MA Final Exam Procedures

Examining Committee Structure

GPS (formerly FGSR) has made changes to the composition of the examining committee which are in effect starting September 2023.  

Where there is a supervisor only (no supervisory committee), the Master’s examining committee is:
- the supervisor; and
- two university examiners or one university examiner and one specialized knowledge examiner. 
At least half of the examiners must hold a master’s degree or higher.  At least half of the examiners must be current or retired Academic Staff members or hold other positions detailed in the Calendar. 

Refs: A. Calendar, Regulations of the FGPS, The Role and Structure of Examining Committees

B. Calendar, Regulations of the FGPS, Size and Composition of Examining Committees

 

Exam Chair

The exam shall be chaired by a department faculty member who is not the supervisor, and has experience supervising students. The chair’s responsibilities are:

  • To ensure departmental and GPS regulations related to final exams are followed.
  • To moderate the discussion and questions.
  • May participate in the questions.
  • Chair does not vote.
  • Chair should not have a real or apparent conflict of interest with the student or any of the examiners.
  • The chair will give a brief review of the academic record of the student at the beginning of the exam, by reference to the student’s CV.
  • To take notes during the exam on the general line of questioning, answers provided, final decisions by the committee members and suggestions/requests by the committee members. These notes are kept as a written record in the student’s file.
  • If the outcome of the exam is “Pass Subject to Revisions” then the chair must provide in writing, within five working days of the exam:
    • The reasons for the outcome
    • Details of the required revisions
    • Approval mechanism for meeting the requirements for revisions (e.g. approval by supervisor)
    • The supervision and assistance the student can expect to receive from committee members.

Note: the Department of Anthropology has developed a form/memo to aid exam chairs in this process. Please contact the Graduate Advisor.

Setting the Exam

It is the responsibility of the Supervisor, not the student, to arrange the exam, ensuring it is scheduled and held in accordance with GPS regulations.

  • The Supervisor is to provide the Graduate Advisor with the date, time, and exam committee membership (and their roles), indicating if any member will be teleconferencing in.
  • The Graduate Advisor will check to ensure the student has completed all program and GPS requirements, find an exam chair (if one was not secured by the supervisor), and process the paperwork.
  • The Graduate Advisor will provide a copy of the exam notice to all members of the examining committee and the student.

The student is to ensure the examining committee members have copies of the thesis at least three weeks prior to the exam (in hard copy or electronic as per the committee members’ preferences).

Exam Subject Matter

The master's thesis should reveal that the student is able to work in a scholarly manner and is acquainted with the principle works published on the subject of the thesis.  As far as possible, the thesis should make an original contribution to the discipline.

Exam Introduction

The student is to send an updated CV to the Graduate Advisor prior to the examination date (the student will be requested to send one at least one month prior to the exam).

Exam Procedures

The exam consists of a 10 – 15 minute oral presentation by the student consisting of a brief description of some aspect of the research program. This is followed by questions from the exam committee.

Conduct of the Questioning

  • The Chair will determine the order of questioning in discussion with members of the committee.  Normally, the external examination committee member is given first right of refusal.
  • In the first round of questions, each committee member will have approximately 15-20 minutes.  When questions related to an on-going line of questioning arise, other members may interject on that topic.
  • A second round of supplemental questions allowing 5-10 minutes per examiner will conclude the questioning.
  • If the student wishes, s/he may be allowed a further 5-10 minutes after the questioning has ceased to provide further information or to clarify answers.
  • The Chair’s participation in questioning is optional; the Chair may raise a significant point missed by others, or pursue a line of questioning further.
  • The Chair may intervene in questioning or rule upon matters that in her/his judgement go beyond the purpose of the examination.

The Chair may adjourn the examination if the student or member of the exam committee becomes ill or unable to continue.

Conclusion of the Exam

The exam committee will assess the student’s performance once the student leaves the room. The decision of the committee will be based on the content of the thesis and on the candidate’s ability to defend it.

Members of the committee are polled individually by the chair for their decision. The student is called back into the room for the announcement of the decision. The possible outcomes are:

  • Adjourned
  • Pass
  • Pass subject to revisions
  • Fail

If the examining committee fails to reach a decision, the department will refer the matter to the Dean of GPS who will determine an appropriate course of action.

Adjourned

  • A majority of examiners must agree to an outcome of adjourned.
  • An adjourned examination is one that has been abandoned officially.
  • The examination should be adjourned in the following situations:
    • The revisions to the thesis are sufficiently substantial that it will require further research or experimentation or major reworking of sections, or if the committee is so dissatisfied with the general presentation of the thesis that it will require a reconvening of the examining committee. In such circumstances, the committee cannot pass the student, and must adjourn the examination.
    • The committee is dissatisfied with the student’s oral presentation and defense of the thesis, even if the thesis itself is acceptable with or without revisions.
    • Compelling, extraordinary circumstances such as a sudden medical emergency taking place during the examination
    • Discovery of possible offences under the Code of Student Behaviour after the examination as started.
  • If the exam is adjourned, the committee should:
    • Specify in writing to the student, with as much precision as possible, the nature of the deficiencies and, in the case of revisions to the thesis, the extent of the revisions required. Where the oral defense is unsatisfactory, it may be necessary to arrange some discussion periods with the student prior to reconvening the examination.
    • Decide upon a date to reconvene. If the date of the reconvened examination depends upon the completion of a research task or series of discussions, it should be made clear which committee members will decide on the appropriate date to reconvene. This new examination date must be held within six months of the initial examination.
    • Make it clear to the student what will be required by way of approval before the examination is reconvened (e.g., approval of the committee chair or supervisor, approval of the entire committee, or of select members of the committee).
    • Specify the supervision and assistance the student may expect from the committee members in meeting the necessary revisions.
    • Advise the Dean of GPS in writing of the adjournment and the conditions.
    • When the date is set for the adjourned final examination, the department will notify GPS.
    • Normally a Pro Dean attends the examination. The Pro Dean should be included on all correspondence for the rescheduling of the examination.

Pass

  • All or all but one of the examiners must agree to an outcome of Pass.
  • Pass is the decision given when the only revisions required are typographical or minor editorial changes.
  • If the student passes the examination, the department (Graduate Advisor) submits a completed Thesis Approval/Program Completion form to GPS. If one of the examiners fails the student, that examiner does not have to sign this form.

Pass subject to revisions

  • All or all but one of the examiners must agree to an outcome of Pass subject to revisions.
  • The student has satisfactorily defended the thesis but the revisions to the thesis will not require a reconvening of the examining committee.
  • If the examining committee agrees to a “Pass subject to revisions” for the student, the chair of the examining committee must provide in writing, within five working days of the examination, to the student, the Director of Graduate Programs, and GPS:
    • the reasons for this outcome,
    • the details of the required revisions,
    • the approval mechanism for meeting the requirement for revisions (e.g., approval of the examining committee chair or supervisor, or approval of the entire examining committee, or select members of the committee), and
    • the supervision and assistance the student can expect to receive from committee members.
  • The student must make the revisions within six months of the date of the final examination. Once the required revisions have been made and approved, the department shall submit a completed Thesis Approval/Program Completion form to GPS indicating the committee decision was “pass subject to revisions”. If one of the examiners fails the student that examiner does not have to sign the form.
  • If the required revisions have not been made and approved by the end of the six months deadline, the student will be required to withdraw.

Fail

  • All or all but one of the examiners must agree to an outcome of Fail.
  • If the examination result is a Fail, no member of the examining committee signs the Thesis Approval/Completion form.
  • When the outcome is a Fail, the committee chair will provide the reasons for this decision to the department. The department will then provide this report, together with its recommendation for the student’s program, to the Dean of GPS, and to the student.
  • An Associate Dean of GPS will normally arrange to meet with the student, the Director of Graduate Programs, and others if needed, before acting upon any departmental recommendation that affects the student’s academic standing.

Time Limit for Submission of Thesis to GPS

 The student has six months from the date of the exam to submit their thesis to GPS. If the thesis is not submitted and approved by GPS within the six months, the student is considered to have withdrawn from the program. After this time the student will have to apply for re-admission to the program and register before the thesis can be submitted and accepted.

If the exam is adjourned, the six-month time limit will take effect from the date of completion of the examination where the thesis was passed with or without revisions.

In order to convocate, a master’s student must submit their thesis and have it approved by the deadlines set out by GPS. Students must also ensure they are registered in thesis in their last registration period prior to convocation. For GPS deadlines please visit:

/en/graduate-studies/resources/graduate-students/thesis-preparation-requirements-deadlines/index.html