thesis proposal uoft

Research Guides

Submit and publish your thesis.

• The Graduate Thesis: What is it?
• Thesis Defences
• Deadlines and Fees

Formatting in MS Word

• Formatting in LaTeX
• Making Thesis Accessible
• Thesis Embargo
• Review and Release
• Your Rights as an Author
• Re-using Third Party Materials
• Creative Commons Licenses for Theses
• Turning Thesis into an Article
• Turning Thesis into a Book
• Other Venues of Publication

Thesis style template for MS Word is available on the School of Graduate Studies website . You are not required to use the template but using it will make some of the formatting requirements easier to meet.

►► Thesis template for  Microsoft Word​  (.docx)

For formatting instructions and requirements see the Formatting section of the SGS website .

MS Word formatting tips

Section breaks and page numbers.

One of the most common formatting items that causes difficulty is the page numbering, since the front section and the rest of the thesis use different characters and placement. The way to properly format these sections is to add Section Breaks in between the front matter and the Introduction or Chapter One and between each of the following chapters, including the Bibliography and Appendices sections.

Adding Section Breaks and Page Numbers in Word 2016

You will need to insert “Section Break – next page” in between all chapters and between the front matter and the first chapter as well as between the last chapter and the appendices and the references.

• Click on the place where the break should be inserted and then go to the Layout tab.
• Click on the arrow beside Breaks and choose Section Break Next Page from the list. This allows you to format sections individually of each other.
• Go to the first chapter after the front matter, click in the header and footer area and in the Header & Footer tools, ensure that “Different First Page” is selected and then ensure that the “Link to Previous” option is not selected. This way, when you format the front matter with Roman numerals in the bottom centre, it won’t carry the formatting into the next section.
• Use the Insert Page Numbers and Format Page numbers to insert the page numbers in the appropriate place with the appropriate formatting.

Using Document Styles

The template has Styles that can be used to format your entire thesis. To use a style, select the text to apply the style to, then choose the appropriate style from the Styles window.

If you don’t want to use the template (for example, if you don’t want to use the numbered headings, you can create your own styles. To do this, format the heading (or other element) the way you want, then click New Style in the style window. Insert a unique name for the style and click OK . You can then use that style for those elements going forward.

Table of Contents (TOC)

To automatically generate a TOC, apply the appropriate Styles to all headings. The template has styles created for this purpose. If you are not using the template, you can create your own heading styles to apply.

Auto-generate the TOC in Word 2016 on both Mac and Windows

• Go to the References tab, choose Table of Contents and select Custom Table of Contents . Click OK .

       Using your own styles

• If you have created your own styles with custom names, go to the References tab, choose Table of Contents and select Custom Table of Contents , then click Options .
• Put numbers beside the styles you created that correspond with the level of heading they represent. Click OK , then OK again.

Manual formatting of TOC

To add right-aligned tabs with leaders:

• From the Home tab, open the Paragraph settings and click on the Tabs button.
• Enter the tab stop position, choose Right Tab and for Leader , choose the … option. Click Set (or the + sign on Mac), then click OK .
• Type the TOC entry, press tab, then insert the page number.

Miscellaneous tips

• Use page breaks instead of pressing Enter or Return
• Use paragraph first-line indent or tab consistently throughout doc (best to use Styles)
• Use consistent spacing around headers
• Use Shift + Return/Enter to keep headings that run over 2 lines in the same paragraph
• Ensure there are no Widow/Orphan headings or paragraphs
• When inserting longer quotes, use margins to indent rather than tabbing in and inserting a hard return after each line
• Always use tabs rather than spaces. Set tab stops so you aren’t using multiple tabs

Formatting issues and examples

When creating your own table of contents , be sure to format the space between the text and the numbers properly. Do not use multiple tabs or periods to separate them. This will result in a jagged right margin. You want to set a right-aligned tab with leaders in order to have the numbers properly aligned to the right margin. The auto-generate TOC feature does this automatically.

When starting content on a new page, do not use the return key until you get to the next page. If you add content to that section later on, it will move everything down the page, even on the following page. Instead, use the Insert Page Break feature.

When formatting indented quotes, do not use tabs to indent the lines , or put a return at the end of each line. The test in the paragraph won’t flow properly if you need to add more text or change the margins. Instead use the margin controls in the Ruler to indent the paragraph on each side.

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• Last Updated: Sep 15, 2023 3:23 PM
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Engineering Science

Research Thesis

All EngSci students are required to complete an independent thesis in their final year of study.

Students can work on an approved engineering-related project under the supervision of any U of T faculty member .

U of T's exceptional breadth and strength in research allow students to find projects that fit their individual interests , and work in theoretical, clinical, design or laboratory setting.

Students experience the entire research process from initial project framing and literature review, through experimental design to documentation of their work in a final research thesis and oral presentation. Support is provided throughout the course through lectures and workshops on topics like proposal writing and research documentation.

The course is excellent preparation for those intending to pursue graduate studies and provides all students with valuable experience in independent critical thinking and problem solving .

Deb Raji (1T8 PEY Robotics)

Deb was internationally celebrated for her research into racial and gender bias in artificial intelligence algorithms.

Thesis title: Investigating the Influence of Demographic Diversity on Model Performance in Facial Recognition (Prof. Ashton Anderson, CompSci)

"My thesis supervisor and the thesis course coordinator taught me to think broadly about the impact of technology on society."

Students begin thinking about potential supervisors and topics in Year 3, with a focus in the Winter and Summer terms on firming up commitments with supervisors. By mid-October of Year 4, students are expected to write a formal thesis proposal that defines their projects, though many students have already started their research by then.

Spacecraft attitude control by magnetic actuation and double-gimbal variable-speed control moment gyroscope (Prof. Chris Damaren, UTIAS)

Aerodynamic shape optimization process for a streamlined land-based solar-powered vehicle (Prof. Amy Bilton, MIE)

Development and application of a production cost model for the Ontario electricity sector (Prof. Brian Karney, CivE)

Toward unifying deterministic and stochastic deep reinforcement learning algorithms (Prof. Jimmy Ba, CompSci)

Day trading portfolio construction using technical analysis and machine learning (Prof. Roy Kwon, MIE)

Motion planning for autonomous parking of vehicles in an urban environment (Prof. Tim Barfoot, UTIAS)

Traveling wave based protection of series-compensated transmission lines (Prof. Reza Iravani, ECE)

Development of a high-throughput platform for imaging tumour cell response to hypoxia (Prof. Alison McGuigan, ChemE/IBBME)

Nonadiabatic holonomic two-qubit gates with superconducting qubits (Prof. Aephraim Steinberg, Physics)

Material stocks and flows in Toronto's road infrastructure (Prof. Shoshanna Saxe, CivE)

Creation of an epidemiological model capable of simulating vaccine hesitancy (Prof. Jason Foster, EngSci)

© 2024 Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering

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Dalla Lana School of Public Health

• PhD: Epidemiology
• Our Programs
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Overview

This program aims to develop excellent epidemiologists, able to work, teach and conduct research on contributors to health; disease, disability and death; and effective measures of prevention.

The overall goal of the program is to enable graduates to acquire the necessary scientific knowledge and methodological skills to become independent researchers in epidemiology.  Graduates with a PhD in epidemiology are expected to have developed the skills which enable them to:

• evaluate the scientific literature with respect to epidemiologic concepts, theoretical hypotheses, designs, methods, analyses and interpretation;
• develop theoretical formulations and testable hypotheses from concepts in the literature or epidemiological observations, and propose research questions and design and write research proposals;
• understand the practical and scientific implications of epidemiological research designs and the associated methodological and analytical techniques;
• identify and evaluate available data for addressing specific research questions;
• evaluate strengths and weaknesses of data collection methods, develop methods appropriate for answering specific research questions, and assess the measurement properties of data collection tools;
• address ethical issues related to epidemiologic studies;
• appreciate the policy implications of epidemiologic research; and,
• write and defend a doctoral dissertation which makes a contribution to the scientific literature.

Click here to view PhD Competencies

Admission Requirements

• Applicants generally are expected to hold a master’s degree in epidemiology or a master’s degree in a related field with strong course work in epidemiology and biostatistics.
• Applicants are expected to have prior research experience which may be demonstrated through the completion of a master’s thesis, supervised research practicum, or other research experience, and which includes independent contributions to scientific publications.
• Applicants should have practical experience and reasonable expertise using standard statistical software packages.
• Click here for information regarding the application process.

Successful applicants will have research interests congruent with those of one or more members of faculty, and may have identified a possible primary or co-supervisor, prior to admission.  Admission may otherwise be conditional upon identifying a supervisor.  Thus, applicants are strongly encouraged to seek out potential supervisors, and discuss with them the possibilities, prior to applying to the degree program.  Applicants should note that identifying a potential supervisor does not guarantee admission.

Course Requirements

Course Requirements (4.0 FCE)

Required Courses (3.5)

Elective Courses (0.5)

Students are best served if their elective courses form part of a coherent package of experience. In this light, students are encouraged to choose elective courses that relate to the theme of their dissertation. For example, advanced methodological courses might be appropriate for a dissertation which involves highly complex statistical analysis; pathology courses for a dissertation which focuses more on disease process; bioethics courses for a dissertation on genetic epidemiology. Electives also may fill gaps in overall training and experience: A student with a largely social sciences background might benefit from health professional level pathology courses; a student with substantial bench-sciences training, who is interested in disease screening, might consider courses in behavioural sciences, health economics, or health policy. Students are encouraged to discuss the selection of appropriate electives with their Supervisory Committees.

Emphasis in Artificial intelligence and Data Science

Students in the PhD program in the Epidemiology field of study have the option to complete an emphasis by completing appropriate coursework in a given area. The emphasis requirements will also count toward, but may exceed, the 4.0 full-course equivalent (FCE) field requirement.

Course Requirements: Emphasis in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (1.5 FCE)

Qualifying Examination

The qualifying examination is made up of 2 components. Both of the components of the qualifying examination should be completed by the end of the first year.

Details of each component are below:

• Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS 2) online tutorial: CORE (Course on Research Ethics) is an introduction to the 2nd edition of the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS 2). It consists of eight modules focusing on the guidance in TCPS 2 that is applicable to all research regardless of discipline or methodology. The completion of this module is usually done within the Introduction to Public Health Research (CHL5005H) course. A certificate of completion must be emailed to Matilda Kong at kong@utoronto.ca ( http://www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/eng/education/tutorial-didacticiel/ )
• Doctoral Qualifying Examination: Written doctoral qualifying examination*, which includes an in-class written exam and a take-home question. This exam is held June of the first academic year. This part of the examination is designed to test competence in the concepts, principles, data sources, and content of epidemiology, and the ability to apply these concepts and principles critically. The examination may include multiple choice, fill-in-the blanks, calculations, and short answer questions. The take-home question will be an essay-style. An Examination Committee will mark the examination, blind to the identity of the student. A passing grade is 70%. Students who achieve higher percentages will be informed that they have received grades of Honours (90%+) or High Pass (80-89%).

*The written qualifying can be fulfilled after the indicated required courses are complete:

CHL5005H: Professional Skills for Doctoral Students in Public Health (0.5) CHL5404H: Research Methods I (0.5) CHL5406H: Quantitative Methods for Biomedical Research (0.5) CHL5408H: Research Methods II (0.5) CHL5424H: Advanced Quantitative Methods in Epidemiology (0.5)

PhD Proposal Defense

The PhD proposal defense is a requirement for candidacy and should be completed by December of the second year.  The proposal defense can be done during the first year of study  with the approval of the Program Director. The purpose of the proposal defense is to:

• Ensure that proposed research will result in a successful PhD dissertation.
• Strengthen the thesis question, design, and methods through critical feedback.
• Assess the students’ ability to conduct independent and original research.
• Assess sufficient content/substantive knowledge base relevant to their thesis topic.
• Provide a formal approval to proceed with the dissertation research.

Format: The proposal will include a brief and cogent review of the literature, justification of the research question, the objectives and hypotheses, design, data collection or data sources, proposed analysis strategies, timetable, ethics, and potential problems or issues. The proposal will conclude with references in proper bibliographic format. The proposal also will include a concise statement of the student’s role in the development and conduct of the research. A title page, with word count, will include the names of the Supervisor and other Supervisory Committee members. The proposal will be printed using a 12-point font, and limited to 10 single-spaced pages. The bibliography and title page are not included in the page or word counts. Appendices should be kept to a minimum.

Defense for approval of PhD proposal:

The proposal defense consists of a written outline of the dissertation proposal and an oral presentation. The completion of this process also counts as the protocol approval, which is required for candidacy. The following elements will be assessed:

• The literature review is comprehensive and specific to the content area;
• The proposed work demonstrates scholarly impact and innovation with respect to methods and/or substantive contribution;
• Clarity of research question/objectives
• Completeness and relevance to study design/research plan
• Rationale for approach and methodology
• Appropriateness of research design
• Appropriateness of research methods and statistical analyses
• Feasibility of research approach including power calculation as appropriate
• Requirement, timeline, preliminary data etc.
• Anticipation of difficulties/limitations and plans for management
• Ethical considerations
• The project is adequate and appropriate for a PhD dissertation and manageable within the time-frame and expectations of the PhD program.

The proposal presentation must be attended by the student, the Supervisory Committee and one external reviewer approved by the Program Director. The presentation will be advertised within the Graduate Department of Public Health Sciences, and students and faculty are encouraged to attend.  The external reviewer must be a Full or Associate member of SGS, ideally has research supervisory experience at the doctoral level, and must have specific research expertise in the dissertation topic or methods. The reviewer should have had no previous involvement with the development of the proposal under review.

Process for evaluation:

• The student’s Supervisory Committee approves the written proposal at least three weeks before the anticipated date of proposal defense.
• The student contacts the Program Director, with a copy to the Administrative Assistant, to give notice that the proposal is ready for defense, together with the name, email and brief rationale for the external reviewer. As a reminder, the reviewer must have an SGS appointment at the University of Toronto. The Program Director will approve the external reviewer via email.
• The Supervisor contacts reviewer and committee to arrange the date/time of the presentation, and informs the program Administrative Assistant of the arrangements.
• The Administrative Assistant reserves a room and any required audiovisual equipment specified by the student, and posts notices on bulletin boards and e-mail, including a confirmatory e-mail to the reviewers and Supervisory Committee.
• The student distributes the proposal to the external reviewer, Supervisory Committee members, and Administrative Assistant, three weeks before the date of the proposal defense.
• The proposal defense will begin with a 20-minute presentation of the research proposal by the student, followed by a period of questions and discussion. Presentation questions are posed to the student in two rounds, with approximately 10 minutes allotted to each reviewer per round, with the reviewer taking the lead in the questions. The Supervisor will chair the proceedings and act as timekeeper. The question period will typically be expected to last 60 to 80 minutes. The Supervisor will take notes of all issues raised.
• At the end of formal questioning, the student and other attendees not part of the review panel will leave the room, and the reviewer and Supervisory Committee will have a general discussion of four elements (I – IV) outlined above. The reviewers will rate the performance of the student using a standardized form and an Accept/Provisional Acceptance/Not Accepted decision will be reached. The Supervisor and external reviewer will take note of the feedback and prepare a summary of the recommendations to share with the student.  Typically, the Supervisor will take notes, on the form during the defense, and email to the external reviewer for final review before sending to the student.

The following outline the implications for the evaluation:

Approval: The student may proceed with dissertation work and remaining program progression, taking note of all feedback received during the protocol defense and in consultation with the Supervisor considering minor amendments to their doctoral research accordingly. This candidacy requirement has been met.

Provisional Approval: The student must create a point-by-point response to the concerns/issues raised and make changes to the proposal within 60 days of the proposal defense. Once the Supervisory committee has approved the revisions, the proposal must be submitted to the Program Director and Administrative Assistant as a final record. An approval will then be recorded for candidacy.

Not approved: Non-approval indicates that the performance was inadequate and/or the protocol has major deficiencies according to the IV domains. In the event that the student is not approved on the first attempt, the student will be permitted one more attempt. Failure of the second attempt will result in a recommendation for program termination.

• At the conclusion of the discussion, the student will be invited into the room to learn the general outline of the committee’s decision. The decision and the completed form must be conveyed to the Program Director and Administrative Assistant within 1 week of the defense.

Supervision

Click here to view the SGS Supervision Guidelines for Students.

Beginning prior to admission, and with the assistance of the Program Director, the applicant will explore supervisory possibilities: a faculty member with an appointment in the Division of Epidemiology who has a Full appointment in the School of Graduate Studies (SGS), and who conducts epidemiological research. In some instances, the student and the Program Director will identify both a primary and a co-supervisor. The co-supervisor generally will be a faculty member with an Associate appointment in the SGS. The faculty supervisor may be confirmed prior to beginning the program, and generally will be in place by the end of the first year.  students are encouraged to explore broadly and have wide-ranging discussions with potential supervisors.  The Program Director must approve the selection of the primary supervisor and the co-supervisor.

Role and Responsibilities

The Supervisor is responsible for providing mentorship to the student through all phases of the PhD program. Thus; to the extent possible, the Supervisor will guide the selection of courses, dissertation topic, supervisory committee membership, and supervisory committee meetings; will assist with applications for funding; will make every effort to provide funding to the student directly; and will provide references for the student on a timely basis. The Supervisor also will comment on the student’s plan for preparation for the comprehensive examination. The Supervisor will guide the development of the student’s research proposal, and the implementation and conduct of all aspects of the research; advise on writing the dissertation; correct drafts and approve the final dissertation; and attend the defense.

Supervisory Committee

With the assistance of the Supervisor, and with the approval of the Program Director, the student will assemble a Supervisory Committee within the first year of study.

The Supervisory Committee, chaired by the Supervisor, will contribute advice regarding course selection; preparation for the comprehensive examination; selection of the dissertation topic; preparation and defense of the proposal; and implementation of the research plan. The Supervisory Committee also will provide timely and constructive criticism and guidance regarding data analysis, writing the dissertation, and preparing for its defense.

Composition

The Supervisory Committee generally will comprise the Supervisor and at least two members who hold either Full or Associate appointments in the SGS and may or may not hold a primary appointment in Epidemiology. Between these individuals and the Supervisor, there should be expertise in all content and methodological areas relevant to the student’s research focus and dissertation proposal. At times, when the student’s Supervisory Committee extends beyond the requisite Supervisor plus two SGS-qualified members, additional members may not necessarily hold SGS appointments (e.g., community members).  Non-SGS members, however, may participate only as non-voting qualified observers at the SGS Final Oral Examination (i.e., observer who has been approved by the student, the Supervisor, and the SGS Vice-Dean, Programs).

Supervisory Committee meetings will be held at least every six (6) months throughout the student’s PhD program. Under certain circumstances (e.g., during times of very rapid progress), the student and the Supervisory Committee may decide there is a need for more frequent meetings.

At the end of every meeting of the Supervisory Committee, the student and the Committee will complete the Supervisory Committee Meeting Report . All present must sign the report, which will be delivered to the Program Director and filed in the student’s progress file in the Graduate Department of Public Health Sciences.

The Report of the Graduate Department of Public Health Sciences Oral Defense Committee Meeting will be completed at the end of the Departmental Defense during which the Oral Defense Committee makes the recommendation for the student to proceed to the SGS Final Oral Examination (FOE).  The Report will also be signed and delivered to the Program Director and filed in the student’s progress file in the Graduate Department of Public Health Sciences.

Progress Through the PhD

The phases of the PhD program are identified by a set of accomplishments which the student generally will attain in order, and within a satisfactory time. These phases, which will be monitored by the Program Director of the PhD program, are the identification of the Supervisor and the Supervisory Committee, completion of required and elective course work, completion of the comprehensive examination, defense of the research proposal, and defense of the dissertation (both Departmental and SGS ). Full-time students are expected to complete the PhD within four (4) years. Flex-time students may take longer, but not more than eight (8) years; they must submit a revised list of milestones, for approval by the Supervisor and the Program Director.  Click here to view the PhD Epidemiology Timeline .

Research Ethics Board Approval

All research projects in which University of Toronto students are involved at any stage must have approval from the University of Toronto Research Ethics Board (REB). This includes ongoing research projects of the Supervisor which has previously received REB approval and where REB approval is already held from a University affiliated hospital or research institute. Preliminary work necessary to prepare the proposal may also require an original REB application or amendment to the original study. 
See details of the REB application and review process at Office of Research Ethics ( www.research.utoronto.ca/for-researchers-administrators/ethics/ ).

The dissertation proposal, as approved by the Program Director, must have University of Toronto Research Ethics Board approval as a supervised research study. An application for initial REB approval (or amendment to approval for an ongoing study), will therefore follow the approval of the dissertation proposal.

Dissertation

A dissertation in epidemiology must have relevance to the health of human populations. Within that broad framework, the dissertation may deal with any topic in the areas of medicine, public health and, health care services; and the research designs and statistical methods used in these fields. A doctoral dissertation in epidemiology may involve new data, collected for the purpose of the study, or the use of data previously collected. In the latter case, the analysis must be suitably complex, and must be driven by theoretical considerations and a specific research or methodological question. The dissertation result should be new knowledge and should include findings suitable for publication in peer-reviewed epidemiology journals. It may include both methodological and substantive advances in knowledge.

The dissertation topic must include clearly posed research questions amenable to study by appropriate epidemiologic methods. The student must have contributed substantially to the identification of the research question and must have played an integral part in the planning of the investigation. Wherever appropriate, the student will also be expected to participate directly in the collection of the data. Students will be expected to analyze their own data using appropriate analytic approaches.

Format Options for Dissertation

Students may choose one of two options for preparation of the dissertation: a monograph or a series of journal articles. The monograph is the default option. It is a single report, divided into chapters: introduction, literature review, methods, results, and discussion. A reference list would be followed by various appended material, which might include data collection instruments, additional related findings, and the like.

The journal article option varies from the monograph in that the main body of the dissertation comprises approximately three (3) complete, stand-alone manuscripts; these may already have been published, or may be ready to submit for peer-review. The manuscripts should be preceded and followed by material that unites them. So, for instance, an introduction and literature review, and possibly methods, more global in scope than those included in the manuscripts themselves, would precede the manuscripts; likewise, a discussion would follow, and would tie the manuscripts together, describing how they – as a group – make a contribution to the literature. Appended material might include the methodological details that would not be present in the methods sections of the manuscripts.

Regardless of format, the student should identify and follow appropriate style guides for the preparation of the dissertation.

Dissertation Defense

The student should aim to defend the dissertation within four years of entry into the PhD program. The defense of the dissertation will take place in two stages: first, a Departmental defense, second, a formal defense (the Final Oral Examination) before a University committee according to procedures established by the School of Graduate Studies (SGS). The two defenses generally are separated by about eight weeks.

Departmental Defense

The Departmental defense will be held after the completed dissertation has been approved by all members of the student’s Supervisory Committee, and the completion of the final Supervisory Committee meeting report. The purpose of this defense is to rehearse the oral presentation for the SGS defense and to determine whether the student is ready for the SGS defense.

The student should expect constructive criticism about the clarity and length of the presentation and the quality of visual materials, as well as about the dissertation itself. In particular, the Departmental defense will confirm that:

• The student has adequately met the requirements for a dissertation; and,
• The student has the required level of understanding of the scientific issues involved in the dissertation work.

The Departmental defense is attended by the student, the Supervisor and other members of the Supervisory Committee, and two reviewers with full SGS appointments. At least one reviewer should have supervisory experience in epidemiology at the doctoral level. The second reviewer may be a substantive expert from another discipline. Eligible reviewers will have had no prior involvement with the design or conduct of the research, with the exception of providing references or other background material, and generally will not be the faculty who served as reviewers at the proposal defense. The presentation will be advertised within the Graduate Department of Public Health Sciences, and other students and faculty are encouraged to attend.

• The Supervisory Committee approves the dissertation, at least four (4) weeks before the anticipated date of the defense.
• The Supervisory Committee identifies at least two potential reviewers.
• The student contacts the Program Director (copy to the Administrative Assistant) to give notice that the dissertation is ready for defense, together with the names and email addresses of potential reviewers. If necessary, the Program Director suggests alternative reviewers. The Program Director approves the reviewers, and will nominate one of them to be the Program Director’s representative.
• The Supervisor contacts reviewers and arranges the date/time of the defense, and informs the Administrative Assistant of the arrangements.
• The Administrative Assistant reserves a room and any required audiovisual equipment, as specified by the student, and posts notices on bulletin boards and e-mail, including a confirmatory e-mail to the Supervisory Committee and reviewers.
• The student distributes a copy of the dissertation to reviewers and to Supervisory Committee members four (4) weeks before the date of the defense, with an extra copy to the Supervisor (or designate) which may be made available to other faculty or students who may wish to read it.
• The Oral Defense Committee comprises the external reviewers, the Supervisor and the other Supervisory Committee members.
• Before the Oral Defense Committee convenes, the student and non-committee attendees may be asked to leave the room to permit discussion of the defense process among the Oral Defense Committee members.
• The defense will begin with a 20-minute presentation by the student of the research findings, followed by a period of questions and discussion among those present, with the two reviewers taking the lead in the questions. The Supervisor will chair the proceedings and act as timekeeper. The question period will typically be expected to last 60 to 80 minutes. The Supervisor will take notes of all issues raised.
• At the end of formal questioning, the student and other attendees will generally be asked to leave the room, and the Oral Defense Committee will discuss any issues of concern, to provide focused, constructive, and detailed feedback to the student, Supervisor, and other members of the Supervisory Committee on the dissertation and its oral defense. The Program Director’s Representative will take note of the feedback with respect to whether the dissertation work is generally adequate for the Final Oral Examination (FOE); changes that should be made to the dissertation prior to arranging for the FOE, and improvements that could be made to the oral presentation and defense; and will prepare a summary of the recommendations. If revisions to the text of the dissertation are recommended, there will also be discussion of the timing of the FOE. The student may be invited to be present at these discussions at the discretion of the Oral Defense Committee.
• At the end of the Departmental Defense, the Oral Defense Committee  will complete the Report of the Graduate Department of Public Health Sciences Oral Defense Committee Meeting. The options for proceedings are:

a) Dissertation is acceptable: ____    as is ____    with corrections/modifications as described in report to be prepared by the Program Director’s Representative

b) Another Supervisory Committee meeting required to see final dissertation: ____ Yes ____ No

c) If no, Committee member to see that changes are made: __________________________

d) Dissertation recommended for examination in: ______ months.

The Report will be delivered to the Program Director and filed in the student’s file in the Graduate office of Public Health Sciences.

School of Graduate Studies Final Oral Examination (FOE)

• Click here to view Policies & Procedures, PhD
• Click here to view the Procedures for Arranging PhD Defences

Current Student Profiles

Alumni profiles.

School of Graduate Studies

Doctoral examinations & schedule.

The Final Oral Examination ( FOE ) is the capstone experience of your doctoral studies. General information about the FOE is outlined in the SGS Calendar . The Final Oral Examination schedule (see calendar below) lists current thesis defenses, and is updated periodically.

Additionally, you may find helpful the Guidelines for the Doctoral Final Oral Examination (FOE) , a document that outlines the responsibilities of the graduate unit, SGS , the Examination Committee, and the Chair of the Committee in the planning and conduct of a Final Oral Examination. Faculty and Staff can access additional resources on the SGS Final Examinations webpage .

Academic fees for continuously registered Ph.D. candidates in the final year of the program are pro-rated over the 12–month academic year, based on the date of the final approved thesis submission to SGS . Incidental fees are charged on a sessional (term) basis. More information on the pro-rated fees and schedules can be found in Graduate Fees and on the Student Accounts website under Current Fall–Winter Fee & Refund Schedules.

In-Person Examinations at the School of Graduate Studies

Requests to book the rooms at 63 St. George Street are covered by the following guidelines.

• Exam rooms are available for blocks of up to three (3) hours between 9:30 AM and 4:30 PM ET, Monday to Friday.
• Exam rooms have maximum capacities as indicated on the Book a Meeting Room website.
• All participants should bring their laptop or tablet with them; the computer, camera, and microphone in the room can be used to provide a full room view for remote participants. The computer is currently configured for anyone to sign into their Zoom or Microsoft Teams account. Teleconference is also available for a maximum of two participants.
• All signature files and forms will be administered electronically.
• Please avoid the use of perfume, cologne, hairspray and other scented products when you visit the School of Graduate Studies. Refer to the University’s Guidelines on the Use of Perfumes and Scented Products .

Doctoral Examination Schedule

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Finished Papers

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Perfect Essay

Rebecca Geach