PhD Program:

In the first year, a student entering PhD studies with a Master's degree should take the core courses (Oncology 502 and 510) plus any electives deemed useful by the Supervisor and approved by the Supervisory Committee. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the Program, it is expected that supervisors will require their students to take 3 or 4 courses to prepare them adequately for the comprehensive exam. If the student has a MSc and has already taken the core courses or equivalent courses, the course requirements may be exempted upon approval by the Program Director. However, the student must take the seminar course (Oncology 510).

Students entering PhD studies without a Master's degree will be required to take 18 credits of courses, which would include the same courses as those for MSc students, plus a thesis (Oncology 649). 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 Supervisory Committee will also be formed in the first year. The Committee will consist of the student's research supervisor and three other faculty members in the Program with appropriate expertise. At least one faculty member in addition to the supervisor must be from the student's host department and at least one faculty member must be from another department. The composition of the Supervisory Committee must be approved by the Program Director. Meetings of the Committee must be held at least once per year. A formal report of the meeting must be submitted to the Program Director. Before beginning the second year, the Supervisory Committee will meet to assess the progress of the student and to approve the research project.

In the second year the student will focus on his/her research project and, once all coursework has been completed, take the qualifying comprehensive examination to be admitted to candidacy.

Admitted to Candidacy: Doctoral Programs

Excerpt from the Faculty of Graduate Studies website.

The basic requirements for a doctoral student to be admitted to Candidacy are:
  1. all required course work has been successfully completed;
  2. the comprehensive examination has been passed;
  3. the research supervisor has certified that the thesis proposal has been approved.

Students are normally 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. Extension of this period may be permitted by the Dean of Graduate Studies in exceptional circumstances.

As soon as a student has satisfied all requirements, the Program Director must recommend to the Faculty of Graduate Studies that the student be admitted to candidacy. This status is then entered on the University's Student Information System (SIS).

Thesis Examination

All students must pass the final oral examination of their thesis as determined by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

After completion of the comprehensive examination, the student will concentrate on his/her research for the thesis. The student must also give 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. The thesis must be approved by the Committee before it is submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The student will then proceed to defend the thesis in the final oral examination according to the guidelines of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.