Transferring to the PhD Program

Criteria: 

The Supervisory Committee may recommend that a student be reclassified from the MAg, MEng or MSc course-based to the MSc thesis-based program or, more commonly, from the MSc thesis-based to the PhD program. The MSc thesis-based research project must be restructured in a suitable manner to meet the more independent research goals of a PhD program. In the case of promotion to the PhD program the following conditions must be met:

  • the GPA based on courses taken during the student's post graduate program is normally 3.5 or greater; 
  • the student's Supervisory Committee must provide written notice to the Graduate Program Committee that an MSc thesis-based student has demonstrated the ability to pursue research at a level expected of a PhD student.

Procedure:  

The student submits the request to the Graduate Program Committee. Request must include:

  • letter from student requesting the transfer to the PhD program,
  • students's resume (listing education, employment, publications, poster presentations, awards/scholarships held),
  • research proposal;
  • letter from supervisory committee supporting the request.

Transfer requests are reviewed twice per year with a deadline date of the first Monday in December (to be reviewed at the December GPC meeting; category change effective January 1) and the first Monday in April (to be reviewed at the April GPC meeting; category change effective May 1). Student must complete one full year of their graduate program before requesting a transfer (i.e. students who began their program in January 2007 must wait to April 2008 to apply to transfer; students starting September 2007 must wait until December 2008 to apply to transfer; students beginning their program in January 2008 can apply to transfer in April 2009, etc.).  Students can submit their transfer requests at any time throughout the year however the committee will only review/approve the transfers on the dates indicated above. Students requesting the transfer will be required to give a 15 minute power point presentation consisting of a maximum of 10 slides that show (1) overview of the project; (2) MSc objectives, (3) new PhD objectives, (4) why it is important to transfer. If approved by the committee, the student and supervisor are informed and the recommendation is forwarded to Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research.

NOTE TO STUDENTS AND SUPERVISORS:

  • Students are required to complete the Candidacy Examination within 1 year of the transfer to the PhD program.
  • A new MOU letter will be requested for all students approved to transfer. Student stipend will increase to the minimum PhD rate ($1,750.00 per month - new rate as of September 1, 2009) on the effective date of their category change (i.e. May 1 or January 1).

Check Off List:

Students need to submit the following when transferring to the PhD program from the MSc program:

  1. GPA must be 3.5/4.0 or higher;
  2. Letter from student requesting the transfer to the PhD. Include in the letter why you want to transfer and the benefits of the transfer to you (future goals and how the transfer will help you accomplish these goals);
  3. TWO letters of support - one from supervisor and one from a supervisory committee member - approving the transfer request, highlighting the student's accomplishments during the current program, student's capability to complete a PhD program, and discussing the significance of the PhD expanded project;
  4. Detailed CV - listing education, employment, publications, poster presentations, awards/scholarships held;
  5. Research Proposal - the research proposal follows the same format as the Candidacy Exam Report.