associate Chair may be invited to attend this meeting (as a non-voting member) at the invitation of either the student or the supervisor.

If progress is deemed to be unsatisfactory (based on a rating of unsatisfactory or marginal by all committee members in a committee meeting), the supervisor will confer with the Associate Chair (Graduate Chemistry) and/or the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies (Science) to decide what further course of action to take, which could include asking the student to withdraw from the program. In all cases, a student will be asked to withdraw from the program if progress is deemed to be unsatisfactory (as determined by unanimous unsatisfactory or marginal supervisory committee ratings) at two consecutive supervisory committee meetings.

Comprehensive Exams

The comprehensive examination provides practice in developing and defending new research ideas and is designed to foster creative and broad critical thinking. It involves a literature review and research proposal, and its discussion in a broader context. All comprehensive examinations are required to occur by the end of the second year of PhD studies. Fall term comprehensive exams will take advantage of McMaster Reading Week in October (no classes or TAing) while Winter term exams take advantage of McMaster Reading Week in February (no classes or TAing).

Choosing A Topic

The scope of proposal must be significantly different from the immediate research project being carried out by the student but can be within the same general field. For example, a student in an organic synthetic group can propose to do a synthesis of a natural product. However, the methodology required should be different than what the student is using in their research.

Graduate students learn to discuss new research ideas throughout their studies. For example, your supervisory committee meetings are good places to learn how to generate and discuss ideas, and to become familiar with the fundamental concepts in your area of research. The “comp” is just one more opportunity to do this, and also provides good practice for your thesis defense.

Ideas for proposals often come from current literature or seminars, or may be extensions of your current research or course work (but not too closely related). Sometimes it helps to ask yourself what you might like to work on in a new post-doctoral, industrial or faculty position. Proposals may involve the preparation of new compounds, the study of reaction mechanisms, or the design of new ways to measure or predict compositions and properties. Your supervisor will work with you to identify and define two suitable proposal topics. Your two topic outlines should convey the scientific questions, and your excitement about pursuing them.

You should strive to challenge yourself by choosing a topic that you are interested in but know little about:

• this enhances your learning experience
• if your topic is too close to your research, the supervisory committee will be familiar with it and will ask harder questions!

Topic Proposal

In consultation with your supervisor, you must come up with 2 viable topics for your comprehensive exam. The 2 topics should be provided to your committee 2 weeks prior to the start of the exam. Topic outlines are 1-page documents that provide 1-2 paragraphs about the topic, as well as a brief description of the direction the proposal will take. Each outline should include ~5 leading references.

The examining committee (PhD supervisory committee) will look at the two topics and will choose one for you to do.

Timing Of The Comprehensive Exam Process

• On the first day of the exam (5 weeks before the scheduled oral exam date), you will receive an email from the Grad Chair letting you know which topic the committee has chosen.
• You have 2 weeks to provide a rough draft of the document, which will be reviewed by the committee. Within a week, the committee will provide recommendations about things to focus on in the final document.
• You will have 1 more week to complete and polish the document (sometimes an extension of 1-3 days is given if extensive revisions are needed).
• The final document must be submitted 1 week before the scheduled oral exam date.

Sample Timetable

The Document

A 20-page document (double spaced, not including figures, references, or title page) will be submitted at the end of the 4-week exam period. This document should contain the following:

• A 10-page review of the field that provides an overview of what has been done, and what are the problems that remain unsolved, the central questions that are still outstanding or the areas that remain unexplored.
• A 10-page proposal that details the original research you want to do in the proposed field.

Your proposal should include a clear statement of the driving hypothesis that you plan to test, the aims of the proposal, and a discussion of the experimental plan designed to test your hypothesis.  In terms of the scope of the proposal, you should pretend that you are a starting professor or a new employee at a company and need to employ 1-3 people for ~5 years with your ideas, e. g. include a Gantt table outlining who does what and when.  The experimental plan should include an explanation of the key methodologies as well as positive and negative controls and problem mitigation plans.

You need to propose a hypothesis or an idea that is:

• Novel (has not been done before)
• Justifiable (you should be able to convince your committee that the research is worthy of taxpayer’s or company’s money – i.e. it will yield results of scientific interest/value)
• Feasible (you are qualified to carry out the research, you are familiar with what is needed to succeed, and the research has a reasonable chance of success)

You should expect to read dozens of papers on the topic (much of the literature review should be done as part of initial preparation of the two topics).

The document should be on 8.5″ × 11″ pages, double-spaced, using 12 pt. font (Times New Roman is preferable), with margins set at a minimum of ¾ inches (1.87 cm), and pages numbered sequentially.

The Oral Exam

The actual exam consists of a 15-20 minute presentation by the student, giving an overview of the field and a description of the proposed research. The presentation is followed by two rounds of questioning by the committee. Questions can be very broad in scope and will assume a sound understanding of undergraduate-level concepts. Typically, questions start with something related to the comprehensive topic and submitted document but can then extend to fundamental concepts that the student is expected to know.

At the end of the oral examination: the committee will deliberate briefly, and then provide the student with their decision and feedback. The possible outcomes are:

• Comprehensive exam passed
• Comprehensive exam passed, with some required course work or readings
• Retake oral part only, within 2 months
• Retake entire comprehensive exam, within 2 months.

The PhD Seminar

PhD students must present their research in a departmental seminar (50 minutes including questions) during their final year of study before defending their thesis.  The timing of this seminar is up to you and your supervisor, whether that’s weeks or months before you defend.

The department seminar slot is currently Thursdays 1:30-2:30pm.  When you know which date you would like to present, contact the Grad Admin ( [email protected] ) to reserve your slot.  This slot is also used for seminars presented by department faculty and external speakers, so be sure to book a date well in advance to ensure you get the one you want. You can see which dates are available by checking the calendar linked below.  To book your seminar on a different date or at a different time, contact the Grad Admin ( [email protected] ).

Seminar Calendar

Phd thesis defence.

Students should consult the  Guide for the Preparation of Masters and Doctoral Theses  and the helpful guidance on the  Completing your Doctoral Degree – Thesis site . These explain the style and format preferred by the School of Graduate Studies.  An archive of MSc and PhD theses from McMaster is available for download in PDF format on  MacSphere . You can also access a  list of MSc and PhD theses  from our department in reverse chronological order going back all the way to 1946.

Process For Completion Of The Doctoral Defence

• The student asks the supervisor for “permission to write” the thesis. This request is considered formally at a Supervisory Committee meeting, usually after the student has summarized his/her research. The majority of the committee must agree with the request. Permission to write indicates that the student has conducted sufficient research to justify preparation of a thesis. The Supervisory Committee may give conditional permission to write (i.e., permission to write after a defined list of experiments are complete).
• Drafts of chapters of the thesis should be provided to the supervisor for review and comments/corrections as thesis writing progresses. A first complete draft of the thesis document is also submitted to the supervisor for review and critical comments.
• Once the thesis is complete, the defence process must be initiated by the student electronically in Mosaic. After logging into Mosaic, navigate to your Student Centre and under the “My Academics” tab select ‘other academics’ and then select ‘Thesis Intent Defend my Thesis’ to initiate the process. At this point, you and your supervisor will be asked to select either the Standard Process (where SGS organizes all aspects of your defence; you must give at least 8 weeks notice for this process) or the Accelerated Process (your supervisor organizes all aspects of your defence and the timing is left up to you).
• If you have chosen the Standard Process, within the following week, your supervisor will suggest 3 possible external examiners, and your supervisory committee will have to approve this selection. From this list of recommended external examiners, SGS will contact one examiner and secure their agreement to read the thesis and provide a written report. If you have chosen the Accelerated Process, your supervisor completes all of these steps.
• After approximately 2 weeks, the candidate is required to submit an electronic copy of their thesis (pre-defence version) and to suggest a date for the thesis defence (in consultation with his/her committee members). In the remaining time before the defence, the examining committee will read the thesis and prepare questions and comments. The external examiner will also report back to the Dean of Graduate Studies whether or not the thesis is acceptable for defence. If it is acceptable, the School of Graduate Studies will confirm the date and time, and will arrange the location for the examination.
• In the Standard Process, the PhD defence is organized by the Thesis Coordinator in the School of Graduate Studies (if Accelerated, by your supervisor). The Examination Committee will consist of the supervisor, the Supervisory Committee members, the external examiner (if they wish to attend in person or virtually; if not, an internal external examiner – a McMaster faculty member from outside of the department – will typically take their place) and the Examination Chair.
• A PhD Examination Chair, representing the Dean of Graduate Studies, will oversee the PhD defence; the Examination Chair does not read or evaluate the thesis and does not have voting privileges. The examination is open to the public. The chair will usually start the defence by asking all persons except the Examination Committee to leave the room, in order to discuss the format of the examination and the responsibilities of the examiners. The examination will consist of an oral presentation (15 – 20 minutes) by the student, followed by a series of questions asked by the members of the Examination Committee in turn. Any questions posed by an external examiner unable to attend the examination will be asked by either the supervisor or the Chair in proxy. The defence should not normally exceed two hours in duration. At the end of the defence, the Examination Committee will consider their verdict in closed session. The Chair will then call the student into the room to give the committee’s decision.
• At the conclusion of the defence, the committee will let the student know whether any revisions and corrections are required.  In addition to making the final edits to their paper, students must complete three forms:  1) the  Final Thesis Defence Sheet , 2) the  Licence to McMaster University , 3) the  Non-Exclusive Dissertation Licence .  All of these should be returned the Grad Admin ( [email protected] ) as soon as they are complete.
• As the final step, the student submits the corrected thesis to the School of Graduate Studies by uploading to  MacSphere  (instructions on how to do so can be found  here ). The PhD degree will be awarded on receipt of the thesis; students are considered to have completed their degrees as of the date of upload to MacSphere (this is the same date that McMaster stops charging tuition).

Timelines For Degree Completion: Chemistry PhD, Transfer

*your clock starts with the term in which you transfer took effect

Transfer Effective Fall Term

Download a printable copy

Transfer Effective Winter Term

Transfer effective spring term.

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Transfer to the Ph.D. from the M.S.

Students in the M.S. program wishing to be considered for admission to the Ph.D. program should consult their academic advisor as soon as possible.

Transfer from the M.S. to the Ph.D. program is possible provided that the student fulfills the following requirements:

Identify a faculty member who agrees, in writing, to serve as that student's academic and Ph.D. research advisor. 

In consultation with the faculty advisor, design and complete a program of course work that satisfies all course requirements and constraints for a Ph.D. discipline appropriate to the student's research. All students in the Ph.D. program are required to satisfy all Ph.D. degree requirements. Should the student not be admitted to the Ph.D. program, this program of course work will serve, with the approval of the academic advisor and the ECE Graduate Affairs Committee, to satisfy the coursework requirements for the M.S. degree.

Students must be in good academic standing and maintain a GPA of 3.0, and must not have accumulated more than a total of eight units of "F" and/or "U" grades overall.

The faculty member must provide 49.99% GSR support, or the equivalent, for a minimum of the first 12 months immediately following the student's transfer to the Ph.D.

Pass the Ph.D. preliminary exam at the level required for continuation in the Ph.D. program. A student failing to pass the Ph.D. preliminary exam at this required level will not be admitted to the Ph.D. program, and will instead continue in the M.S. degree program. 

A student who has fulfilled all of the above requirements should, after passing the departmental Ph.D. preliminary exam, students will work with an ECE Graduate Student Affairs Advisor to obtain the relevant forms for the transfer.

**International students will need to work with ISPO to submit updated I-20 paperwork

ECE M.S. students who are interested in transferring to the ECE Ph.D. program should read and follow the outlined Ph.D. transfer guidelines. If you have any specific questions, please contact ECE's  Ph.D. Advisor . 

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MS to PhD Transfer

Changing from Master's to PhD Program

Students in the Master's degree program who wish to enter the PhD program can apply through the regular admission process or through the MS to PhD Transfer program.

Applications submitted through the regular admission process will be reviewed during the traditional admission periods of the PhD program. Applications to the PhD program are due December 15 of each year for the following fall term.

For the MS to PhD Transfer program, current MS students who meet the eligibility requirements outlined below may apply for the transfer during the review period, which will be a 2–3 week period each May–June. Details will be emailed out to students shortly after the end of the spring semester and final grades have been reported. The PhD Admission Committee will review all applicants with decisions made in mid-June. Further details will be emailed out each year.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Overall accumulative GPA of 3.85 or higher for the entirety of your University of Illinois MS study, including the prior semester of applying.
• Successfully completed a minimum of 3 STAT 500-level courses with a final grade of an 'A' or higher.
• Must be a current MS student at the time of applying for the transfer program. MS students who graduate in May prior to the transfer application period are ineligible and should apply to the PhD program through the traditional application system.

There is no application fee for the MS to PhD Transfer program.

Application materials submitted with your MS application will be used to evaluate your request to transfer to the PhD program. You will be permitted to supply additional and updated materials at the time of applying for the transfer program.

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Program Transfer

Transferring from a master's program to the phd program .

You may apply to transfer from a Master's to the PhD program after meeting the follow criteria :

• at least two (and no more than six) terms in one of the Master's programs at SFU
• completion of at least 3/4 of the required coursework, with a CGPA of 3.5 or better
• approval of the transfer by all members of your supervisory committee
• evidence of scholarly accomplishments, such as submission of manuscripts for publication or presentations at national or international meetings

Application Instructions:   

Complete the  "Program Transfer" form  and give your application package to the Biology Graduate Program Assistant (support letters are usually sent independently by the supervisor/committee).  Your package should include:

• undergraduate and graduate transcripts
• a PhD research proposal (five pages, single-spaced excluding references in the style of an NSERC proposal with background, research objectives, methods, and significance of research)
• a letter of support from the senior supervisor in which they describe why they support the transfer. Separate letters from other committee members are not necessary, but they must confirm that they support the transfer.

Application Deadline:

No later than 3 weeks prior to the start of the semester of intended transfer.

The application will be considered by the DGSC and a recommendation made to accept or reject the application.   Transfer is NOT automatic .  The Committee carefully considers the quality of the proposal, the extent of tangible accomplishments to date and the supervisor's comments before approving a request to transfer.

Note - the number of semesters already completed within the Master's program are calculated as part of the 18 semester time limit for completion of the PhD.  Because of this, your eligibility for a Graduate Fellowship may be reduced. Also be aware that the timing of a transfer may affect your eligibility for scholarships (e.g. Vanier, NSERC Doctoral).

1st term results of MSc/MA and PhD Scholarship Programmes for Industry and Primary Fields in Science and Technology in 2024 are Announced!

1st term results of 2210-D National Industrial MSc/MA Scholarship Programme, 2210-C National MSc/MA Scholarship Programme in the Primary Fields in Science and Technology and 2211-C National PhD Scholarship Programme in the Primary Fields in Science and Technology in 2024, run by the Science Fellowships and Grant Programs Directorate of TÜBİTAK, are announced. 

2024 1st Term application results have been announced. Applicants can view their application status in the "My Applications" section by logging in the BİDEB Application and Monitoring System (ebideb.tubitak.gov.tr).

60 MSc Students of 165 applications are supported for scholarship within the 2210-C National MSc/MA Scholarship Programme in the Primary Fields in Science and Technology 

7 MSc Students of 27 applications are supported for scholarship within the 2210-D National Industrial MSc/MA Scholarship Programme 

64 PhD Students of 173 applications are supported for scholarship within the 2211-C National PhD Scholarship Programme in the Primary Fields in Science and Technology 

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Information regarding the documents that will be required to finalize the scholarship of the candidates who are entitled to receive a scholarship in the 2210-C, 2210-D and 2211-C Programs will be sent to the e-mail addresses of the candidates.

2nd term calls of BİDEB 2211-National MSc and PhD Scholarship Programs in 2024 will be open for applications between 7 and 25 October 2024. We are pleased that your interest in our programs continues to increase, and we wish you success in your education and scientific studies.

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