All graduate students are expected to familiarize themselves with the Graduate Calendar regarding registration, program requirements for the Ph.D. and Master's degrees, as well as important policies and academic regulations applicable to graduate students.
Research Guidelines Summary
The candidate's research requirement will only be considered complete after the candidate has deposited with the Graduate Studies office their final Committee-approved post-defence document. A summary of the research process from Committee formation to post-defense deposit with the Office of Graduate Studies can be found in the Master's Timeline tracker (PDF) and the PhD Dissertation timeline.
Thesis Proposal – Steps to Follow
- After completing all coursework, you may begin to develop your Thesis Proposal.
- Arrange for a Faculty member to be your Thesis Advisor as you near completion of your coursework.
- Complete a Thesis Agreement contract with your Advisor and immediately submit it to the Education Graduate Program Office for processing. If changes are later required on your Thesis Agreement, please make the changes, and submit the revised form to the Education Graduate Program Office before requesting to go forward to defence.
- Upon completion of all require courses and electives, register in the Thesis Proposal course (EDUC-8940) and the Thesis (EDUC-8970) every term until your Thesis Proposal has been successfully defended. Once the Thesis Proposal has been successfully completed, register in the Thesis every term until your Thesis is completed.
- Complete the Thesis Proposal with your Advisor.
- When your Advisor agrees that your Thesis Proposal is ready to go to defence, request that your Principal Advisor and Department Reader make arrangements for the defence by setting the time of the defence and booking the room for it.
- THE THESIS PROPOSAL DEFENCE:
- The student presents a 10-15 minute presentation, to the Advisor and the Reader, which demonstrates that the candidate has met the requirements established in the Student Thesis Proposal Guidelines. The External Examiner does not participate in the Thesis Proposal Defence. The Advisor chairs the defence.
- This will be followed by an informal discussion regarding adjustments and future steps.
- The Advisor must submit the Thesis Proposal Defence Grade Report to the Education Graduate Program Office within working 2 days of the successful defence.
- Complete the
Master’s Committee Form after your Thesis Proposal defence (obtain all committee member initials) and submit it to the Education Graduate Program Office where it will be signed by the Associate Dean (GRC) and then sent to the Office of Graduate Studies. A copy will go into the student file. Be sure to include the Non-Exclusive License to the University of Windsor on page two of the form. - After you have successfully defended your Thesis Proposal, you will continue to register in the Thesis (EDUC-8970) the following term and every consecutive term after your first registration in it. A PASS means that the student has passed the defence with recommendations for improvement. Registration in the Thesis must be done with an Add/Drop form, signed by your Advisor, and submitted to the Education Graduate Program Office. You cannot use the SIS to register in it.
Important Links
- Master’s Committees: https://www.uwindsor.ca/graduate-studies/383/mastersdoctoral-committees
- Format Requirements: https://www.uwindsor.ca/graduate-studies/385/format-requirements
- Final Oral Defense Guidelines for graduate programs and research students: https://www.uwindsor.ca/graduate-studies/384/defense
- Final document submission (Deposit) with Graduate Studies office: https://www.uwindsor.ca/graduate-studies/deposit
- Phase I and Phase II tuition refund policy for graduate students in research programs: https://www.uwindsor.ca/graduate-studies/387/tuition-refund-deadlines
- Graduate Student Forms: https://www.uwindsor.ca/graduate-studies/360/student-forms
- Faculty of Education M.Ed. Program Forms: https://www.uwindsor.ca/education/graduate/forms