The Degree of PhD in Medical Sciences - Obstetrics and Gynecology [Graduate]

The general description for the PhD in Medical Sciences– Obstetrics and Gynecology is as presented for all PhD programs in Medical Sciences (see The Degree of PhD (Medical Sciences) [Graduate] ).

Program Requirements

Students entering the PhD program after a BSc degree are required to complete a minimum of ★6 in coursework, and a thesis.

Students entering the PhD program after an MSc degree are required to complete a minimum of ★3 in coursework, and a thesis.

Coursework

For students entering after a BSc degree:
- Two ★3 graded graduate-level courses
For students entering after an MSc degree:
- One ★3 graded graduate-level course
Additional coursework may be required, depending on the background of the student and the research undertaken
Course(s) selection will be recommended by the supervisory committee in consultation with the student
Students in the Maternal and Child Health (MatCH) scholarship program are also admitted to the Graduate Embedded Certificate in Maternal and Child Health Research. See Medical Sciences for the program requirements and the MatCH website for more information on the program.

Thesis

Registration in 900-level THES. Students are required to prepare and defend a thesis on a topic approved by their supervisor and supervisory committee.

PhD Proposal

All PhD students must submit a PhD Proposal Package to the Medical Sciences Graduate Program (MSGP) committee within 24 months of the start of the graduate program. The proposal must be approved prior to the candidacy exam.

Candidacy Exam

Once the PhD proposal is approved, the candidacy exam should take place within the following 6 months. Falling outside this timeframe would require a written explanation and timeline for submission to be forwarded to the Graduate Coordinator and the MSGP Chair. Failure to meet this timeline may affect a student’s eligibility for the MSGP graduate student awards.

The candidacy exam consists of a written research proposal on a topic related to but not directly on the student’s thesis topic. The candidacy exam topic must be approved by the student’s supervisory committee. The student will then be required to defend this proposal in an oral examination.

Residency Requirements

PhD students must be registered full-time on campus for a minimum of 36 consecutive months. Residency is cumulative for students who change program category from the MSc to PhD program.

Length of Program

Time to completion depends on the background of the student and on the type of thesis project. A minimum of three years is required to complete the PhD degree.

The maximum time to complete the PhD program as set by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research is six years.