MSc Program:
In the first year, a student should take a minimum of 12 credits of courses. These courses will include the core courses (Oncology 502, 510) and electives. Please note that credit for Oncology 510 will only be given at the end of the student's program of study so cannot be counted as part of the minimum 12 credits required in the first year. The elective courses are decided by the supervisor and the student, based on the student's needs and thesis topic. The elective courses must be approved by the student's Supervisory Committee. Typically, all electives should be courses at the 500 level or above; however, having up to 6 credits of electives at the 300 or 400 level is permissible. As specified in the Faculty of Graduate Studies calendar entry, the minimum requirements are 30 credits of courses numbered 300 or above, including at least 24 credits of courses numbered 500 to 699. These 24 credits include 12 credits of course work, plus a 12 credit thesis (Oncology 549). It is the responsibility of the supervisor and the Supervisory Committee to ensure that the student takes the required number of credits in appropriate courses. The supervisor and committee should also be prepared to assist the student in gaining admission to elective courses which may be blocked to students outside the home department.
The Supervisory Committee needs to be formed and the first meeting held within 3 months of starting the program. The names of the Committee and the date of the first meeting along with the Progress Report needs to be sent to the Director and Administrator of the program. The Committee consists of the student's research supervisor plus two other faculty members with appropriate expertise. The composition of the Supervisory Committee must be approved by the Program Director. Before beginning the second year of a MSc, the Supervisory Committee will meet to assess the progress of the student and to approve the research project. Thereafter, meetings of the Supervisory Committee must be held at least once per year and a formal report of the meeting must be submitted to the Program Director.
In the second year, the student is required to complete any remaining coursework, while focusing on his/her research project. The student is also required to present a seminar on the research project for the seminar course (Oncology 510). When both student and supervisor agree that the student has made sufficient progress in the thesis research, they will seek the approval of the Supervisory Committee to write the thesis (12 credits). The student will be required to defend the thesis at a final oral examination. The Examination Committee should be composed of at least three faculty with at least one member from outside the Supervisory Committee.
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IOP Transfer to PhD Program/Candidacy For IOP students registered in the Master program wishing to transfer to a PhD program, the comprehensive exam needs to be taken first. You can change from the Master Program into the PhD program, within 24 months of registration. For those wishing to transfer from a Masters to PhD program in IOP, the comprehensive exam is used as a qualifying exam and must be taken within 24 months of registration in the Masters Program. The comprehensive exam is used as a “qualifying” exam for students transferring to a PhD program (see IOP Comprehensive Exam for guidelines). They will have completed their course requirements and will have been recommended to undertake the comprehensive exam by their research committee. The full cooperation of the supervisor, the student, and the student’s research committee is required in order to adhere to this strict timeline.
MSc Thesis Guidelines:
The Thesis Defence for a Master's degree is a public presentation of the Candidate's thesis followed by questioning from the examiners. The Candidate's MSc Supervisory Committee has to determine if the thesis is ready for the defence. An "MSc Thesis Report" form should be completed and signed by the Research Supervisor and Committee Members and submitted to the Interdisciplinary Oncology office. Please see the Interdsiciplinary Oncology secretary for this form. Candidates for the Thesis Defence must have completed all course work, examinations and any other requirements of the degree program. It is the Candidate's responsibility to arrange the date, time and location of the defence. Once this has been done, please inform the Intersdisciplinary Oncology Office at least 3 weeks in advance. The Examination Committee consists of: -The Chair, who is generally selected by the Director of the program. -A minimum of 3 Examiners, with at least 2 members from the Candidate's Supervisory Committee (normally including the Research Supervisor(s) and at least one member who is neither a Supervisor nor a Co-supervisor) Quorum for the Oral Examination consists of:
Announce that the meeting has been called for the public examination of [Candidate's name] for the Master's thesis. Request the Candidate to present a synopsis of the thesis. The Candidate may speak from notes and use audio-visual equipment but must NOT read the synopsis. The presentation should be about 20 to 30 minutes in length, but no longer. It should not be interrupted by questions. The Chair is asked to enforce these rules. Ask each member of the Examination Committee, in turn, to question the Candidate. The Research Supervisor should be called upon last. The Chair should exercise discretion in managing the question period. Call for questions from the audience, if any. Call for further questioning by the Committee, and, as Chair, ask the Candidate to address and/or clarify any points that may not have been adequately covered in previous questioning (if necessary). The Candidate and those not on the Examination Committee should leave the room. Call for a discussion. The Examination Committee is asked to make a recommendation with respect to the performance of the Candidate at the defence and of the thesis itself. |
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