Master's Thesis Submission and Defence Schedule

Plans for the completion of the thesis and for the thesis defence are made by the candidate and the advisory committee. These plans should include a schedule of events and consideration of possible members of the examination committee.

Members of the advisory committee, following their review of the final draft of the thesis, indicate on the Examination Request form whether they consider that the thesis is ready for examination. This constitutes advice to the candidate. Regardless of the recommendation of the advisory committee, the candidate may submit a signed Examination Request form to the department chair and request that the examination be arranged.

Three or four copies of the final draft of the thesis are conveyed to the department chair (or his/her nominee) to be distributed to the three or four members of the master's examination committee. The date of the final oral examination is established at this time and, normally, is to be no sooner than two (2) weeks after copies of the thesis have been delivered to members of the examination committee. It is understood that, as a result of the final oral examination, corrections arising from the comments of the examination committee may be necessary to produce a revised final draft of the thesis.

1. The Recommendation for Degree form is to be completed by the department chair and returned to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.
2.  If the candidate is successful, he or she will submit to the Atrium, as soon as possible after the defence, one PDF copy of the thesis in the final form. At the same time, submit to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies:
   • The Certificate of Approval, duly signed;
   • the Thesis Submission Control Sheet,
   • and the Request to Restrict Circulation of Thesis (if required) must be submitted at the same time to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.
   • In order to be eligible for graduation at the next Convocation, the candidate must make this submission no later than the "last date" stated in the Calendar.
3.  If the candidate is not successful, subsequent actions are based on the reason for rejection. A second opportunity for defence of the thesis may be granted.

The thesis will be housed permanently in the Electronic Thesis an Dissertations section of the Atrium at McLaughlin Library and subsequently harvested by the National Library of Canada , where it may be accessed at Theses Canada. If the student requires a bound copy of the thesis, please refer to item #14 in the thesis submission checklist.