Regulations and guidelines

General regulations

The graduate regulations are the official and definitive source for students, faculty and staff concerning all aspects of graduate programming.

Individual Graduate Academic Units (GAU's) may develop and maintain supplemental guidelines for their students that extend the regulations and requirements of the School of Graduate Studies, and students should consult with their GAU to be aware of any additional regulations that might thereby apply to them.

Graduate manual

The Graduate Manual is a resource for Directors of Graduate Studies, the GAUs, graduate students and faculty Supervisors. It outlines the roles and responsibilities of all parties involved in graduate studies and it provides comprehensive guidance on everything from application/admissions through to degree completion. The manual is meant to help clarify a variety of important program issues, provide answers to common questions, and assist in resolution of common problems.  

Some of the guidelines in the manual change from time to time, as do the broader SGS regulations, so you are encouraged to stay up-to-date with the latest resources.

Thesis and dissertation guidelines

The The PhD Thesis Examination Process page contains detailed information on the regulations and guidelines for the submission and evaluation of your thesis or dissertation; and the thesis formatting guide provides complementary information on how to format and submit your completed thesis document to the School of Graduate Studies for final approval and archiving. 

Please also consult the above noted General Regulations for all other regulations governing Masters and PhD Degrees.

Student-supervisor checklist

Student and supervisor are expected to review each item on the checklist together and to check each box and sign the form at the end to confirm that they have done so. Each item should prompt reflection and discussion, and so it may take several meetings to complete the checklist.

Student and supervisor are encouraged to document their discussions, particularly in matters such as intellectual property, or for other topics where a record of discussions and agreements could be important.

A completed and signed copy of the checklist must be submitted to the SGS with, or before, submission of the student’s first-year annual progress report. Copies should also be retained by both parties.

Questions about the applicability of specific items in the checklist should be directed to the Director of Graduate Studies of the student’s GAU, or the relevant Associate Dean in the SGS.