PNB Graduate Handbook - User contributions [en-ca]

User:Anju

2023-05-05T18:25:33Z

Feinberg: Created page with "Anju"

Anju

Forms

2023-04-26T19:17:49Z

Feinberg: /* In-Program Course Adjustments form */

Specific forms are required when you need to petition for special consideration, request course adjustments, request extensions, etc. Many requests require statements from the student, the student's supervisor, and the department Graduate Chair. 
If any of the links below are broken, visit [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/current-students/forms-and-policies-for-graduate-students-staff-and-faculty/ the SGS Resources (forms and policies)] page to search for the specific form. Please also note that [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/resources the main SGS Resources] page has many additional forms and helpful links.

=== [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2020/02/extension_form_february_2019.pdf Request for Extension form] ===
:- request for an extension for Time to Completion (including final defence),
:- request for an extension for your Comprehensive Examination,
:- request for an extension for Visiting Scholars,
:- request for an extension for Course Requirements (e.g. an INC until a certain date),
:- other.
:- This form is not to be used for any course-related changes except to extend the date for grade submission. Please use the Request for In-Program Adjustment Form for all other course changes.
:- This form is not to be used for leaves of absence or annual supervisory committee meeting (please use the Petition for Special Consideration Form).
:- This form is not to be used for academic accommodations related to a disability. Contact Student Accessibility Service for assistance.

=== [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2020/02/Petition-for-Special-Consideration.pdf In-Program Course Adjustments form] ===
:- request for transfer credit,
:- request for transfer from one program to another,
:- request for change in course designation (e.g. from required to extra credit),
:- request to designate a course outside of one’s program in place of a required course,
:- request to designate a course outside of one’s program as an elective course,
:- request for Late Add/Drop of a course,
:- other.

=== [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2020/02/petition_-_october_2018_revised.pdf Petition for Special Consideration] ===
:- request a leave of absence that does NOT include pregnancy or parental leave (see also [[Leaves of Absence]]),
:- petition for change in supervisor,
:- request extension on annual supervisory meeting (rarely done; talk to your Graduate Chair),
:- request deferred course examination,
:- request waiver of adverse ruling or decision about academic performance for compelling medical, personal or family reasons,
:- request adjustment in the timing of re-entry into program or to defend a thesis.
:- request retroactive drop/add (if dropping/adding within current academic year, use the In-Program Course Adjustments form instead - linked above).

=== [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/10/change_of_status_form_september_2017.pdf Request for Change in a Graduate Student's Status] ===
:- your grad chair and grad admin can help you with these options

=== [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2020/02/parenting_leave_july_2019_july_2019.pdf Parenting Leave form] ===
:- request a Pregnancy or Parenting Leave.

=== [https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&cx=017560809947805573293:jthpsapkwtk&q=https://gs.mcmaster.ca/resources/application-for-re-admission/&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiao-e-td35AhU6TWwGHZHHBasQFnoECAYQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2FgkzA4kpSWTQBCo7Y3YKR Application for Re-Admission] ===
:- students who have withdrawn in good standing may apply to defend or to continue in the program.

=== [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2020/02/masters_supervisory_report_february_2018.pdf Masters Supervisory Report] ===
:- Supervisory Committee Meeting report for Masters level candidates

=== [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/10/audit_course_fillable.pdf Audit Course Form] ===
:- Form for auditing graduate courses

=== [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXeCnNrJAcuwHSN48m7GFRi7HLScXaKA7U87sSXKzMiBsSGw/viewform PNB Plan of Study form] ===
:- Plan of study form for masters and PhD students

=== [https://www.science.mcmaster.ca/pnb/people/pnb-forms.html Administrative Forms PNB] ===
:- additional administrative forms that may of relevance to the department such as offer letter, contact and deposit form, hours of work form for Teaching Assistants etc.

=== [http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/maccr/studentresources/student.html RCT resources] ===
:- Forms relevant to the RCT stream including Practicum evaluations and program sanctioned hours

=== [https://science.mcmaster.ca/radgrad/images/GradResources/GradResources_MSc-Defense-Documents.pdf Masters Thesis Defense] ===
:- Forms for a Masters Thesis Defense

Completing your Degree

2023-04-21T15:16:26Z

Feinberg: /* The Masters defense is organized within the department */

=== Have you completed all the course requirements? ===
You will want to have completed all your program requirements when it comes time to initiate your PhD defense. From section 4.3 Thesis in the graduate calendar: "Please note that thesis defences may not be initiated until all other degree requirements, including comprehensive examinations, have been completed."

Thus, ideally, you will have completed all your [[Course Requirements]] BEFORE the beginning of the last term in which you will be initiating your PhD defense. Occasionally, a student will be registered in a required course in the same term that they are initiating their PhD defense. As long as the student is enrolled in the course in the term in which they initiate, missing the grade would not prevent the student from initiating a PhD defense. However, when it comes time to clear the student to graduate they won’t be cleared if the grade is still missing.

::* Note that for RCT stream students, you will be registered in PSYCH 761 (Clinical Internship) in your final year. This is a full-year course spanning the fall, winter, and summer terms of your final year. This course is a requirement of your program, thus section 4.3 in the Graduate Calendar applies. You will not be able to initiate your PhD defense until the summer term of that year.

Think about your [[Supervisory Committee#Plan of Study | Plan of Study]] early and make sure you complete all requirements in good time.

'''Very Important:''' Check the status of your transcripts in lots of time before your defense! If there are any errors, talk to Anju Dalal (PNB Graduate Administrative Assistant) ASAP. We cannot change transcripts from within the department, all changes must be submitted with proper paperwork to School of Graduate Studies. This can take time. Our program is too large for us to be able to monitor individual student transcripts; it is your responsibility to bring any errors to us in time for corrections to be made through SGS. Incorrect transcripts can delay completion of your degree.

=== Permission to Write===
Once students have completed all course work, passed their comprehensive exams (in the case of PhD thesis), and collected all their thesis data, with approval of their supervisory committee they may be awarded permission to write. This is not a necessary requirement of the program, but provides the student with a formal document of approval from the committee that no additional data are needed to write the dissertation.

* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/48f77a9150ee44699d7e/ Permission to Write form for Master's students]
* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/ae4383d6e64d46a8b2bd/ Permission to Write form for PhD students]

=== Planning your Defense ===
Apologies for the use of both spellings on this site: "defense" and "defence".

Instructions for both Masters and PhD thesis and defense preparation is provided on the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) website in a set of tabs and documents:
* [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/current-students/completing-your-degree/ Guides to completing your degree]: select the PhD or the Masters tile.
This document will guide you through the appropriate formatting required to successfully submit your thesis for upload by McMaster University Libraries to MacSPHERE:
:* [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/10/Prep_Guide_Masters_and_Doctoral_Theses_August-2021.pdf Guide for the preparation of masters and doctoral theses]
:* [https://macsphere.mcmaster.ca/ MacSPHERE] allows your work to be available internationally and offers you statistics on how often your thesis is accessed.
:* SGS also offers a link to Lehmann Bindery where you can submit an electronic copy, should you wish hard copies to be bound for your own use.

=== Remote Defenses ===
Remote defenses during the coronavirus pandemic have been going very well. There are some guidelines for PhD defenses provided by the School of Graduate Studies (these can be adopted for Masters defenses):
* The PhD Defence Chair Package is distributed by SGS to PhD Defence Chairs, along with the relevant forms, prior to the defence:
:* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/778e265f9a874c7c8362/ PhD-Defence-Chair-Package.pdf]
* The Chair Procedure Guidelines for Online Defences was approved by SGS in May 2020:
:* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/eac11310809e4c64a85f/ Chair Procedure Guidelines for Online Defences]
* Also provided are a few scenarios you might encounter during an online defence (e.g. an examining member loses internet) and what to do:
:* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/ccedd6381d2749448325/ Chair Procedure Guidelines for Online Defences - Scenarios]

=== A new accelerated PhD Defense process ===
(instructions for supervisors and administrators)
: A new accelerated PhD Defense process has been introduced by Graduate Studies in an effort to align McMaster University with the defence practices of other U15 universities and to provide a more agile process for students and their supervisors.
:: The accelerated process can speed up the time between initiating the defense and defending. However, the time between initiating and submitting the thesis is max two weeks regardless of using the traditional or accelerated submission process. The time from initiating to defense is 2 + 6 weeks if using the traditional method and 2 + x weeks if using the accelerated process (where x depends on the time it takes for the supervisor to arrange the external, find a defense date, etc).
:: Good advise for scheduling with the accelerated process is to work backwards from your defense date. Work with your supervisor to schedule something like the following (imagining a defense date of August 17th, as an example):
:::* Initiate PhD Defense – July 6
:::* 1-2 weeks Approvals from Committee members and department on External Nominee - July 6 - 20
:::* Thesis sent to External – July 20
:::* External Examiner needs 2-3 weeks to read the thesis and submit the report – July 20 - Aug 10
:::* External Examiner Report due at least one week before the defense – Aug 10
:::* PhD Defense Date – August 17
:::* Upload final thesis to MacSphere well before the deadline (it takes time to process them all so if there is an urgent need to clear (e.g. for a job) position, you can request it via email to sgsrec@mcmaster.ca and use URGENT CTG in the title). Make sure to schedule your defense date so that you have enough time to complete edits and upload to MacSphere before the deadline (refer to Sessional Dates in the Graduate Calendar).

:: Note also that the blackout period for defenses in August (refer to the Sessional Dates in the Graduate Calendar) does not apply for the accelerated defense process.

This is a new set of instructions shared by School of Graduate Studies for the accelerated PhD Defense process:
::* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/1e746740c1894aca8f3a/ Accelerated PhD Defence Process (file date March 2020)]

This flowchart helps conceptualize the path to the defense (I think we could improve this flowchart, if anyone wants to volunteer for that, let me know):
::* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/106d3b07663c4aa39478/ PhD Defense Flowchart]

=== The Masters defense is organized within the department ===
: Please read the following guidelines for the Master's thesis and defense process:
:# Make sure you initiate the intent to initiate a defense on Mosaic. This is very important because it gets you into the SGS computer system.
:# [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/current-students/completing-your-degree/masters-thesis/ Completing your Master's degree - Thesis] on the School of Graduate Studies pages
:# [https://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/content.php?catoid=45&navoid=9134#3-3-_regulations_masters Section 3.3 in the Graduate Calendar (2021-2022)]
:# [https://science.mcmaster.ca/radgrad/images/GradResources/GradResources_MSc-Defense-Documents.pdf Masters Defense Forms]

'''Masters Defense Chair:''' It is the department's responsibility to find a chair/external examiner for the defense. We ask that supervisors help with this task. This means that students should ask their supervisors to find a chair.
: The following forms (SGS and PNB) should be brought to the defense.
:# [https://science.mcmaster.ca/radgrad/images/GradResources/GradResources_MSc-Defense-Documents.pdf Masters Defense Forms]

'''Masters Defense External Examiner:'''
:# This can be the chair or someone else inside or outside of the department. The main thing is that is not someone who is on the committee. We ask that supervisors help with this task. This means that students should ask their supervisors to find your external if the chair does not agree to be the external.

'''How much time do they need to read my thesis?'''
: You should discuss this with your committee and find something reasonable.

 '''Note for students who are promoted to PhD but wish to defend a Masters along the way:'''
:: You may proceed with PhD studies but also concurrently work to finish and defend your Masters degree, however, you must complete ALL Masters requirements no later than 4 months after the effective date of proceeding with PhD studies. This effective date for proceeding with PhD studies is usually September 1st (for most promoted students), in which case all Masters degree requirements must be completed before end of December. Take into account that your supervisory committee might be away during the December break, and plan to complete all requirements well before the end of December.

The School of Graduate Studies has prepared a letter for external examiners of PhD defenses that addresses potential COVID-related delays.
::* SGS will include [[https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/912efe780ccd4f67a04b/ this letter as part of the regular package sent to all external examiners of PhD defenses].
::* Students who have been affected by COVID-related delays can also explain, within the thesis itself, how COVID-related restrictions affected particular chapters. A good place for this might be at the beginning of the data chapter, along with other information such as the student's own contributions to multi-author published or submitted work.

=== NEW: Urkund thesis scanning requirement ===
: By January 1, 2021 (now postponed to May 2021 soft roll out and October 2021 deadline), students and supervisors will be required to run all Masters and PhD theses through Urkund, a plagiarism checking software tool that McMaster has adopted campus-wide. Urkund is still in Beta testing at McMaster until mid-fall 2020. The School of Graduate Studies will send us more information soon.
::* [https://www.urkund.com/support/faq/ FAQ on the Urkund site]
::* [https://secretariat.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/Research-Plagiarism-Checking-Policy.pdf McMaster's Research Plagiarism Checking Policy]
::* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/a18f536d887d44b5bf11/ Guidelines for Supervisors for using the Urkund scanning software]

: Please read [https://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/content.php?catoid=42&navoid=8734#2.8_Theses section #2.8 of the 2020-2021 Graduate Calendar] for a few more details.
::* The relevant paragraph in the calendar is: "Prior to the thesis defence and, in the case of a doctoral thesis, before sending out the draft to the external examiner, the entire document must be reviewed for its originality using the University’s paid subscription to Urkund. The program/supervisor will review the originality report generated by Urkund and either recommend changes to the document or approve it for the defence. A thesis may not be seen by the thesis examining committee (including the external reviewer in the case of a doctoral thesis) until the Urkund generated report was reviewed and approved by the supervisor or the program, unless authorized by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies."

=== Faculty, are you chairing a defense? ===

[http://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/cd80fe21b5c04b0c91b6/ These instructions] are included in the PhD defense chair's package, and can be useful for both PhD and masters defense chairs.
See above topics for guidelines for online defenses during COVID.

Completing your Degree

2023-04-21T15:12:15Z

Feinberg:

=== Have you completed all the course requirements? ===
You will want to have completed all your program requirements when it comes time to initiate your PhD defense. From section 4.3 Thesis in the graduate calendar: "Please note that thesis defences may not be initiated until all other degree requirements, including comprehensive examinations, have been completed."

Thus, ideally, you will have completed all your [[Course Requirements]] BEFORE the beginning of the last term in which you will be initiating your PhD defense. Occasionally, a student will be registered in a required course in the same term that they are initiating their PhD defense. As long as the student is enrolled in the course in the term in which they initiate, missing the grade would not prevent the student from initiating a PhD defense. However, when it comes time to clear the student to graduate they won’t be cleared if the grade is still missing.

::* Note that for RCT stream students, you will be registered in PSYCH 761 (Clinical Internship) in your final year. This is a full-year course spanning the fall, winter, and summer terms of your final year. This course is a requirement of your program, thus section 4.3 in the Graduate Calendar applies. You will not be able to initiate your PhD defense until the summer term of that year.

Think about your [[Supervisory Committee#Plan of Study | Plan of Study]] early and make sure you complete all requirements in good time.

'''Very Important:''' Check the status of your transcripts in lots of time before your defense! If there are any errors, talk to Anju Dalal (PNB Graduate Administrative Assistant) ASAP. We cannot change transcripts from within the department, all changes must be submitted with proper paperwork to School of Graduate Studies. This can take time. Our program is too large for us to be able to monitor individual student transcripts; it is your responsibility to bring any errors to us in time for corrections to be made through SGS. Incorrect transcripts can delay completion of your degree.

=== Permission to Write===
Once students have completed all course work, passed their comprehensive exams (in the case of PhD thesis), and collected all their thesis data, with approval of their supervisory committee they may be awarded permission to write. This is not a necessary requirement of the program, but provides the student with a formal document of approval from the committee that no additional data are needed to write the dissertation.

* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/48f77a9150ee44699d7e/ Permission to Write form for Master's students]
* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/ae4383d6e64d46a8b2bd/ Permission to Write form for PhD students]

=== Planning your Defense ===
Apologies for the use of both spellings on this site: "defense" and "defence".

Instructions for both Masters and PhD thesis and defense preparation is provided on the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) website in a set of tabs and documents:
* [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/current-students/completing-your-degree/ Guides to completing your degree]: select the PhD or the Masters tile.
This document will guide you through the appropriate formatting required to successfully submit your thesis for upload by McMaster University Libraries to MacSPHERE:
:* [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/10/Prep_Guide_Masters_and_Doctoral_Theses_August-2021.pdf Guide for the preparation of masters and doctoral theses]
:* [https://macsphere.mcmaster.ca/ MacSPHERE] allows your work to be available internationally and offers you statistics on how often your thesis is accessed.
:* SGS also offers a link to Lehmann Bindery where you can submit an electronic copy, should you wish hard copies to be bound for your own use.

=== Remote Defenses ===
Remote defenses during the coronavirus pandemic have been going very well. There are some guidelines for PhD defenses provided by the School of Graduate Studies (these can be adopted for Masters defenses):
* The PhD Defence Chair Package is distributed by SGS to PhD Defence Chairs, along with the relevant forms, prior to the defence:
:* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/778e265f9a874c7c8362/ PhD-Defence-Chair-Package.pdf]
* The Chair Procedure Guidelines for Online Defences was approved by SGS in May 2020:
:* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/eac11310809e4c64a85f/ Chair Procedure Guidelines for Online Defences]
* Also provided are a few scenarios you might encounter during an online defence (e.g. an examining member loses internet) and what to do:
:* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/ccedd6381d2749448325/ Chair Procedure Guidelines for Online Defences - Scenarios]

=== A new accelerated PhD Defense process ===
(instructions for supervisors and administrators)
: A new accelerated PhD Defense process has been introduced by Graduate Studies in an effort to align McMaster University with the defence practices of other U15 universities and to provide a more agile process for students and their supervisors.
:: The accelerated process can speed up the time between initiating the defense and defending. However, the time between initiating and submitting the thesis is max two weeks regardless of using the traditional or accelerated submission process. The time from initiating to defense is 2 + 6 weeks if using the traditional method and 2 + x weeks if using the accelerated process (where x depends on the time it takes for the supervisor to arrange the external, find a defense date, etc).
:: Good advise for scheduling with the accelerated process is to work backwards from your defense date. Work with your supervisor to schedule something like the following (imagining a defense date of August 17th, as an example):
:::* Initiate PhD Defense – July 6
:::* 1-2 weeks Approvals from Committee members and department on External Nominee - July 6 - 20
:::* Thesis sent to External – July 20
:::* External Examiner needs 2-3 weeks to read the thesis and submit the report – July 20 - Aug 10
:::* External Examiner Report due at least one week before the defense – Aug 10
:::* PhD Defense Date – August 17
:::* Upload final thesis to MacSphere well before the deadline (it takes time to process them all so if there is an urgent need to clear (e.g. for a job) position, you can request it via email to sgsrec@mcmaster.ca and use URGENT CTG in the title). Make sure to schedule your defense date so that you have enough time to complete edits and upload to MacSphere before the deadline (refer to Sessional Dates in the Graduate Calendar).

:: Note also that the blackout period for defenses in August (refer to the Sessional Dates in the Graduate Calendar) does not apply for the accelerated defense process.

This is a new set of instructions shared by School of Graduate Studies for the accelerated PhD Defense process:
::* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/1e746740c1894aca8f3a/ Accelerated PhD Defence Process (file date March 2020)]

This flowchart helps conceptualize the path to the defense (I think we could improve this flowchart, if anyone wants to volunteer for that, let me know):
::* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/106d3b07663c4aa39478/ PhD Defense Flowchart]

=== The Masters defense is organized within the department ===
: Please read the following guidelines for the Master's thesis and defense process:
:# Make sure you initiate the intent to initiate a defense on Mosaic. This is very important because it gets you into the SGS computer system.
:# [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/current-students/completing-your-degree/masters-thesis/ Completing your Master's degree - Thesis] on the School of Graduate Studies pages
:# [https://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/content.php?catoid=45&navoid=9134#3-3-_regulations_masters Section 3.3 in the Graduate Calendar (2021-2022)]

'''Masters Defense Chair:''' It is the department's responsibility to find a chair/external examiner for the defense. We ask that supervisors help with this task. This means that students should ask their supervisors to find a chair.
: The following forms (SGS and PNB) should be brought to the defense.
:# [https://science.mcmaster.ca/radgrad/images/GradResources/GradResources_MSc-Defense-Documents.pdf Masters Defense Forms]

'''Masters Defense External Examiner:'''
:# This can be the chair or someone else inside or outside of the department. The main thing is that is not someone who is on the committee. We ask that supervisors help with this task. This means that students should ask their supervisors to find your external if the chair does not agree to be the external.

'''How much time do they need to read my thesis?'''
: You should discuss this with your committee and find something reasonable.

 '''Note for students who are promoted to PhD but wish to defend a Masters along the way:'''
:: You may proceed with PhD studies but also concurrently work to finish and defend your Masters degree, however, you must complete ALL Masters requirements no later than 4 months after the effective date of proceeding with PhD studies. This effective date for proceeding with PhD studies is usually September 1st (for most promoted students), in which case all Masters degree requirements must be completed before end of December. Take into account that your supervisory committee might be away during the December break, and plan to complete all requirements well before the end of December.

The School of Graduate Studies has prepared a letter for external examiners of PhD defenses that addresses potential COVID-related delays.
::* SGS will include [[https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/912efe780ccd4f67a04b/ this letter as part of the regular package sent to all external examiners of PhD defenses].
::* Students who have been affected by COVID-related delays can also explain, within the thesis itself, how COVID-related restrictions affected particular chapters. A good place for this might be at the beginning of the data chapter, along with other information such as the student's own contributions to multi-author published or submitted work.

=== NEW: Urkund thesis scanning requirement ===
: By January 1, 2021 (now postponed to May 2021 soft roll out and October 2021 deadline), students and supervisors will be required to run all Masters and PhD theses through Urkund, a plagiarism checking software tool that McMaster has adopted campus-wide. Urkund is still in Beta testing at McMaster until mid-fall 2020. The School of Graduate Studies will send us more information soon.
::* [https://www.urkund.com/support/faq/ FAQ on the Urkund site]
::* [https://secretariat.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/Research-Plagiarism-Checking-Policy.pdf McMaster's Research Plagiarism Checking Policy]
::* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/a18f536d887d44b5bf11/ Guidelines for Supervisors for using the Urkund scanning software]

: Please read [https://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/content.php?catoid=42&navoid=8734#2.8_Theses section #2.8 of the 2020-2021 Graduate Calendar] for a few more details.
::* The relevant paragraph in the calendar is: "Prior to the thesis defence and, in the case of a doctoral thesis, before sending out the draft to the external examiner, the entire document must be reviewed for its originality using the University’s paid subscription to Urkund. The program/supervisor will review the originality report generated by Urkund and either recommend changes to the document or approve it for the defence. A thesis may not be seen by the thesis examining committee (including the external reviewer in the case of a doctoral thesis) until the Urkund generated report was reviewed and approved by the supervisor or the program, unless authorized by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies."

=== Faculty, are you chairing a defense? ===

[http://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/cd80fe21b5c04b0c91b6/ These instructions] are included in the PhD defense chair's package, and can be useful for both PhD and masters defense chairs.
See above topics for guidelines for online defenses during COVID.

Forms

2023-04-21T15:09:44Z

Feinberg:

Specific forms are required when you need to petition for special consideration, request course adjustments, request extensions, etc. Many requests require statements from the student, the student's supervisor, and the department Graduate Chair. 
If any of the links below are broken, visit [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/current-students/forms-and-policies-for-graduate-students-staff-and-faculty/ the SGS Resources (forms and policies)] page to search for the specific form. Please also note that [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/resources the main SGS Resources] page has many additional forms and helpful links.

=== [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2020/02/extension_form_february_2019.pdf Request for Extension form] ===
:- request for an extension for Time to Completion (including final defence),
:- request for an extension for your Comprehensive Examination,
:- request for an extension for Visiting Scholars,
:- request for an extension for Course Requirements (e.g. an INC until a certain date),
:- other.
:- This form is not to be used for any course-related changes except to extend the date for grade submission. Please use the Request for In-Program Adjustment Form for all other course changes.
:- This form is not to be used for leaves of absence or annual supervisory committee meeting (please use the Petition for Special Consideration Form).
:- This form is not to be used for academic accommodations related to a disability. Contact Student Accessibility Service for assistance.

=== [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/10/In-Program-Request-Form-March-2020.docx In-Program Course Adjustments form] ===
:- request for transfer credit,
:- request for transfer from one program to another,
:- request for change in course designation (e.g. from required to extra credit),
:- request to designate a course outside of one’s program in place of a required course,
:- request to designate a course outside of one’s program as an elective course,
:- request for Late Add/Drop of a course,
:- other.

=== [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2020/02/petition_-_october_2018_revised.pdf Petition for Special Consideration] ===
:- request a leave of absence that does NOT include pregnancy or parental leave (see also [[Leaves of Absence]]),
:- petition for change in supervisor,
:- request extension on annual supervisory meeting (rarely done; talk to your Graduate Chair),
:- request deferred course examination,
:- request waiver of adverse ruling or decision about academic performance for compelling medical, personal or family reasons,
:- request adjustment in the timing of re-entry into program or to defend a thesis.
:- request retroactive drop/add (if dropping/adding within current academic year, use the In-Program Course Adjustments form instead - linked above).

=== [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/10/change_of_status_form_september_2017.pdf Request for Change in a Graduate Student's Status] ===
:- your grad chair and grad admin can help you with these options

=== [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2020/02/parenting_leave_july_2019_july_2019.pdf Parenting Leave form] ===
:- request a Pregnancy or Parenting Leave.

=== [https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&cx=017560809947805573293:jthpsapkwtk&q=https://gs.mcmaster.ca/resources/application-for-re-admission/&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiao-e-td35AhU6TWwGHZHHBasQFnoECAYQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2FgkzA4kpSWTQBCo7Y3YKR Application for Re-Admission] ===
:- students who have withdrawn in good standing may apply to defend or to continue in the program.

=== [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2020/02/masters_supervisory_report_february_2018.pdf Masters Supervisory Report] ===
:- Supervisory Committee Meeting report for Masters level candidates

=== [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/10/audit_course_fillable.pdf Audit Course Form] ===
:- Form for auditing graduate courses

=== [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXeCnNrJAcuwHSN48m7GFRi7HLScXaKA7U87sSXKzMiBsSGw/viewform PNB Plan of Study form] ===
:- Plan of study form for masters and PhD students

=== [https://www.science.mcmaster.ca/pnb/people/pnb-forms.html Administrative Forms PNB] ===
:- additional administrative forms that may of relevance to the department such as offer letter, contact and deposit form, hours of work form for Teaching Assistants etc.

=== [http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/maccr/studentresources/student.html RCT resources] ===
:- Forms relevant to the RCT stream including Practicum evaluations and program sanctioned hours

=== [https://science.mcmaster.ca/radgrad/images/GradResources/GradResources_MSc-Defense-Documents.pdf Masters Thesis Defense] ===
:- Forms for a Masters Thesis Defense

Course Requirements

2023-04-04T19:00:25Z

Feinberg:

=== Important Notes ===
For the full list of PNB courses in the Graduate Calendar, go to the [https://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/preview_program.php?catoid=42&poid=22574&returnto=8771 Psychology Courses page (in the 2020-2021 Graduate Calendar)] Note that not all of the listed courses are offered every year.

For courses offered in the current year, go to [https://www.science.mcmaster.ca/pnb/graduate/current-students/graduate-courses.html Graduate Courses] on the PNB website

Note 1: As you plan your courses, consult with your [[Supervisory Committee | supervisory committee]] and complete your [[Supervisory Committee#Plan of Study | Plan of Study]].
::''Please note that if you fail to register for a course before the add/drop deadline you will have to complete a [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/resources/in-program-course-adjustments/ In-Program Course Adjustments form].'' Search for these deadlines in "sessional dates" in the [https://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/index.php current Graduate Calendar].
::Occasionally you might need to access the syllabus for a course offered in a previous year. These can be access from the [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/d/1cc9ded0c9b34be08d18/ PNB webpage archive]; if you cannot find it there, [mailto:riddeln@mcmaster.ca send a request].

Note 2: Health and Safety training, SGS 101, and SGS 201 must be completed in the first term of the first year [[Courses required in very first term | (details here)]].

Note 3: SGS 700 is a placeholder course; if you are not taking any courses in a particular term, you must register in SGS 700.

Note 4: Annual [[Progress Reports]] are due on May 15th of every year in the program (Masters and PhD).

Note 5: Trajectory through the program:
:* Typically, students complete one year at the Masters level and, if promoted, 4 years at the PhD level (RCT Stream student spend 5 years at the PhD level).
:* Promotion is based on first year course grades, research progress and performance, evaluation of [[Progress Reports]], and evaluations from the supervisor and supervisory committee.
:* In some cases, students may be advised to complete an extra year at the Masters level before being promoted.
:* Students who are not promoted to the PhD level typically defend a Masters degree at end of the first (or second) Masters year.
:* In some cases, students who ARE promoted to PhD level choose to defend a Masters before continuing at the PhD level; it is very important to know that research that contributes to the defended Masters degree cannot be included as part of the PhD dissertation.

==== [[Forms]] (petitions, course adjustments, extensions)====

=== The PNB Masters degree requires the following courses ===
''These courses will be completed at the Masters level in the very first year (note that first year is the same whether or not students defend a Masters and/or are promoted to PhD level at the end of first year):''
* Statistics and Research Design (PSYCH 710, half course = 1 term = 3 units), completed in first year.
* Contemporary Problems in PNB (PSYCH 720, full course = 2 terms = 6 units), completed in first year.
* See also Note 2 and Note 3 above.

=== The PNB PhD degree requires the following courses ===
''These courses will be completed at the Masters level in the very first year (note that first year is the same whether or not students defend a Masters and/or are promoted to PhD level at the end of first year):''
* Statistics and Research Design (PSYCH 710, half course = 1 term = 3 units), completed in first year.
* Contemporary Problems in PNB (PSYCH 720, full course = 2 terms = 6 units), completed in first year.
* See also Note 2 and Note 3 above.
* Students often enter at the doctoral level if they have already completed a masters degree. PSYCH 710 and PSYCH 720 are required courses for these students as well. If it is determined by the supervisor and GSC (Graduate Studies Committee) that the incoming doctoral student has previously taken equivalent courses or material from their completed masters program, they may be exempt from PSYCH 710 and/or PSYCH 720. This is a decision made jointly by the supervisor and GSC.

''The remaining courses listed here should be completed over years 1-4 at the PhD level (be sure to plan well - you don't want to be completing too many courses in your last year when you are busy with dissertation writing):''
* Two Advanced Statistics courses (PSYCH 711 and 712, quarter courses = 6-7 weeks = 1.5 units each)
::* PSYCH 711: Advanced Statistics and Computational Methods I
::* PSYCH 712: Advanced Statistics and Computational Methods II
:: These can be fulfilled in several ways: a statistical, computational, or programming course offered by the department, or with approval of your committee and the Graduate Chair, a course offered outside the department at McMaster.
:: A request for substitution can be made by submitting a full course syllabus to the Graduate Chair. Discuss the substitution with your supervisory committee for their approval before submitting to the [mailto:feinber@mcmaster.ca Graduate Chair].
* Two Independent Study Modules (PSYCH 713 and 714, quarter courses = 6-7 weeks = 1.5 units each)
::* PSYCH 713: Special Topics in PNB I
::* PSYCH 714: Special Topics in PNB II
:: Independent study modules are typically fulfilled by working in a lab other than your supervisor's lab to broaden knowledge and/or learn new techniques. The time commitment for these modules is minimum 36 hours (6 hours per week) and maximum 60 hours (10 hours per week).
:: The faculty member with whom you work to complete the research module should submit this '''[https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/cb5cbd8d7cd247b3b012/ Special Topics Evaluation form]''' to [mailto:pnbgrad@mcmaster.ca Emily Thomas] to provide a grade.

::: '''Module substitution proposal:''' If you have a proposal for a module that is outside of the typical lab work, you can ask for approval of the Graduate Chair and Graduate Studies Committee by '''[[Proposal for Independent Study Module Substitution | submitting a proposal as outlined here]]'''. Discuss the proposal with your supervisory committee for their approval before submitting to the [mailto:feinber@mcmaster.ca Graduate Chair].
::: '''''COVID-19 Update:''''' We are providing more flexibility for module substitutions over the next few months, see the [[Proposal for Independent Study Module Substitution | proposal outline for details]].

* One additional half course (1 term = 3 units)
::* Check the McMaster Graduate Calendar ([http://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/preview_program.php?catoid=25&poid=14749 link to 2017-18 calendar]) for the list of half courses. Notice that the names of the courses refer to general topics, to allow flexibility. You may take a course offered by the department or you may find a course in a different department or an approved online course, which can be used to fulfill one of the half courses listed.
::* Such substitutions can be made with approval of the Graduate Chair by submitting a full course syllabus. Discuss the substitution with your supervisory committee for their approval before submitting to the [mailto:feinber@mcmaster.ca Graduate Chair]. Refer to the section below "Courses from outside the PNB graduate program taken for credit towards your PhD degree".

* [[Comprehensive Exam]]

=== Courses from outside the PNB graduate program taken for credit towards your PhD degree ===
* '''''NEW:'''''
:* If you take a course from a different program ''at McMaster'' (ie. the course will have a McMaster course code), and you have secured permission from your supervisory committee and the Grad Chair to use this course to fulfill a required course (e.g. PSYCH 711, 712, 713, 714, or the additional half course), there is a '''''new form''''' that must be submitted to SGS.
:::* '''[https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/10/In-Program-Request-Form-March-2020.docx In-Program Course Adjustments form]'''.
:::* Complete this form as a "request to designate a course outside of one’s program in place of a required course".
:::* In Part A (student statement) specify the course code of the substitution course (e.g. KINESIOL 711), the course code of the required course (e.g. PSYCH 714), and the term and year in which you will complete (or have completed) the substitution course (e.g. fall term 2020).
:::* Give the form to your supervisor who will complete Part B.
:::* Submit the form to the Graduate Chair who will complete Part C.
:::* Emily Thomas (PNB Graduate Administrator) will then submit the form to SGS.
:* For those with permission to take a course or workshop outside of McMaster, this form is not necessary. Instead, register for the appropriate PSYCH course (e.g. PSYCH 711, 712, 713, 714, or the additional half course (refer to the Graduate Calendar for half course options)). Don't forget that you need permission from your supervisory committee and the Graduate Chair to substitute courses from outside McMaster (see above discussion in section [[#The PNB PhD degree requires the following courses|The PNB PhD degree requires the following courses]]).

=== The PNB PhD RCT stream requires the following courses ===

''In their first year in the program, students interested in entering the Research and Clinical Training (RCT) Stream take the following courses listed below. Note that there is no RCT Stream Masters degree, nor is any masters student in the RCT stream until such time they are promoted to PhD and/or admitted into the RCT PhD stream. There are no RCT Masters students. The RCT stream is a PhD level stream only. Students may only enter the RCT stream at the PhD level. There is no guarantee that any Masters student will be promoted to the PhD level or admitted into the RCT stream.''

:* Statistics and Research Design (PSYCH 710, half course = 1 term = 3 units), completed in first year.
:* Contemporary Problems in PNB (PSYCH 720, full course = 2 terms = 6 units), completed in first year.
:* Scientific and Professional Ethics in Clinical Psychology (PSYCH 751, half course = 1 term = 3 units), completed in first year.
* Visit the [https://www.science.mcmaster.ca/maccr/timeline/timeline.html RCT Stream webpages (timeline page)] for course requirements beyond the first year. Be sure to click on the link near the top right of the page to see the Annual Rotation of the courses. For example, not all courses are offered every year, so incoming students will be offset compared to students who started the program the previous (or next) year.

==== [[RCT Practicum Courses]] ====
This very important page [[RCT_Practicum_Courses]] will walk RCT students through how to register in Mosaic for practicum courses. It's the timing that is so important to make things work smoothly in terms of making sure your grade shows up on your transcripts.

* RCT Clinical Internship (PSYCH 761). The RCT stream curriculum is designed so that students can complete their dissertation work (including the majority of the writing) by end of PhD year 4, and then complete their full-time clinical internship in PhD year 5. By year 5 they will be out-of-time in terms of department financial support and they are paid full-time by the internship. Tuition is only half of full tuition in year 5. Students are still considered full-time graduate students until they graduate (or withdraw); they need to complete the forms requesting to be [https://pnb.mcmaster.ca/pnbgraduatehandbook/index.php/Leaves_of_Absence#Full-time_Off_Campus Full-time Off Campus] for the year. If the internship is outside of Canada, students will also need to submit an [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/10/RMM-801-Field-Trips-Student-Placements-and-Research-Activity-Planning-and-Approval-Program-1-36.pdf RMM 801 (Risk Management Approval Form)].
:* Please note that if a student takes the clinical internship early (e.g. in year 4 of the PhD; this will be a rare occurrence), their financial situation changes. As the internship is a full-time paid position, they will not receive a TAship and they will not receive a department scholarship. However, they are still full-time students in year 4 and will have to pay full tuition and fees. They also need to complete the forms requesting to be [https://pnb.mcmaster.ca/pnbgraduatehandbook/index.php/Leaves_of_Absence#Full-time_Off_Campus Full-time Off Campus] for the year. These details should be taken into consideration when deciding whether to do the clinical internship one year early. TAships are on-campus only, and cannot be done remotely --even if someone is on a remote internship.

=== Auditing graduate courses ===
Occasionally, a student may wish to audit a graduate course offered by the program. It is important to understand that if you audit a course, you may not take that course for credit at a later time. Consult with your supervisory committee before deciding to audit a course. If your committee agrees, contact the instructor of the course for permission. If you want to formally audit so that the audited course appears on your transcript, please complete and submit this form (read the form carefully for requirements and signatures):
:* [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/10/audit_course_fillable.pdf Audit Course form]

Course Requirements

2022-11-21T15:02:47Z

Feinberg: /* The PNB PhD RCT stream requires the following courses */

=== Important Notes ===
For the full list of PNB courses in the Graduate Calendar, go to the [https://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/preview_program.php?catoid=42&poid=22574&returnto=8771 Psychology Courses page (in the 2020-2021 Graduate Calendar)] Note that not all of the listed courses are offered every year.

For courses offered in the current year, go to [https://www.science.mcmaster.ca/pnb/graduate/current-students/graduate-courses.html Graduate Courses] on the PNB website

Note 1: As you plan your courses, consult with your [[Supervisory Committee | supervisory committee]] and complete your [[Supervisory Committee#Plan of Study | Plan of Study]].
::''Please note that if you fail to register for a course before the add/drop deadline you will have to complete a [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/resources/in-program-course-adjustments/ In-Program Course Adjustments form].'' Search for these deadlines in "sessional dates" in the [https://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/index.php current Graduate Calendar].
::Occasionally you might need to access the syllabus for a course offered in a previous year. These can be access from the [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/d/1cc9ded0c9b34be08d18/ PNB webpage archive]; if you cannot find it there, [mailto:riddeln@mcmaster.ca send a request].

Note 2: Health and Safety training, SGS 101, and SGS 201 must be completed in the first term of the first year [[Courses required in very first term | (details here)]].

Note 3: SGS 700 is a placeholder course; if you are not taking any courses in a particular term, you must register in SGS 700.

Note 4: Annual [[Progress Reports]] are due on May 15th of every year in the program (Masters and PhD).

Note 5: Trajectory through the program:
:* Typically, students complete one year at the Masters level and, if promoted, 4 years at the PhD level (RCT Stream student spend 5 years at the PhD level).
:* Promotion is based on first year course grades, research progress and performance, evaluation of [[Progress Reports]], and evaluations from the supervisor and supervisory committee.
:* In some cases, students may be advised to complete an extra year at the Masters level before being promoted.
:* Students who are not promoted to the PhD level typically defend a Masters degree at end of the first (or second) Masters year.
:* In some cases, students who ARE promoted to PhD level choose to defend a Masters before continuing at the PhD level; it is very important to know that research that contributes to the defended Masters degree cannot be included as part of the PhD dissertation.

==== [[Forms]] (petitions, course adjustments, extensions)====

=== The PNB Masters degree requires the following courses ===
''These courses will be completed at the Masters level in the very first year (note that first year is the same whether or not students defend a Masters and/or are promoted to PhD level at the end of first year):''
* Statistics and Research Design (PSYCH 710, half course = 1 term = 3 units), completed in first year.
* Contemporary Problems in PNB (PSYCH 720, full course = 2 terms = 6 units), completed in first year.
* See also Note 2 and Note 3 above.

=== The PNB PhD degree requires the following courses ===
''These courses will be completed at the Masters level in the very first year (note that first year is the same whether or not students defend a Masters and/or are promoted to PhD level at the end of first year):''
* Statistics and Research Design (PSYCH 710, half course = 1 term = 3 units), completed in first year.
* Contemporary Problems in PNB (PSYCH 720, full course = 2 terms = 6 units), completed in first year.
* See also Note 2 and Note 3 above.
* Students often enter at the doctoral level if they have already completed a masters degree. PSYCH 710 and PSYCH 720 are required courses for these students as well. If it is determined by the supervisor and GSC (Graduate Studies Committee) that the incoming doctoral student has previously taken equivalent courses or material from their completed masters program, they may be exempt from PSYCH 710 and/or PSYCH 720. This is a decision made jointly by the supervisor and GSC.

''The remaining courses listed here should be completed over years 1-4 at the PhD level (be sure to plan well - you don't want to be completing too many courses in your last year when you are busy with dissertation writing):''
* Two Advanced Statistics courses (PSYCH 711 and 712, quarter courses = 6-7 weeks = 1.5 units each)
::* PSYCH 711: Advanced Statistics and Computational Methods I
::* PSYCH 712: Advanced Statistics and Computational Methods II
:: These can be fulfilled in several ways: a statistical, computational, or programming course offered by the department, or with approval of your committee and the Graduate Chair, a course offered outside the department.
:: A request for substitution can be made by submitting a full course syllabus to the Graduate Chair. Discuss the substitution with your supervisory committee for their approval before submitting to the [mailto:feinber@mcmaster.ca Graduate Chair].
* Two Independent Study Modules (PSYCH 713 and 714, quarter courses = 6-7 weeks = 1.5 units each)
::* PSYCH 713: Special Topics in PNB I
::* PSYCH 714: Special Topics in PNB II
:: Independent study modules are typically fulfilled by working in a lab other than your supervisor's lab to broaden knowledge and/or learn new techniques. The time commitment for these modules is minimum 36 hours (6 hours per week) and maximum 60 hours (10 hours per week).
:: The faculty member with whom you work to complete the research module should submit this '''[https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/cb5cbd8d7cd247b3b012/ Special Topics Evaluation form]''' to [mailto:pnbgrad@mcmaster.ca Emily Thomas] to provide a grade.

::: '''Module substitution proposal:''' If you have a proposal for a module that is outside of the typical lab work, you can ask for approval of the Graduate Chair and Graduate Studies Committee by '''[[Proposal for Independent Study Module Substitution | submitting a proposal as outlined here]]'''. Discuss the proposal with your supervisory committee for their approval before submitting to the [mailto:feinber@mcmaster.ca Graduate Chair].
::: '''''COVID-19 Update:''''' We are providing more flexibility for module substitutions over the next few months, see the [[Proposal for Independent Study Module Substitution | proposal outline for details]].

* One additional half course (1 term = 3 units)
::* Check the McMaster Graduate Calendar ([http://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/preview_program.php?catoid=25&poid=14749 link to 2017-18 calendar]) for the list of half courses. Notice that the names of the courses refer to general topics, to allow flexibility. You may take a course offered by the department or you may find a course in a different department or an approved online course, which can be used to fulfill one of the half courses listed.
::* Such substitutions can be made with approval of the Graduate Chair by submitting a full course syllabus. Discuss the substitution with your supervisory committee for their approval before submitting to the [mailto:feinber@mcmaster.ca Graduate Chair]. Refer to the section below "Courses from outside the PNB graduate program taken for credit towards your PhD degree".

* [[Comprehensive Exam]]

=== Courses from outside the PNB graduate program taken for credit towards your PhD degree ===
* '''''NEW:'''''
:* If you take a course from a different program ''at McMaster'' (ie. the course will have a McMaster course code), and you have secured permission from your supervisory committee and the Grad Chair to use this course to fulfill a required course (e.g. PSYCH 711, 712, 713, 714, or the additional half course), there is a '''''new form''''' that must be submitted to SGS.
:::* '''[https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/10/In-Program-Request-Form-March-2020.docx In-Program Course Adjustments form]'''.
:::* Complete this form as a "request to designate a course outside of one’s program in place of a required course".
:::* In Part A (student statement) specify the course code of the substitution course (e.g. KINESIOL 711), the course code of the required course (e.g. PSYCH 714), and the term and year in which you will complete (or have completed) the substitution course (e.g. fall term 2020).
:::* Give the form to your supervisor who will complete Part B.
:::* Submit the form to the Graduate Chair who will complete Part C.
:::* Emily Thomas (PNB Graduate Administrator) will then submit the form to SGS.
:* For those with permission to take a course or workshop outside of McMaster, this form is not necessary. Instead, register for the appropriate PSYCH course (e.g. PSYCH 711, 712, 713, 714, or the additional half course (refer to the Graduate Calendar for half course options)). Don't forget that you need permission from your supervisory committee and the Graduate Chair to substitute courses from outside McMaster (see above discussion in section [[#The PNB PhD degree requires the following courses|The PNB PhD degree requires the following courses]]).

=== The PNB PhD RCT stream requires the following courses ===

''In their first year in the program, students interested in entering the Research and Clinical Training (RCT) Stream take the following courses listed below. Note that there is no RCT Stream Masters degree, nor is any masters student in the RCT stream until such time they are promoted to PhD and/or admitted into the RCT PhD stream. There are no RCT Masters students. The RCT stream is a PhD level stream only. Students may only enter the RCT stream at the PhD level. There is no guarantee that any Masters student will be promoted to the PhD level or admitted into the RCT stream.''

:* Statistics and Research Design (PSYCH 710, half course = 1 term = 3 units), completed in first year.
:* Contemporary Problems in PNB (PSYCH 720, full course = 2 terms = 6 units), completed in first year.
:* Scientific and Professional Ethics in Clinical Psychology (PSYCH 751, half course = 1 term = 3 units), completed in first year.
* Visit the [https://www.science.mcmaster.ca/maccr/timeline/timeline.html RCT Stream webpages (timeline page)] for course requirements beyond the first year. Be sure to click on the link near the top right of the page to see the Annual Rotation of the courses. For example, not all courses are offered every year, so incoming students will be offset compared to students who started the program the previous (or next) year.

==== [[RCT Practicum Courses]] ====
This very important page [[RCT_Practicum_Courses]] will walk RCT students through how to register in Mosaic for practicum courses. It's the timing that is so important to make things work smoothly in terms of making sure your grade shows up on your transcripts.

* RCT Clinical Internship (PSYCH 761). The RCT stream curriculum is designed so that students can complete their dissertation work (including the majority of the writing) by end of PhD year 4, and then complete their full-time clinical internship in PhD year 5. By year 5 they will be out-of-time in terms of department financial support and they are paid full-time by the internship. Tuition is only half of full tuition in year 5. Students are still considered full-time graduate students until they graduate (or withdraw); they need to complete the forms requesting to be [https://pnb.mcmaster.ca/pnbgraduatehandbook/index.php/Leaves_of_Absence#Full-time_Off_Campus Full-time Off Campus] for the year. If the internship is outside of Canada, students will also need to submit an [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/10/RMM-801-Field-Trips-Student-Placements-and-Research-Activity-Planning-and-Approval-Program-1-36.pdf RMM 801 (Risk Management Approval Form)].
:* Please note that if a student takes the clinical internship early (e.g. in year 4 of the PhD; this will be a rare occurrence), their financial situation changes. As the internship is a full-time paid position, they will not receive a TAship and they will not receive a department scholarship. However, they are still full-time students in year 4 and will have to pay full tuition and fees. They also need to complete the forms requesting to be [https://pnb.mcmaster.ca/pnbgraduatehandbook/index.php/Leaves_of_Absence#Full-time_Off_Campus Full-time Off Campus] for the year. These details should be taken into consideration when deciding whether to do the clinical internship one year early. TAships are on-campus only, and cannot be done remotely --even if someone is on a remote internship.

=== Auditing graduate courses ===
Occasionally, a student may wish to audit a graduate course offered by the program. It is important to understand that if you audit a course, you may not take that course for credit at a later time. Consult with your supervisory committee before deciding to audit a course. If your committee agrees, contact the instructor of the course for permission. If you want to formally audit so that the audited course appears on your transcript, please complete and submit this form (read the form carefully for requirements and signatures):
:* [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/10/audit_course_fillable.pdf Audit Course form]

Course Requirements

2022-11-21T15:01:34Z

Feinberg:

=== Important Notes ===
For the full list of PNB courses in the Graduate Calendar, go to the [https://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/preview_program.php?catoid=42&poid=22574&returnto=8771 Psychology Courses page (in the 2020-2021 Graduate Calendar)] Note that not all of the listed courses are offered every year.

For courses offered in the current year, go to [https://www.science.mcmaster.ca/pnb/graduate/current-students/graduate-courses.html Graduate Courses] on the PNB website

Note 1: As you plan your courses, consult with your [[Supervisory Committee | supervisory committee]] and complete your [[Supervisory Committee#Plan of Study | Plan of Study]].
::''Please note that if you fail to register for a course before the add/drop deadline you will have to complete a [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/resources/in-program-course-adjustments/ In-Program Course Adjustments form].'' Search for these deadlines in "sessional dates" in the [https://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/index.php current Graduate Calendar].
::Occasionally you might need to access the syllabus for a course offered in a previous year. These can be access from the [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/d/1cc9ded0c9b34be08d18/ PNB webpage archive]; if you cannot find it there, [mailto:riddeln@mcmaster.ca send a request].

Note 2: Health and Safety training, SGS 101, and SGS 201 must be completed in the first term of the first year [[Courses required in very first term | (details here)]].

Note 3: SGS 700 is a placeholder course; if you are not taking any courses in a particular term, you must register in SGS 700.

Note 4: Annual [[Progress Reports]] are due on May 15th of every year in the program (Masters and PhD).

Note 5: Trajectory through the program:
:* Typically, students complete one year at the Masters level and, if promoted, 4 years at the PhD level (RCT Stream student spend 5 years at the PhD level).
:* Promotion is based on first year course grades, research progress and performance, evaluation of [[Progress Reports]], and evaluations from the supervisor and supervisory committee.
:* In some cases, students may be advised to complete an extra year at the Masters level before being promoted.
:* Students who are not promoted to the PhD level typically defend a Masters degree at end of the first (or second) Masters year.
:* In some cases, students who ARE promoted to PhD level choose to defend a Masters before continuing at the PhD level; it is very important to know that research that contributes to the defended Masters degree cannot be included as part of the PhD dissertation.

==== [[Forms]] (petitions, course adjustments, extensions)====

=== The PNB Masters degree requires the following courses ===
''These courses will be completed at the Masters level in the very first year (note that first year is the same whether or not students defend a Masters and/or are promoted to PhD level at the end of first year):''
* Statistics and Research Design (PSYCH 710, half course = 1 term = 3 units), completed in first year.
* Contemporary Problems in PNB (PSYCH 720, full course = 2 terms = 6 units), completed in first year.
* See also Note 2 and Note 3 above.

=== The PNB PhD degree requires the following courses ===
''These courses will be completed at the Masters level in the very first year (note that first year is the same whether or not students defend a Masters and/or are promoted to PhD level at the end of first year):''
* Statistics and Research Design (PSYCH 710, half course = 1 term = 3 units), completed in first year.
* Contemporary Problems in PNB (PSYCH 720, full course = 2 terms = 6 units), completed in first year.
* See also Note 2 and Note 3 above.
* Students often enter at the doctoral level if they have already completed a masters degree. PSYCH 710 and PSYCH 720 are required courses for these students as well. If it is determined by the supervisor and GSC (Graduate Studies Committee) that the incoming doctoral student has previously taken equivalent courses or material from their completed masters program, they may be exempt from PSYCH 710 and/or PSYCH 720. This is a decision made jointly by the supervisor and GSC.

''The remaining courses listed here should be completed over years 1-4 at the PhD level (be sure to plan well - you don't want to be completing too many courses in your last year when you are busy with dissertation writing):''
* Two Advanced Statistics courses (PSYCH 711 and 712, quarter courses = 6-7 weeks = 1.5 units each)
::* PSYCH 711: Advanced Statistics and Computational Methods I
::* PSYCH 712: Advanced Statistics and Computational Methods II
:: These can be fulfilled in several ways: a statistical, computational, or programming course offered by the department, or with approval of your committee and the Graduate Chair, a course offered outside the department.
:: A request for substitution can be made by submitting a full course syllabus to the Graduate Chair. Discuss the substitution with your supervisory committee for their approval before submitting to the [mailto:feinber@mcmaster.ca Graduate Chair].
* Two Independent Study Modules (PSYCH 713 and 714, quarter courses = 6-7 weeks = 1.5 units each)
::* PSYCH 713: Special Topics in PNB I
::* PSYCH 714: Special Topics in PNB II
:: Independent study modules are typically fulfilled by working in a lab other than your supervisor's lab to broaden knowledge and/or learn new techniques. The time commitment for these modules is minimum 36 hours (6 hours per week) and maximum 60 hours (10 hours per week).
:: The faculty member with whom you work to complete the research module should submit this '''[https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/cb5cbd8d7cd247b3b012/ Special Topics Evaluation form]''' to [mailto:pnbgrad@mcmaster.ca Emily Thomas] to provide a grade.

::: '''Module substitution proposal:''' If you have a proposal for a module that is outside of the typical lab work, you can ask for approval of the Graduate Chair and Graduate Studies Committee by '''[[Proposal for Independent Study Module Substitution | submitting a proposal as outlined here]]'''. Discuss the proposal with your supervisory committee for their approval before submitting to the [mailto:feinber@mcmaster.ca Graduate Chair].
::: '''''COVID-19 Update:''''' We are providing more flexibility for module substitutions over the next few months, see the [[Proposal for Independent Study Module Substitution | proposal outline for details]].

* One additional half course (1 term = 3 units)
::* Check the McMaster Graduate Calendar ([http://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/preview_program.php?catoid=25&poid=14749 link to 2017-18 calendar]) for the list of half courses. Notice that the names of the courses refer to general topics, to allow flexibility. You may take a course offered by the department or you may find a course in a different department or an approved online course, which can be used to fulfill one of the half courses listed.
::* Such substitutions can be made with approval of the Graduate Chair by submitting a full course syllabus. Discuss the substitution with your supervisory committee for their approval before submitting to the [mailto:feinber@mcmaster.ca Graduate Chair]. Refer to the section below "Courses from outside the PNB graduate program taken for credit towards your PhD degree".

* [[Comprehensive Exam]]

=== Courses from outside the PNB graduate program taken for credit towards your PhD degree ===
* '''''NEW:'''''
:* If you take a course from a different program ''at McMaster'' (ie. the course will have a McMaster course code), and you have secured permission from your supervisory committee and the Grad Chair to use this course to fulfill a required course (e.g. PSYCH 711, 712, 713, 714, or the additional half course), there is a '''''new form''''' that must be submitted to SGS.
:::* '''[https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/10/In-Program-Request-Form-March-2020.docx In-Program Course Adjustments form]'''.
:::* Complete this form as a "request to designate a course outside of one’s program in place of a required course".
:::* In Part A (student statement) specify the course code of the substitution course (e.g. KINESIOL 711), the course code of the required course (e.g. PSYCH 714), and the term and year in which you will complete (or have completed) the substitution course (e.g. fall term 2020).
:::* Give the form to your supervisor who will complete Part B.
:::* Submit the form to the Graduate Chair who will complete Part C.
:::* Emily Thomas (PNB Graduate Administrator) will then submit the form to SGS.
:* For those with permission to take a course or workshop outside of McMaster, this form is not necessary. Instead, register for the appropriate PSYCH course (e.g. PSYCH 711, 712, 713, 714, or the additional half course (refer to the Graduate Calendar for half course options)). Don't forget that you need permission from your supervisory committee and the Graduate Chair to substitute courses from outside McMaster (see above discussion in section [[#The PNB PhD degree requires the following courses|The PNB PhD degree requires the following courses]]).

=== The PNB PhD RCT stream requires the following courses ===

''In their first year in the program, students interested in entering the Research and Clinical Training (RCT) Stream take the following courses listed below. Note that there is no RCT Stream Masters degree, nor is any masters student in the RCT stream until such time they are promoted to PhD and admitted into the RCT PhD stream. There are no RCT Masters students. The RCT stream is a PhD level stream only. Students may only enter the RCT stream at the PhD level. There is no guarantee than any Masters student will be promoted to the PhD level or admitted into the RCT stream.''

:* Statistics and Research Design (PSYCH 710, half course = 1 term = 3 units), completed in first year.
:* Contemporary Problems in PNB (PSYCH 720, full course = 2 terms = 6 units), completed in first year.
:* Scientific and Professional Ethics in Clinical Psychology (PSYCH 751, half course = 1 term = 3 units), completed in first year.
* Visit the [https://www.science.mcmaster.ca/maccr/timeline/timeline.html RCT Stream webpages (timeline page)] for course requirements beyond the first year. Be sure to click on the link near the top right of the page to see the Annual Rotation of the courses. For example, not all courses are offered every year, so incoming students will be offset compared to students who started the program the previous (or next) year.

==== [[RCT Practicum Courses]] ====
This very important page [[RCT_Practicum_Courses]] will walk RCT students through how to register in Mosaic for practicum courses. It's the timing that is so important to make things work smoothly in terms of making sure your grade shows up on your transcripts.

* RCT Clinical Internship (PSYCH 761). The RCT stream curriculum is designed so that students can complete their dissertation work (including the majority of the writing) by end of PhD year 4, and then complete their full-time clinical internship in PhD year 5. By year 5 they will be out-of-time in terms of department financial support and they are paid full-time by the internship. Tuition is only half of full tuition in year 5. Students are still considered full-time graduate students until they graduate (or withdraw); they need to complete the forms requesting to be [https://pnb.mcmaster.ca/pnbgraduatehandbook/index.php/Leaves_of_Absence#Full-time_Off_Campus Full-time Off Campus] for the year. If the internship is outside of Canada, students will also need to submit an [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/10/RMM-801-Field-Trips-Student-Placements-and-Research-Activity-Planning-and-Approval-Program-1-36.pdf RMM 801 (Risk Management Approval Form)].
:* Please note that if a student takes the clinical internship early (e.g. in year 4 of the PhD; this will be a rare occurrence), their financial situation changes. As the internship is a full-time paid position, they will not receive a TAship and they will not receive a department scholarship. However, they are still full-time students in year 4 and will have to pay full tuition and fees. They also need to complete the forms requesting to be [https://pnb.mcmaster.ca/pnbgraduatehandbook/index.php/Leaves_of_Absence#Full-time_Off_Campus Full-time Off Campus] for the year. These details should be taken into consideration when deciding whether to do the clinical internship one year early. TAships are on-campus only, and cannot be done remotely --even if someone is on a remote internship.

=== Auditing graduate courses ===
Occasionally, a student may wish to audit a graduate course offered by the program. It is important to understand that if you audit a course, you may not take that course for credit at a later time. Consult with your supervisory committee before deciding to audit a course. If your committee agrees, contact the instructor of the course for permission. If you want to formally audit so that the audited course appears on your transcript, please complete and submit this form (read the form carefully for requirements and signatures):
:* [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/10/audit_course_fillable.pdf Audit Course form]

Course Requirements

2021-08-18T19:14:52Z

Feinberg: /* The PNB PhD degree requires the following courses */

=== Important Notes ===
For the full list of PNB courses in the Graduate Calendar, go to the [https://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/preview_program.php?catoid=42&poid=22574&returnto=8771 Psychology Courses page (in the 2020-2021 Graduate Calendar)] Note that not all of the listed courses are offered every year.

For courses offered in the current year, go to [https://www.science.mcmaster.ca/pnb/graduate/current-students/graduate-courses.html Graduate Courses] on the PNB website

Note 1: As you plan your courses, consult with your [[Supervisory Committee | supervisory committee]] and complete your [[Supervisory Committee#Plan of Study | Plan of Study]].
::''Please note that if you fail to register for a course before the add/drop deadline you will have to complete a [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/sites/default/files/resources/in-program_request_form_february_2019.pdf In-Program Course Adjustments form].'' Search for these deadlines in "sessional dates" in the [https://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/index.php current Graduate Calendar].
::Occasionally you might need to access the syllabus for a course offered in a previous year. These can be access from the [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/d/1cc9ded0c9b34be08d18/ PNB webpage archive]; if you cannot find it there, [mailto:riddeln@mcmaster.ca send a request].

Note 2: Health and Safety training, SGS 101, and SGS 201 must be completed in the first term of the first year [[Courses required in very first term | (details here)]].

Note 3: SGS 700 is a placeholder course; if you are not taking any courses in a particular term, you must register in SGS 700.

Note 4: Annual [[Progress Reports]] are due on May 15th of every year in the program (Masters and PhD).

Note 5: Trajectory through the program:
:* Typically, students complete one year at the Masters level and, if promoted, 4 years at the PhD level (RCT Stream student spend 5 years at the PhD level).
:* Promotion is based on first year course grades, research progress and performance, evaluation of [[Progress Reports]], and evaluations from the supervisor and supervisory committee.
:* In some cases, students may be advised to complete an extra year at the Masters level before being promoted.
:* Students who are not promoted to the PhD level typically defend a Masters degree at end of the first (or second) Masters year.
:* In some cases, students who ARE promoted to PhD level choose to defend a Masters before continuing at the PhD level; it is very important to know that research that contributes to the defended Masters degree cannot be included as part of the PhD dissertation.

==== [[Forms]] (petitions, course adjustments, extensions)====

=== The PNB Masters degree requires the following courses ===
''These courses will be completed at the Masters level in the very first year (note that first year is the same whether or not students defend a Masters and/or are promoted to PhD level at the end of first year):''
* Statistics and Research Design (PSYCH 710, half course = 1 term = 3 units), completed in first year.
* Contemporary Problems in PNB (PSYCH 720, full course = 2 terms = 6 units), completed in first year.
* See also Note 2 and Note 3 above.

=== The PNB PhD degree requires the following courses ===
''These courses will be completed at the Masters level in the very first year (note that first year is the same whether or not students defend a Masters and/or are promoted to PhD level at the end of first year):''
* Statistics and Research Design (PSYCH 710, half course = 1 term = 3 units), completed in first year.
* Contemporary Problems in PNB (PSYCH 720, full course = 2 terms = 6 units), completed in first year.
* See also Note 2 and Note 3 above.
* Students often enter at the doctoral level if they have already completed a masters degree. PSYCH 710 and PSYCH 720 are required courses for these students as well. If it is determined by the supervisor and GSC (Graduate Studies Committee) that the incoming doctoral student has previously taken equivalent courses or material from their completed masters program, they may be exempt from PSYCH 710 and/or PSYCH 720. This is a decision made jointly by the supervisor and GSC.

''The remaining courses listed here should be completed over years 1-4 at the PhD level (be sure to plan well - you don't want to be completing too many courses in your last year when you are busy with dissertation writing):''
* Two Advanced Statistics courses (PSYCH 711 and 712, quarter courses = 6-7 weeks = 1.5 units each)
::* PSYCH 711: Advanced Statistics and Computational Methods I
::* PSYCH 712: Advanced Statistics and Computational Methods II
:: These can be fulfilled in several ways: a statistical, computational, or programming course offered by the department, or with approval of your committee and the Graduate Chair, a course offered outside the department.
:: A request for substitution can be made by submitting a full course syllabus to the Graduate Chair. Discuss the substitution with your supervisory committee for their approval before submitting to the [mailto:feinber@mcmaster.ca Graduate Chair].
* Two Independent Study Modules (PSYCH 713 and 714, quarter courses = 6-7 weeks = 1.5 units each)
::* PSYCH 713: Special Topics in PNB I
::* PSYCH 714: Special Topics in PNB II
:: Independent study modules are typically fulfilled by working in a lab other than your supervisor's lab to broaden knowledge and/or learn new techniques. The time commitment for these modules is minimum 36 hours (6 hours per week) and maximum 60 hours (10 hours per week).
:: The faculty member with whom you work to complete the research module should submit this '''[https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/cb5cbd8d7cd247b3b012/ Special Topics Evaluation form]''' to [mailto:pnbgrad@mcmaster.ca Nancy Riddell] to provide a grade.

::: '''Module substitution proposal:''' If you have a proposal for a module that is outside of the typical lab work, you can ask for approval of the Graduate Chair and Graduate Studies Committee by '''[[Proposal for Independent Study Module Substitution | submitting a proposal as outlined here]]'''. Discuss the proposal with your supervisory committee for their approval before submitting to the [mailto:feinber@mcmaster.ca Graduate Chair].
::: '''''COVID-19 Update:''''' We are providing more flexibility for module substitutions over the next few months, see the [[Proposal for Independent Study Module Substitution | proposal outline for details]].

* One additional half course (1 term = 3 units)
::* Check the McMaster Graduate Calendar ([http://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/preview_program.php?catoid=25&poid=14749 link to 2017-18 calendar]) for the list of half courses. Notice that the names of the courses refer to general topics, to allow flexibility. You may take a course offered by the department or you may find a course in a different department or an approved online course, which can be used to fulfill one of the half courses listed.
::* Such substitutions can be made with approval of the Graduate Chair by submitting a full course syllabus. Discuss the substitution with your supervisory committee for their approval before submitting to the [mailto:feinber@mcmaster.ca Graduate Chair]. Refer to the section below "Courses from outside the PNB graduate program taken for credit towards your PhD degree".

* [[Comprehensive Exam]]

=== Courses from outside the PNB graduate program taken for credit towards your PhD degree ===
* '''''NEW:'''''
:* If you take a course from a different program ''at McMaster'' (ie. the course will have a McMaster course code), and you have secured permission from your supervisory committee and the Grad Chair to use this course to fulfill a required course (e.g. PSYCH 711, 712, 713, 714, or the additional half course), there is a '''''new form''''' that must be submitted to SGS.
:::* '''[https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/10/In-Program-Request-Form-March-2020.docx In-Program Course Adjustments form]'''.
:::* Complete this form as a "request to designate a course outside of one’s program in place of a required course".
:::* In Part A (student statement) specify the course code of the substitution course (e.g. KINESIOL 711), the course code of the required course (e.g. PSYCH 714), and the term and year in which you will complete (or have completed) the substitution course (e.g. fall term 2020).
:::* Give the form to your supervisor who will complete Part B.
:::* Submit the form to the Graduate Chair who will complete Part C.
:::* Nancy (PNB Graduate Administrator) will then submit the form to SGS.
:* For those with permission to take a course or workshop outside of McMaster, this form is not necessary. Instead, register for the appropriate PSYCH course (e.g. PSYCH 711, 712, 713, 714, or the additional half course (refer to the Graduate Calendar for half course options)). Don't forget that you need permission from your supervisory committee and the Graduate Chair to substitute courses from outside McMaster (see above discussion in section [[#The PNB PhD degree requires the following courses|The PNB PhD degree requires the following courses]]).

=== The PNB PhD RCT stream requires the following courses ===
''In the first year (Masters level), Research and Clinical Training (RCT) Stream students take the following courses. Note that there is no RCT Stream Masters degree; it is a PhD level stream only. RCT students are typically promoted to the PhD level in the RCT Stream at the end of their first Masters year without defending a Masters degree.''

:* Statistics and Research Design (PSYCH 710, half course = 1 term = 3 units), completed in first year.
:* Contemporary Problems in PNB (PSYCH 720, full course = 2 terms = 6 units), completed in first year.
:* Scientific and Professional Ethics in Clinical Psychology (PSYCH 751, half course = 1 term = 3 units), completed in first year.
* Visit the [https://www.science.mcmaster.ca/maccr/timeline/timeline.html RCT Stream webpages (timeline page)] for course requirements beyond the first year. Be sure to click on the link near the top right of the page to see the Annual Rotation of the courses. For example, not all courses are offered every year, so incoming students will be offset compared to students who started the program the previous (or next) year.

==== [[RCT Practicum Courses]] ====
This very important page [[RCT_Practicum_Courses]] will walk RCT students through how to register in Mosaic for practicum courses. It's the timing that is so important to make things work smoothly in terms of making sure your grade shows up on your transcripts.

* RCT Clinical Internship (PSYCH 761). The RCT stream curriculum is designed so that students can complete their dissertation work (including the majority of the writing) by end of PhD year 4, and then complete their full-time clinical internship in PhD year 5. By year 5 they will be out-of-time in terms of department financial support and they are paid full-time by the internship. Tuition is only half of full tuition in year 5. Student are still considered full-time graduate students until they graduate (or withdraw); they need to complete the forms requesting to be [https://pnb.mcmaster.ca/pnbgraduatehandbook/index.php/Leaves_of_Absence#Full-time_Off_Campus Full-time Off Campus] for the year. If the internship is outside of Canada, students will also need to submit an [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/10/RMM-801-Field-Trips-Student-Placements-and-Research-Activity-Planning-and-Approval-Program-1-36.pdf RMM 801 (Risk Management Approval Form)].
:* Please note that if a student takes the clinical internship early (e.g. in year 4 of the PhD; this will be a rare occurrence), their financial situation changes. As the internship is a full-time paid position, they will not receive a TAship and they will not receive a department scholarship. However, they are still full-time students in year 4 and will have to pay full tuition and fees. They also need to complete the forms requesting to be [https://pnb.mcmaster.ca/pnbgraduatehandbook/index.php/Leaves_of_Absence#Full-time_Off_Campus Full-time Off Campus] for the year. These details should be taken into consideration when deciding whether to do the clinical internship one year early.

=== Auditing graduate courses ===
Occasionally, a student may wish to audit a graduate course offered by the program. It is important to understand that if you audit a course, you may not take that course for credit at a later time. Consult with your supervisory committee before deciding to audit a course. If your committee agrees, contact the instructor of the course for permission. If you want to formally audit so that the audited course appears on your transcript, please complete and submit this form (read the form carefully for requirements and signatures):
:* [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/10/audit_course_fillable.pdf Audit Course form]

Completing your Degree

2021-07-27T17:25:40Z

Feinberg: /* The Masters defense is organized within the department */

=== Have you completed all the course requirements? ===
You will want to have completed all your program requirements when it comes time to initiate your PhD defense. From section 4.3 Thesis in the graduate calendar: "Please note that thesis defences may not be initiated until all other degree requirements, including comprehensive examinations, have been completed."

Thus, ideally, you will have completed all your [[Course Requirements]] BEFORE the beginning of the last term in which you will be initiating your PhD defense. Occasionally, a student will be registered in a required course in the same term that they are initiating their PhD defense. As long as the student is enrolled in the course in the term in which they initiate, missing the grade would not prevent the student from initiating a PhD defense. However, when it comes time to clear the student to graduate they won’t be cleared if the grade is still missing.

::* Note that for RCT stream students, you will be registered in PSYCH 761 (Clinical Internship) in your final year. This is a full-year course spanning the fall, winter, and summer terms of your final year. This course is a requirement of your program, thus section 4.3 in the Graduate Calendar applies. You will not be able to initiate your PhD defense until the summer term of that year.

Think about your [[Supervisory Committee#Plan of Study | Plan of Study]] early and make sure you complete all requirements in good time.

'''Very Important:''' Check the status of your transcripts in lots of time before your defense! If there are any errors, talk to Nancy ASAP. We cannot change transcripts from within the department, all changes must be submitted with proper paperwork to School of Graduate Studies. This can take time. Our program is too large for us to be able to monitor individual student transcripts; it is your responsibility to bring any errors to us in time for corrections to be made through SGS. Incorrect transcripts can delay completion of your degree.

=== Permission to Write===
Once students have completed all course work, passed their comprehensive exams (in the case of PhD thesis), and collected all their thesis data, with approval of their supervisory committee they may be awarded permission to write. This is not a necessary requirement of the program, but provides the student with a formal document of approval from the committee that no additional data are needed to write the dissertation.

* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/48f77a9150ee44699d7e/ Permission to Write form for Master's students]
* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/ae4383d6e64d46a8b2bd/ Permission to Write form for PhD students]

=== Planning your Defense ===
Apologies for the use of both spellings on this site: "defense" and "defence".

Instructions for both Masters and PhD thesis and defense preparation is provided on the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) website in a set of tabs and documents:
* [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/current-students/completing-your-degree/ Guides to completing your degree]: select the PhD or the Masters tile.
This document will guide you through the appropriate formatting required to successfully submit your thesis for upload by McMaster University Libraries to MacSPHERE:
:* [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/10/guide_for_the_preparation_of_masters_and_doctoral_theses-_december_2016.pdf Guide for the preparation of masters and doctoral theses]
:* [https://macsphere.mcmaster.ca/ MacSPHERE] allows your work to be available internationally and offers you statistics on how often your thesis is accessed.
:* SGS also offers a link to Lehmann Bindery where you can submit an electronic copy, should you wish hard copies to be bound for your own use.

=== Remote Defenses ===
Remote defenses during the coronavirus pandemic have been going very well. There are some guidelines for PhD defenses provided by the School of Graduate Studies (these can be adopted for Masters defenses):
* The PhD Defence Chair Package is distributed by SGS to PhD Defence Chairs, along with the relevant forms, prior to the defence:
:* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/778e265f9a874c7c8362/ PhD-Defence-Chair-Package.pdf]
* The Chair Procedure Guidelines for Online Defences was approved by SGS in May 2020:
:* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/eac11310809e4c64a85f/ Chair Procedure Guidelines for Online Defences]
* Also provided are a few scenarios you might encounter during an online defence (e.g. an examining member loses internet) and what to do:
:* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/ccedd6381d2749448325/ Chair Procedure Guidelines for Online Defences - Scenarios]

=== A new accelerated PhD Defense process ===
(instructions for supervisors and administrators)
: A new accelerated PhD Defense process has been introduced by Graduate Studies in an effort to align McMaster University with the defence practices of other U15 universities and to provide a more agile process for students and their supervisors.
:: The accelerated process can speed up the time between initiating the defense and defending. However, the time between initiating and submitting the thesis is two weeks regardless of using the traditional or accelerated submission process. The time from initiating to defense is 2 + 6 weeks if using the traditional method and 2 + x weeks if using the accelerated process (where x depends on the time it takes for the supervisor to arrange the external, find a defense date, etc).

This is a new set of instructions shared by School of Graduate Studies for the accelerated PhD Defense process:
::* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/1e746740c1894aca8f3a/ Accelerated PhD Defence Process (file date March 2020)]

This flowchart helps conceptualize the path to the defense (I think we could improve this flowchart, if anyone wants to volunteer for that, let me know):
::* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/106d3b07663c4aa39478/ PhD Defense Flowchart]

=== The Masters defense is organized within the department ===
: Please read the following guidelines for the Master's thesis and defense process:
:# Make sure you initiate the intent to initiate a defense on Mosaic. This is very important because it gets you into the SGS computer system.
:# [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/current-students/completing-your-degree/masters-thesis/ Completing your Master's degree - Thesis] on the School of Graduate Studies pages
:# [https://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/content.php?catoid=45&navoid=9134#3-3-_regulations_masters Section 3.3 in the Graduate Calendar (2021-2022)]
:: (COVID NOTE: in contrast to the in-person (pre-COVID) PhD defense, there is some flexibility in whether the Master's defense is public. Discuss this option with your supervisor.)

'''Masters Defense Chair:''' It is the department's responsibility to find a chair/external examiner for the defense. We ask that supervisors help with this task. This means that students should ask their supervisors to find a chair.
: The following forms (SGS and PNB) should be brought to the defense.
:# [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/resources/final-thesis-submission-sheet Final thesis submission sheet (Master's defense SGS form)]
:# [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/7107e4428bd541b389c2/ Master's defense PNB form]
:# [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2020/02/Licence_To_McMaster_University.pdf McMaster University Licence form]
:: (COVID NOTE: if the defense is online, the chair will assist the candidate in completing these forms. Please see the guidelines above for [[Completing_your_Degree#Remote_Defenses]]. They are provided by the School of Graduate Studies for PhD Online Defences, and can be adapted for Masters Online Defences.)

'''Masters Defense External Examiner:'''
:# This can be the chair or someone else inside or outside of the department. The main thing is that is not someone who is on the committee. We ask that supervisors help with this task. This means that students should ask their supervisors to find your external if the chair does not agree to be the external.

'''How much time do they need to read my thesis?'''
: You should discuss this with your committee and find something reasonable.

 '''Note for students who are promoted to PhD but wish to defend a Masters along the way:'''
:: You may proceed with PhD studies but also concurrently work to finish and defend your Masters degree, however, you must complete ALL Masters requirements no later than 4 months after the effective date of proceeding with PhD studies. This effective date for proceeding with PhD studies is usually September 1st (for most promoted students), in which case all Masters degree requirements must be completed before end of December. Take into account that your supervisory committee might be away during the December break, and plan to complete all requirements well before the end of December.

=== COVID-related delays: letter to external examiners for PhD defenses ===
The School of Graduate Studies has prepared a letter for external examiners of PhD defenses that addresses potential COVID-related delays.
::* SGS will include [[https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/912efe780ccd4f67a04b/ this letter as part of the regular package sent to all external examiners of PhD defenses].
::* Students who have been affected by COVID-related delays can also explain, within the thesis itself, how COVID-related restrictions affected particular chapters. A good place for this might be at the beginning of the data chapter, along with other information such as the student's own contributions to multi-author published or submitted work.

=== NEW: Urkund thesis scanning requirement ===
: By January 1, 2021 (now postponed to May 2021 soft roll out and October 2021 deadline), students and supervisors will be required to run all Masters and PhD theses through Urkund, a plagiarism checking software tool that McMaster has adopted campus-wide. Urkund is still in Beta testing at McMaster until mid-fall 2020. The School of Graduate Studies will send us more information soon.
::* [https://www.urkund.com/support/faq/ FAQ on the Urkund site]
::* [https://secretariat.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/Research-Plagiarism-Checking-Policy.pdf McMaster's Research Plagiarism Checking Policy]
::* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/a18f536d887d44b5bf11/ Guidelines for Supervisors for using the Urkund scanning software]

: Please read [https://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/content.php?catoid=42&navoid=8734#2.8_Theses section #2.8 of the 2020-2021 Graduate Calendar] for a few more details.
::* The relevant paragraph in the calendar is: "Prior to the thesis defence and, in the case of a doctoral thesis, before sending out the draft to the external examiner, the entire document must be reviewed for its originality using the University’s paid subscription to Urkund. The program/supervisor will review the originality report generated by Urkund and either recommend changes to the document or approve it for the defence. A thesis may not be seen by the thesis examining committee (including the external reviewer in the case of a doctoral thesis) until the Urkund generated report was reviewed and approved by the supervisor or the program, unless authorized by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies."

=== Faculty, are you chairing a defense? ===

[http://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/cd80fe21b5c04b0c91b6/ These instructions] are included in the PhD defense chair's package, and can be useful for both PhD and masters defense chairs.
See above topics for guidelines for online defenses during COVID.

Completing your Degree

2021-07-27T17:22:48Z

Feinberg: /* The Masters defense is organized within the department */

=== Have you completed all the course requirements? ===
You will want to have completed all your program requirements when it comes time to initiate your PhD defense. From section 4.3 Thesis in the graduate calendar: "Please note that thesis defences may not be initiated until all other degree requirements, including comprehensive examinations, have been completed."

Thus, ideally, you will have completed all your [[Course Requirements]] BEFORE the beginning of the last term in which you will be initiating your PhD defense. Occasionally, a student will be registered in a required course in the same term that they are initiating their PhD defense. As long as the student is enrolled in the course in the term in which they initiate, missing the grade would not prevent the student from initiating a PhD defense. However, when it comes time to clear the student to graduate they won’t be cleared if the grade is still missing.

::* Note that for RCT stream students, you will be registered in PSYCH 761 (Clinical Internship) in your final year. This is a full-year course spanning the fall, winter, and summer terms of your final year. This course is a requirement of your program, thus section 4.3 in the Graduate Calendar applies. You will not be able to initiate your PhD defense until the summer term of that year.

Think about your [[Supervisory Committee#Plan of Study | Plan of Study]] early and make sure you complete all requirements in good time.

'''Very Important:''' Check the status of your transcripts in lots of time before your defense! If there are any errors, talk to Nancy ASAP. We cannot change transcripts from within the department, all changes must be submitted with proper paperwork to School of Graduate Studies. This can take time. Our program is too large for us to be able to monitor individual student transcripts; it is your responsibility to bring any errors to us in time for corrections to be made through SGS. Incorrect transcripts can delay completion of your degree.

=== Permission to Write===
Once students have completed all course work, passed their comprehensive exams (in the case of PhD thesis), and collected all their thesis data, with approval of their supervisory committee they may be awarded permission to write. This is not a necessary requirement of the program, but provides the student with a formal document of approval from the committee that no additional data are needed to write the dissertation.

* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/48f77a9150ee44699d7e/ Permission to Write form for Master's students]
* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/ae4383d6e64d46a8b2bd/ Permission to Write form for PhD students]

=== Planning your Defense ===
Apologies for the use of both spellings on this site: "defense" and "defence".

Instructions for both Masters and PhD thesis and defense preparation is provided on the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) website in a set of tabs and documents:
* [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/current-students/completing-your-degree/ Guides to completing your degree]: select the PhD or the Masters tile.
This document will guide you through the appropriate formatting required to successfully submit your thesis for upload by McMaster University Libraries to MacSPHERE:
:* [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/10/guide_for_the_preparation_of_masters_and_doctoral_theses-_december_2016.pdf Guide for the preparation of masters and doctoral theses]
:* [https://macsphere.mcmaster.ca/ MacSPHERE] allows your work to be available internationally and offers you statistics on how often your thesis is accessed.
:* SGS also offers a link to Lehmann Bindery where you can submit an electronic copy, should you wish hard copies to be bound for your own use.

=== Remote Defenses ===
Remote defenses during the coronavirus pandemic have been going very well. There are some guidelines for PhD defenses provided by the School of Graduate Studies (these can be adopted for Masters defenses):
* The PhD Defence Chair Package is distributed by SGS to PhD Defence Chairs, along with the relevant forms, prior to the defence:
:* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/778e265f9a874c7c8362/ PhD-Defence-Chair-Package.pdf]
* The Chair Procedure Guidelines for Online Defences was approved by SGS in May 2020:
:* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/eac11310809e4c64a85f/ Chair Procedure Guidelines for Online Defences]
* Also provided are a few scenarios you might encounter during an online defence (e.g. an examining member loses internet) and what to do:
:* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/ccedd6381d2749448325/ Chair Procedure Guidelines for Online Defences - Scenarios]

=== A new accelerated PhD Defense process ===
(instructions for supervisors and administrators)
: A new accelerated PhD Defense process has been introduced by Graduate Studies in an effort to align McMaster University with the defence practices of other U15 universities and to provide a more agile process for students and their supervisors.
:: The accelerated process can speed up the time between initiating the defense and defending. However, the time between initiating and submitting the thesis is two weeks regardless of using the traditional or accelerated submission process. The time from initiating to defense is 2 + 6 weeks if using the traditional method and 2 + x weeks if using the accelerated process (where x depends on the time it takes for the supervisor to arrange the external, find a defense date, etc).

This is a new set of instructions shared by School of Graduate Studies for the accelerated PhD Defense process:
::* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/1e746740c1894aca8f3a/ Accelerated PhD Defence Process (file date March 2020)]

This flowchart helps conceptualize the path to the defense (I think we could improve this flowchart, if anyone wants to volunteer for that, let me know):
::* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/106d3b07663c4aa39478/ PhD Defense Flowchart]

=== The Masters defense is organized within the department ===
: Please read the following guidelines for the Master's thesis and defense process:
:# Make sure you initiate the intent to initiate a defense on Mosaic. This is very important because it gets you into the SGS computer system.
:# [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/current-students/completing-your-degree/masters-thesis/ Completing your Master's degree - Thesis] on the School of Graduate Studies pages
:# [https://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/content.php?catoid=45&navoid=9134#3-3-_regulations_masters Section 3.3 in the Graduate Calendar (2021-2022)]
:: (COVID NOTE: in contrast to the in-person (pre-COVID) PhD defense, there is some flexibility in whether the Master's defense is public. Discuss this option with your supervisor.)

'''Masters Defense Chair:''' It is the department's responsibility to find a chair/external examiner for the defense. We ask that supervisors help with this task. This means that students should ask their supervisors to find a chair.
: The following forms (SGS and PNB) should be brought to the defense.
:# [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/resources/final-thesis-submission-sheet Final thesis submission sheet (Master's defense SGS form)]
:# [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/7107e4428bd541b389c2/ Master's defense PNB form]
:# [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2020/02/Licence_To_McMaster_University.pdf McMaster University Licence form]
:: (COVID NOTE: if the defense is online, the chair will assist the candidate in completing these forms. Please see the guidelines above for [[Completing_your_Degree#Remote_Defenses]]. They are provided by the School of Graduate Studies for PhD Online Defences, and can be adapted for Masters Online Defences.)

'''Masters Defense External Examiner:'''
:# This can be the chair or someone else inside or outside of the department. The main thing is that is not someone who is on the committee. We ask that supervisors help with this task. This means that students should ask their supervisors to find your external if the chair does not agree to be the external.

 '''Note for students who are promoted to PhD but wish to defend a Masters along the way:'''
:: You may proceed with PhD studies but also concurrently work to finish and defend your Masters degree, however, you must complete ALL Masters requirements no later than 4 months after the effective date of proceeding with PhD studies. This effective date for proceeding with PhD studies is usually September 1st (for most promoted students), in which case all Masters degree requirements must be completed before end of December. Take into account that your supervisory committee might be away during the December break, and plan to complete all requirements well before the end of December.

=== COVID-related delays: letter to external examiners for PhD defenses ===
The School of Graduate Studies has prepared a letter for external examiners of PhD defenses that addresses potential COVID-related delays.
::* SGS will include [[https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/912efe780ccd4f67a04b/ this letter as part of the regular package sent to all external examiners of PhD defenses].
::* Students who have been affected by COVID-related delays can also explain, within the thesis itself, how COVID-related restrictions affected particular chapters. A good place for this might be at the beginning of the data chapter, along with other information such as the student's own contributions to multi-author published or submitted work.

=== NEW: Urkund thesis scanning requirement ===
: By January 1, 2021 (now postponed to May 2021 soft roll out and October 2021 deadline), students and supervisors will be required to run all Masters and PhD theses through Urkund, a plagiarism checking software tool that McMaster has adopted campus-wide. Urkund is still in Beta testing at McMaster until mid-fall 2020. The School of Graduate Studies will send us more information soon.
::* [https://www.urkund.com/support/faq/ FAQ on the Urkund site]
::* [https://secretariat.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/Research-Plagiarism-Checking-Policy.pdf McMaster's Research Plagiarism Checking Policy]
::* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/a18f536d887d44b5bf11/ Guidelines for Supervisors for using the Urkund scanning software]

: Please read [https://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/content.php?catoid=42&navoid=8734#2.8_Theses section #2.8 of the 2020-2021 Graduate Calendar] for a few more details.
::* The relevant paragraph in the calendar is: "Prior to the thesis defence and, in the case of a doctoral thesis, before sending out the draft to the external examiner, the entire document must be reviewed for its originality using the University’s paid subscription to Urkund. The program/supervisor will review the originality report generated by Urkund and either recommend changes to the document or approve it for the defence. A thesis may not be seen by the thesis examining committee (including the external reviewer in the case of a doctoral thesis) until the Urkund generated report was reviewed and approved by the supervisor or the program, unless authorized by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies."

=== Faculty, are you chairing a defense? ===

[http://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/cd80fe21b5c04b0c91b6/ These instructions] are included in the PhD defense chair's package, and can be useful for both PhD and masters defense chairs.
See above topics for guidelines for online defenses during COVID.

Completing your Degree

2021-07-27T17:21:14Z

Feinberg: /* The Masters defense is organized within the department */

=== Have you completed all the course requirements? ===
You will want to have completed all your program requirements when it comes time to initiate your PhD defense. From section 4.3 Thesis in the graduate calendar: "Please note that thesis defences may not be initiated until all other degree requirements, including comprehensive examinations, have been completed."

Thus, ideally, you will have completed all your [[Course Requirements]] BEFORE the beginning of the last term in which you will be initiating your PhD defense. Occasionally, a student will be registered in a required course in the same term that they are initiating their PhD defense. As long as the student is enrolled in the course in the term in which they initiate, missing the grade would not prevent the student from initiating a PhD defense. However, when it comes time to clear the student to graduate they won’t be cleared if the grade is still missing.

::* Note that for RCT stream students, you will be registered in PSYCH 761 (Clinical Internship) in your final year. This is a full-year course spanning the fall, winter, and summer terms of your final year. This course is a requirement of your program, thus section 4.3 in the Graduate Calendar applies. You will not be able to initiate your PhD defense until the summer term of that year.

Think about your [[Supervisory Committee#Plan of Study | Plan of Study]] early and make sure you complete all requirements in good time.

'''Very Important:''' Check the status of your transcripts in lots of time before your defense! If there are any errors, talk to Nancy ASAP. We cannot change transcripts from within the department, all changes must be submitted with proper paperwork to School of Graduate Studies. This can take time. Our program is too large for us to be able to monitor individual student transcripts; it is your responsibility to bring any errors to us in time for corrections to be made through SGS. Incorrect transcripts can delay completion of your degree.

=== Permission to Write===
Once students have completed all course work, passed their comprehensive exams (in the case of PhD thesis), and collected all their thesis data, with approval of their supervisory committee they may be awarded permission to write. This is not a necessary requirement of the program, but provides the student with a formal document of approval from the committee that no additional data are needed to write the dissertation.

* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/48f77a9150ee44699d7e/ Permission to Write form for Master's students]
* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/ae4383d6e64d46a8b2bd/ Permission to Write form for PhD students]

=== Planning your Defense ===
Apologies for the use of both spellings on this site: "defense" and "defence".

Instructions for both Masters and PhD thesis and defense preparation is provided on the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) website in a set of tabs and documents:
* [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/current-students/completing-your-degree/ Guides to completing your degree]: select the PhD or the Masters tile.
This document will guide you through the appropriate formatting required to successfully submit your thesis for upload by McMaster University Libraries to MacSPHERE:
:* [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/10/guide_for_the_preparation_of_masters_and_doctoral_theses-_december_2016.pdf Guide for the preparation of masters and doctoral theses]
:* [https://macsphere.mcmaster.ca/ MacSPHERE] allows your work to be available internationally and offers you statistics on how often your thesis is accessed.
:* SGS also offers a link to Lehmann Bindery where you can submit an electronic copy, should you wish hard copies to be bound for your own use.

=== Remote Defenses ===
Remote defenses during the coronavirus pandemic have been going very well. There are some guidelines for PhD defenses provided by the School of Graduate Studies (these can be adopted for Masters defenses):
* The PhD Defence Chair Package is distributed by SGS to PhD Defence Chairs, along with the relevant forms, prior to the defence:
:* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/778e265f9a874c7c8362/ PhD-Defence-Chair-Package.pdf]
* The Chair Procedure Guidelines for Online Defences was approved by SGS in May 2020:
:* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/eac11310809e4c64a85f/ Chair Procedure Guidelines for Online Defences]
* Also provided are a few scenarios you might encounter during an online defence (e.g. an examining member loses internet) and what to do:
:* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/ccedd6381d2749448325/ Chair Procedure Guidelines for Online Defences - Scenarios]

=== A new accelerated PhD Defense process ===
(instructions for supervisors and administrators)
: A new accelerated PhD Defense process has been introduced by Graduate Studies in an effort to align McMaster University with the defence practices of other U15 universities and to provide a more agile process for students and their supervisors.
:: The accelerated process can speed up the time between initiating the defense and defending. However, the time between initiating and submitting the thesis is two weeks regardless of using the traditional or accelerated submission process. The time from initiating to defense is 2 + 6 weeks if using the traditional method and 2 + x weeks if using the accelerated process (where x depends on the time it takes for the supervisor to arrange the external, find a defense date, etc).

This is a new set of instructions shared by School of Graduate Studies for the accelerated PhD Defense process:
::* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/1e746740c1894aca8f3a/ Accelerated PhD Defence Process (file date March 2020)]

This flowchart helps conceptualize the path to the defense (I think we could improve this flowchart, if anyone wants to volunteer for that, let me know):
::* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/106d3b07663c4aa39478/ PhD Defense Flowchart]

=== The Masters defense is organized within the department ===
: Please read the following guidelines for the Master's thesis and defense process:
:# [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/current-students/completing-your-degree/masters-thesis/ Completing your Master's degree - Thesis] on the School of Graduate Studies pages
:# [https://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/content.php?catoid=45&navoid=9134#3-3-_regulations_masters Section 3.3 in the Graduate Calendar (2021-2022)]
:: (COVID NOTE: in contrast to the in-person (pre-COVID) PhD defense, there is some flexibility in whether the Master's defense is public. Discuss this option with your supervisor.)

'''Masters Defense Chair:''' It is the department's responsibility to find a chair/external examiner for the defense. We ask that supervisors help with this task. This means that students should ask their supervisors to find a chair.
: The following forms (SGS and PNB) should be brought to the defense.
:# [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/resources/final-thesis-submission-sheet Final thesis submission sheet (Master's defense SGS form)]
:# [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/7107e4428bd541b389c2/ Master's defense PNB form]
:# [https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2020/02/Licence_To_McMaster_University.pdf McMaster University Licence form]
:: (COVID NOTE: if the defense is online, the chair will assist the candidate in completing these forms. Please see the guidelines above for [[Completing_your_Degree#Remote_Defenses]]. They are provided by the School of Graduate Studies for PhD Online Defences, and can be adapted for Masters Online Defences.)

'''Masters Defense External Examiner:'''
:# This can be the chair or someone else inside or outside of the department. The main thing is that is not someone who is on the committee. We ask that supervisors help with this task. This means that students should ask their supervisors to find your external if the chair does not agree to be the external.

 '''Note for students who are promoted to PhD but wish to defend a Masters along the way:'''
:: You may proceed with PhD studies but also concurrently work to finish and defend your Masters degree, however, you must complete ALL Masters requirements no later than 4 months after the effective date of proceeding with PhD studies. This effective date for proceeding with PhD studies is usually September 1st (for most promoted students), in which case all Masters degree requirements must be completed before end of December. Take into account that your supervisory committee might be away during the December break, and plan to complete all requirements well before the end of December.

=== COVID-related delays: letter to external examiners for PhD defenses ===
The School of Graduate Studies has prepared a letter for external examiners of PhD defenses that addresses potential COVID-related delays.
::* SGS will include [[https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/912efe780ccd4f67a04b/ this letter as part of the regular package sent to all external examiners of PhD defenses].
::* Students who have been affected by COVID-related delays can also explain, within the thesis itself, how COVID-related restrictions affected particular chapters. A good place for this might be at the beginning of the data chapter, along with other information such as the student's own contributions to multi-author published or submitted work.

=== NEW: Urkund thesis scanning requirement ===
: By January 1, 2021 (now postponed to May 2021 soft roll out and October 2021 deadline), students and supervisors will be required to run all Masters and PhD theses through Urkund, a plagiarism checking software tool that McMaster has adopted campus-wide. Urkund is still in Beta testing at McMaster until mid-fall 2020. The School of Graduate Studies will send us more information soon.
::* [https://www.urkund.com/support/faq/ FAQ on the Urkund site]
::* [https://secretariat.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/Research-Plagiarism-Checking-Policy.pdf McMaster's Research Plagiarism Checking Policy]
::* [https://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/a18f536d887d44b5bf11/ Guidelines for Supervisors for using the Urkund scanning software]

: Please read [https://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/content.php?catoid=42&navoid=8734#2.8_Theses section #2.8 of the 2020-2021 Graduate Calendar] for a few more details.
::* The relevant paragraph in the calendar is: "Prior to the thesis defence and, in the case of a doctoral thesis, before sending out the draft to the external examiner, the entire document must be reviewed for its originality using the University’s paid subscription to Urkund. The program/supervisor will review the originality report generated by Urkund and either recommend changes to the document or approve it for the defence. A thesis may not be seen by the thesis examining committee (including the external reviewer in the case of a doctoral thesis) until the Urkund generated report was reviewed and approved by the supervisor or the program, unless authorized by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies."

=== Faculty, are you chairing a defense? ===

[http://macdrive.mcmaster.ca/f/cd80fe21b5c04b0c91b6/ These instructions] are included in the PhD defense chair's package, and can be useful for both PhD and masters defense chairs.
See above topics for guidelines for online defenses during COVID.