Degree Requirements

Program Completion Requirements

MSc

• minimum of 2 courses
• ethics component
• written thesis
• final oral exam

PhD

• minimum of 3 courses including Psychiatry 511
• ethics component
• thesis proposal
• candidacy exam
• written thesis
• final oral exam

Course Requirements

The minimum required coursework of Graduate Students registered in the Department of Psychiatry is as follows:
(All graduate degree programs in this department must include some coursework, as specified by a supervisor.  Registered courses can be a combination of courses offered by the department or from outside the department).  Once coursework is completed, students are reminded of continued registration of the appropriate Thesis.

• The Degree of MSc

• Normally 6 to 9 credits (2 to 3 single-term courses) are required, graduate level courses are worth 3 credits each. 

• The Degree of PhD

• Students registered in the PhD program are expected to have credit in Psychiatry 511.

• For students entering the PhD program, the minimum course requirement is 9 credits (3 single term courses) of graded graduate courses.

• For students transferring into the PhD program from the MSc program, credit for approved courses taken during the MSc program will be transferred to the PhD program.

Academic Standings and Grades

As a minimum, graduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative program grade point average of 2.7 throughout their program.

If the cumulative grade point average falls between 2.3 and 2.7, the department may recommend termination of program or continuation in the program for a specific probationary period.

Notwithstanding the above, a graduate student whose academic standing falls below grade point average of 2.7 may be required to withdraw at any time.

Degree Completion Timeline 

Graduate Students are required to complete their degree requirements within set time frames although extensions may be grated by FGSR (Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research) under certain circumstances providing that such an extension is supported by the department.

Master's Program

• The minimum length of the MSc program is two years, to a maximum of four years, depending on the research undertaken.

Doctoral Programs

• The minimum length of the PhD program is three years, to a maximum of six years, depending on the research undertaken.

• Candidacy Exam - Student demonstrates mastery of an area of research in psychiatry through an oral examination. Successful examinations culminate in the student’s status as a PhD candidate.

Thesis

All students in a thesis degree program must present a thesis embodying the results of their research and the topic must be approved by the student's supervisor or supervisory committee.

• A master's thesis should reveal the candidate is able to work in a scholarly manner and is acquainted with the principal works published on the subject of the thesis. As far as possible it should be an original contribution.

• A doctoral thesis must embody the results of original investigations and analyses and be of such quality as to merit publication; furthermore, it must constitute a substantial contribution to the knowledge of the candidate's field of study.

For further information on Thesis Preparation, click here. 

Ethics

The academic integrity and ethics training requirement stipulates that all graduate students who started their programs in September 2004 or later must complete eight hours of structured academic activity in academic integrity and ethics prior to convocation.

Department of Psychiatry graduate students must:

• Participate in the Annual Scientific Integrity Day organized the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry 

• Complete the G.E.T. (Graduate Ethics Training) Web CT course offered by FGSR.

Upon completion of the Ethics Requirement, please advise the Administrative Assistant.