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Theses and Dissertations by U of T Students

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Theses, Reports, Examinations, and Graduation

Supervisory committee.

A supervisory committee will be appointed for each PhD candidate immediately upon his or her acceptance into the PhD program (or by the end of the first year, for direct-entry PhD). This committee will consist of the supervisor and two other graduate faculty members of the Department of Physics who are appointed upon the recommendation of the supervisor, in consultation with the student, and with the approval of the Associate Chair. It is required that the committee consist of one experimentalist and one theorist, and that, as far as possible, one should be in the same research field and the other in a related field. The supervisory committee is intended to monitor the student's progress and be available to provide guidance and assistance to the student. Informal meetings between the student and individual members of the committee are encouraged. However, both student and supervisor have the right to call a formal meeting at any time. The Associate Chair for Graduate Studies, or a faculty member whom he or she appoints, may attend any formal meeting of the supervisory committee. The first formal meeting of the supervisory committee will normally be at the PhD Qualifying Examination.

Annual PhD supervisory committee meeting

The PhD supervisory committee must meet with the student at least once a year to assess the student’s progress in the program, and to provide advice on future work. At least one week prior to the meeting, the student should distribute a written report, typically about 5 pages long, which gives an update on their thesis problem, the progress made to date, and future plans. At the meeting the student will present a 20-minute overview of the status of their research, with an emphasis on where the major problems and challenges lie. Once the student is beyond their 5th year of graduate studies, meetings of the supervisory committee can be  held more frequently. For these meetings the student should include a statement an explicit time line for PhD completion, in addition to the usual report. 

The committee will then help the student assess the nature of the problems encountered and suggest ways ahead. It will also assess the overall appropriateness of the research scope of the thesis. The committee submits a report detailing its observations of the student’s progress and its recommendations; the student may append a response if desired. If any member of the committee is unsatisfied with the situation then the report should reflect this. In the case of unsatisfactory progress, details must be provided and another supervisory meeting scheduled. Copies of the report are given to the student and filed with the Department. Further comments on responsibilities of the student, supervisor, and supervisory committee are given at  https://uoft.me/Responsibilities  .

Examinations

Msc oral examination (for students in msc option ii).

Within three terms of their initial enrolment, candidates for Option II of the MSc (without thesis) will be given an oral examination on the Research Project which they have been pursuing. The Examination Committee will consist of the supervisor and two Faculty assessors appointed by the Department, in consultation with the supervisor. The Exam will consist of a 20-minute presentation by the student and questions and answers following the presentation. The two Faculty assessors will provide two grades, one based on the written report of the Research Project (PHY3400Y), and the other on the oral presentation and defence of the Research Project (the 7000-series Seminar course). More details can be found on the Examination instruction .

PhD Qualifying Examination (QE)

Purpose. The intention of the Qualifying Examination is to assess the candidate's ability and readiness to promptly carry forward and successfully complete independent PhD level research. This assessment will be based on the candidate's graduate record to date, including three full graduate lecture courses and the research performed, together with the presentation and defense of a research plan for the PhD thesis. The key decision being made at the QE is “whether or not the candidate has presented a sufficiently realistic and well conceived program of research and has sufficiently demonstrated the academic ability, the required background preparation, the potential for independent research, and the scientific judgement to be permitted to continue in the PhD program.” The components of the exam are 1.) written outline of the proposed thesis project (about 5 pages or less); 2.) a presentation (20 minutes or less) of the thesis proposal at the beginning of the meeting; and 3.) questions from the committee on issues relating to the research and on basic foundational knowledge needed in the research field.

Timing. Before the end of the 2nd term of the PhD, or the 5th term of the direct-entry PhD. For most students, this is around April in the second academic year of graduate studies .

Thesis proposal distribution . The student should provide each of the four members of the examination committee with a written outline of the proposed thesis project (about 5 pages or less), one week prior to the QE.

Presentation and discussion. The candidate will then be asked to present, in approximately 20 minutes, a research plan that will lead to a PhD thesis. The examining committee will then question the candidate, who will be expected to explain and defend the research plan, to field questions on issues relating to the research, and to show the basic foundational knowledge needed in their research field.

Composition of the examination committee. The examination committee will normally consist of the three members of the PhD Supervisory Committee plus a convener, who is a member of the Standards and Evaluations Committee (and not a member of the candidate's proposed supervisory committee). Instructions for the convener are given on the QE report form .

Outcome. The examination committee may permit or deny confirmation of the candidate in the PhD program. The committee may recommend one or more conditions (e.g. additional course requirements) that the candidate must fulfill before being allowed to continue. In the event of a denial, the candidate may be re-examined within four months of the date of the first examination. Upon a second unsuccessful result, PhD enrolment will be terminated.

Delays and re-takes. Students who have not completed their Qualifying Examination by the end of their third term in the PhD program will fall out of “good academic standing” and will not be eligible for scholarship support until they successfully complete the Examination. Students (and supervisors) should understand this means they will not be subject to the minimum funding guarantee for the time they are not in good academic standing. Making a first attempt before the end of the second term in the PhD program allows for a second attempt before the end of the third term. It is the responsibility of the student to schedule the first attempt in a timely fashion.

PhD Defence Step 1: Departmental Examination

Each candidate for the PhD and their thesis will be examined at a Departmental PhD Oral Examination upon receipt of a copy of the thesis (See "END GAME” – Summary Table for detailed information on the timeline.). The departmental examination committee normally consists of the supervisory committee. Typically student's supervisor convenes the exam but, if requested, another Convenor, for example the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies, can join the examination committee. The candidate should prepare a lucid 20-minute discussion of the thesis contributions. Then, committee members ask questions about the thesis work and the subject matter more generally. The purpose of the departmental exam is to be reasonably certain that the candidate will be successful at the SGS Final Oral Examination (see below). The role of the Convenor is to ensure that the examination is conducted in a manner that is completely fair to the candidate. After the examination, the Convenor will lead the discussion to obtain a consensus of the Committee as to whether or not the candidate may go forward to the SGS Final Oral Examination. Note that it is our general observation that candidates are very well informed about their research, by the time they have reached the Examinations stage, but less forthcoming about the more general questions. One common outcome of the departmental Exam is to suggest topics of study (or refresher) before the SGS defence.

PhD Defence Step 2: Final Oral Examination (FOE) at the School of Graduate Studies

This examination is run under the auspices of the School of Graduate Studies by a committee which includes, besides members from the Department of Physics, one member from outside the University of Toronto, who provides an external appraisal of the thesis. The Final Oral Examination will be scheduled not sooner than eight weeks after the Department Ph.D. Oral Examination. This time cannot be reduced due to the time required to organize the meeting and the time required for the committee and the examiner to read the thesis. Students are strongly advised to allow for this time when planning their completion exercises. See "END GAME” – Summary Table for detailed information on the timeline for the submission of your dissertation and the FOE. The Guidelines for the doctoral final oral examination can be found on the SGS policies and guidelines page .

The External Appraiser should be a recognized expert on the subject of the thesis and should be external to the University and to its affiliated research institutes. Such an individual must be an Associate or Full Professor at their home institution or (if from outside of the academic sector) must possess the qualifications to be appointed to an academic position at this level. A CV of the External Examiner will be necessary for review by the School of Graduate Studies.

The external appraisal is the comments of the external examiner on the thesis. It will hopefully be constructive and will recommend acceptance, perhaps with some conditions and will almost certainly have some quite specific questions and comments about the thesis. It may say that some of these queries need to be answered before the thesis is acceptable. These questions and comments will certainly provide part of the discussion at the FOE, which the external examiner must attend, either in person or virtually. You and all members of the FOE should receive a copy of the external appraisal two weeks before the FOE to ensure that you have time to respond to the comments and queries at the FOE. It is an SGS regulation that the contents of the External Appraisal cannot be discussed with the External Examiner prior to the FOE.

The conduct of the FOE is broadly the same as all other oral examinations: after a short in-camera discussion for the committee to examine the file and organize itself, the candidate is invited to give a 20-minute summary of the main results of the thesis after which the candidate is questioned on the thesis and the oral presentation. There are usually two or three rounds like this, and the questions may vary from particular questions about points in the thesis to general questions about the context of the research, the subject area and the research area in general. Both the thesis and the oral defense must be judged acceptable in order for the candidate to pass the examination.

As of January 2016 the Physics Department has adopted the option for a public presentation of the thesis work to be given before the remainder of the FOE. This presentation is open to any member of the department as well as friends/family invited by the Candidate. The presentation will last for about 45-minutes and should include the ‘expert summary’ that is normally given in the first 20-minutes of the FOE. All members of the examination committee (including the External Examiner but not, necessarily the SGS chair) are expected to attend the public presentation as this will not be repeated. The committee will refrain from asking questions in public. Instead the candidate and committee members will move to a smaller room, where they will be joined by the SGS chair to complete the FOE with the questioning and conclude with a deliberation on the result of the FOE. The Candidate will be asked if they want to pursue the public presentation option with the FOE is being scheduled and the Graduate Office will make the arrangements for the rooms and inform the committee members at that time.

Reports and Theses

Msc report (for option i) - phy3400y.

The written account of an independent examination by MSc candidates for Option I is a minor research topic or literature survey carried out with the agreement and advice of a research supervisor. It is not expected to involve extensive calculations or the building of any new experimental equipment. It should be completed within three terms of full time graduate study in which three full lecture courses are also being taken. The report need not meet archival standards. It is considered to constitute the same workload as two full courses, with one full-course grade being assigned by the supervisor for the supporting research as the Research Course (PHY60xxY) grade, and one full-course grade being assigned by an independent Faculty assessor for the MSc report, which is listed as PHY3400Y on the candidate’s transcript.

The report is expected to be roughly 6,000 words. More information on format and length are given below ("Report and Thesis Formats").

Report submission deadline: For candidates who start their MSc studies in September, the MSc Report must be submitted electronically to the Graduate Office before the end of the third week of the following August.

MSc Research Report (for Option II) - PHY3400Y

The MSc Option II report describes research that addresses a significant scientific question, but need not involve extensive calculation or the construction of any new piece of experimental equipment. It should be capable of completion within three terms of full-time graduate study, while two lecture courses are being taken simultaneously, and be brought to a point where the potential of the research is demonstrated and the candidate's ability to carry out independent research can be evaluated. The report is expected to be roughly 12,000 words. The format and length of the report are given below ("Report and Thesis Formats").

The project is considered to constitute the same workload as three full lecture courses. The grade for the Research course is given by the supervisor based on the student's work during the first two terms. Then, upon completion of the written report, the candidate will be given an oral examination by a committee consisting of the supervisor and two Faculty assessors appointed by the Department. The Faculty assessors will provide the remaining two grades at this examination: one based on the quality of the oral presentation and defence by the student of the Research Project (the appropriate ‘Seminar’ course) and the other based on the quality of the written report (PHY3400Y).

Report submission deadline: For candidates who start their MSc studies in September, the written report must be submitted electronically to the Graduate Office before the end of the third week of the following August, and the oral examination must be taken before the end of the second week in September.

Direct-entry PhD: Progress report for year 1

At the end of their first year in the graduate program, direct-entry PhD students must submit a narrative about their progress towards establishing their thesis topic. This should include any research done to date, literature review, learning technical tools, and any results achieved so far. This should not be too detailed: year-1 progress reports are typically 5 pages. The report should be reviewed by your advisor before submitting to the graduate office. The intention is that it may provoke a useful discussion between the PhD student and their advisor, about progress to date and planning for the coming year.

The reports should be sent to [email protected] by August 31st of the summer of your first year. It should either be signed by your advisor (electronically or physically), or they should follow up with a "seen and approved" email to grad@physics. The report will not be graded, but it does document your progress towards the PhD.

The written report of original research carried out by the candidate in an independent manner, but under supervision as to quality and correctness. The research should result in one or more contributions to the scientific field of sufficient importance to be publishable in the scientific literature. The written thesis is to be of archival quality, and must represent the candidate's own work. The format and length of the thesis are given below. The thesis and the candidate will be examined at a Departmental Ph.D. Oral Examination, by a committee that will normally consist of the supervisory committee, convened by the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies. This committee will recommend whether or not the candidate should proceed to the Final Oral Examination.

Report and Thesis Formats

What is an archival document.

PhD theses are archival documents; MSc reports are not. An archival document is departmental-approved and made available in the University’s digital library repository where it becomes a matter of public record. Accordingly it must be written in a clear and comprehensible manner in acceptable scientific language, free of both major and minor errors, well organized, and professionally presented. It should provide a complete and accurate record of the research which has been performed. All references and sources must be carefully and comprehensively listed, and full details of calculations, experimental procedures, and equipment should normally be included (often in appendices).

Technical Requirements

A PDF document must be created, with LaTeX or software at a similar professional standard. For both MSc reports and PhD theses, follow the font size, line spacing, margins, page sizes specified at http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/currentstudents/Pages/Producing-Your-Thesis.aspx . MSc reports, however, do not need to follow the "Page Order" or "Title Page" format of the PhD. Bibliographies should follow Physical Review formatting by default, or an equivalent standard from your field of study.

Length Limitations

The limits on length for each degree option are as follows:

• M.Sc. report, Option I : 6,000 words
• M.Sc. report, Option II : 12,000 words
• Ph.D. thesis : 45,000 words

In all cases, size limits refer to the main body of the document, excluding prefaces, references, indexes, diagrams, tables, appendices and the like. However the document shall be examinable without reference to text other than that contained in the main body of the document. Reports or theses which exceed the limits above may not be accepted for examination. Explicit evidence of compliance with size limits will not normally be required, but will be requested by the Graduate Office as necessary.

Convocation and Graduation

Please see Convocation & Graduation Information provided by the Office of Convocation.

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Department Oral Examination (DOE) of PhD Thesis

The departmental oral examination of the PhD thesis may be scheduled once the candidate and the supervisor agree that the research, experimental work, and written dissertation are complete.

A committee of professors will examine the PhD thesis and the candidate’s oral defense of the thesis. The committee must read the thesis and have sufficient knowledge of the content to examine the candidate and to judge the acceptability of the thesis for the PhD degree.

The supervisor will select professors to serve on the committee according to the following regulations:

• The committee will consist of three professors, including the supervisor. Where there are two supervisors, the committee will consist of four professors, including the two supervisors.
• Normally, all professors on the committee will hold a graduate faculty appointment in ECE. However, should the scope of the thesis fall outside ECE, professors from other departments within the University of Toronto may also serve on the committee (as a complement to the committee members from ECE).
• At least two professors on the committee must hold a full graduate faculty membership in ECE.
• Each professor must hold an appropriate graduate faculty membership (GFM) at the University of Toronto. To serve on this committee the professor must typically hold a full , associate (unrestricted) , or emeritus GFM; an associate member with restricted duties can serve only if their graduate faculty membership specifically includes the privilege to serve as a member of a doctoral thesis committee.

The candidate must distribute the thesis to the committee at least three weeks prior to the examination.

The candidate must submit the PhD Departmental Oral Examination Booking Form to the ECE Graduate Office ( [email protected] ) at least two weeks prior to the examination.

The ECE Graduate Office will book a venue, prepare the relevant documents, and distribute the notice of examination to the ECE Department.

All professors on the committee must be present for the examination to proceed. The order of questioning from the professors should be agreed upon at the beginning of the examination, after which the supervisor can initiate the examination.

During the examination, the candidate will make a twenty-minute presentation concerning their research, which will be followed by questions from the committee. The presentation and question period are open to all graduate students and professors in ECE. After the question period, the committee will vote to determine whether the candidate has passed the examination. The committee may approve the thesis “as is”, or with “minor corrections”, or with “minor modifications.” Any corrections or modifications must be completed prior to scheduling the final Ph.D. oral examination. Where the thesis or the candidate’s oral defense of the thesis are deemed unsatisfactory, the committee may also vote to reconvene the examination.

The supervisor will return the examination report to the ECE Graduate Office immediately after the examination.

A chair is not required for the PhD Departmental Oral Examination. However, the candidate or the supervisor may invite a professor to attend the examination as an objective, third-party observer to conduct the examination; this professor will not examine the student nor vote on the outcome of the examination. The additional professor should be added to the PhD Departmental Oral Examination Booking Form .

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Doctoral students must defend their theses in a closed final oral examination, after their supervisory committee has deemed it ready to go forward. The thesis is reviewed by an external appraiser from another university/institution, and this individual provides the student and committee with a thoughtful critique of the thesis prior to the defence.

Doctoral Defences

The School of Graduate Studies (SGS) oversees the doctoral defence process. On average, a doctoral defence runs just under two hours, and students usually present their research in a 20 minute presentation at the start of the exam, and are then questioned by the committee. Students are sent out for the voting process, and are invited back into the room to learn the result:

• As Stands - no corrections needed. You must submit your thesis to SGS in one week.
• Minor Corrections: minor corrections are required. You must obtain your supervisor’s approval of the corrections and submit your thesis to SGS within a month.
• Minor Modifications: modifications are required, and a subcommittee is struck. The subcommittee must approve the modifications and you have three months to submit your thesis to SGS.

Masters Defences

Exam practices vary for masters students, and are overseen by individual units and/or faculties; consult your Graduate Handbook for the practice in your unit.

The following are some common masters defence scenarios:

• Defence takes place with supervisor and 2 other faculty members, 1 of whom must be a graduate faculty member from the student’s unit.
• Defence takes place with supervisor and 2 other faculty members, as well as an appraiser that is external to the University of Toronto.
• Approval of the thesis is completed by the supervisor alone.
• Approval of the thesis is completed by the supervisor alone, followed by a public departmental seminar.
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• PhD Program Guide

To be in good academic standing, a student registered in Chemistry Department must:

• Complete all courses including research courses with a satisfactory grade of at least B- and maintain a minimum of B+ standing;
• Adhere to the specific requirements in their field of study;
• Meet with supervisory committee annually; and
• Comply with the General and Degree Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies (SGS);

The Department may recommend to the School of Graduate Studies the termination of registration and candidacy of a student who fails to make a satisfactory progress toward the completion of the degree.

In addition, make sure to review SGS guidance on Understanding Good Standing and Satisfactory Progress . It lays out expectations regarding coursework completion, supervisory committee meetings and evalutions, candidacy, and program length and time limit.

If there are challenges that may be hindering your progress, there are options:

• Centre for Graduate Mentorship and Supervision and/or Graduate Wellness Services for strategies.
• Additional advice from School of Graduate Studies
• Address the issue(s) with your advisory committee members.  Students may contact the Graduate Office to facilitate a meeting outside of your annual progress meeting with the Associate Chair.
• Contact the Graduate Office to seek advice.

Doctoral Supervisory Committee and Annual Meetings

Students must establish a supervisory committee  within three months  of entering the doctoral program. The committee will consist of the supervisor (or co-supervisors) and at least two University of Toronto graduate faculty members. One of the two members can be outside of the chemistry graduate department. Student must fill out the  Doctoral Supervisory Committee Enrolment form  and upload to the Chemistry Graduate Office drive .

How Do You Choose Committee Members? Committee members are best selected in consultation with your supervisor.   Here are some key questios when considering prospective members:

• Can they add value (eg. field-specific advice) to your research program?
• Will they be around and available for consultation and meetings throughout most of your program?.
• Will they be approachable and offer constructive advice?
• Can they be objective enough to help if problems arise?
• Will they be able and wiling to offer their opinion even if contrary to that of your supervisor or other members?
• Is there a good balance?  Do their reas of expertise cover a sufficient range?

Membership must remain the same throughout the doctoral program. If a member needs to be replaced, please forward another  Doctoral Supervisory Committee Enrolment form  along with a letter of justification for the change.

Students must also arrange a supervisory committee meeting  within twelve months  of entering the doctoral program. Thereafter, students are required by School of Graduate Studies to meet with the committee at least once a year to assess the student's progress in the program and to provide advice on future work. Students are expected to meet with their committee at least once a year, and more often if the committee so requires. A 20-30-minute meeting is generally sufficient but students or faculty may request for more time if needed. Students must fill out the  Doctoral Supervisory Committee Meeting Report  which needs to be submitted to the Chemistry Graduate Office after the meeting. If a member is unable to make it to the meeting, the student must arrange a separate meeting.  As a best practice and to get as much from this annual meeting, it is utmost important to schedule a it when all members are available. 

The meeting is meant to provide guidance and advice to both the student and to the supervisor from interested colleagues, to ensure that the progress towards graduation is satisfactory and to provide a forum to resolve any issues (eg. research, academic, personal) which may arise. It thus follows that if either the student or the supervisor (or, on occasion, the Associate Chair) feels that a meeting is in order outside the required annual one, it is their right to request such a meeting and the responsibility of all the members of the committee to agree to such a meeting.  

What You Can Expect of your Supervisory Committee Your supervisory committee should:

• Meet regularly (at least once a year)
• Provide guidance during your research
• Add complementary value to your supervision
• Provide meaningful written feedback
• Resource towards enhancing your professional development

The School of Graduate Studies have developed guidelines for students to peruse.  It provides information on responsiblities of the student, supervisor and advisory committee. 

A student falls out of good academic standing if the supervisory committee concludes that unsatisfactory progress is being made on two consecutive meetings.

Arranging the annual meeting is generally the student's responsibility. However, if a student experiences difficulty in arranging a meeting with any member(s) of their committee or should require additional meeting(s), they should contact the Graduate Office for assistance.

Failure to meet the above timelines can be grounds for termination in the program.

Time Limit for Completion of Program Requirements in a Ph.D. Program

A student enrolled in a full-time PhD degree program will be denied further registration in that program and will have their candidacy terminated at the end of the third year of registration in the case of a four-year program, or at the end of the fourth year of registration in the case of a five-year program (direct entry from bachelors degree), if, by that time, either:

• the candidate has not completed all requirements for the degree exclusive of thesis research including course requirements and qualifying departmental examinations; or
• the candidate does not have an approved thesis topic, supervisor, or supervisory committee.

In exceptional circumstances, such a student may be permitted to register in the program for two further sessions at the Department's discretion. Student must fill out a  Request for Extension to Achieve Candidacy form  and receive approval from the supervisor before submitting to the Chemistry Graduate Office. Continuation beyond two sessions will require the approval of both the department and the SGS Admissions and Programs Committee.

Our Department requires students to register in courses that run continuously throughout the program, e.g., ongoing research and seminar courses. The foregoing time limit does not apply to such courses. Doctoral students in their third year must be ABD (All But Dissertation) in order to continue in the program.

Course Reduction & Transfers

Course Reduction

With the approval of Department of Chemistry and School of Graduate Studies, course reduction may be granted for graduate work completed in another MSc program. This will reduce the number of courses a doctoral student will need to complete to fulfill in the program requirements. Students may request up to two half-courses which must be equivalent to courses offered by our Department. Graduate or cross-listed courses taken while in the undergraduate level do not apply.  Doctoral students who completed their MSc in chemistry at UofT are not required to submit a course reduction request. 

Since the course(s) has been credited towards another degree, the course cannot be transferred towards the doctoral degree.

To request a course reduction, the following documents must be submitted to the Graduate Office for approval within a year  of entering the doctoral program:

• Request for  Course Reduction Form ;
• Copy of the course syllabus for each course requested;
• Unofficial copy of transcript

Course Transfers

With the approval of the department and the School of Graduate Studies, transfer credit may be granted for graduate work completed in another program, provided that the course(s) has not been credited towards another degree. Transfer credit will be limited to two half-courses. Student must submit the  Request for Transfer Credit form  to the Chemistry Graduate Office for departmental approval.

Seminar Series

All students are required to participate and give at least two to four seminars in the doctoral program. Students who fail to meet the  seminar requirement  before their final oral examination will be denied by School of Graduate Studies to proceed with the examination. Students must contact the seminar coordinator in their field of study if they are due to present. The seminar series generally run from September to April.  For more information about the seminar requirement and oral presentation guidelines, review the program requirements for the doctoral program.  View  upcoming seminars.

Here are online resources for oral presentation guidelines and skills:

• Oral Presentation, Writing University of Toronto
• Presentation Skills
• Public Speaking and Graduate School
• Mastering the Art of Presenting

Comprehensive Oral Examination

The purpose of the examination is to test the knowledge of the student's subject area and to determine if the student is prepared to proceed on to the thesis writing. The examination typically lasts for 2 hours which includes a 20-minute presentation by the examinee.

Students may request to arrange a comprehensive oral examination generally after the completion of the required course work in their field of study. However, students should satisfy this requirement before the end of their third year of registration in the case of a four year program or before the end of their fourth year in the case of a five-year program (PhD direct-entry from Bachelors degree).

To arrange an examination, please contact the  Chemistry Graduate Office  with the proposed dates, and names of the three members of the supervisory committee including your supervisor (4 if co-supervised) and another University of Toronto graduate faculty member. No more than one member outside the Chemistry Department is acceptable. The exam requires four voters and the student needs at least 3 votes to pass (4 if co-supervised).

The examinee should print out the  voting ballot  for the examination. Examinations to be held in the Lash Miller building may contact the departmental  receptionist  to book a projector. If the exam is booked in LM151 there is no need to book a projector through the receptionist. Students also have the option to hold their annual supervisory meeting after the examination. The  Doctoral Supervisory Committee report form  should be forwarded to the Chemistry Graduate Office to ensure a record of the meeting.

If a student fails to pass the examination, a reconvened examination is to be held within one year. No new members shall be added to the committee except for necessary replacements to ensure a quorum. The chair of the examination is required to explain in a written report reasons for an unsuccessful exam and determine, if possible, a timeline to reconvene.

Fees for Final Year PhDs

Academic fees for full-time doctoral students in the final year of their program are pro-rated based on the twelve-month academic year. Incidental fees are charged on a sessional (term) basis.

When a final corrected thesis is submitted to School of Graduate Studies, fees and service charges are adjusted accordingly. For more information please review the monthly academic and incidental fees schedule with  Fees Department .

Doctoral Completion Award

The aim of the Doctoral Completion Award (DCA) is to help ensure that meritorious PhD students who are no longer receiving the normal funding from their graduate unit can complete their degree program within time limit. Students may receive a DCA only once during their program. Criteria and conditions include: academic merit and quality of research, the availability of alternative funding, and, if appropriate, special features of the research program that require more time than usual.  Deadline:  The Chemistry Graduate Office generally sends out a notification in the spring

Thesis and Planning for a PhD Final Oral Examination

Review the  SGS Guide to Program Completion . In addition, the Department follows its own procedures to ensure that the PhD candidate meets the timelines specified by SGS. 

Guidelines on thesis formatting, submission, copyright and deadlines can be found on the SGS website .   There are no specific requirements by the department but consult with your supervisor for their expectations.  Make sure to peruse the Writing at UofT for tips and advice and use the resources offered at Graduate Centre for Academic Communication .

Planning for the final oral examination must begin at least  eight weeks  before the proposed date(s) of the examination. Note that the two-week closure in December does not count.

At Least Eight Weeks or Earlier Prior to the Proposed Exam Date(s)

• The supervisor and student discuss the potential members of the Examination Committee. Please forward the names of the members to the  Chemistry Graduate Office . The quorum for voting members is four. However, SGS requires five voting members to obtain approval from the SGS Vice-Dean to book the examination. In case of emergency in which one of the members is unable to attend, the candidate can therefore still proceed with the examination since it meets the quorum. A maximum of three of the voting members of the Exam Committee will have served on the candidate's Supervisory Committee. At least two voting members (including the external examiner) will not have been closely involved in the supervision of the thesis. Eligible voters are the external appraiser, members of the graduate faculty of the Chemistry Department and members of the graduate faculty of other departments, centres or institutes of the University of Toronto.  
• The supervisor must submit a  list of three potential external appraisers  to the Graduate Office. The list should be in order of preference. For each name listed, the reason for the choice is presented with specific regard to the subject of the thesis. The first choice is generally approved unless the Associate Dean at SGS deems the first choice unsuitable. To avoid issues with SGS and delays, the supervisor and the student should ensure that there is an "arms-length" relationship between the external examiner and the rest of the examination committee.  
• Once the Graduate Office receives the list of the potential members of the Examination Committee, a request is forwarded to the SGS Associate Dean for pre-approval. Once approved, the Graduate Office may contact the members, including the external appraiser for their availability to determine acceptable dates for the examination. It is not required that the external examiner be present at the examination. Teleconference or videoconference is available upon request.  
• The student completes the thesis and forwards copies to members of the Supervisory Committee for the review. The members must have at least two weeks to review the thesis. Please contact them directly as early as possible to confirm if the allotted time for appraisal is sufficient in case of other commitments and to properly estimate a timeline. Forward a copy of the  Thesis Review Guidelines  to your reviewers along with your thesis. The advance reading by members of the Supervisory Committee allows the student to avoid situations where major changes are needed after the examination and a good quality appraisal can be expected.  
• The student amends the thesis based on the comments and suggestions from members of the supervisory committee. The members must also deem that the thesis is ready and may be forwarded to the external appraiser. A thesis may  only  proceed to examination without the approval of the Supervisory Committee, if there is a letter of authorization from the Associate Dean (SGS).  
• The student must certify that he or she has fulfilled all the degree requirements for his or her field of study. These include completion of courses with satisfactory grades, seminars, cumulative examinations (if applicable) and comprehensive examination. For more information about the degree requirements for your field of study, please refer to  PhD Program Requirements .  
• The student must confirm that the record of Supervisory Committee meetings in the Chemistry Graduate Office is up-to-date. The last committee meeting must have taken place within the last 12 months prior to the proposed examination date and the outcome must be noted as "satisfactory" on the record.

At Least Six Weeks or Earlier Prior to the Exam Date

• The student submits a copy of the corrected version of the thesis to the Graduate Office along with the signed  PhD Examination Form . The office will forward the thesis to the external examiner via FedEx. The supervisory committee members must have signed the form to confirm that they have read the thesis before a copy can be forwarded to the external examiner. An e-mail from the faculty members to the Graduate Office will suffice.  
• As well, a thesis abstract (no longer than 350 words) via e-mail must be submitted to the Graduate Office.  
• A copy of the reviewed thesis is also forwarded to the fourth University of Toronto examination member. The copy can be submitted to the Graduate Office if faculty member(s) is not easily accessible.  
• The Graduate Office books the examination at the SGS PhD Office and sends out a final confirmation of the examination date and location to the candidate and members of the examination committee.

At Least Two Weeks or Earlier Prior to the Exam Date

• A copy of the external appraisal is forwarded to the candidate, members of the Examination Committee, Graduate Chair and the Ph.D. Office. The student may discuss the appraisal with members of Examination Committee except with the external appraiser. The candidate may have the option to revise the thesis and postpone the examination date at this point.  
• An examination program is forwarded to the candidate and members of the Examination Committee as a final confirmation along with the name of the Examination Chair.  
• Prepare presentation (up to 20 minute for a closed oral exam or 30 minutes for a public seminar).   
• Review Voting Procedure.  
• Additional reading:  The Last BIg Hurdle

After a Successful Examination

Theses are submitted electronically to SGS and approved by the PhD Completion Office.  Carefully follow the SGS' instructions.  Theses that do not conform to the formatting guidelines will be rejected and negatively impact eligibility to proceed with graduation.  In addition, final corrections to the thesis must be approved by the supervisor before submitting to SGS. Please refer to  Producing Your Thesis  for more information. Enquiries should be redirected to the PhD Completion Office .

See also:  SGS Academic Calendar

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How to write a PhD thesis: a step-by-step guide

A draft isn’t a perfect, finished product; it is your opportunity to start getting words down on paper, writes Kelly Louise Preece

Kelly Louise Preece

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Congratulations; you’ve finished your research! Time to write your PhD thesis. This resource will take you through an eight-step plan for drafting your chapters and your thesis as a whole. 

Organise your material

Before you start, it’s important to get organised. Take a step back and look at the data you have, then reorganise your research. Which parts of it are central to your thesis and which bits need putting to one side? Label and organise everything using logical folders – make it easy for yourself! Academic and blogger Pat Thomson calls this  “Clean up to get clearer” . Thomson suggests these questions to ask yourself before you start writing:

• What data do you have? You might find it useful to write out a list of types of data (your supervisor will find this list useful too.) This list is also an audit document that can go in your thesis. Do you have any for the “cutting room floor”? Take a deep breath and put it in a separate non-thesis file. You can easily retrieve it if it turns out you need it.
• What do you have already written? What chunks of material have you written so far that could form the basis of pieces of the thesis text? They will most likely need to be revised but they are useful starting points. Do you have any holding text? That is material you already know has to be rewritten but contains information that will be the basis of a new piece of text.
• What have you read and what do you still need to read? Are there new texts that you need to consult now after your analysis? What readings can you now put to one side, knowing that they aren’t useful for this thesis – although they might be useful at another time?
• What goes with what? Can you create chunks or themes of materials that are going to form the basis of some chunks of your text, perhaps even chapters?

Once you have assessed and sorted what you have collected and generated you will be in much better shape to approach the big task of composing the dissertation. 

Decide on a key message

A key message is a summary of new information communicated in your thesis. You should have started to map this out already in the section on argument and contribution – an overarching argument with building blocks that you will flesh out in individual chapters.

You have already mapped your argument visually, now you need to begin writing it in prose. Following another of Pat Thomson’s exercises, write a “tiny text” thesis abstract. This doesn’t have to be elegant, or indeed the finished product, but it will help you articulate the argument you want your thesis to make. You create a tiny text using a five-paragraph structure:

• The first sentence addresses the broad context. This locates the study in a policy, practice or research field.
• The second sentence establishes a problem related to the broad context you have set out. It often starts with “But”, “Yet” or “However”.
• The third sentence says what specific research has been done. This often starts with “This research” or “I report…”
• The fourth sentence reports the results. Don’t try to be too tricky here, just start with something like: “This study shows,” or “Analysis of the data suggests that…”
• The fifth and final sentence addresses the “So What?” question and makes clear the claim to contribution.

Here’s an example that Thomson provides:

Secondary school arts are in trouble, as the fall in enrolments in arts subjects dramatically attests. However, there is patchy evidence about the benefits of studying arts subjects at school and this makes it hard to argue why the drop in arts enrolments matters. This thesis reports on research which attempts to provide some answers to this problem – a longitudinal study which followed two groups of senior secondary students, one group enrolled in arts subjects and the other not, for three years. The results of the study demonstrate the benefits of young people’s engagement in arts activities, both in and out of school, as well as the connections between the two. The study not only adds to what is known about the benefits of both formal and informal arts education but also provides robust evidence for policymakers and practitioners arguing for the benefits of the arts. You can  find out more about tiny texts and thesis abstracts on Thomson’s blog.

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Write a plan

You might not be a planner when it comes to writing. You might prefer to sit, type and think through ideas as you go. That’s OK. Everybody works differently. But one of the benefits of planning your writing is that your plan can help you when you get stuck. It can help with writer’s block (more on this shortly!) but also maintain clarity of intention and purpose in your writing.

You can do this by creating a  thesis skeleton or storyboard , planning the order of your chapters, thinking of potential titles (which may change at a later stage), noting down what each chapter/section will cover and considering how many words you will dedicate to each chapter (make sure the total doesn’t exceed the maximum word limit allowed).

Use your plan to help prompt your writing when you get stuck and to develop clarity in your writing.

Some starting points include:

• This chapter will argue that…
• This section illustrates that…
• This paragraph provides evidence that…

Of course, we wish it werethat easy. But you need to approach your first draft as exactly that: a draft. It isn’t a perfect, finished product; it is your opportunity to start getting words down on paper. Start with whichever chapter you feel you want to write first; you don’t necessarily have to write the introduction first. Depending on your research, you may find it easier to begin with your empirical/data chapters.

Vitae advocates for the “three draft approach” to help with this and to stop you from focusing on finding exactly the right word or transition as part of your first draft.

This resource originally appeared on Researcher Development .

Kelly Louse Preece is head of educator development at the University of Exeter.

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School of Graduate Studies

Producing your thesis.

​​Electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) are theses or dissertations prepared as text-based PDF files. ETDs can contain non-text elements such as sound, video, and hypertext links.

Scholars worldwide can search, locate, and download U of T’s ETDs through a digital library repository​ .

Electronic theses have many advantages:

• the capacity to include various non-text modalities
• improved accessibility and ease of use
• increased readership for those interested in your work
• increased copyright protection 
• increased citation rates; according to Library & Archives Canada, authors who make their articles publicly available receive 50 to 250% more citations.

To produce your thesis, see:

• Doctoral Thesis Guidelines
• Electronic Thesis Submission
• Formatting​
• Guidance on the Appropriate Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Graduate Theses
• Thesis Forms
• Thesis Submission Deadlines

The current ETD system invites you to order copies of your thesis online through ProQuest. Theses ordered through ProQuest will not be delivered until after your convocation; ProQuest will charge you in US dollars, and you will be liable for shipping costs and duty.

An alternate option is available through the U of T Bookstore Thesis Services . You are also free to choose another printing company. If the copy is for your unit’s library, please consult them about binding choice prior to placing an order. 

Contact Us​

Program Completion Office, Doctoral School of Graduate Studies, Room 110, 63 St.George Street 416-978-5258 [email protected]

Program Completion Office, Master’s School of Graduate Studies, Room 110, 63 St. George Street 416-978-2377 [email protected]​

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Dissertations & theses: life & health sciences: find dissertations & theses.

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Find UCB Dissertations & Theses

UCB Dissertations & Theses Online:

• Dissertations & Theses @ University of California A subset of ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Nearly all of the University of California dissertations filed since 1996 are available full-text; citations are provided for UC dissertations filed prior to 1996. Limit to UC Berkeley dissertations using the University/Institution field, however limiting to individual departments is only available for dissertations published starting in 2009.

UC Berkeley dissertations may also be found in eScholarship , UC's online open access repository.

Please note that it may take time for a dissertation to appear in one of the above online resources. Embargoes and other issues affect the release timing.

Finding UCB Life & Health Sciences Dissertations in the Library Using UC Library Search :

Dissertations have been cataloged using various subject terms. To find these dissertations, try a keyword search University of California, Berkeley [Department/School/Group Name] Dissertations ; this works best if you change the search option to 'UC Berkeley catalog' -  select this in the search box as you type,or make the selection above the search box in Advanced Search.

• University of California, Berkeley. Vision Science Dissertations 
• University of California, Berkeley. Dept. of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management Dissertations.
• University of California, Berkeley. Dept. of Molecular and Cell Biology Dissertations.
• University of California, Berkeley. School of Public Health Dissertations.

You may find your search results improve by placing the Department/School/Group Name as an exact phrase subject in Advanced Search. Example:

• Any field contains University of California, Berkeley. Dissertations
• AND Subject contains exact phrase Vision Science

Finding Master's Theses using UC Library Search (catalog) :

• Currently, only Master's theses older than 2020 are available in UC Library Search.
• Click Advanced Search, to the right of the search box.
• Change the drop down menu to the left of the search box to Subject and type (for example) University of California Berkeley public health in the search box.
• In the next search box, keep the default Any field and type master* in the search box (adding the * searches for both "master" and "masters").
• Click Search.

Master's theses from 2020 onwards are available via UC Berkeley Library's Digital Collections .

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Doctoral Thesis Completion Award Application

Doctoral Thesis Completion Award Application (PDF)

Use this form to:

• apply for a doctoral thesis completion award

A limited number of awards are available each academic term to support doctoral students who are within the last two terms of program completion (term of award plus one additional term). The intention is to assist highly qualified, full-time doctoral students to complete their thesis writing and defence. 

Priority will be given to applicants who identify as Indigenous*

*For the purpose of this award, an Indigenous person is one who is a citizen or member of a First Nations community (Status/Non-Status), Métis, or Inuit as defined in the Canadian Constitution Act 1982. To protect the integrity of Indigenous graduate students eligible for specific funding, those identifying as Indigenous must be verified by the Office of Indigenous Relations at the University of Waterloo through the  Indigenous verification process .  

Value: Varies

Eligibility and Requirements:

Applicants must:

• be registered full time in a PhD program
• be in good academic standing with a realistic plan of completing their degree within 1-2 terms of receiving the award (term of award plus one additional term)
• not have previously received this award

Preference will be given to doctoral students who are no longer receiving minimum funding and/or have experienced research interruptions that were beyond their control.

A change of enrolment status to part-time, inactive, withdrawal or degree completion during the term in which the award is paid will require repayment of all or part of the award. Repayment amounts are recalculated based on the University of Waterloo tuition refund policy . Any inquiries regarding OSAP/provincial student loans should be directed to the Student Awards and Financial Aid Office . 

Departmental deadlines:

Fall term – july 15     , winter term – november 15  , spring term – march 15    .

Where the advertised deadline falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the deadline date will be the following Monday.

Application process, notification, and payments:

• Applicants will submit their complete application to their department co-ordinator.
• Departments review and submit the applications to their Faculty.
• The Faculty sends forward their top four applications to Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) and notifies those that were not selected for Faculty endorsement.
• GSPA ranks, makes final selections, and notifies applicants of the results.
• Awards will be applied to the student's Quest account at the beginning of each term.

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Amara eke : 2024 mfa thesis exhibition.

My practice studying at UW has led me to intensify an already bright color palette and intentionally artificial materiality to capture and consume viewers’ attention. With striking aesthetics I strive to maintain the sacred goal of compelling an audience to linger and explore, giving my paintings more than a passing glance. I draw inspiration from late Byzantine mosaics, allegorical paintings from the Renaissance, and visionary artwork by Hilma af Klint. I aspire to create similar impacts of awe, rumination, and awakening through my colorful, playful, cartoon-like stylization. My current body of work seeks to connect humanity by telling a story where escapism, divination, and inter-dimensionality create a prophecy: Love, at the epicenter, is the protagonist who will save the universe. I use artificial, plastic looking color to contrast the divine, paying homage to the new gods that have emerged under the vindictive and compelling theocracy of capitalist and systemic structures within modern society. The delicious artificiality of acrylic paint, paired with my internal desire to create an all-inclusive, self-contained world where everyone can joyfully coexist, manifests itself into something that can become real and, therefore, is more than just a dream. Amidst real-world chaos, madness, and confusion, my ambition is to create beams of joy through my art to offset the mundane and operate as a catalyst to envision a brighter, kinder, loving, and, most of all, delightful future.

• Masters Theses

Adelaide Graduate Research School

Research Tuesdays - 3 Minute Thesis

• Date: Tue, 10 Sep 2024, 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
• Location: The Braggs Lecture Theatre, Adelaide, Australia 5005
• More information: More Info

Explaining years of research in three minutes, using only one PowerPoint slide. That’s the challenge 10 of our PhD students will tackle in the national Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.

At this special Research Tuesdays event, a panel of experts will award the student who most effectively communicates their work. The audience can also vote for the People’s Choice Award!

This annual event is popular, so ensure you register your attendance online or in-person!

Register Here!

MS in Biomedical Research

Choose your discipline and prepare for a career in biotech or phd training.

MBR Program Guide

The MS in Biomedical Research (MBR) is a two-year, research-intensive program leading to completion of a Master's thesis. The program provides students with significant research experience and fundamental biomedical science knowledge that will prepare them for a career in academia or the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry or for further study at the PhD level. Students can choose to pursue their MS degree in one of four disciplines: Genetics, Molecular & Cellular Biology; Immunology; Molecular Microbiology; or Neuroscience.

Key Program Features

• Rigorous graduate coursework that prepares students to enter competitive PhD programs or the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry
• Independent research experience while working on a Master's thesis 
• Individualized academic advising and mentoring including advice on applying to PhD programs
• Career guidance tailored to each student's interests and career goals 
• Ability to train in one of four broad biomedical disciplines

Explore our Disciplines

Training Opportunities

Students in the MS in Biomedical Research program will train alongside PhD students enrolled one of the four GSBS PhD programs. In this way, our MS students have access to the wide array of research laboratories available across GSBS. Students can explore molecular and cellular immunology, host defense to microbial disease, fundamental and applied genetics, cell and molecular biology and neuroscience as well as mechanisms of microbial disease.

Over 100 highly experienced faculty with dynamic research programs are available to our students. Laboratories are located on the Boston Health Science campus that is home to GSBS, Tufts School of Medicine, the USDA Human Nutrition Research Institute on Aging, The Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy, Tufts Medical Center, and Tufts School of Dental Medicine. Some laboratories are located on the Tufts Medford campus, which is home to the College of Arts & Sciences and the School of Engineering.   

The MBR program provides students with a strong grounding in biomedical science through coursework and a journal club specifically designed for MBR students. 

Students take classes with PhD students and have the opportunity to select advanced discipline-focused classes that deepen their understanding of key questions in their chosen discipline within the MBR.

Classes, journal club and seminars are supplemented with research laboratory rotations during the first two semesters of the program. Students then select a laboratory and work on their MS thesis project.

Our program is designed to be completed in May of the second year. 

Explore the Curriculum

Our program welcomes applications from US citizens, permanent residents, and international students.  

Learn more about the admissions process .

Tuition & Financing

Learn more about financing your education in the MS in Biomedical Research.

Visit the Basic Science MS Programs Finances Page .

Meet our Students

GSBS welcomed the inaugural class of MBR students this fall.

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Contact Information

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MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (NON-THESIS) (ENGLISH)

• Master’s Degree

In the globalizing world, businesses need versatile trained manpower and managerial candidates due to the developing production structure, rapid technological developments, opening up of countries to international competition, and the need to use resources effectively and efficiently.

The Non-Thesis Master's Program in Business Administration aims to train professionals who are open to developments and innovations and who can adapt to the new situations created by them, as well as educating people who have the knowledge and equipment to meet the well-trained manpower needs of businesses at different levels and sectors.

The educational aims of the program; By providing specialization through courses to be offered in all areas of the business, assertive in national and international business environments, preferred in management levels, able to interpret the business as a whole, having a broad perspective and high analysis power, contributing to the development of business processes, taking an active role in the team, leadership be able to bring effective and practical solutions to problems, to use time and all resources efficiently and effectively, to observe and analyze social dynamics, to observe ethical values and to incorporate them into decision-making processes; to raise graduates with social and professional responsibility awareness.

Under the business program, 4 different modules have been created within the framework of contemporary management sciences discipline. These are; Marketing and Strategy, Business Finance and International Economics, Sport Administration & Management and Health Management modules. In the first semester of their education, our students will have the opportunity to specialize in their fields through the curricula created in thematic areas by choosing the modules they will make after the joint courses they will take, including Research Methods, Publication Ethics, Managerial Economics, Strategic Management, International Business and Economic Diplomacy.

Students of the program are expected to determine a project topic by their academic advisors, taking into account the module they will choose. Considering that the aforementioned project is an academic text, it is aimed that the students who aim for a career in professional life or who are already doing it will have the qualifications to answer any question or address the problem in the real sector covering agriculture, industry and all services, and reinforce the student's expertise.

For Information:   [email protected]

Ebru Büyükkıvanç / Institute Secretary -  0216 910 1907 / 1755

Assoc. Prof. Efe Sıvış / Vice Director- 0216 910 1907 / 1808

Master of Business Administration (Non-Thesis) (English)

Application Dates:  ……………. - …………………….

Turkish Student Application Panel https://ois.fbu.edu.tr/ogrenciler/onlinebasvuru/form     

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Program of study requirements

The Program of Study form is really the foundation of your graduate program in that it lists all course work or credits that are required to fulfill the requirements for the degree. This includes course work already completed, in-progress, to be completed and transfer credits.

Program of Study form

Doctoral program of study requirements

Requirements.

• Minimum of 60 graduate credits.
• Minimum of 40 graduate credits of coursework.
• Maximum of 24 graduate credits from a completed master’s degree program or previous post-baccalaureate work may be applied to the program (this includes grad special and transfer). There is no limit on the number of units transferred when students earn their master’s en route to Ph.D. in a University of Nevada, Reno doctoral program. 
• Maximum of 9 graduate credits of S/U grading (including transfer credits).
• At least 18 credits of 700-level graduate credits exclusive of dissertation credits are required: as many as 18 of these credits may be used from a master's degree program.
• Must enroll in a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 30 dissertation credits for degree completion (see program requirement). With program director approval, internship/externship experiences can count for dissertation credits.
• Fulfill residency requirement by either completing two consecutive semesters (excluding summer sessions) consisting of nine (9) graduate credits each or by completing two consecutive semesters on a 20-hour assistantship with enrollment in six (6) graduate credits.
• All requirements for the doctoral program, excluding prerequisite graduate course work or master's degrees, must be completed within a period of 8 years immediately preceding the granting of the degree.
• Continuous enrollment.
• Minimum enrollment of 3 graduate credits each fall and spring semester.
• Some graduate programs have additional requirements.
• No undergraduate credits can be applied to any advanced degree program.
• Every graduate course must be completed with a grade of “C “or better.

Advisory-examining committee requirements

The advisory-examining committee consists of at least five graduate faculty members. In addition to the advisor as chair, this committee is composed of two or more members from the major department, one or more from departments in related fields, and at least one member of the graduate faculty from outside the student’s major department or program who is the Graduate School Representative. All graduate degree advisory committee members must be members of the University graduate faculty .

Master's program of study requirements

Master's program requirements, thesis programs.

• Minimum of 30 graduate credits
• Minimum of 18 of these credits earned at the University of Nevada, Reno
• Minimum of 9 credits (not including thesis credits) taken at 700-level
• Masters Students must enroll in 6 to 10 thesis credits for degree completion. With program director approval, internship/externship experiences can count for thesis credits.
• Maximum of 6 credits may be taken with S/U grading
• Maximum of 12 credits completed prior to admission (including transfer credits) 18 credits are allowed if earned from a UNR graduate certificate.
• All requirements (credits) for degree (including transfer credits) must be completed within the period of six years (6) immediately preceding the granting of the degree.

Continuous enrollment

• Minimum enrollment of 3 graduate credits each fall and spring semester

Non-thesis programs

• Minimum of 18 of these 30 graduate credits earned at the University of Nevada, Reno
• Minimum of 12 credits taken at 700-level
• All requirements for degree must be completed within the period of 6 years immediately preceding the granting of the degree.

Doctoral advisory-examining committees consist of five (5) to six (6) members of the  Graduate Faculty . The committee is composed of

• the committee chair,
• two (2) faculty members with graduate faculty status in the student’s doctoral program,
• at least one (1) and a maximum of two (2) faculty members who may hold graduate faculty status in the program of the University, or who may be from another institution; and
• one (1) Graduate School representative who cannot have a primary appointment in the same department (or another major unit where a department structure does not exist) as the student’s committee chair and cannot have graduate faculty status in the student’s doctoral program. In the case of interdisciplinary graduate programs, the Graduate School Representative cannot have a primary appointment in the same department (or other appropriate major unit) as the student’s committee chair but may have graduate faculty status in the student’s graduate program. The director of an interdisciplinary graduate program cannot serve as the Graduate School Representative on advisory/examining committees within the same interdisciplinary graduate program.

The committee chair may be a different faculty member than the student’s primary advisor, as determined by the program or department (school, college). The committee chair must hold  graduate faculty status  in the student’s doctoral program. The Graduate School Representative must be a faculty member at UNR and a graduate faculty member. In no instance may the Graduate School Representative be an immediate family member, domestic partner, spouse or romantic partner to the chair or any other member of the advisory examining committee. The existence of any such relationships between other members of the examining committee, including the chair, must be disclosed to the student and to the committee chair when the composition of the committee is being determined. The Graduate Dean gives formal approval to the student’s advisory/examining committee.

A faculty of another institution from a relevant discipline or profession may be appointed as a committee member, provided the prospective member has achieved a record of distinction. The student’s Advisory Committee will decide if the prospective member is an appropriate addition to the committee. The Graduate Dean must approve them as a committee member listed under section III who will have voting rights. If approved, this committee member will be recorded as a member of the University of Nevada, Reno graduate faculty whose privileges are limited to serving as a committee member for the specific graduate program, for which they have been approved. This person is not eligible to serve as a Graduate School Representative or sole committee chair.

Additional requirements

Time limitations.

All coursework for a master’s degree must be completed within six years preceding the awarding of the degree. This means that for a student beginning graduate-level courses in Fall 2008, the student must complete their degree coursework by August 2014. When the student was officially admitted to their graduate program is irrelevant: it’s the age of the course work they wish to apply towards their degree. The time limitation, therefore, applies to graduate-level courses completed while still an undergraduate, as a graduate special, while in a previous graduate program, when first admitted to their graduate program, or transferred from another institution. And, of course, the six-year window shifts as time goes by. That student who cannot graduate in August 2024 and then applies to graduate in December 2024 now has to have coursework completed no earlier than Spring 2019. Any exceptions to course time limitations approved by the Graduate Dean are for a particular period of time – the approval is not good “forever.” Coursework for doctoral degrees must be completed within eight years preceding the granting of the degree. Credits from a previously completed master’s degree approved to apply to the doctoral degree are exempt from this time limitation. Grades: All coursework for an advanced degree must be completed with a grade of “C” or better. This means a course for which you receive a “C minus” cannot be used to satisfy degree requirements. If the course is required you will have to re-take the course.

There are limits to the number of Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (previously called Pass/Fail) credits that may be applied to a degree. For master’s degrees, the limit is six (6); for doctoral degrees, the limit is nine (9). This limit is not applicable to thesis or dissertation credits or credits for the comprehensive exam (courses ending in 795).

Filing the Program of Study

Programs of Study must be filed prior to applying for graduation, generally the semester prior to the one in which you are planning to graduate. The Graduate School website lists the deadlines for filing your program of study under “Important Dates.” Please be aware of these dates. Reminders for deadlines may be emailed to students, but ultimately it is your responsibility as a graduate student to be aware of dates and deadlines. It is best to file a Program of Study as early as possible to avoid delays at graduation time.

All graduate students are required to maintain continuous enrollment to stay in good academic standing. Students without assistantships must be enrolled in a minimum of three (3) graduate credits and students with assistantships must be enrolled for a minimum of six (6) graduate credits each fall and spring semester. Failure to maintain continuous enrollment may result in the student being placed on probation, losing an assistantship and various other consequences. If you know that you will need to be gone during a semester, please file a Leave of Absence.

400-600 level course policy

Courses numbered 600 and above are for graduate units (see numbering explanation in the Course Numbering System of the catalog). A dual-numbered (400-600) course completed at the 400-level for undergraduate units may not be re-taken at the 600-level for graduate units. Courses numbered 500-599 are post-baccalaureate level and not applicable toward a graduate degree.

See more in the  University Catalog 's Academic Requirements for Maintaining Graduate Standing.