Doctor of Philosophy Degree Requirements
A student who receives this degree must have demonstrated proficiency in some broad subject of learning and ability to initiate and evaluate work in this field. Furthermore, the student must have shown the ability to work independently in the chosen field and must have made an original contribution of significance to the advancement of knowledge. The following technical requirements stated or implied are minimum requirements for all candidates for the degree.
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Admission
Only an applicant who is fully qualified for admission to postgraduate work at this university and for research in a particular field of study is admitted to a Ph.D. program. This normally means that the applicant will already have completed a recognized Master's program in a field which is relevant to the proposed Ph.D. program of study.
An applicant who is deficient in background training or in courses prerequisite to scholarly work in the chosen field of study and research or who holds a Master's degree whose academic level is in doubt cannot be admitted as a fully qualified candidate for a Ph.D. degree. Such an applicant may be admitted to the College of Graduate Studies and Research for the purpose of removing these deficiencies (see Classification of Admitted Students), but the time spent in doing so can seldom be counted toward the residence requirement for the Ph.D. degree. Applicants holding a Master's degree, the equivalence of which is difficult to assess, will be permitted at the time of admission to register only as probationary students in a Ph.D. program or as a Master's student. After no less than one year and on the recommendation of the academic unit, a student may be considered by the College of Graduate Studies and Research Office for transfer to fully-qualified status in a Ph.D. program if the qualifying examination has been completed successfully.
After an applicant has been admitted to the College, the principal academic unit submits on the applicant's behalf a recommended Program of Studies for approval by the college. This should be done as soon as possible and not later than twelve months after the time of admission. The online form to be submitted by the academic unit on the applicant's behalf lists the courses required to meet the academic requirements for the degree, the particular field of research, the student's research Supervisor and members of the Advisory Committee (see next section, "Supervision"), and any other requirements peculiar to the unit in which the student will be working.
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Supervision
The selection of a Supervisor should be completed by mutual agreement among student, Supervisor, academic unit Head, or the Dean in colleges without departments, and the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. This selection should take place as quickly as possible, never later than the second annual registration. The Supervisor must be a faculty member of the College of Graduate Studies and Research and should be familiar with the rules and procedures of the academic unit, the College of Graduate Studies and Research and those of the university. Both student and Supervisor are responsible for ensuring that all College of Graduate Studies and Research and academic unit regulations and requirements are observed and met.
The work of each student is coordinated by an Advisory Committee. This Committee consists of the academic unit Head or designate who acts as Chair, or the Dean or designate in colleges without departments, who acts as Chair, the student's Supervisor and three or four additional members, selected because of their knowledge of the proposed research field, from the principal unit and related units. One member, designated the Cognate member, must be from a unit other than the principal one. If the student's work for the degree is cross-disciplinary, the Advisory Committee should have representatives from each of the academic units involved. In consultation with the Dean, persons from other universities or from non-University laboratories and groups may be invited to serve on the Committee because of their specialized knowledge of the research field. Such persons must have received formal approval from the Dean. The Dean of Graduate Studies and Research is an ex officio member of the Committee.
The Advisory Committee serves to advise the student and to periodically review progress being made in preparing the thesis proposal, developing appropriate methodology, carrying out research and writing the thesis. To facilitate these reviews, the student will submit a written progress report on the research project at least once every twelve months through the research Supervisor. The Supervisor is responsible for distributing a copy of this report to each member of the Advisory Committee. The Committee may require the student to give an oral progress report to explain further and describe the research in progress. The Committee may recommend changes and additions to the student's program and changes to the research project. The Chair of the Advisory Committee will report on the progress of the student to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research once annually. A report indicating unsatisfactory progress will result in further action being taken by the Dean.
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Special Case Admissions
All faculties tenured in academic units which do not have approved graduate programs may be involved in graduate education by supervising a special case student. Candidates for Special Case admissions should be excellent students as demonstrated by a weighted cumulative average of at least 75% over the last two years (60 credit units). The Special Case Ph.D. students are administered by the Ph.D. Committee of the College of Graduate Studies and Research. Instructions for Special Case applications are found on form GSR 405. Students follow regular admission procedures using forms GSR 100 and 101. The academic unit is responsible for completing the remainder of the Special Case application.
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Residency Requirements
On-campus residency is a valuable part of a graduate program. The University of Saskatchewan encourages students to spend time on campus interacting with faculty, researchers and other students and participating in the academic life of the university. The College of Graduate Studies and Research has no minimum residency requirements. Individual graduate programs, however, are required to establish their own residency guidelines. Students should check with the individual programs for these guidelines.
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Time Limit
A candidate for the Ph.D. degree is expected to complete the work with reasonable continuity over a period not exceeding six years. This time is measured from the date of first registration in the first work credited toward the program.
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Transfer Credits
Graduate work of high quality done in a recognized graduate school elsewhere may be accepted for credit at this university. Except in special circumstances, transferred credits will not reduce the minimum residency requirement, but may reduce the amount of course work to be done. In all cases at least six credit units of course work at the graduate level must be done at the University of Saskatchewan, unless otherwise specified by the individual program. Credits are transferred only after the student has established a satisfactory record in residence here for at least one year. Students required by their Advisory Committee to take courses at another university will receive both course credit and residence credit upon satisfactory completion of such courses.
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Academic Standards
Students are expected to complete with Distinction all work in the courses included in their Program of Studies. Any grade below 70% is unsatisfactory. The Advisory Committee will review such grades and make a recommendation to the College of Graduate Studies and Research concerning the action to be taken. The Advisory Committee will also recommend appropriate action to be taken regarding any student whose progress in the research project or any other component of the Ph.D. program is deemed unsatisfactory. Academic standards applied will be those prevailing in the national and international academic community. Upon recommendation by the Advisory Committee and with approval from the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, a student may be required to discontinue at any time from the program for failure to achieve and maintain satisfactory progress and contact with the Supervisor.
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Languages
The Advisory Committee may require the candidate to demonstrate ability to read publications related to the candidate's special field of study, in one or more languages other than English.
Successful completion of a course in a language (other than English) recommended by an Advisory Committee usually meets the minimum requirements for a reading knowledge of a foreign language. This language requirement may be met by a course, or courses, taken at another university, or by knowledge of the language acquired in other ways. In such cases, supporting evidence must be submitted to the appropriate language department at this university. The language department may set a special examination. The decision of the department is final in such cases.
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Ethics
Ethics approval is required for all research involving animals or humans. A copy of the
Ethics approval letter must be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies and Research prior to the defence.
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Qualifying Examination for Ph.D. Students
Students must satisfy the academic unit by written or oral examination, or by both, that they have the potential to obtain sufficient knowledge of their chosen general field of study to proceed toward candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. Responsibility for this examination may be assigned to the Advisory Committee in cases where several academic unit s are involved. Normally this examination is administered within the first year, preferably within the first four months, of the student's program. The results of this examination are likely to have a significant impact on the Program of Studies developed for the student. The standard which a student must obtain to pass the qualifying examination is at the discretion of the academic unit or the Advisory Committee, as the case may be. A student failing an examination for the first time is permitted a second qualifying examination. A second failure automatically disqualifies the student from further work for that particular Ph.D. degree. This failure may be appealed to the Ph.D. Committee on substantive or procedural grounds. The results of all qualifying examinations must be reported to the College of Graduate Studies and Research Office.
The thesis examination for the award of Master's degree at this or other recognized universities, may, at the discretion of the academic unit and the College of Graduate Studies and Research, be accepted in lieu of the Ph.D. qualifying examination.
The Ph.D. qualifying examination must already have been passed at a suitable level before consideration will be given to recommendations for transfer from a Master's to a Ph.D. program. This particular qualifying examination can only be taken once.
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Comprehensive Examination and Candidacy
The comprehensive examination covers a broad aspect of the appropriate discipline and may be in written and/or oral form. This examination is usually on topics cognate to the candidate's field of research and is used as a means of judging whether the individual has a mature and substantive grasp of the discipline as a whole. A comprehensive knowledge of the subject will not only help to validate the Ph.D. student as an expert in the general field of choice but will also complement research activity in the specific area under investigation. Normally this examination is scheduled after the student has completed all course requirements and before the beginning of research and doctoral thesis.
Only upon successful completion of the comprehensive examination at an appropriate time during the program is a student permitted to continue scholarly activity towards the Ph.D. degree. The comprehensive examination may be repeated once with the permission of the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. The results of all comprehensive examinations must be reported to the College of Graduate Studies and Research office. A second failure will result in the student being required to withdraw from the program. This failure may be appealed to the Ph.D. Committee on substantive or procedural grounds.
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Thesis
The thesis, based upon original investigation, must demonstrate mature scholarship and critical judgement on the part of the candidate, as well as familiarity with tools and methods of research in the candidate's special field. To be acceptable, it must be a worthwhile contribution to knowledge, and warrant publication in whole or in part. It must comply with specifications described in the Guidelines For Preparation of a Thesis.
Thesis preparation involves a long-term commitment through the stages of preparing a research proposal, completing a literature review, developing methodology, carrying out research and writing the results. Throughout this process the student will maintain contact with the Supervisor, as well as the Advisory Committee. When, in the opinion of the student and the Supervisor, the work is virtually complete and ready for defence, the student will submit a draft of the thesis, substantially in its final form, to the Supervisor. The Supervisor will review the thesis, making any appropriate suggestions to the student and will then submit it to the Advisory Committee. It is the student's responsibility to make available the number of copies needed by the Advisory Committee. When the Advisory Committee has agreed the manuscript is ready for examination the candidate will receive permission to make the final copies required for the Examining Committee.
The Examining Committee consists of at least six persons, as follows: the External Examiner, the Supervisor, three members of the Advisory Committee (including the Cognate member), and the academic unit Head, or designate, who will chair that part of the defence devoted to questioning the candidate.
Permanent members of the candidate's academic unit and of related units may be invited to attend the examination. The Dean of Graduate Studies and Research or designate will chair the Examining Committee. A recommendation providing the Dean with a minimum of three suitable persons from whom the Dean may select an External Examiner, is made by the academic unit Head. The Dean invites the External Examiner. All program requirements are verified by the Dean or designate before the invitation is extended to the External Examiner. The External Examiner shall not have been associated with the preparation of the thesis in any way and shall have no conflict of interest regarding the student or the Supervisor on any aspect of the research itself.
When the thesis is ready for defence, two unbound copies are submitted to the College of Graduate Studies and Research for distribution to the External Examiner and Chair of the Defence. All committee members must also receive an unbound copy. These are circulated by the academic unit Head to the other members of the Examining Committee and such other members of the unit as time permits.
The Ph.D. thesis defence, which is an oral examination, is usually scheduled three to four weeks after the thesis has been submitted to the External Examiner. A candidate who anticipates formal award of the degree at a particular Convocation must ensure that two copies of the thesis, suitable for examination, are taken to the College of Graduate Studies and Research Office in sufficient time to permit the examination process to be completed prior to the deadlines established by the College of Graduate Studies and Research.
A Dissertation Summary is distributed to the Examining Committee at the time of the examination. It is the responsibility of the candidate in consultation with the research Supervisor to prepare the Dissertation Summary and related material and to submit it to the Dean seven working days prior to the oral. Students are advised to consult with the College of Graduate Studies and Research Office on this matter at least one month prior to the exam.
It is the responsibility of the student who may have any disability that could interfere with his/her conduct or ability to respond to questioning at an oral defence, to reveal the extenuating circumstances in sufficient time prior to the defence to allow the Examining Committee and the College of Graduate Studies and Research to take measures to mitigate the situation at the oral exam. The student must inform his/her Supervisor or Graduate Chair, who in turn must inform the College of Graduate Studies and Research of any potential problem.
A brief evaluation of the Ph.D. thesis must be submitted by the External Examiner to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research indicating that the thesis examination should take place as scheduled. This evaluation must be in the hands of the Dean or designate before the examination takes place.
After the thesis examination, a certification form stating the Committee's decision and signed by members of the Committee, is given to the Dean, or designate, who is present at the examination.
Where the Committee's decision is not unanimous, the majority view will prevail provided that the External Examiner shares the majority view. Where the External examiner does not share the majority view, the examination shall be adjourned and the Dean will review the situation and establish appropriate procedures to resolve the matter. Unless the examination is adjourned for such a reason, the decision of the Examining Committee is final.
It is normal for the Examining Committee to require at the time of the examination that revisions be made to the thesis before final submission. The Examining Committee will establish procedures and name the person(s) responsible for ensuring that the revisions are carried out completely. Candidates are expected to make the revisions promptly. Failure to do so could jeopardize successful completion of the degree.
Following the defence the External Examiner will submit a full written report to the Dean. In most cases this report may be made available to candidates and departments, upon request.
The candidate is encouraged to submit the thesis electronically. In this case, no bound or unbound copies of the thesis are submitted, unless otherwise required by the academic unit or the research Supervisor. Instructions for electronic submission are found on the College website. Candidates should also consult the College Convocation Officer for details.
For bound thesis submission, the candidate must supply the College of Graduate Studies and Research office with one bound and one unbound copy of the thesis. In addition the candidate must also supply three bound copies to be distributed as follows: one to the candidate; one for the research Supervisor and one for the academic unit files. The College of Graduate Studies and Research office will arrange for the microfilming of the thesis by the National Library of Canada, for the publication of the abstract in the journal Dissertation Abstracts, and for the storage of the original copy of the thesis. Students are responsible to reimburse the college for microfilming costs.
The regulations concerning copyright and subsequent use of a thesis are the same as for a Master's thesis (see applicable section on Requirements for Master's Degrees).
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Publication
The university does not require the publication of doctoral theses other than electronically in microfilm by the National Library of Canada and University Microfilms International. Each thesis is expected to include material acceptable for publication in scholarly journals of the field in which the candidate has done the research. Each candidate as a condition for award of the degree must sign two forms, one giving permission to circulate microfilm copies of the thesis; the other, permission to the University Library to make the thesis available for inspection and to the research Supervisor and department to distribute copies of the thesis and to use materials and ideas therein in scholarly publications, due recognition being given in all cases to the author of the thesis and to the University of Saskatchewan. For electronic submission, publication permissions are completed online.
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Recommendations for Award of Degrees
Prior to the thesis defence, the Advisory Committee is responsible for establishing that the candidate has met all other requirements for the award of the degree, as specified in academic unit and College of Graduate Studies and Research regulations and indicated on the student's approved Program of Studies: residence, qualifying examination, courses credited for the degree (including transfer credits), comprehensive examination and any other requirements. The Advisory Committee is responsible for determining when the thesis is ready to go to defence. The written statement to this effect must contain the exact title of the thesis, as it appears on the thesis.
All necessary paperwork provided at the defence must be received in the College of Graduate Studies and Research Office on or before the date, available from the college office, or under the section “Graduate Academic Schedule” established in relation to Convocation.
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