Individualized Program (INDI) Courses

Description:

An oral thesis defence is not required for this program.

Component(s):

Thesis Research

Notes:

• Please refer to the Thesis Regulations section for further information on the master’s thesis evaluation.

Description:

The student conducts research in a lab or another research site under the direction of his/her principal supervisor.

Notes:

• These courses will be graded pass/fail.
• The content will vary from term to term and from year to year. Students may re-register for this course, provided the course content has changed. Changes in content will be indicated by changes to the course title in the course schedule. a

Description:

At the doctoral level, students are required to write an examination testing their basic knowledge of the relevant areas of each component discipline comprising their program of study. The comprehensive examination takes place after students have completed the required 18 course credits. For most students, the format will involve three written examination questions. Students who are involved in a research-creation project may include a practice-based component as one of their examination questions. The student and supervisory committee, comprised of three faculty members, meet prior to the comprehensive exam to determine the format of the exam and the evaluation mechanism, as well as to approve a reading list of approximately 20 titles per question. The student has two weeks to complete the examination (responses are typically 1600-2400 words per question). The student submits the completed exam within the given timeframe to the INDI Coordinator. The student's supervisory committee evaluates the examination, and the principal supervisor submits the evaluations along with the pass/fail grade to the INDI Coordinator. Students who fail their comprehensive exam will be given one opportunity to rewrite the exam. Following the exam, the student meets with the supervisory committee to discuss the results of the exam and plans for the thesis proposal.

Component(s):

Thesis Research

Description:

This optional seminar addresses a topic or range of topics of relevance to the research interests of a cross-section of the students enrolled in the program.

Description:

A thesis in an Individualized Program represents a unique contribution to scholarship undertaken while the student is enrolled in the program. The doctoral theses offered at this University in cognate areas will normally provide an appropriate guide to the format and scope of the Individualized Program thesis requirements. In the case of a nontraditional thesis – such as one involving a creative production – the requirement of scholarly contribution still applies. Thus, while a thesis may present a creative work as its central focus, it should nevertheless provide a scholarly discussion placing that work in the context of related ideas and works. As in the case of traditional theses, the nontraditional thesis is submitted to an oral examination where it is exposed to scholarly criticism and where the student is given an opportunity to defend it. The thesis defence must provide for the inclusion of one external examiner at the doctoral level.

Description:

The student conducts research in a lab or another research site under the direction of his/her principal supervisor.

Notes:

• The content will vary from term to term and from year to year. Students may re-register for this course, provided the course content has changed. Changes in content will be indicated by the course title.