Terminal Committee Meeting

M.Sc. Students

After an M.Sc. student has completed all the course requirements and they Supervisory Committee has read and approved the thesis, they may proceed to the a M.Sc. oral defense. An M.Sc. student should conduct a thesis defense 2 to 2.5 years after first registration (see Time Limit for Writing the M.Sc. Thesis below). The M.Sc. oral examination is a formal defense of a thesis based on original scientific research in the Department as well as a test of the student's general scientific knowledge and abilities.

M.Sc. Terminal Committee Meeting

The student will receive permission to write an M.Sc. thesis at a terminal supervisory committee meeting upon completion of the M.Sc. Terminal Committee Meeting Report.  At this terminal committee meeting, a detailed outline of the proposed thesis (generally in point form and typically longer than a page) is presented. The detailed outline should also be included in the student’s committee meeting progress report that is distributed to supervisory committee members at least seven days before the terminal committee meeting.  After the "M.Sc. Terminal Committee Meeting Report" has been signed by all relevant parties, the student should devote full time to writing their thesis and should not conduct additional experiments until the Request to set up an M. Sc. Oral Examination form has been completed by all relevant parties. The Graduate Program Administrator will record the recommendation of the supervisory committee that the student begin writing the thesis. Please see the “Commitments that Conflict with the Completion of a Student’s Degree” section elsewhere in the handbook.

Time Limit For Writing The M.Sc. Thesis

The student is allowed four months to write the thesis and to obtain approval of the draft thesis from the supervisor and supervisory committee. That is, the student has four months from the time the M.Sc. Terminal Committee Meeting Report form is signed to the time they submit an M.Sc. Oral Exam Request.  Within that four-month period, the student must allow enough time for the Supervisor and Supervisory Committee Members to critique the thesis, which should take no more than 5 weeks (see handbook for more details).

The student must also allow for enough time to make the required changes after the supervisor has critiqued the thesis and then again after the supervisory committee members have critiqued the thesis.

Ph.D. Students

After a Ph.D. student has completed all the course requirements and their supervisory committee has read and approved the thesis, they may proceed to the Ph.D. thesis defense exam. The Department expects that the typical Ph.D. student will take about 5.5 years after first registration to complete the Ph.D.-related research, course work and thesis writing (see Time Limits for Writing the Ph.D. Thesis below for more details). The Ph.D. thesis exam is a formal defense of a thesis based on original scientific research as well as a test of the student's general scientific knowledge and abilities.

Ph.D. Terminal Committee Meeting

The student will receive permission to write a Ph.D. thesis at a terminal supervisory committee meeting upon completion of the Ph.D. Terminal Committee Meeting Report. At this terminal committee meeting, a detailed outline of the proposed thesis (generally in point form and typically longer than a page) is presented. The detailed outline should also be included in the student’s committee meeting progress report that is distributed to supervisory committee members at least one week before the terminal committee meeting.  After the Ph.D. Terminal Committee Meeting Report has been signed by all relevant parties, the student should devote full time to writing their thesis and should not conduct additional experiments until the Ph.D. Oral Exam Request  has been submitted. The Graduate Program Administrator will record the recommendation of the supervisory committee that the student begin writing the thesis. Please see the Commitments that Conflict with the Completion of a Student’s Degree section elsewhere in the handbook.

Time Limits For Writing The Ph.D. Thesis

The student is allowed six months to write the thesis and to obtain approval of the draft thesis from the supervisor and supervisory committee. That is, the student has six months from the time the Ph.D. Terminal Committee Meeting Report form is signed until the Request to set up a Ph.D., Oral Examination form has been signed.  Within that six-month period, the student must allow enough time for the Supervisor and Supervisory Committee Members to critique the thesis, which should take no more than 7 weeks (see handbook for more details). The student must also allow for enough time to make the required changes after the supervisor has critiqued the thesis and then again after the supervisory committee members have critiqued the thesis.