1

PhD Guidelines – General

Experimental Medicine Program

PhD Comprehensive Examination Guidelines

General

  1. All PhD candidates are required to pass a Comprehensive Examination according to the guidelines of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
  2. The Comprehensive Examination should normally be given within two years from the date of initial registration. At the very latest, it should be held within three years from the date of initial registration.
  3. It is expected that by this time the candidate will have completed all required course work and have a solid background in his/her area of specialization. It is also expected that the PhD candidate, with the assistance of the Research Supervisor and the Supervisory Committee, will be practiced in subjects of the specialization which may come up in the oral examination.
  4. The Research Supervisor will attend the Comprehensive Examination to ensure the fairness of the examination procedures. He/she may provide questions at the discretion of the Chair.
  5. An Examination Committee, excepting the Chair, will be selected by the Research Supervisor and these names will be submitted to the Director for approval. The Committee will normally include all members of the candidate’s committee (at least two members other than the Research Supervisor are minimum), and two External Examiners who are not directly involved in the student’s research project. At least one of the External Examiners must be from an academic department distinct from that of the Research Supervisor. The Research Supervisor is also encouraged to nominate a faculty member who will be available to serve as Chair.
  6. The Chair must be approved by the Director to represent the Experimental Medicine Program. The Chair will be asked to provide a report and to summarize the final recommendations of the examining committee.
  7. Once the Examination Committee has been approved, it will be the responsibility of the Research Supervisor and/or the candidate to arrange the date, time and location of the examination. These details must be provided to the Experimental Medicine Office at least three weeks prior to the exam.
  8. The subject matter of the Comprehensive Examination will be focused on the candidate’s area of specialization and research. The candidate will submit to the Experimental Medicine office a one page abstract which describes the area of specialization. The abstract will be given to the examiners in advance of the examination. In addition, members of the Examination Committee may provide a brief reading list covering any areas the Committee member regards as important.

Cont.

  1. The candidate must be prepared to answer questions on any suggested topics and any reading recommended by members of the Committee. Questions from each examiner will not be limited to the specific contents of the abstract. Examiners are encouraged to probe the candidate’s knowledge and understanding of the general concepts in the area of specialization at the level expected of a doctoral candidate. The intent of the Comprehensive Examination is to test the Candidate’s broad knowledge of the field of study and should not focus solely on the Thesis project. The Candidate does not prepare a formal presentation.
  2. It is the responsibility of the Chair to determine at the time of the examination whether questions are appropriate.
  3. The Committee will decide at the time of the examination whether the candidate has passed. The Candidate will be informed of the decision immediately following the examination, with any recommendations presented by the Committee.
  4. The Candidate will normally have two attempts at successfully completing the PhD Comprehensive Examination. In the event the candidate is not successful, he/she will normally be re-examined by the same Committee following a period of time where he/she will be allowed to make up deficiencies. This may include registering for further courses. If the candidate is not successful at the second attempt, he/she will be required to withdraw from the program.

Revised March4, 2010