Thesis Regulations

This thesis guide is intended for graduate students, faculty, staff, and Examiners. For expert advice about any aspect of the thesis, contact the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

View a Printer-Friendly Version [PDF] (Revised February 15, 2005)

Section 1. GENERAL THESIS REGULATIONS

  • 1.1 DOCTORAL PROGRAMS
  • 1.2 MASTER’S PROGRAMS
Section 2. COMPLETION OF ALL NON-THESIS DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Section 3. THE THESIS PREPARATION AND FORMAT
  • 3.1 FORMAT SPECIFICATIONS
    • 3.1.1 Length
    • 3.1.2 Copyrighted Material and Permissions
    • 3.1.3 Confidentiality Agreement
    • 3.1.4 Titling the Thesis
    • 3.1.5 Title Page
    • 3.1.6 Certificate of Examination
    • 3.1.7 Abstract and Keywords
    • 3.1.8 The Co-Authorship Statement (where applicable)
    • 3.1.9 Acknowledgments (where applicable)
    • 3.1.10 Table of Contents
    • 3.1.11 Ethics Approval (where applicable)
    • 3.1.12 Appendices (where applicable)
    • 3.1.13 Curriculum Vitae
  • 3.2 FORMATTING
    • 3.2.1 Style for headings, subheadings, references, figures, tables, spelling, punctuation, and bibliographic citations
    • 3.2.2 Typescript, point size, and print quality
    • 3.2.3 Line spacing
    • 3.2.4 Margins
    • 3.2.5 Illustrative material
  • 3.3 PAPER
    • 3.3.1 Oversize pages
  • 3.4 PAGE NUMBERING
Section 4. DOCTORAL CANDIDATE - COMPLETION OF THE THESIS DEGREE REQUIREMENT
  • 4.1 THE PROGRAM REQUESTS A THESIS EXAMINATION
  • 4.2 FGS APPROVES THE THESIS EXAMINATION BOARD AND ARRANGES FOR THE THESIS EXAMINATION (AND PUBLIC LECTURE, IF APPLICABLE)
    • 4.2.1 The Thesis Examination Board Arm’s-Length of Examiners
  • 4.3 THE CANDIDATE SUBMITS THE THESIS FOR EXAMINATION
    • 4.3.1 Confidentiality Agreement
  • 4.4 THE EXAMINATION OF THE THESIS AND THE CANDIDATE
    • 4.4.1 Stage One: The Preliminary (or Pre-Examination) Evaluation of the Thesis
      • If the Thesis Content and Thesis Form is Judged Acceptable
      • If the Thesis Content and Thesis Form is Judged Unacceptable
    • 4.4.2 Stage Two: The Thesis Examination
      • The Chair presides over the Thesis Examination
      • The Examination Begins
      • The Thesis Examination Board Deliberates and Renders a Decision
      • When the Thesis Examination is Successful
      • When the Thesis Examination is Unsuccessful
      • Communicating the Decision to the Candidate
      • Following the Examination
    • 4.5 FINAL SUBMISSION OF THE THESIS
    Section 5. MASTER’S CANDIDATE - COMPLETION OF THE THESIS DEGREE REQUIREMENT
    • 5.1 THE PROGRAM REQUESTS A THESIS EXAMINATION
    • 5.2 FGS APPROVES THE THESIS EXAMINATION BOARD AND THE GRADUATE PROGRAM ARRANGES FOR THE THESIS EXAMINATION (AND PUBLIC LECTURE, IF APPLICABLE)
      • 5.2.1 The Thesis Examination Board Arm’s-Length of Examiners
    • 5.3 THE CANDIDATE SUBMITS THE THESIS FOR EXAMINATION
      • 5.3.1 Confidentiality Agreement
    • 5.4 THE EXAMINATION OF THE THESIS AND THE CANDIDATE
      • 5.4.1 Stage One: The Preliminary (or Pre-Examination) Evaluation of the Thesis
        • If the Thesis Content and Thesis Form is Judged Acceptable
        • If the Thesis Content and Thesis Form is Judged Unacceptable
      • 5.4.2 Stage Two: The Thesis Examination
        • The Chair presides over the Thesis Examination
        • The Examination Begins
        • The Thesis Examination Board Deliberates and Renders a Decision
        • When the Thesis Examination is Successful
        • When the Thesis Examination is Unsuccessful
        • Communicating the Decision to the Candidate
        • Following the Examination
      • 5.5 FINAL SUBMISSION OF THE THESIS