Fast-tracking to the Ph.D. Program

Upon recommendation by the supervisor and Committee, academically promising students registered in the Master's program may fast-track to the Doctoral program in the same academic unit. The eligibility requirements for this are:

1. A strong academic record (CGPA of 3.5 or higher in the current Master's program)

2. The student must have completed a minimum of 2 full terms in the master's program (excluding the summer term, unless they began their M.Sc in the summer term) and up to a maximum of 4 full terms

3. A letter of support from the Supervisor (and Co-Supervisor) which details the student's research progress and which recommends the student's promotion to the Ph.D program.

4. Once the letter of support is reviewed by the Graduate Program Director, the student will need to schedule a transfer seminar (please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator) where the student will need to present strong evidence that he/she is capable of successfully completing appropriate research at the Doctoral level. This seminar will be presented to the student's Supervisory Committee and a member of the GSAAC (Graduate Student Advisory and Admissions Committee). The presentation should last 30-40 minutes and include the following items: Introduction, review of the literature and a statement of the the hypothesis, a discussion of the results in the context of the field and proposed experiments for the Ph.D project. An abstract will also required and this is to be emailed to the Graduate Program Coordinator one week prior to the seminar which will be emailed to the Committee with a reminder.

5. Submit a fast track application on Slate to the Doctoral Program according to procedures and unit deadlines: Students must contact the Graduate Program Coordinator to make sure all the criteria has been met in order to have a fast track application properly set up and for the student to apply. No application fee is required for this

If approved for fast-tracking, the student will enter the doctoral program at the Ph.D 2 level. The current requirement to submit an M.Sc thesis would then be waived (PHGY 621, 622 and 623). Students who have completed elective courses for the Master's program will have those credits transferred to their Ph.D program (e.g. 500 level courses or above). Ph.D timeline below:

Ph.D Timeline:

(minimum of 6 terms of residency)

First Term Courses
PHGY 720 Ph.D. Seminar Course 1 1 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

PHGY 604 Responsible Conduct in Res.
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

+ 3 credits selected from the list of acceptable graduate courses

Second Term Courses
PHGY 721 Ph.D. Seminar Course 2 1 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

 + 3 credits selected from the list of acceptable graduate courses
Third Term Courses
PHGY 701 Ph.D.Comprehensive Examination
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

PHGY 722 Ph.D. Seminar Course 3 1 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Fourth Term Courses
PHGY 723 Ph.D. Seminar Course 4 1 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

+ 3 credits selected from the list of acceptable graduate courses
Fifth Term Courses
PHGY 703 Ph.D. Progress Seminar 1 1 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

PHGY 724 Ph.D. Seminar Course 5 1 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Sixth Term Courses
PHGY 704 Ph.D. Progress Seminar 2 1 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

PHGY 725 Ph.D. Seminar Course 6 1 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

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