PhD Program

Minimum Admission Requirements

• Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies.

• Applicants must also satisfy the Graduate Department of Nursing Science's additional admission requirements stated below. Applicants must have a master's degree or its equivalent in nursing or related field with at least a B+ standing from a recognized university.

• Applicants whose primary language is not English and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction and examination was not English must demonstrate proficiency in English. See General Regulations section 4.3 for requirements.

• For further information about admissions, please contact the Graduate Department of Nursing Science.

Completion Requirements

Courses

Successful completion of all required courses by the end of Year 2 in the program.

• Students must successfully complete a minimum of 3.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) that include:

  • PhD Seminar (1.0 FCE):

    • NUR1081H. Students attend the seminar biweekly for the Fall and Winter of Year 1.

    • NUR1082H. Students attend the seminar weekly for the Fall and Winter of Year 2.

  • Research methods course NUR1079Y Research Methods for Knowledge Discovery

  • one course (0.5 FCE) related to the substantive area of study and thesis plans

  • one course (0.5 FCE) may be either a method or substantive area course as determined by the student and the supervisory committee.

• Students must attain a minimum average standing at the B+ level for required courses.

• Students are normally expected to complete all required courses (3.0 FCEs) by the end of Year 2. If all required courses are not successfully completed (with a minimum average standing at the B+ level) by the end of Year 3, the Faculty of Nursing will normally make a recommendation to SGS for termination of registration.

Literature Review Paper

Successful completion of the literature review paper.

• The literature review paper topic as well as type and format of the literature review paper must be approved by the supervisor (with signed documentation by the student and supervisor on the PhD Student Milestones Tracking Sheet) by March 1 of Year 1.

• The literature review paper must be submitted by September 30 of Year 2. The submitted literature review paper will be formally reviewed and evaluated by the supervisor and at least one additional thesis committee member. Written and verbal feedback about the submitted literature review paper will be provided to the student at a supervisory committee meeting. For the literature review paper to be considered a pass, both faculty members' assessments of the literature review paper must be at the successful completion or pass level. If both assessments are considered pass, the student will receive either a satisfactory rating at their supervisory committee meeting. If one or both paper reviews are rated failure or not pass, then the student receives an unsatisfactory rating at the supervisory committee meeting.

• If the student does not successfully complete the literature review paper first submitted, the student will have one additional opportunity to revise and rewrite the literature review paper, based on the feedback received at the supervisory committee. The student must resubmit the revised literature review paper by December 1 of Year 2. This revised literature review paper must be formally evaluated by the supervisor and one other thesis committee member (normally the same committee member who completed the assessment of the original literature review paper). The student will receive feedback about the revised literature review paper at a supervisory committee meeting. For the literature review to be considered a pass, both faculty members' assessments of the literature review must be at the pass level. If both assessments are considered pass, the student will receive a satisfactory rating at their supervisory committee meeting. If one or both paper reviews are rated failure or not pass, then the student receives an unsatisfactory rating at the supervisory committee meeting.

• If the student does not successfully complete the literature review paper on the second attempt, the Faculty of Nursing will normally recommend to SGS that the student's registration in the PhD program be terminated.

Thesis Proposal

Successful defence of the thesis proposal, normally by the end of Year 2.

• Students are normally expected to defend their thesis proposal by the end of Year 2 of their program. Students must successfully defend their thesis proposal no later than the end of Year 3. The format of the proposal will be similar to that of a modified tri-council grant application. Assessment of the thesis proposal consists of both the written proposal and the oral defence of the proposal. Students who do not successfully defend the proposal after the first attempt may have one additional opportunity to successfully present and defend the written proposal, and this must be accomplished before the end of Year 3 of the program.

• If the student does not successfully defend the thesis proposal by the end of Year 3 (including a second attempt, if required), the Faculty of Nursing will recommend to SGS that the student's registration in the PhD program be terminated.

• The student's dissertation will be defended in the Doctoral Final Oral Examination of the School of Graduate Studies.

Doctoral Final Oral Examination (FOE). Students must complete an FOE of the thesis by the end of the final session in Year 4. The FOE will be conducted in accordance with the SGS Final Oral Examination Guidelines.

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 4 years full-time (typical registration sequence: Continuous)
Time Limit: 6 years full-time

 

PhD Program (Transfer)

Minimum Admission Requirements

• Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies.

• Applicants must also satisfy the Graduate Department of Nursing Science's additional admission requirements stated below. Applicants must have a master's degree or its equivalent in nursing or related field with at least a B+ standing from a recognized university.

• Applicants whose primary language is not English and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction and examination was not English must demonstrate proficiency in English. See General Regulations section 4.3 for requirements.

• For further information about admissions, please contact the Graduate Department of Nursing Science.

Completion Requirements

Courses

Successful completion of all required courses by the end of Year 2 in the program.

• Students must successfully complete a minimum of 3.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) that include:

  • PhD Seminar (1.0 FCE):

    • NUR1081H. Students attend the seminar biweekly for the Fall and Winter of Year 1.

    • NUR1082H. Students attend the seminar weekly for the Fall and Winter of Year 2.

  • Research methods course NUR1079Y Research Methods for Knowledge Discovery

  • one course (0.5 FCE) related to the substantive area of study and thesis plans

  • one course (0.5 FCE) may be either a method or substantive area course as determined by the student and the supervisory committee.

• Students must attain a minimum average standing at the B+ level for required courses.

• Students are normally expected to complete all required courses (3.0 FCEs) by the end of Year 2. If all required courses are not successfully completed (with a minimum average standing at the B+ level) by the end of Year 3, the Faculty of Nursing will normally make a recommendation to SGS for termination of registration.

Literature Review Paper

Successful completion of the literature review paper.

• The literature review paper topic as well as type and format of the literature review paper must be approved by the supervisor (with signed documentation by the student and supervisor on the PhD Student Milestones Tracking Sheet) by March 1 of Year 1.

• The literature review paper must be submitted by September 30 of Year 2. The submitted literature review paper will be formally reviewed and evaluated by the supervisor and at least one additional thesis committee member. Written and verbal feedback about the submitted literature review paper will be provided to the student at a supervisory committee meeting. For the literature review paper to be considered a pass, both faculty members' assessments of the literature review paper must be at the successful completion or pass level. If both assessments are considered pass, the student will receive either a satisfactory rating at their supervisory committee meeting. If one or both paper reviews are rated failure or not pass, then the student receives an unsatisfactory rating at the supervisory committee meeting.

• If the student does not successfully complete the literature review paper first submitted, the student will have one additional opportunity to revise and rewrite the literature review paper, based on the feedback received at the supervisory committee. The student must resubmit the revised literature review paper by December 1 of Year 2. This revised literature review paper must be formally evaluated by the supervisor and one other thesis committee member (normally the same committee member who completed the assessment of the original literature review paper). The student will receive feedback about the revised literature review paper at a supervisory committee meeting. For the literature review to be considered a pass, both faculty members' assessments of the literature review must be at the pass level. If both assessments are considered pass, the student will receive a satisfactory rating at their supervisory committee meeting. If one or both paper reviews are rated failure or not pass, then the student receives an unsatisfactory rating at the supervisory committee meeting.

• If the student does not successfully complete the literature review paper on the second attempt, the Faculty of Nursing will normally recommend to SGS that the student's registration in the PhD program be terminated.

Thesis Proposal

Successful defence of the thesis proposal, normally by the end of Year 3.

• Students are normally expected to defend their thesis proposal by the end of Year 3 of their program. Students must successfully defend their thesis proposal no later than the end of Year 4. The format of the proposal will be similar to that of a modified tri-council grant application. Assessment of the thesis proposal consists of both the written proposal and the oral defence of the proposal. Students who do not successfully defend the proposal after the first attempt may have one additional opportunity to successfully present and defend the written proposal, and this must be accomplished before the end of Year 4 of the program.

• If the student does not successfully defend the thesis proposal by the end of Year 4 (including a second attempt, if required), the Faculty of Nursing will recommend to SGS that the student's registration in the PhD program be terminated.

• The student's dissertation will be defended in the Doctoral Final Oral Examination of the School of Graduate Studies.

Doctoral Final Oral Examination (FOE). Students must complete an FOE of the thesis by the end of the final session in Year 5. The FOE will be conducted in accordance with the SGS Final Oral Examination Guidelines.

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 5 years full-time (typical registration sequence: Continuous)
Time Limit: 7 years full-time