Overview

At the School of Graduate Studies, posthumous degrees can be awarded to students who pass away before graduation, in circumstances that conform to the official Posthumous Award of Degrees policy (1976), managed by the University of Toronto Governing Council.  What follows are the procedures for the award of a PhD degree, and those for Master’s degrees.

Procedures for recommending that a PhD degree be awarded posthumously.

1. The Chair or Graduate Coordinator of the relevant graduate unit will submit a letter to SGS (addressed to the Associate Director, Graduate Academic Services) outlining the circumstances and presenting the recommendation. The following conditions must be satisfied:
   • ​The student’s family or estate must consent to the posthumous conferral of the degree. Consent should be provided to the graduate unit.
   • The student should have been registered in good standing at the time of death or within the preceding 12 months.
   • There must be a body of work that constitutes a thesis, that is, a body of work that could be submitted for publication as a thesis. Though the supervisor might do some editorial work, the thesis should be mostly the work of the candidate.
   • The graduate unit must recommend that the thesis be accepted as fulfilling the PhD degree requirements.
2. The graduate unit will obtain an appraisal of the thesis from the supervisor or another member of the supervisory committee.​​​
3. On the recommendation of the graduate unit, the Dean, School of Graduate Studies or designate, appoints an appraiser external to the University to provide an appraisal of the thesis. The graduate unit will certify that the appraiser has an arm’s length relation with the supervisor and had such a relation with the candidate. (Arrangements with the external appraiser will be the responsibility of the graduate unit.)
4. If both appraisals are positive, the graduate unit’s recommendation for awarding the degree will be sent to the Non-Standard Admissions and Programs Committee. If approved by the Non-Standard Admissions and Programs Committee, it will be submitted to the Academic Board of Governing Council.
5. ​If the recommendation is approved by the Academic Board, SGS will inform the graduate unit and the Dean, School of Graduate Studies will write a letter to the family reporting the positive decision of the Academic Board.​

Procedures for recommending that a Master’s degree be awarded posthumously:

1. The Chair or Graduate Coordinator of the relevant graduate unit will submit a letter to SGS (addressed to the Associate Director, Graduate Academic Services) outlining the circumstances and presenting the recommendation. The submission should include program transcript confirming completion percentage.  The following conditions must be satisfied:
   • ​The student’s family or estate must consent to the posthumous conferral of the degree. Consent should be provided to the graduate unit.
   • The student should have been registered in good standing at the time of death or within the preceding 12 months.
   • The student should have completed at least 75% of total program credit requirements at the time of death.  Where only a final examination or equivalent terminal requirement remains outstanding, and aegrotat grade mage be assigned. Where a thesis is a program requirement, graduate units may reach out to SGS for additional guidance.
2. If all conditions are met, the graduate unit’s recommendation for awarding the degree will be sent to the Non-Standard Admissions and Programs Committee. If approved by the Non-Standard Admissions and Programs Committee, it will be submitted to the Academic Board of Governing Council.
3. ​If the recommendation is approved by the Academic Board, SGS will inform the graduate unit and the Dean will write a letter to the family reporting the positive decision of the Academic Board.​