MSc Program Requirements

Students are expected to complete the MSc program within about 24 months from the initial date of registration. For instance, students who start in September will normally finish by August of the second year. The critical points in the program are associated with finding a supervisor and completing the research.

Once the student and the supervisor have been working together, there should be regular meetings during which they can plan the research and organize a timeline for completion, which should include (for example) background reading, a process for refining the research problem, an outline of the research goals, and methods for evaluating the research results. The timeframe on performing the research varies with area and should be agreed upon by the student and supervisor.

It may become increasingly clear that a student pursuing thesis research should instead write an essay. The essay option requires nine courses instead of six, so such decisions should be made early enough to be able to take the necessary courses, preferably at the end of the first summer but no later than December of the second year.

At 20 months, any student who thinks he/she is unable to finish the thesis within the next 4 months should discuss this with the supervisor. A proposed plan should be determined before the end of May (Year 2) by the student and supervisor.

Detailed information about:

Faculty of Graduate and Post Doctoral Studies
Program of Study
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