Information for Students
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Program
Comprehensive Examination
Upon completion of all required course work, students will complete a comprehensive examination in a written and oral format. The examination questions will relate to the doctoral student's field of study and area of research. The PhD Advisory Committee will assign 2-3 questions that address the following areas: (1) nursing theory and philosophy (knowledge of the discipline), (2) substantive theory and research pertinent to the student's field of study, and (3) research design and analysis. In a one month take home format the student will answer the questions in scholarly paper form.
The written examination will be graded by the Advisory Committee on a pass/fail basis. Following a pass on the written work, the student will be required to discuss the papers in an oral examination.
The PhD Advisory Committee is responsible for determining the detailed procedure for administration of the examination. The comprehensive examination may be repeated once, with permission of the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research.
Dissertation
Oral Proposal Defense
The first stage of the dissertation is the dissertation proposal. This is written with the guidance of the Supervisor and the Advisory Committee. When, in the opinion of the student and the Supervisor, the proposal is complete, the student will submit a draft to the members of the Advisory Committee. A meeting will be held at which the student will present the dissertation proposal, and answer questions relating to literature review, methodology, and ethical considerations. When the Committee judges the proposal as complete, the student may proceed to Ethics Review.
Following approval of the proposal by the Ethics Committee of the University of Saskatchewan, the student will complete the research and write the dissertation, meeting with the Supervisor at intervals throughout the process. Following the guidelines of the College of Graduate Studies and Research, the Supervisor will review the completed dissertation. When both believe it is ready, the dissertation will be submitted to the Advisory Committee. Following approval of the Advisory Committee for examination, an Examining Committee will be struck. The student will present his/her research at an open forum, and will be questioned by the Examining Committee.