Ph.D. PROGRAM
Length of Program
Candidates starting as Ph.D. 1 students (entering directly from a B.Sc. program) must complete at least four years of full-time study; candidates beginning at the Ph.D. 2 level (students who have completed a M.Sc.) must complete three years of full-time study. For students beginning at Ph.D. 2 the normal and expected duration of the Ph.D. program is four years and students will be financially supported for this length of time. In exceptional cases, 5 or even 6 years are required, but most students are strongly advised to complete the program in 4 years. Students who have already completed an undergraduate degree at McGill are encouraged to spend at least one year of their doctorate training elsewhere.
Course Requirements
- Ph.D. students are required to take 6 course credits.
- These courses may be taken in Biology or in other departments, but they must be relevant to the student's program (language and writing courses are excluded) and they must be graduate level courses at the -500 or higher level.
- All course selections must be approved by the student’s supervisor. The Supervisory Committee (SC) may require additional coursework if it considers such courses necessary for background knowledge or suitable training in biology.
- A graduate pass (65% or better) is mandatory for all courses required for the Ph.D. degree. Students who fail a required course may be allowed to write a supplemental exam, but permission for this must be sought from the Chair of the GTC who will, in turn, request authorization from the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office. Students may take additional courses not required for degree purposes, but they must maintain an overall average of `B-' (65%) or better, including marks in courses that are not required.
Other Requirements
- Safety training: All newcomers, staff and students, to the Department of Biology are required to attend a Biology Department Safety Session at their first opportunity following the start of employment/studies. These sessions are given three times a year at the beginning of October, February and May. The exact dates and times will be posted on the bulletin board next to W4/14 and advertised in the Biology Weekly newsletter. [Download the Safety Attendance sign-off sheet]
- Seminars: Doctoral students are expected to participate regularly in one or more of the Department's journal clubs and seminar series, e.g. Molecular Genetics and Development Seminars; Graduate Students Symposium in Ecology, Evolution, Behaviour, and Conservation; Works in Progress Series (MGWIPS); Honours Seminars; Aquatic Seminars; Neurobiology Journal Club; Organismal Seminars.
Ph.D. Qualifying Examination
The Qualifying Examination (QE) is a formal evaluation of the student's ability to proceed to the attainment of the Ph.D. For details, please refer to the Qualifying Exam - Procedures and Regulations section of this website.
Thesis Requirements
- Ph.D. Thesis Seminar (BIOL 702): All Ph.D. students must deliver a research seminar (BIOL 702) at some time during the academic session (September - April) towards the end of their studies and preferably done at least 3 months prior to the anticipated date of the thesis submission. For more details, please refer to the Ph.D Thesis Seminar section of this website.
- Thesis: The Ph.D. is a research degree. The candidate must provide a thesis which represents high scholastic attainment in a specialized field, demonstrated by independent and original research. Students need to refer to the Submission Information for complete information.
- Ph.D. Oral Examination: After the thesis has been submitted and approved, the candidate is required to defend their thesis in an open forum. For complete information on the procedures, please refer to the Ph.D. Oral Examination - Procedures section of this website.
- Instructions for Ph.D. Seminar: permission, registration, advertising. Return form to Susan Bocti, W4/8, after seminar has been presented.
| Please address all inquiries to: graduate.biology@mcgill.ca | |
| Graduate Studies Office Stewart Biology Building Room W4/8 Office Hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Fax No: (514) 398-5069 |
Susan Bocti (Graduate Coordinator) Ancil Gittens (Graduate Admissions Coordinator) |