Thesis Proposal Presentation

Approval of your Dissertation Proposal by the Supervisory Committee

The format of the Dissertation Proposal will be decided by the Supervisory Committee. The student must present the proposal in a public seminar, but may also be required to provide the committee with a written proposal. All members of the committee must approve the proposal as indicated by signing the approval form. Students may be requested to revise the proposal based on committee input.

Suggested format for your Thesis Proposal Presentation

Your Thesis Proposal Presentation should indicate that you have investigated the literature in your area and show that your research is novel. It should be clear that your experimental design and chosen methods are the most suitable for your work. We recommend you include the following in your proposal presentation:

  • Introduction/Motivation
  • Relevance to the Field and Originality Statement- what is new about your work that no one has done before
  • Research Question and Objectives - What are the main objectives of your research? Your thesis should have at least three experimental chapters, and it should be clear to the committee what your three chapters will be.
  • Research Strategy- Experimental Design
  • Research Methods and Tools
  • Expected Outcomes
  • Timelines and Milestones- Indicate which years you expect to do each part of the research. What journal articles do you expect to publish and when.
  • Plan B - What if the experiments you plan do not give good results? Do you anticipate any difficulties? How will you respond?

You may also wish to include any preliminary results you have obtained and any anticipated difficulties and how you plan on dealing with them.

Supervisory Committee Members

As part of your duties, you are being asked to evaluate the research proposal for the PhD candidate. As a supervisory committee member, you can advise the candidate on how their thesis proposal may be improved to meet the following requirements. To be approved, a research proposal should meet the following requirements: 

  • Contribution to knowledge: the research proposed is expected to contribute substantially to knowledge in the field. E.g., the work proposed is publishable in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
  • Originality: the research proposed contains at least one component that represents an original contribution to the field.
  • Independency: the research proposed indicates that the candidate has the ability to design and conduct an independent research project.
  • Feasibility: research methods are appropriate to conduct the research proposed, are feasible within the resources available to the PhD candidate, and can be completed within the timeframe of the program (3-4 years).

A research proposal that is aligned with these requirements is more likely to lead to a dissertation that will be approved by an external reviewer without problems.     

Planning the Research

Be strategic in developing your research. Consider these points when finding and developing a research topic 

  • Can it be enthusiastically pursued?
  • Will it sustain your interest?
  • Is the problem solvable?
  • Is it worth doing?
  • Will it lead to other research problems?
  • Is it manageable in size?
  • What is the potential for making an original contribution to the literature?
  • Will the research prepare you in an area of demand or promise for the future?

Are you ready to prepare your research proposal?

  • My supervisor supports the research I am proposing
  • I have done a literature review that shows that:
    • my proposed research is needed and the
    • methods I am suggesting are the most appropriate
  • I know the steps I need to take to conduct the research
  • I have the technical skills to perform each of the steps to complete the research (or I am capable of acquiring them)
  • I have the motivation and drive to complete each of the steps

Scheduling your Thesis Proposal Presentation

You can use Doodle http://doodle.com/ to find a time that will work for all your members. The program coordinator should be included in your scheduling as they must be present to chair the meeting. You may wish to invite the member who will act as external examiner at your comprehensive exam to introduce them to your topic.  Your committee will sign the Approval of Dissertation Proposal form at the end of your presentation and after any discussion. This indicates they are satisfied with your proposed (and possibly amended) research plan. In some cases, the committee will request written work in the form of a literature review on a particular topic or a description of methodology to be submitted before final approval is given.

FORM: THESIS PROPOSAL APPROVAL

 

Comprehensive Exam

The Comprehensive Examination will assess the student's general preparedness for the PhD degree and specific areas in his or her chosen area of study and research. It will also assess the student's ability to integrate material from divergent areas, to reconcile theoretical, methodological and empirical issues, and to think creatively. The comprehensive examination will be an oral examination conducted by the Comprehensive Examination Committee.

The examination committee will consist of the Chair, members of the Dissertation Committee, plus an External Examiner, who is external to the Supervisory Committee, but is a member of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. 

The Chair of the Comprehensive Examination is normally the Coordinator of the CHMS PhD Program. If the Coordinator is the student’s Supervisor or Co-Supervisor, a replacement will be appointed. All members of the Comprehensive Examination committee must be members of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The members of the Examination Committee will be set early in the second term. The form Composition of the Examination Committee should be submitted to the CHMS PhD coordinator at the start of the second term. The student, in consultation with the supervisor and supervisory committee will initiate the process of the Comprehensive Examination. 

The comprehensive examination must be completed no later than 12 months after initial registration. Only two attempts at the comprehensive examination will be permitted. Students who fail the second attempt will be required to withdraw from the PhD Program.

The scope of the examination will be determined by the student in consultation with the Supervisor and the Committee. Approval of the scope should occur early enough to provide the student ample time to prepare for the exam. The study period will be determined by the committee, and it is recommended that the first exam takes place early enough to allow time for a second exam if necessary.

 

Comprehensive Examination Process and Related Forms

1. Composition of Comprehensive Examination Committee

The student, in consultation with the supervisor and supervisory committee will initiate the process of the Comprehensive Examination.  The examination committee will consist of the Chair, members of the Dissertation Committee, plus at least one additional member. The Chair of the Comprehensive Examination is normally the Coordinator of the Chemistry and Materials Science PhD Program. If the Coordinator is a student’s Supervisor or Co-Supervisor, a replacement will be appointed. All members of the Comprehensive Examination committee must be members of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

FORM: COMPREHENSIVE EXAM COMMITTEE 

 

2. Prepare Scope of Comprehensive Examination

The scope of the examination will be determined in consultation with the Comprehensive Examination Committee and agreed upon by the middle of the second term. The committee may meet with the student to talk about the proposed project and area of concentration, to set the scope of the exam, and to set a date. This may be done at the end of the students Thesis Proposal Presentation, at a separate meeting or via email. Typically four to five areas of concentration are identified. The student compiles a list of articles, review papers, or book chapters to be circulated among the committee members. The members will ensure that the papers are appropriate, and may make suggestions for changes. The list of these materials must be provide to the SES PhD Program Office along with the signed form and any email contact indicating that the members approve the scope package. Students are usually given four to six weeks to prepare for the Examination. It is recommended that the exam take place early enough to allow time for a second exam if necessary.

FORM: SCOPE OF COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION

 

3. Comprehensive Examination – format and duration

The Comprehensive Examination is normally an oral examination. The chair of the Examination Committee will announce that the Comprehensive Examination of the PhD student has started. The exam involves two rounds of questioning, where each examiner is allowed 15 minutes to question the student and the total `questioning period` is expected to last approximately two hours, with the total examination taking between 2-3 hours. The PhD student will be asked to leave the room prior to discussion by the committee and be asked to return once the committee has reached a consensus. Note that the Comprehensive Examination may include a written component, if recommended by the Comprehensive Examination Committee.

 

 4. Results of Comprehensive Examination

The results of the Examination will be documented in writing on the Results of Comprehensive Examination form and signed by the Examination Committee members.  At the end of the Examination the student will be asked to leave the room and the Examination will be evaluated as Pass/Conditionally Pass/Fail. The student will be provided results by the Chair.

FORM: COMPREHENSIVE EXAM RESULTS