Oral Candidacy Examination
Timelines
It is recommended that students take the oral candidacy examination by the end of their third year. The candidacy is normally held within four months of the oral comprehensive examination (and may be held directly after it). Notice of the examination must be received by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at least three weeks in advance of the scheduled date. The candidacy must be passed no less than six months prior to taking the final oral examination of the thesis.
NOTE: Students sometimes decide to change the thesis topic substantially after passing the candidacy. Such a decision necessitates a repetition of the candidacy examination, since the previous pass was given on the basis of the original topic. Furthermore, the new topic may also require one or more comprehensive examinations. Hence, this serious step may be taken only after close consultation with the supervisor and the Associate Chair (Graduate Studies), whose permission is required.
Thesis proposal
The purpose of the candidacy is to determine that the student is ready to proceed to write his/her doctoral thesis. To this end, the student will prepare a thesis proposal of ten to twenty double-spaced pages (including bibliography) outlining the topic to be researched and the primary and secondary sources to be used, that will be the focus of the candidacy. Members of the examining committee, and the chair, must receive a copy of the thesis proposal well in advance of the examination.
Format
The examining committee will consist of the supervisory committee plus at least two other members, one from within the Department and one (known as the “internal/external”) from a department other than History and Classics. There must be a minimum of two arm’s length members who come new to the examination. It is chaired by the Associate Chair (Graduate Studies) or his/her delegate appointed from within the Department; the chair does not vote. All members must attend the examination, either in person or via teleconferencing. The examination will normally last for approximately two hours and may not exceed three. Generally, each examiner is allotted fifteen minutes, and any extra time will be allocated in five-minute allotments to each member if it is felt that further questioning is warranted.
Criteria for evaluation
The student must demonstrate the following to the examining committee: (1) an adequate knowledge of the discipline and of the subject matter relevant to the thesis, (2) the ability to pursue and conduct original research at an advanced level, and (3) the appropriateness and viability of the chosen topic and methodology. This evaluation will be based on the quality of both the written thesis proposal and the student’s oral responses to questions in the examination.
Decision
Normally, if all but one member of the committee agree on a decision, the decision shall be that of the majority. If two or more dissenting votes are recorded, the Department will refer the matter to the Associate Dean, FGSR, who will determine an appropriate course of action. One of the following outcomes of the candidacy is appropriate:
- Pass
- Conditional pass
- Fail
Pass: If the student passes the candidacy examination, the Department shall complete the Report of Completion of Candidacy Examination form and submit it to the FGSR.
Conditional Pass: If the candidacy examining committee agrees to a conditional pass for the student, the chair of the examining committee shall provide in writing to the Associate Dean, FGSR, and the student:
- the reasons for this recommendation
- details of the conditions
- timeframe for the student to meet the conditions
- the approval mechanism for meeting the conditions, ie, approval of the committee chair or supervisor, or of the entire committee, or of select members of the committee
- the supervision and assistance the student can be expected to receive from committee members
Once the examining committee has agreed that the conditions have been met, the Department shall complete the Report of Completion of Candidacy Examination form and submit it to the FGSR.
Fail: If the candidacy examining committee agrees that the student has failed, the committee chair shall provide the reasons for this recommendation and the Department’s recommendation for the student’s program in writing to the Associate Dean, FGSR, and to the student. For failed candidacy examinations, the Associate Dean, FGSR, normally arranges to meet with the student and with Department representatives before acting upon any Department recommendation. A decision of the FGSR which affects a student’s academic standing (ie, he/she is required to withdraw or transfer to a master’s program) is appealable.
The following options are to be considered by the examining committee when the outcome of a student’s candidacy exam is “fail”:
- Repeat the Candidacy
If the student’s candidacy exam performance was inadequate but the student’s performance and work completed to date indicate that the student has the potential to perform at the doctoral level, the examining committee should consider the possibility of recommending that the student be given an opportunity to repeat the candidacy exam.
If the recommendation of a repeat candidacy is formulated by the examining committee and approved by the FGSR, the student is to be notified in writing of his/her exam deficiencies by the chair of the examining committee. The second candidacy exam is to be scheduled no later than three to six months from the date of the first candidacy. In the event that the student fails the second candidacy, the examining committee shall recommend one of the next two options.
- Change of Category to a Master’s Program
If the student’s candidacy exam performance was inadequate and the student’s performance and work completed to date indicate that the student has the potential to complete a master’s program, the examining committee should consider the possibility of recommending a change of category to a master’s program or postgraduate diploma program.
- Termination of the Doctoral Program
If the student’s performance was inadequate and the work completed during the program is considered inadequate, the examining committee should recommend termination of the student’s program.