2004 - 2005 Calendar
1. Master's Comprehensive Examination
a) The composition of the Comprehensive Examination Committee is specified
in the degree and departmental regulations, and the Committee is appointed
by the Dean. The Dean of Graduate Studies or delegate may exercise the right
to attend. All members of the Committee including the Chairperson, but excluding
the Dean of Graduate Studies, shall be voting members.
b) In this examination the candidates must demonstrate an advanced knowledge
of the academic discipline as defined by the academic unit in which they
are students. Therefore, in order to be eligible to sit the examination,
all course requirements must be completed.
c) Members of the Comprehensive Examination Committee
shall decide the results of the comprehensive examination as indicated in
i-iv below:
i. The category of “pass with distinction” will be awarded to candidates
who demonstrate superior knowledge of their chosen field. This category
requires unanimous support of the Comprehensive Examination Committee.
ii. The category of “pass” will be awarded to candidates who demonstrate
an acceptable knowledge of their chosen area and requires a simple majority
vote.
iii. The category of “re-examination” selects those candidates with an
understanding of their research area that lacks sufficient depth and scope
as indicated by a simple majority of the Comprehensive Examination Committee.
Only one such re-examination is possible and students in this category are
not eligible for the award of “pass with distinction”. If a re-examination
is to be held, it must be conducted not less than one month and not more than
six months after the first examination. The decision of the voting members
of the Committee following this re-examination can only be “pass” or “fail”
decided by simple majority. Failure will lead to immediate termination of
the candidate’s program. There is no option for further re-examination.
iv. Students awarded a “fail” are deemed, by unanimous vote of the Comprehensive
Examination Committee, to be unable to demonstrate an adequate understanding
of their research area. The candidate’s program is terminated.
d) The Chairperson of the Comprehensive Examination Committee shall report
to the Head of the academic unit who shall report to the Dean. The result
of the comprehensive examination(s) shall be reported to the candidate by
the Dean.
2. Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination
a) The candidate shall submit to a comprehensive examination, which may
be written or oral or both as determined by the academic unit. Candidates
shall normally take the examination no later than the end of the seventh semester
in the doctoral program. Unless an extension is approved by the Dean of Graduate
Studies, failure to take the examination at this time will result in the
termination of the candidate’s program.
b) This examination, whether written or oral, shall be conducted by a
Committee appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies on the recommendation
of the academic unit. It shall consist of the Head of the academic unit
(or delegate) who shall be the Chairperson, the candidate’s supervisor [or,
where a supervisor has not yet been appointed, the Graduate Officer or chair
of the Graduate Studies (or equivalent) Committee], the Dean of Graduate
Studies (or delegate), and at least three other members, the total voting
members to be an odd number. All members of the Committee including the Chairperson,
but excluding the Dean of Graduate Studies, shall be voting members.
c) In this examination, the candidate must demonstrate a mastery of those
sub-disciplines appropriate to his/her research area, as defined by the
academic unit in which they are students. Those sub-disciplines upon which
the candidate will be examined should be made known to the candidate no
later than three months prior to the examination. The candidate must further
be able to relate the specialization of his/her research to the larger context
of these sub-disciplines.
d) Members of the Comprehensive Examination Committee shall decide the
results of the comprehensive examination as indicated in i-iv below:
i. The category of “pass with distinction” will be awarded to candidates
who demonstrate superior knowledge of their chosen field. This category
requires unanimous support of the Comprehensive Examination Committee.
ii. The category of “pass” will be awarded to candidates who demonstrate
an acceptable knowledge of their chosen area and requires a simple majority
vote.
iii. The category of “re-examination” selects those candidates with an
understanding of their research area that lacks sufficient depth and scope
as indicated by a simple majority of the Comprehensive Examination Committee.
Only one such re-examination is possible and students in this category are
not eligible for the award of “pass with distinction”. If a re-examination
is to be held, it must be conducted not less than one month and not more than
six months after the first examination. The decision of the voting members
of the Committee following this re-examination can only be “pass” or “fail”
decided by simple majority. Failure will lead to immediate termination of
the candidate’s program. There is no option for further re-examination.
iv. Students awarded a “fail” are deemed, by unanimous vote of the Comprehensive
Examination Committee, to be unable to demonstrate an adequate understanding
of their research area. The candidate’s program is terminated.
e) The Chairperson of the Comprehensive Examination Committee shall report
to the Head of the academic unit who shall report to the Dean. The result
of the comprehensive examination(s) shall be reported to the candidate by
the Dean.
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