1. An MEd or MA in Education, or its equivalent from a recognized university, in the same area of specialization proposed at the doctoral level, completed with standing equivalent to a B+ or better;

2. Ordinarily, one year of professional preparation for education;

3. Successful professional experience in education, or in a relevant field.

A student may be enrolled in one of the following graduate units:

• Curriculum, Teaching and Learning (Admission to the EdD has ceased and the program will close when there are no more students registered in the program.)

• Human Development and Applied Psychology (Admission to the EdD has ceased and the program will close when there are no more students registered in the program.)

• Sociology and Equity Studies in Education

• Theory and Policy Studies in Education

1. Normally, a minimum of one Fall Session and one Winter Session of full-time study must be taken consecutively (i.e., Fall Session - September to December, followed by Winter Session - January to April, or Winter Session - January to April, followed by Fall Session - September to December).

2. In most programs, students may begin their studies on a part-time basis.

3. Eight half-courses are required for students who have a MEd or MA degree or the equivalent in the same area of specialization proposed at the doctoral level.

Upon the recommendation of the home department, students beginning the degree program on a full-time basis can add prerequisite courses to their program. Otherwise, students must take prerequisite courses as "Special Students" at OISE.

An eight half-course EdD program should include at least four half-courses in the home graduate unit except as otherwise stated in graduate unit program descriptions.

4. Students in some graduate units or specializations will be required to take a comprehensive examination. Consult specific graduate unit for details.

5. A thesis embodying the results of original investigation conducted by the student under the direction of an OISE thesis committee. The student must file the names of thesis committee members by April 1 of the year following the period of required full-time study.

The thesis will report the results of a study, which might address theoretical issues applicable to professional concerns and practice, or which might focus directly on the exploitation of knowledge in order to study or influence aspects of educational practice.

The thesis must conform to the tenets of scholarly writing in a rigorous style of presentation. All students using human subjects in their thesis research must have their thesis proposals reviewed by the OISE -wide Student Education Ethics Review Committee (SEERC) administered by University of Toronto Research Services (UTRS). Please consult the OISE Guidelines for Theses and Orals regarding thesis and ethical review procedures.

6. Students undergo a final oral examination on the content and implications of the thesis, to determine the adequacy of both the thesis and its defence by the student.

7. All requirements for the EdD must be completed within six years of first enrolment as an EdD student.

A student shall pursue a program of advanced study and research which must be approved by the graduate unit.

The student must have an adequate knowledge of such language or languages, other than English, as are required by the major graduate unit (see individual graduate unit entries for specific requirements).

Testing and certification of languages (including French and German) may be administered by the appropriate language department or by the student’s own graduate unit.

The major graduate unit is responsible for ensuring that an acceptable certificate of language competence is deposited in the official student file.

A student enrolled in a full-time (as opposed to a flexible-time) PhD degree program will be denied further registration in that program and will have his or her eligibility 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, if by that time either:

a) the student has not completed all requirements for the degree exclusive of thesis research—including course requirements, language requirements, qualifying departmental examinations—or

b) the student does not have an approved thesis topic, supervisor, or supervisory committee.

Note: The foregoing time limit does not apply to courses that run continuously throughout the program, e.g., ongoing research seminar courses.

In exceptional circumstances, a student who has not met these requirements may be permitted to register in the program for up to 12 months at the discretion of the graduate unit concerned. Continuation beyond 12 months will require the approval of both the graduate unit and the SGS Admissions and Programs Committee.

Completion of the program requirements identified above will signal the achievement of candidacy.

The candidate, through the graduate unit, shall present a thesis embodying the results of original investigation, conducted by the candidate, on the approved topic from the major field. The thesis shall constitute a significant contribution to the knowledge of the field and must be based on research conducted while registered for the PhD program.

A thesis should have a coherent topic with an introduction presenting the general theme of the research and a conclusion summarizing and integrating the major findings. Nonetheless, it may contain a collection of several papers. The collection of papers may be expanded or supplemented by unpublished material, scholarly notes, and necessary appendices. In all theses, pagination should be continuous; there should be a common table of contents and an integrated bibliography for the whole thesis. A thesis must be prepared in a standard format (see National Library guidelines and Guidelines for the Preparation of Theses referred to below).

The thesis should normally be written in English, but with the permission of the School, a graduate unit may permit, or require, students in that unit to write the thesis in French.

In Division I, the humanities, permission may be given for a thesis to be written in a language other than English or French when the language has been approved for use in theses by the graduate unit concerned. Before such permission can be granted, the graduate unit chair must certify in writing to the School that the candidate has passed a supervised essay-type examination, written in English, that demonstrates his or her proficiency in writing correct and idiomatic English prose. A supplementary abstract of about 5,000 words in English or French must form part of a thesis that is written in a language other than English or French, and no language other than English or French may be used for the conduct of final doctoral examinations.

See also PhD Supervision section in the General Regulations. See also Submission of Theses section in the General Regulations.

All requirements must be completed within six years from first enrolment for the four-year PhD program and within seven years for the five-year PhD program.

See time limit for Flexible-time PhD Programs below.

In exceptional circumstances, a candidate who has failed to complete all the requirements for the degree within this period may be considered for a maximum of four one-year extensions. See Extension of Time for Completion of Degree Requirements for PhD Students in General Regulations above.

PhD students who have not completed the degree requirements before the time limit for the degree or by the end of the extension period may not enrol further.

1. The candidate shall defend the thesis at a final oral examination organized by the graduate unit with the cooperation of SGS. The process of scheduling the examination, allowing time for professional appraisal, can be expected to take at least eight weeks at the best of times, and candidates should discuss the timing with the graduate administration of their unit. Candidates should also ascertain whether or not their unit imposes regulations over and above the minimal conditions required by SGS.

2. The graduate unit will notify SGS eight weeks prior to the examination when the thesis is ready to go forward for examination. In the absence of any particular local procedure, the candidate’s supervising committee will advise SGS that the thesis is ready to proceed. In rare cases, a thesis may proceed to examination without the approval of the supervising committee: candidates should contact the SGS Vice-Dean, Programs.

3. The thesis will be sent to an appraiser external to the University of Toronto, appointed by SGS on the recommendation of the graduate unit. (The Supervisor of the thesis will propose a list of three or more names of possible external appraisers to the graduate coordinator or Chair, who will choose one and send the recommendation to SGS for approval. The graduate unit will certify that the external appraiser has an arm’s-length relationship to the candidate and Supervisor.) The external appraiser should be a recognized expert on the subject of the thesis and should be external to the University as well as to its affiliated teaching hospitals and research institutes. Such an individual must be an associate or full professor at the home institution or, if the individual comes from outside the academic sector, must possess the qualifications to be appointed to an academic position at this level. Arrangements with external appraisers are the responsibility of the graduate unit. In particular, the graduate unit must allow the external appraiser sufficient time to act. The graduate unit must have a copy of the thesis delivered to the appraiser at least six weeks, and preferably longer, in advance of the examination date. Appraisals must be submitted to SGS at least two weeks in advance of the examination date; if they are not, the examination may have to be rescheduled. The graduate unit must also ensure that copies of the thesis are made available to all other voting members of the Examination Committee at least four weeks in advance of the examination date.

4. An Examination Committee, appointed by SGS on the recommendation of the graduate unit, will conduct the Final Oral Examination. The Examination Committee must include at least four, but no more than six, voting members: one to three of the voting members will have served on the candidate’s Supervisory Committee, and at least one voting member will not have been closely involved in the supervision of the thesis. Eligible for inclusion in the latter group are the external appraiser (in person or by audio connection), members of the graduate faculty of the candidate’s graduate unit, and members of the graduate faculty of other departments, centres, or institutes of the University. The Examination Committee may include, in addition, up to two non-voting members, who will be members of the graduate faculty of the candidate’s graduate unit or members of the graduate faculty of another graduate unit of the University. A quorum is four voting members. Graduate units must ascertain in advance the willingness of the persons named to act.

The SGS Vice-Dean, Programs, may modify the composition of the Examination Committee to fit exceptional circumstances.

5. SGS will appoint a non-voting Chair to the Examination Committee. The Chair will be a full member or member emeritus of the graduate faculty, holding no appointment to the graduate faculty of the candidate’s graduate unit.

6. The graduate unit is responsible for scheduling the examination, booking a room, and making appropriate technical arrangements.

7. The graduate unit must submit to SGS a Certificate of Completion together with the nomination form confirming completion of all other academic requirements, such as language and field requirements; an abstract of the thesis not longer than 350 words; and a copy of the Examination Program.

8. The graduate unit will send a copy of the external appraisal of the thesis to SGS as soon as it is received. The graduate unit is responsible for the distribution of copies of the external appraisal to the candidate (two weeks before the examination) and members of the Examination Committee. It should not be distributed beyond that group and the relevant administrative officers before the examination. The candidate is to be instructed not to communicate with the External Appraiser/Examiner until the examination is under way.

9. Members of the graduate faculty are entitled to attend the examination, and with the permission of the Chair, they may ask questions of the candidate, but they must withdraw before the Committee’s discussion and vote. A qualified observer may attend, subject to the same restrictions, if the graduate unit has received approval for such attendance in writing beforehand from the SGS Vice-Dean, Programs. Otherwise the examination is closed to the public. The vote at the examination takes into account both the thesis and the oral defence itself.

10. The Examination Committee represents the SGS Graduate Education Council and through it the University. It is therefore responsible for the standard of the PhD degree in this University. Graduate unit examinations held immediately in advance of the final oral must not therefore interfere with attendance at, or thoroughness of, the final examination.

The Committee must evaluate the external appraisal of the thesis, which is to be considered only as an individual opinion to be employed as the committee sees fit. It must examine the candidate on the content and implications of the thesis. Where someone other than the candidate is a co-author of any portion of the thesis, the Examination Committee must be satisfied that the candidate’s personal contribution to the thesis is sufficient to fulfil the requirements of the PhD degree. In addition to determining the adequacy of the thesis, the committee must satisfy itself that the thesis document meets the proper standards of scholarship.

The committee possesses the full authority of the School with respect to the examination.

11. A quorum for the final examination is four voting members, plus the Examination Committee Chair who has no vote. Voting shall be by signed ballot, and the names of the examiners and their respective votes shall be read to the Examination Committee by the Chair. If a quorum is not present the Chair may delay the examination to obtain a quorum or may postpone the examination to another date.

12. The candidate passes on the first examination:

a) if the decision is unanimous, OR

b) if there is not more than one negative vote or abstention.

If there is more than one negative vote or abstention, adjournment is mandatory.

In the event of adjournment, the Examination Committee must provide the candidate, as soon as possible, with a written statement that indicates the reasons for adjournment and the committee’s requirements for the reconvened oral examination. In addition, the Examination Committee must decide the approximate date of the reconvened examination. The time between the adjourned examination and the reconvened examination should be as short as circumstances will permit and in no case shall exceed one year.

At the reconvened examination, no new committee members shall be added, except for necessary replacements. It is the obligation of the examiners to attend the reconvened examination.

The candidate passes on the reconvened examination:

a) if the decision is unanimous, OR

b) if there is not more than one negative vote or abstention.

No further adjournment will be allowed.

If a candidate is not recommended for the degree by the committee in charge of the second examination, the candidate is ineligible for further PhD candidacy at the University. The Examination Committee must provide the candidate, as soon as possible, with a written statement that explains clearly and directly why the examiners found the candidate’s performance unsatisfactory on the written and/or oral components of the examination, as may be relevant.

13. If minor corrections in style are a condition of acceptance of the thesis, the candidate must complete the corrections within one month of the date of the examination, and the supervisor will inform the candidate of the necessary corrections. The supervisor must notify the School of Graduate Studies directly in writing that the required corrections have been made by the candidate, with a copy of the correspondence sent to the graduate coordinator of the graduate unit, before the candidate is recommended for the degree.

14. If minor modifications are a condition of acceptance of the thesis, the Chair of the Examination Committee will appoint a Subcommittee of the Examination Committee (to be approved by the Examination Committee) to supervise the proposed modifications. One member of the Subcommittee is designated by the Chair, with the approval of the Examination Committee, as the Convenor. The Convenor will be responsible for the preparation of a statement detailing the modifications required. Modifications must be completed within three months of the date of the oral examination. The members of the Subcommittee will report on the acceptability of the completed modifications to the Convenor. If all members of the Subcommittee approve the completed modification, the candidate will be passed without the necessity of reconvening the Examination Committee. The Convenor of the Subcommittee must certify in writing to the School of Graduate Studies, within three months of the original examination, that the modifications have or have not been satisfactorily completed. If one or more members of the Subcommittee do not approve the completed modifications, the final oral examination must be reconvened within a year of the date of the original examination.

The Examination Committee must decide the nature of minor modifications, but it is intended that minor modifications should be more than corrections in style and less than major changes in the thesis. A typical example of minor modifications might be clarification of textual material or qualification of research findings and conclusions. The option of acceptance with minor modifications does not apply to the reconvened examination.

If major changes are required, the examination must be adjourned and the Committee reconvened after the changes have been made.

15. The University Library authorization form and publication agreement must be signed by the candidate when the final thesis is submitted. The format of the submitted thesis must comply with the School of Graduate Studies guidelines.

16. The School requires that every PhD thesis be published substantially as it is accepted.

It is the intention of the University of Toronto that there be no restriction on the distribution and publication of theses. However, in exceptional cases, the author, in consultation with the thesis supervisor and with the approval of the chair of the graduate unit, shall have the right to postpone distribution and publication for a period up to two years from the date of acceptance of the thesis. In exceptional circumstances and on written petition to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, the period might be extended, but in no case for more than five years from the date of acceptance of the thesis unless approved by the SGS Graduate Education Council.

For further details, students should consult the pamphlet, Guidelines for the Preparation of Theses at www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/students/finup.htm

1. Applicants must hold the degree of Bachelor of Applied Science or an equivalent degree in engineering. An applicant having a bachelor’s degree in science or applied mathematics may be admitted as a student by the graduate unit concerned.

A student may be enrolled in one of the following graduate units:

• Aerospace Science and Engineering

• Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering

• Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry

• Civil Engineering

• Electrical and Computer Engineering

• Geology

• Materials Science and Engineering

• Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

1. Applicants must hold an appropriate bachelor’s degree with high academic standing from a recognized university.

2. If the master’s program is not a continuation of a course of study previously pursued as an undergraduate, or if there are deficiencies in meeting graduate unit admission requirements, prerequisite work may be required and the usual length of program may be extended.

1. Under the direction of a graduate unit, a student in this University must pursue a program of advanced study approved by the graduate unit.

2. All requirements for the degree of MA must be satisfactorily completed within 5 years from first enrolment if the minimum period of full-time registration is up to 12 months and within 6 years from first enrolment if the minimum period of full-time registration is 16 to 24 months.

1. Applicants must hold an appropriate bachelor’s degree, or its equivalent from a recognized university, completed with standing equivalent to a mid-B or better in the final year.

2. A year of professional education for teaching, or the equivalent in pedagogical content, is helpful.

3. At least one year of relevant, successful, professional experience.

A student may be enrolled in one of the following graduate units:

• Human Development and Applied Psychology

1. Under the direction of a graduate unit, a student undertakes one of four options to complete the program.

Option I—Course Work Plus Comprehensive

5.0 full-course equivalents (FCE) plus a comprehensive examination/requirement.

Option II—Research Project

4.0 full-course equivalents (FCE) plus a research project or a Major Research Paper.

3.0 full-course equivalents (FCE) plus a thesis.

2. The MEd degree program requires that a minimum of half of the courses must be taken in the home department unless otherwise specified by the department.

3. All requirements for the degree must be satisfactorily completed within six years of first enrolment.

Admission and program requirements may vary; consult the individual graduate unit entry for details

1. Applicants must hold the degree of Bachelor of Applied Science or an equivalent degree in engineering. An applicant having a bachelor’s degree in science or applied mathematics may be admitted as a student by the graduate unit concerned.

A student may be enrolled in one of the following graduate units:

1. Under the direction of a graduate unit, a student in this University must pursue a program of study approved by the graduate unit. The program will be equivalent in weight to full-time study for at least two sessions (eight months), and may include a project in addition to lecture and laboratory courses.

2. There is no general residence requirement for the degree. However, a period of residence may be required, depending on the individual student’s program and experience. This required period will be as recommended by the graduate unit and approved by the School of Graduate Studies, but must not exceed two sessions.

3. The degree program must be completed within six calendar years of registration.

1. Applicants must hold an appropriate bachelor’s degree with high academic standing from a recognized university.

2. If the master’s program is not a continuation of a course of study previously pursued as an undergraduate, or if there are deficiencies in meeting graduate unit admission requirements, prerequisite work may be required and the minimum length of program may be extended.

1. Under the direction of a graduate unit, a student in this University will pursue a program of advanced study approved by the graduate unit.

2. All requirements for the degree of MSc must be satisfactorily completed within 5 years from first enrolment if the minimum period of full-time registration is up to 12 months and within 6 years from first enrolment if the minimum period of full-time registration is 16 to 24 months.

Admission and program requirements may vary; consult the individual graduate unit entry for details.