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Click to expand for Regulations Concerning Thesis and Oral Defence OutcomesRegulations Concerning ThesesThesis RegulationsA thesis is a scholarly work requiring discussion of methodology, conclusions, and significance of the research beyond what might be expected for manuscripts for publication. A thesis must be written in English or French; exceptions are only allowed for specific language units. The University requires that all theses conform to the general requirements for master’s and doctoral theses. Thesis Submission (Initial and Final Thesis Submission)Theses may be submitted at any time during the year. However, for each of the three annual dates for conferring degrees/convocation, there are deadlines for initial submission (when the thesis is sent out to examiners for evaluation) and for the final thesis submission: April 15, August 15, and December 15. Please note that some units enforce earlier submission deadlines than those listed by Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, so it is important that students verify these dates with their unit. A thesis is a public document and once the final thesis has been submitted for the degree, it exists in the public domain in the eScholarship database. To temporarily withhold (embargo) a thesis, please consult the GPS website. Master's Thesis ExaminerFor a master’s thesis, the examiner must be a scholar of established reputation and competence in the field of the thesis research. The examiner may be from inside or outside the University. Units may nominate a member from within the unit, as long as there is no conflict of interest with the student. Doctoral Thesis External ExaminerThe doctoral external examiner must be a scholar of established reputation and competence in the field of the thesis research. They must be from outside the University and must hold a doctorate or equivalent. The external examiner must be at arm’s length from the candidate and have no other conflict of interest. Doctoral Thesis Internal ExaminerThe doctoral internal examiner is expected to be knowledgeable in the area and topic of the thesis, though not necessarily to the same extent as the external examiner. The internal examiner also ensures that the written thesis meets the standards of Æ»¹ûÒùÔº. Normally, the internal examiner is a Æ»¹ûÒùÔº faculty member (but not the supervisor) affiliated with the student's Unit, but they may also be nominated from other units at Æ»¹ûÒùÔº. Conflict of InterestA nominated examiner must be without conflict of interest to evaluate the thesis. A conflict of interest can be perceived to prejudice the examiner’s evaluation of the thesis. Any contact with examiners by the supervisor or student after the nomination process constitutes a conflict of interest and the examination process will be cancelled. Thesis ExaminationIf one or both examiners determine that the thesis does not meet the requirements for the degree (i.e., an outcome of not passed is designated on the examination report) the student has the option to revise and resubmit the failed thesis. Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies must be notified within six weeks if the student decides to revise and resubmit. When the examiner's report is received by the Thesis Office, the student's transcript will indicate "Thesis Requires Revision". If the revised thesis is subsequently not passed, the thesis will be considered failed and the student will be withdrawn from the University. If the student does not contact Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies requesting to revise and resubmit the thesis within the designated six-week time period or, once approved to revise the thesis, does not submit the revised thesis by the one-year deadline, the thesis will be deemed to have failed and the student will be withdrawn from the University. Their transcript will indicate "Thesis Revision - Not Passed". If a thesis has not been passed and the student feels that this judgment is based on bias, error, or serious misrepresentation on the part of the examiner(s), the student may submit a written request for a new examiner for the thesis to the Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, documenting the bias, error, or serious misrepresentation. This request must be made within six weeks of the notification that the thesis has not passed, and may be accompanied by a letter of support from the supervisor and/or unit. Doctoral Oral DefenceThe objectives of the oral defence are to ensure that:
The unit is responsible for confirming the defence date and notifying Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at least four weeks prior to the defence date.
The oral defence committee consists of five or seven voting members, including the Academic Unit representative (chair or delegate), supervisor(s), the internal thesis examiner, other member of the unit, and the external member (external to the unit). The defence committee is designed to ensure that a majority of members have not been closely involved with the thesis research and to have an odd number of members to avoid a tie in case of a vote. The Pro-Dean is a non-voting committee member appointed by Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies to facilitate the examination. Oral Defence OutcomesThere are four possible outcomes of an oral defence: a "Passed" outcome and three "Not Passed" outcomes. PASSED
NOT PASSED If the committee determines that the thesis or oral defence does not meet appropriate academic standards for the Ph.D. degree and would require, for example, major revisions to the text and/or additional study, it must then decide between the following three "Not Passed" outcomes:
Note: If the student has a previous "Not Passed" decision on an initial thesis or Oral Defence, a second "Not Passed" decision will result in withdrawal from the University.
Taken from Programs, Courses and University Regulations 2024-2025 (last updated Mar. 29, 2023). |
Thesis submission |
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Students are required to submit a thesis meeting all of the guidelines for submission, as determined by the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office. The Initial Thesis Submission and Final Thesis Submission must be uploaded to the myThesis platform Helpful Links: |
Oral Defence |
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Ph.D. candidates are required to present an oral defence according to the following guidelines. Once the thesis is sent to the examiners, the department receives a notice that indicates the earliest date when the defence may be scheduled (i.e., two weeks after the reports are due, and usually 6-7 weeks after initial thesis submission). This date is tentative, requiring timely return of reports by the examiners which cannot be guaranteed. Both examiner reports must indicate a passing grade in order for the defence to proceed. GPS requires a minimum of four weeks’ notice for the defence. If the four weeks’ notice requirement is not respected, the oral defence may have to be rescheduled. Please take note of the following:
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Graduation FAQs |
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Do I need to apply to graduate?Thesis students are not required to apply for graduation. GPS applies for graduation on behalf of thesis students when they submit their initial thesis. What if I want to graduate in a specific term?Those who wish to graduate in a particular term should make sure that they know—and meet—the associated deadlines for degree milestones. What is the difference between Graduation vs. Convocation?Graduation is the term used to acknowledge that you have completed your degree requirements and have been approved by Senate to graduate. Convocation is the ceremony where the Chancellor or his delegate confers the degree. Learn more about Convocation When will my degree be granted?Graduation Approval QueryAs a graduating student, you can view the status of your graduation record on Minerva during the Faculty review and approval process (go to Student Records > Graduation Approval Query). The Graduation Approval Query form becomes available to graduating students in early January for Fall term graduation, in early April for Winter term graduation and in early September for Summer term graduation. If you meet all requirements for graduation, your graduation record will indicate Faculty Approved on the Graduation Approval Query, and your transcript on Minerva will display the Degree Granted notation after the approval of degrees by University Senate and according to this schedule:
See mcgill.ca/graduation/convocation for information regarding convocation ceremonies.
Note for Medicine and Dentistry: The Application for Graduation is available on Minerva when you register for your final year (e.g., U3 or U4), except if you are in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences or Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, where you are automatically flagged for graduation in your final year.
Taken from Programs, Courses and University Regulations 2024-2025 (last updated Mar. 15, 2024). |
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