Original research supervised by a faculty member constitutes the major component of work toward the PhD degree. PhD students are not required to complete course work unless it is recommended by the thesis committee or unless the student has been admitted without a Master's degree (see point 4).
All PhD students are required to present a research proposal and pass a comprehensive examination on their research area within 18 months of their program start date. Each PhD student is expected to deliver a one-hour lecture on their completed doctoral research in one of the departmental lecture series before their doctoral dissertation examination (for details, please see information below).
After 1 month
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After 8 months
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After 18 months
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Between 18-48 months
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Between 48-60 months
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Each PhD student is required to submit to the department a research proposal that has been accepted by his/her supervisor and Supervisory Committee prior to scheduling the comprehensive exam. The comprehensive examination is separate and distinct from the evaluation of the thesis proposal.
Contents and Format
The candidate is expected to review the literature and develop the questions and methodologies to be used in the research carried out for the dissertation requirement of the PhD degree.
- The proposal should not exceed 25 double-spaced pages in length, using a 12 point font size.
- The proposal might spend 5-10 pages on background and 3-4 pages on each of 3-4 projects, discussing research questions and methods.
To allow time for preparation for the Comprehensive Exam, the committee meeting to discuss the research proposal should be held no less than two weeks in advance of the Comprehensive Exam. Thus, the Supervisory committee should be given the proposal no less than four weeks prior to the expected date of the Comprehensive Exam. Many proposals require some re-writing before approval, so allowing even more time before the expected Comprehensive Exam date is recommended.
Procedure – see Graduate Student Handbook.
All PhD students are required to take an oral comprehensive exam given by members of their supervisory committee. To schedule a comprehensive exam, students must use the Comprehensive Examination Checklist.
Purpose of the examination
The comprehensive exam serves two functions: (1) to create an opportunity for general learning in student's field of study and (2) to evaluate the preparation of the student for doctoral level study.
Scope of the examination
The comprehensive examination is intended to test the student’s understanding of the chosen field of study as a whole and the student’s preparation for the thesis research to follow. This examination is not a thesis defence and is not designed to query the specifics of the student’s proposed research. The examination will cover the general area of the student’s research. Each candidate is expected to be able to discuss any other areas that are closely related to their own research work.
Timing of the examination
This examination must be completed within eighteen months of initial registration. Thus, a MSc student who transfers to the PhD degree program after one year will have only six months after the date of transfer to complete the examination. Students are advised to complete the examination before becoming deeply involved in their research work. Extensions beyond 18 months require the written approval of the Graduate Advisor. Students are expected to complete their comprehensive examination within 24 months from the date of initial registration. A student who is not admitted to candidacy within 36 months from date of initial registration must withdraw from the program.
Scheduling the Exam
Comprehensive Examination Checklist for further instructions. You must include the Examination Chair, Rick Taylor in the initially scheduling emails and polls. If you wait to contact the Chair until after you have scheduled you exam, you risk having to reschedule it if the Chair is not available.
Examination committee
The Examination Committee will consist of all members of the Supervisory committee (minimum of 4) plus the Chair. To schedule a Comprehensive Exam, please follow the instructions in the Comprehensive Examination Checklist. If one member of the supervisory committee is not available because of leave, substitution may be made upon the advice of the
Graduate Advisor or arrangements made for teleconferencing. Although the supervisory committee may include members who do not hold professional board appointment in the research stream, pass or fail decisions will be made by UBC research faculty members only.
Examination protocol
The exam will begin by a brief introduction by the Chair. The student will then present a 15-20 minute (or certainly no more than 30 min) discussion of the questions involved in his/her proposal (see above). Each member of the examination committee will then be given 15 minutes for questions assessing the student’s general knowledge of the subject area. The supervisor is the last one to ask questions and the Chair does not pose questions. Then each committee member will be given the opportunity for a second round of questions, not to exceed five minutes each. This second round is intended for clarification of issues previously raised and not for new lines of questioning except in unusual circumstances.
Results of the examination
Following the examination, the committee will hold an in-camera session and the candidate will be asked to retire from the room. The Supervisor will be asked to discuss the candidate in general, but will not register an opinion on pass or fail until after all other committee member have discussed the exam and registered an opinion. The Supervisor may then be asked to retire from the meeting. The remaining Committee members will discuss the candidate and then vote which, if necessary, may be by written secret ballot.
The pass/fail decision made by the Supervisor will not be revealed to the Committee members until after completion of their discussion and vote. The pass/fail decision will be by simple majority of the votes cast by members of the Examination Committee. In the event of a tie, the deciding vote will be cast by the Chair. In the event of a marginal pass, the committee may apply conditions (e.g., course work, directed readings). The committee must then determine the arrangements for ensuring that the conditions are met. These should be included in the Chair’s report.
The Chair will then recall the candidate and Supervisor to the meeting and announce the result of the vote. Written notification of the decision made by the Examination Committee will be sent to the Head of the Department. The candidate will either pass or fail the examination. A candidate who fails the first attempt must pass a second examination that will be scheduled to take place within six months of the first examination. Failure to pass a second examination will result in the student being required to withdraw from the graduate program.
The Doctoral Dissertation exam is administered through the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
Dissertation & Thesis Preparation
Thesis template/formatting (Word)
Final Dissertation & Thesis Submission
You are encouraged to use the planning tool and checklist on the G+PS website.
Note that the deadlines for scheduling these exams are sometimes quite early in the term. You can find defense, graduation, and thesis submission deadlines by consulting the G+PS Deadline Centre.