Doctor of Philosophy

Candidates may satisfy the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) by completing the following:

  • ECSE 701 Ph.D. Qualifying Examination - pass an oral examination on topics relating to their research, within one year of initial registration.
  • ECSE 702 Ph.D. Research Plan Proposal - submit a written research proposal and successfully defend the proposal in an oral presentation, within two years of initial registration.
  • ECSE 703 Ph.D. Research Seminar - submit a peer-reviewed manuscript (submitted to or accepted at a mainstream journal or conference in the respective research field), and successfully present the research work in the manuscript, within three years of initial registration.
  • Satisfactory completion of a Doctoral Thesis and defence.
 

At this time, all oral examinations for the PhD degree, including ECSE 701, ECSE 702, ECSE 703, and the PhD Oral Defence, must take place in person, that is, all members of the evaluation committee and the student being evaluated must be physically present at the chosen location for the examination.

The residency requirement for the Ph.D. degree is three (3) years of full-time study. However, candidates with a suitable M.Eng. degree from McGill or from an approved institution may be permitted to reduce this to two years. Following the residency requirement, students must register on a full-time basis for one more year, before continuing on as an additional session student to the completion of the program. Students are permitted four (4) years beyond the residency requirement to complete the program.

For more complete information, you can download the following document: PhD Regulations & Policies [PDF]

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