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GRADUATE GUIDE PART II This orientation handbook for the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences is an insider's look at the things you will need to know as a new graduate student from the moment you come into the department and throughout your graduate program. It is not intended to replace the academic calendar or provide a general guide to McGill University but to supplement these resources. You may find that it contains some helpful information for the duration of your graduate degree in EPS. It is divided into two parts: PART I: ORIENTATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EPS PART II: AN INSIDER’S LOOK AT THE GRADUATE PROGRAMS
15. SUCCESSFUL LAUNCHING OF YOUR RESEARCH NETWORKING WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT It is to your advantage to become active as a member of the graduate student community within EPS as soon as you arrive and to make valuable contacts with faculty, fellow students and our technical and support staff. Starting to network is as simple as taking up an executive position in the Adams Club or attending internal events such as our EPS ritual of afternoon coffee and cookies in the lounge (3-3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday), departmental talks, and departmental social events. Not only will you begin to meet other students who share the same research supervisor as you, but also other students in the department from different disciplines. The resource provided by your peers is of inestimable value, and can range from sorting through the bureaucratic tasks of registration to receiving a critical evaluation of your research. The contribution of the technical and support staff can be extremely valuable during your graduate program. Analytical and computer expertise is outstanding in this department; it is there for the asking. In the main office, Anne, Kristy and Angela are excellent resources for administrative challenges and can handle most inquiries and requests efficiently by e-mail. There are several ways to make contact with members of faculty. You will take graduate courses and work as a TA in EPS; these are opportunities to become acquainted with the faculty. Attending the Current Research Seminars provides excellent exposure to each faculty member's research projects. You may discover an overlap with your own research and, consequently, seek scientific input, possibly by inclusion of a faculty member in your thesis advisory committee on the basis of research discipline, knowledge of analytical methods or research approach. With a greater awareness of the resources at McGill, you will be better able to take full advantage of them during your graduate program. Consider that any member of faculty in EPS, regardless of whether or not they are your research supervisor or on your advisory committee, can be approached for advice and consultation. The graduate students form an integral part of the research in this Department and can play a major role in communicating enthusiasm for our research disciplines. Attending talks is one way to network, but giving an oral presentation within the department also allows you to get acquainted with your peers and with faculty and for them to learn about your research (Section 17). The distinct advantages in presenting your research internally are exposure and feedback. Don't hesitate to become a part of the academic community in EPS. You will benefit in the long run. IDENTIFYING A THESIS TOPIC The earlier you choose a thesis topic, the sooner you can get started on your research program. Although your topic may change as you collect data and make preliminary interpretations that can lead in different research directions, having some idea at the start is instructive and actually required for the MSc presentation and PhD preliminary oral examination. The choice of a thesis topic should consider a combination of priorities:
PREPARING YOUR THESIS PROPOSAL The earlier you begin to prepare your thesis proposal, the sooner you will be launched into your research activities. The act of writing a proposal forces you to think about it in earnest. You can discuss it with your research supervisor in advance, but be advised that your supervisor is expected NOT to participate in the actual writing. You can also discuss it with other people in the department, such as your colleagues, other members of faculty and technical staff. You can also take a look at previously submitted proposals in the department to get an idea of what is expected in terms of depth, breadth and format. A thesis proposal should include the context of your research within the current scientific literature, your research hypothesis, the main objective(s), the methods you will use to reach your objective(s), preliminary results (if any), and interpretations. For PhD students, normally the proposal is not to exceed 15 pages (including figures, references and appendices). Do not include extraneous material, especially if you are not very familiar with it. Since the thesis proposal is a requirement for the PhD preliminary oral exam, you should consider its contents in that context (see Section 15, under preliminary PhD oral exam). The thesis proposal must be circulated to the examining committee at least a month before the scheduled exam. THESIS ADVISORY COMMITEES: WHO NEEDS THEM? According to the EPS graduate program constitution, you must form a thesis advisory committee. Item 10: "Each graduate student has a Thesis Advisory Committee consisting of the Supervisor and one (in the case of MSc) or two (in the case of PhD) other faculty member(s), selected by the Supervisor in consultation with the student. In the case of a PhD1 student with no assigned Supervisor, the GASC [Graduate Academic Standing Committee] serves in its place. The function of the Thesis Advisory Committee is to supply regular advice to the student and to monitor his/her progress. It must meet with the student at least once a semester (twice a year) and submit a written report to the GASC on the student's progress after each meeting." You may discuss inclusion of a faculty member in your thesis advisory committee with your supervisor and take part in selecting its members. The members are not restricted to faculty in EPS or at McGill. There is no strict format for the thesis committee meetings, but normally the student is expected to briefly present research results, interpretations and progress and to propose a timetable for future work. The main purposes of the committee meetings are to monitor the student's progress, to ensure that the supervisor-student relationship is on the right track, and to provide an expert forum for research discussion. It is a good idea to become active in forming your thesis advisory committee, to hold regular meetings and to make the most of it as a resource throughout your graduate program. HUMAN RESOURCES Your greatest source of support is obviously your research supervisor and thesis advisory committee. However, if a problem does arise that cannot be resolved directly with those most involved in your research, you can consult the Director of Graduate Studies, Don Baker, or the Department Chair, Andrew Hynes. Their doors are open to discuss any problems or conflicts you might be having in your graduate program, be they bureaucratic, financial, logistical, scientific or with the student-supervisor relationship. Although it may be worthwhile at times to discuss your concerns with fellow graduate students, in the end, the Director of Graduate Studies and the Departmental Chair are in the best positions to help resolve a problem or conflict. Naturally, you can also consult with other members of faculty who may not be on your thesis committee. THE MSc PRESENTATION The Director of Graduate Studies, Don Baker, coordinates the MSc presentations. Item 21: "MSc1 students must submit a written statement of their proposed thesis research to the GASC by March 1st (November 1st for January entrants) and give a public presentation of their plans to the GASC and other interested parties, followed by questions, later in the month." The purpose of the MSc presentation is to ensure that students have developed a research proposal early in their program and have a chance to get initial feedback on the project design and preliminary results. The presentations last 20 minutes each, including time (about 5 minutes) for questions. All members of the department are encouraged to attend. Although there is no formal evaluation of the MSc presentations, they are required by the GASC for fulfillment of the MSc degree, and a pass/fail evaluation may be instituted in the future. THE PRELIMINARY PhD ORAL EXAM The preliminary PhD oral examination or "comps" is required early in the doctoral program according to the EPS Graduate Program Constitution. Item 15: "PhD2 students take a PhD Qualifying Examination near the end of their second semester. In preparation for this examination the student must submit a written research proposal, normally the PhD thesis topic, to the GASC by March 1st for an oral examination to be conducted in late April (November 1st for January entrants, for an oral examination in late December). The written proposal must be prepared independently of the Supervisor, although the Supervisor may have provided advice in the scientific design of the project. Provided the GASC considers the written proposal acceptable, the proposal and the science associated with it are the subject of an oral examination conducted late in April (December, for January entrants). The examination may include questions pertaining to the Earth Sciences in general, in addition to ones related specifically to the thesis proposal." Item 16: "The PhD Qualifying Examination is conducted by a committee, distinct for each student, consisting of 5 faculty selected by the Chair of the GASC in consultation with the Supervisor. This committee examines the candidate orally and, based on its assessment of the examination and the written proposal, as well as the student's academic record, recommends that the student has passed the examination or that he/she has failed but may retake the examination, or that the student has failed and must withdraw from the doctoral program." Item 17: "If a student has been permitted to retake the PhD Qualifying Examination, he/she must submit a new written proposal, which may be a revised version of the original one, by September 1st (May 1st for January entrants). The student must take the oral examination by the end of September (May). Under most circumstances, the examining committee will be the same as for the first examination." The main purpose of the PhD preliminary oral exam is to ensure that the student is truly prepared and competent to continue in the doctoral program. Not only does the examination test your knowledge and ability to design and articulate your research intent, but also your ability to think critically. Much of the questioning targets your ability to think "on your feet" and to make links between different themes in the Earth and planetary sciences. The examining committee is also interested in determining the depth and breadth of your knowledge base in your specific field of research and more generally. Preparation In order to prepare for the preliminary oral exam, first, you must compose a thesis proposal. Be aware that anything that is included in your thesis proposal, particularly the underlying scientific principles, is fair game for questioning in your exam. Consequently, it is prudent to write a succinct proposal and eliminate extraneous information. Make sure that you are extremely familiar with its content, including the necessary analytical techniques. After it is written, you are required to circulate the proposal to the members of your examination committee well in advance of your scheduled exam. You can discuss selection of your exam committee with your research supervisor and will be informed of its final composition by the Director of Graduate Studies. After the committee members have had a chance to peruse your proposal, you should make individual appointments with them to discuss the proposal and the exam. Timing and organization are critical; committee members cannot be of much help to you during your preparation if you plan a meeting a few days before the exam. Often members of the committee will give you suggestions to improve your proposal. You may choose to incorporate their suggestions and circulate the revised version. Several faculty members may also tell you in which domains of the Earth and planetary sciences they will focus their questioning. Heed them carefully. They might even give you a sample of their questioning style. During your meeting, you can also ask them for advice on which areas you should concentrate your preparation. The exam questioning will focus mainly on the scientific principles which underpin the proposal. However, you should expect some questions designed to ensure that you have a firm knowledge of the basic background geology/geochemistry/geophysics associated with your research. The PhD preliminary oral examination is an important qualifying hurdle that requires careful preparation, organization and a significant preparation-time commitment. There are several strategies that can help. You may choose to TA a course that is relevant to your research. You may audit an undergraduate course in case your background is lacking in a given area. If you are not accustomed to the oral format of the exam, you could form a "mock" oral committee with your colleagues from various disciplines, give them your research proposal and arrange a time to give them a brief presentation (20 minutes) and accept questions as though it were the real thing. To gain confidence in the oral format before the exam, you might consider giving a talk in any of the venues available within the department (Section 17) or at a scientific meeting. Format Normally, the student is asked to leave while the chair of the exam and committee deliberate over the order of examiners. The entire exam is overseen by the chair of the committee, normally a member of the GASC. The student is expected to give a brief presentation that summarizes the thesis proposal. Questioning begins, usually with the committee member whose own research is most distant from that of the student. Each questioner is given a 20-minute time slot. The Chair will signal when the period is over and indicate from which examiner the next round of questioning will come. The Chair himself/herself is also an examiner and will have a turn at asking questions. If deemed appropriate during the exam, the Chair may decide to allow a short recess. The research supervisor is normally the final examiner. A second round of questioning will be offered to the examiners by the Chair. Afterwards, the student is asked to leave while the committee deliberates the outcome. The entire exam is strictly a closed affair with only you, and your examination committee. Strategies During the exam, if you have not understood an examiner's question, ask him/her to repeat it. Instead of rushing to give a response, take your time to answer as fully as possible. Use the blackboard liberally to clarify the question or to illustrate your response. Be prepared to face different styles of questioning even from the same examiner. The examiners may continue on a single narrow theme to determine where your limits of knowledge lie. Alternatively, they may cut you off if they detect that you are competent in a given line of questioning. If you don't know the answer to a question, try to follow the train of thought within the question and address it as best you can. If you really haven't got a clue or have drawn a blank, say so. If you are guessing, say so, and provide the arguments that led you to your conclusions. Try to let the examiners see your own train of thought in formulating an answer. They are not interested in your ability to retain trivia, but in your thinking process. Evaluation and Possible Outcomes Normally the chair of your committee will give you the final decision immediately after the deliberations, so stay near the examination room. Currently the possible outcomes are: pass, fail with chance to retake the exam, fail with mandatory withdrawal from the PhD program. Some committees may advise or require the student who has passed to take additional courses to strengthen an existing area of weakness. The outcome of failure with chance to retake the exam is offered when the committee deems that a student may be competent to continue in the PhD program, but has displayed significant areas of weakness during the exam. The committee has the choice to request a retake of the same exam format or to focus the student's retake on the area(s) of weakness that was/were exposed. In the second option, the student will be asked up to three questions on specific topics, write essay format responses without outside help, submit the responses, and orally defend the content of the essay(s) in front of the same examination committee. The intent of this option is to focus on the student's weaknesses and help to strengthen them. 16. TRANSFER WITHIN THE GRADUATE PROGRAMS According to the Graduate Program Constitution, transfers within the graduate programs are possible. MSc to PhD: Item 22: "A student may apply to the GASC for transfer from the MSc program into PhD2 at the end of MSc1 if he/she has taken 4 courses and has a GPA of not less than 3.5, with no course grade lower than 3.0 (B). Criteria that will be considered by the GASC in assessing such an application are the grades and academic level of the courses taken and the progress reports from the Thesis Advisory Committee." A student who is "fast-tracking" from MSc to PhD must submit a graduate application and fee online, as well as two new reference letters and an updated McGill transcript. New copies of previous transcripts are not necessary. PhD to MSc: Item 18: "A PhD1 or PhD2 student may transfer to the MSc program at any time. Courses taken in the PhD program are in this case creditable towards the MSc requirements provided they meet the criteria for the MSc program." Item 19: "A student who fails the PhD Qualifying Examination may, on the recommendation of the Examining Committee, transfer to the MSc program. Courses taken in the PhD program are in this case creditable towards the MSc requirements provided they meet the criteria for the MSc program." 17. ORAL PRESENTATIONS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT Every graduate student must give at least one oral presentation internally in order to be considered for teaching assistantships and departmental scholarships in the subsequent academic year. These are great opportunities to receive scientific feedback, to "test drive" a presentation destined for an upcoming scientific meeting, and to practice your presentation skills. The following venues count towards fulfilling this requirement:
18. PREPARATION OF YOUR THESIS AS A DOCUMENT TRADITIONAL VERSUS MANUSCRIPT-BASED THESIS Your thesis can be submitted either in classical format or as a collection of manuscripts that is a combination of papers already published, submitted for publication or to be submitted for publication. Consult with your research supervisor. Many will not even accept graduate students unless they agree to write a manuscript-based thesis. The choice of a traditional thesis versus a series of articles for publication is a subjective one with advantages and disadvantages for each option. In the long run, most students find that writing a manuscript-based thesis saves time since it does not need to be rewritten or re-formatted for subsequent publication although, initially, it does take longer to write it succinctly for publication. Even if several individual manuscripts within the thesis have been published, it is no guarantee of thesis success. A manuscript-based dissertation will go through the same rigorous critical examination as would a classical thesis. To accommodate the manuscript-based thesis, the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office has set very specific instructions in the "Thesis Preparation and Submission Guidelines". This document is a must, available online at http://www.mcgill.ca/gps/students/thesis/programs/guidelines/. The main requirements are:
GUIDELINES FOR THESIS PREPARATION Regardless of the thesis format (traditional versus manuscript-based), you must comply with the "Guidelines for Thesis Preparation" as outlined by the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office. It is available on the web ( http://www.mcgill.ca/gps/students/thesis/programs/guidelines/ ) You must get the most recent copy of this document as its contents change periodically. It includes general comments, thesis specifications, the manuscript-based thesis, thesis formatting and withholding your dissertation (e.g., for sensitive content). 19. NUTS & BOLTS OF SUBMITTING YOUR THESIS FOR EVALUATION AND/OR DEFENSE The "Thesis Preparation and Submission Guidelines" are absolutely essential. The document is available online at http://www.mcgill.ca/gps/students/thesis/programs/guidelines/. This section of the handbook cannot replace the official guidelines, but does emphasize the highlights. Plan ahead. The Nomination of Examiners Form must be completed and submitted along with your thesis. It is used as notice of selection of internal and external examiners. In considering potential external examiners, consult your research supervisor and try to select competent scientists with good reputations in your general field of study who have had reasonably long records of evaluating theses. They are apt to give your dissertation a fair assessment in comparison with others they have examined Several documents must accompany your initial thesis submission, available at http://www.mcgill.ca/gps/students/thesis/programs/forms/. They are the Thesis Submission Form, National, UMI and McGill Library Waiver Forms, Thesis Submission Fee, the Nomination of Examiners Form (two original copies; one to the Thesis Office and one to the EPS main office) and Thesis Submission Checklist. Submission deadlines are posted on the web for each convocation. Plan for external thesis examination to take a minimum of 6-8 weeks for the MSc and 8-10 weeks for the PhD. Delays can be caused by late submission of the Nomination of Examiners Form, inability to engage an external examiner, and submission during busy periods in the academic year. You can check on the status of your thesis processing directly with the Thesis Office (James Administration Building, Room 400, 398-3990),, with your research supervisor or with Kristy in the main office. Final reports from the internal and external examiners must reach the Thesis Office two weeks before the defense with a passing grade for a PhD oral defense to continue as planned. The student will not be privy to the identity of the external examiner until after the examination. For PhD theses, an oral defense form, stating the earliest date that the defense can be scheduled, will be sent to the EPS main office once the thesis has been sent to the external examiner. You can contact Kristy to schedule a defense date, keeping in mind that the Thesis Office requires a minimum of two week's notice. Normally, Kristy will prompt you to supply her with a very brief curriculum vitae, publication list, and thesis abstract for the PhD defense notification booklets. The best template for its format is a recent PhD announcement. 20. MSc FINAL PRESENTATION A requirement was established within the Department that all MSc students should present the results of their thesis work to the Department towards the end of their fourth semester (or near the beginning of the following one), when the student's research should be near its end. This presentation should be a public seminar of at least 25 minutes (with 5 minutes for questions following the presentation), but the student may find it easier to summarize their research in a 50-minute presentation. All students completing their MSc program in the Fall 2009 semester or later are subject to this requirement. 21. PhD ORAL THESIS DEFENSE You must look up the guidelines for Doctoral Oral Examinations online at http://www.mcgill.ca/gps/students/thesis/programs/guidelines/oral/. This handbook only provides the highlights and is inadequate on its own. In the oral defense, the candidate is expected to give an introductory 20-minute presentation that emphasizes the contributions of the dissertation to existing knowledge in the presentation format of a scientific meeting. Chaired by the Pro-Dean in 20-minute time slots, each member of the examining committee will question the student on the thesis, presentation, and also on related subjects. Many of the strategies you used in your preliminary PhD oral exam can be used again during your final defense (see Section 15). There is one full round of questioning followed by an invitation from the Pro-Dean for additional questions from the examining committee. Afterwards, the Chair will invite the audience to question the candidate as well. At the end of the question period, the candidate and audience leave while the committee discusses examiners' comments, the thesis and the entire student record. The final PhD oral defense is open to all graduate students and members of faculty. 22. INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL THESIS EVALUATION REPORTS Evaluation of the MSc and PhD thesis are identical in format. The evaluation form that each examiner will use contains the following criteria: Each category is assessed as excellent, very good, good, satisfactory, or unsatisfactory where applicable. 1.Grasp of subject, powers of criticism and awareness of previous work 2.Resourcefulness, alertness to significance of findings 3.Diligence, care and technical skill in research 4.Organization of findings 5.Quality of presentation (coherence, lucidity, grammar, style, freedom from typographic errors) 6.Overall judgement: Pass or Fail 7.A student whose thesis is exceptional in all or almost all aspects may be recommended for the Dean's Honour List provided that the thesis was submitted before or while he/she was in PhD 7. 8.External and internal examiners are invited to provide comments explaining their evaluation of the thesis as well as any suggestions for improvements. The possible final outcomes are:
The "Guidelines for Thesis Submission" (found online at http://www.mcgill.ca/gps/students/thesis/programs/guidelines/ ) include instructions for final thesis deposition. After all the required corrections have been made in consultation with the research supervisor, the student must complete and sign the "Certification of Acceptability of Thesis" form. A deadline is given on the form for submission of final copies (usually one month after the exam process is over). Dates are posted on the web to meet graduation deadlines. Make the most of your graduate program in the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences. You will spend a large proportion of your time within these walls; it is worth investing in the graduate student community. Not only will it help you in your own research and self-development, but also your current colleagues and graduate students to come. Since the graduate student population is one of the principal driving forces for research in the Department, they can make a positive contribution to the department by active participation during their time in EPS. Hopefully, this handbook has provided you with some of the tools and resources for productive years as a graduate student. Original version: 26 August 1998, compiled by Sam Alpay Revisions 1999-2005: Sam Alpay, Andrew Hynes, A.E. Williams-Jones, Kristy Thornton Subsequent updates: Kristy Thornton |
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