university of toronto phd thesis database

Theses and Dissertations by U of T Students

Tspace thesis and dissertation collection.

•   U of T Doctoral Theses Collection (2009 – current)
•   U of T Master’s Theses Collection (2009 – current)
•   U of T TSpace Thesis and Dissertation Collection (pre-2009)

Catalogue Access to U of T Theses and Dissertations

• An Advanced Search of the Catalogue with Format set to Thesis retrieves Master’s and Doctoral Theses in the  U of T Library collection.

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses @ University of Toronto Database

• Searching the ProQuest customized database retrieves theses and dissertations by U of T students.

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Research Guides

Wrr104: writing reports.

• Build Your Search Strategy

Use Databases via UofT Libraries

Proquest - search tips, scopus - search tips, use uoft librarysearch to find peer-reviewed articles.

• How can I tell if an article is peer reviewed? (link to Ulrich's) This link opens in a new window
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Check if journal is Peer Reviewed

You can search for articles anywhere and check if the article is published in a Peer Review Journal or Conference using the instructions in:

  "How can I tell if an article is peer reviewed" 

Quick link -   Ulrich's Periodical Directory  (be sure to read instructions first!)

Another approach is to use research databases that let you limit your search to Peer-Reviewed Articles: 

• ProQuest Databases has a filter to only show articles from Peer-Reviewed Journals and Conferences (focuses on all subjects, but also includes Theses & Dissertations). Find the Peer-Review check box on the Advanced Search and Search Results pages. ProQuest has a wide range of non-peer-reviewed materials so it's important to use that filter. 
• Scopus  is a database that only contains Peer-Reviewed materia ls (focused more on sciences and social sciences)
• UofT LibrarySearch has a Peer-review articles filter on its search results page 
• ProQuest This link opens in a new window Multidisciplinary search engine that holds multiple databases containing academic journals, newspapers, ebooks, dissertations, theses, and more.

ProQuest is a platform containing over a 100 databases that hold an array of publications (i.e., newspaper, magazines, journals, and book titles) in different subjects areas including business, sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities. This search platform also holds a key collection of PhD Dissertations and Masters Theses. 

Learn more about ProQuest Search Tips

1) Choosing your Search Terms

Enter search terms on separate lines e.g., enter  title of film  on the top line, director's last name below, so as to articulate your search request. Use  Boolean Operators  to improve your seach:

• AND  - narrows your search (e.g., Procrastination  AND  Instagram)
• OR -  widens your search (e.g., film  OR  movies  OR  cinema, youth   OR  teen  OR  "young adult",  “ebook”  OR  "e-Book")
• Quotations marks -  search for specific phrases (e.g.,  " Great Lakes " ,  " First Nations " ,  " speed-networking " )
• Wildcard * -  search for root word with different endings  (e.g. enviro *  = enviro nment , enviro nments , enviro nmentalism)

2) Sort your Results 

Sort your results (relevance, date) 

• Sort by Date:  It may be useful to arrange the results chronologically (oldest first) in order to follow the entire production process of a particular film, from gossip about potential stars to reviews and box-office grosses.

3) Using ProQuest Search Filters

Narrow your search results using filters on left sidebar

• Peer Review -  click the check box
• Source Type  (e.g., Scholarly Journals)
• Date Range 
• Document Type  (e.g., Feature, Front Page/Cover Story, Article, Literature Review)

3) Mark relevant records

If you find interesting articles, be sure to . 

• Go to the results page and click the check box to the left of the article title  
• When you are ready to email the articles to yourself, scroll to the top of the results list and click on  Email link  (on right side)
• Email the marked records to yourself 

Another option is to create a free  ProQuest MyResearch account.

Scopus   

Scopus is a platform containing international peer review research. Scopus contains publications (i.e., journals and book titles) in different subjects areas including business, sciences, and social sciences with some arts, and humanities resources. 

Enter search terms on separate lines e.g., enter  title of film  on the top line, director's last name below, so as to articulate your search request. Use  Boolean Operators  to improve your seach:

• AND  (narrows your search e.g., Procrastination  AND Instagram)
• OR  (widens your search e.g., film  OR  movies OR cinema, youth   OR teen OR "young adult",  “ebook” OR  "e-Book")
• Quotations marks  (search for specific phrases, e.g., " Great Lakes " ,  " First Nations " , " speed-networking " )
• Wildcard * (search for root word with different endings, e.g. enviro * = enviro nment , enviro nments , enviro nmentalism

Default is "Most Recent" - Most Relevant will be more useful. 

"Peer-reviewed Articles" is one of the filter options in LibrarySearch . Selecting this filter limits your search results to articles published in scholarly journals that use a peer-review editorial process. 

Understanding Peer Review

Peer Review is:

• The formal process by which researchers critically appraise each other's work to ensure a high level of scholarship in a journal and to improve the quality and readability of a manuscript. 
• Applied to both primary articles (i.e. articles which present findings from original research) and review articles that summarize primary research.   

How this Filter Works

LibrarySearch is integrated with  UlrichsWeb , a periodical index that includes the peer-review status of more than 300,000 journals. When you select this filter, LibrarySearch instantly narrows your results to those UlrichsWeb indicates are peer-reviewed. 

• << Previous: Build Your Search Strategy
• Next: How can I tell if an article is peer reviewed? (link to Ulrich's) >>
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Faculty of Information — Theses and Dissertations

Explore our section in the University of Toronto research repository, TSpace to view recent theses and dissertations.

For a complete listing of all Faculty of Information theses and dissertations, please see below.

Master of Information (MI)

Bibliography of theses and research reports from the following programs between 1970–present: Library Science; Library & Information Science; Information Studies; Information .

Master of Museum Studies (MMSt)

Bibliography of theses and research reports from the Museology program (1972–1979), and the Museum Studies program (1980–2005; 2011; 2013–present).

Doctoral (PhD)

Bibliography of dissertations produced between 1974–present.

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

• PhD: Social and Behavioural Health Sciences
• Our Programs
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Overview

The PhD course of study includes a set of common requirements with flexibility to enable the student to pursue a unique learning experience tailored to his/her learning needs and research problem focus.  The program permits students to pursue their area of interest from different levels of understanding and theoretical perspectives.

The program enables students to take advantage of what the university/program faculty has to offer, and assists them in tailoring their studies according to their own experiences, scholarly interests, career direction and aspirations.  This program also participates and encourages participation in a variety of interdisciplinary graduate University of Toronto Collaborative Specializations .

Features of the program:

• Emphasizes the application of concepts, theories, models and methods concerned with the structures and processes that underlie health and health promotion, illness, premature mortality, injury and disability;
• Emphasizes research methodology (philosophy and design) and research methods (techniques);
• Seeks to develop substantive knowledge and critical analytic ability at multiple levels of analysis, from the “micro” individual level to the “macro” societal level;
• Fosters a reflexive and critical perspective on theory and methodology; and
• Adopts a model of independent student scholarship.

The requirements of the   PhD Program in Social & Behavioural Health Sciences (SBHS) include:

• Qualifying exam
• Thesis proposal defense
• Thesis defense: A) Departmental defense B) Final oral examination

Admission Requirements

The application deadline for the September 2024 start was on November 24th at 11:59pm EST .   See Application Process  for information about the admission process.  Click  here  to view minimum application requirements for a PhD Program. Click here for information on our  funding package  and for information on the university’s  funding policies . To identify potential supervisors, please visit our  faculty database  which is searchable by research interest. While you are not required to have a confirmed match with a supervisor at the time of your application, it is strongly recommended that you list one or more potential supervisors in your letter of intent to help demonstrate fit with our program. Prospective students are encouraged to contact potential supervisors in advance to determine their capacity to take on new doctoral students.

Additional Admission Requirements for the PhD

• A match between the student’s research area and potential supervisor’s expertise
• Background (course, experience) in social sciences and/or health sciences
• Graduate level quantitative or qualitative methods courses/background

Course Requirements

Coursework (reflects minimum requirements)

Course Requirements (3.5 FCE)

Required Courses:

• CHL5005H : Professional Skills for Doctoral Students in Public Health
• CHL5101H : Social and Behavioural Theory and Health
• CHL5102H : Social and Political Forces in Health Care
• To be selected according to the student’s interests and educational needs, in consultation with the supervisor.
• By the end of their degree, students should aim to have working knowledge of both qualitative and quantitative methods, and to achieve proficiency in one of these approaches.
• 2 electives

Please note that students can satisfy coursework requirements with courses from across the DLSPH and University of Toronto. We encourage students to seek out such courses.

Qualifying Examination

The purpose of the qualifying exam (QE) is to assess the student’s capacity to understand, apply, and compare theoretical perspectives that are taught in the Social and Behavioural Health Sciences (SBHS) core theory courses (CHL5101H and CHL5102H). Specifically, the QE process will assess the student’s ability to theorize a topic using two different theoretical approaches and to propose theoretically sophisticated research questions that would advance the student’s topic area of interest and may be used for the dissertation. The qualifying examination is written during the months of May and June of the student’s first year.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILED QUALIFYING EXAM GUIDELINES

Thesis Proposal Defense

The thesis proposal defense is a requirement for candidacy and for full-time students, should be completed by April of the second year, or earlier if possible.

The purpose of the proposal defense is to:

• Ensure that the proposed research will result in a successful PhD dissertation.
• Strengthen the thesis question, theoretical framework, design, and methods through critical feedback.
• Assess the student’s ability to conduct independent and original research.
• Assess the student’s knowledge base relevant to their thesis topic.
• Provide a formal approval to proceed with the dissertation research.

DETAILED proposal defense GUIDELINES

Supervision

Successful applicants will have research interests congruent with those of one or more members of faculty. Thus, applicants are strongly encouraged to seek out potential supervisors, and discuss with them the possibility of studying under their supervision, prior to applying to the degree program. Applicants should note that identifying a potential supervisor does not guarantee admission. PhD students must be supervised by a faculty member who has an appointment in the Division of Social and Behavioral Health Sciences (SBHS) and Full Membership in the School of Graduate Studies (SGS).  A co-supervisor generally will be a faculty member with Associate Membership in the SGS. Other faculty in Public Health Sciences outside of SBHS  may be eligible to supervise with the approval of the Program Director.  The Program Director must approve the final selection of the primary supervisor and co-supervisor. The faculty supervisor may be confirmed prior to beginning the program, and should be in place by the end of the first term.  Students are encouraged to explore broadly and have wide-ranging discussions with potential supervisors.

Upon admission to the PhD Program, students and supervisors should review and complete the Graduate Department of Public Health Sciences PhD Student-Supervisor Conversation Checklist .

Students have the right to appropriate assistance and guidance from their supervisors. Supervisors and students are required to meet on a regular basis throughout the program to discuss academic, financial and personal matters related to the student’s progress. Students should assume responsibility for contacting the supervisor, arranging meetings, and setting agenda for committee meetings.

In rare circumstances, it may be necessary for students to change their area of research and/or their supervisor. In these cases, the first step would be for students to discuss the potential change with their supervisor and/or PhD Program Director.

Supervisor Role and Responsibilities

The supervisor is responsible for providing mentorship to the student through all phases of the PhD program. Thus; to the extent possible, the supervisor will guide the selection of courses, dissertation topic, supervisory committee membership, and supervisory committee meetings; will assist with applications for funding; will provide funding to the student directly when it is possible for them to do so; and will provide references for the student on a timely basis. The supervisor also will provide feedback on the student’s selection of theories and reading lists for the qualifying examination. The supervisor will guide the development of the student’s research proposal, and the implementation and conduct of all aspects of the research; advise on writing the dissertation; correct drafts and approve the final dissertation; and attend the defense.

For more information about student and supervisor roles and responsibilities, please see the School of Graduate Studies Graduate Supervision Guidelines .

Supervisory Committee

With the assistance of the supervisor, and with the approval of the Program Director, the student will assemble a Supervisory Committee no later than the end of their second term in the program (i.e., by May of their first year).

Composition of the Supervisory Committee

The Supervisory Committee generally will comprise the supervisor and at least two members who hold either Full or Associate Membership in the SGS and may or may not hold a primary appointment in SBHS. Between these individuals and the supervisor, there should be expertise in all substantive, theoretical and methodological areas relevant to the Student’s research focus and dissertation proposal.

Supervisory Committee meetings will be held at least every six (6) months throughout the student’s PhD program. More regular meetings should be held with the supervisor. Under certain circumstances (e.g., during times of very rapid progress), the student and the Supervisory Committee may decide there is a need for more frequent meetings.

At the end of every meeting of the Supervisory Committee, the student and the Committee will complete the Supervisory Committee Meeting Report . All present must sign the report; in case the meeting is held virtually, the supervisor and committee members can e-sign the report. A scanned or paper copy of the report should be e-mailed/delivered to the SBHS Admin Assistant at sbhs.dlsph@utoronto.ca .

The Graduate Department of Public Health Sciences will keep a copy of the report in the student’s progress file.

Progress Through the PhD

The phases of the PhD program are identified by a set of accomplishments which the student generally will attain in order, and within a satisfactory time. These phases, which will be monitored by the Program Director of the PhD program, are the identification of the Supervisor and the Supervisory Committee, completion of required and elective course work, completion of the qualifying examination, defense of the research proposal, and defense of the dissertation (both Departmental and SGS). Full-time students are expected to complete the PhD within four to five years. Flex-time students may take longer, but not more than eight years; they must submit a revised list of milestones, for approval by the Supervisor and the Program Director.

 view the SBHS PhD Timeline

Dissertation

The PhD dissertation must demonstrate an original contribution to scholarship. The nature of the dissertation is agreed upon by the supervisor and the student, in consultation with a Thesis Committee.  The Student should aim to defend the dissertation within four years of entry into the PhD program. The defense of the dissertation will take place in two stages: first, a Departmental defense, second, a formal defense (the Final Oral Examination) before a University committee according to procedures established by the School of Graduate Studies (SGS). The two defenses generally are separated by at least eight weeks.

a)  Departmental Defense:

The Departmental defense will be held after the completed dissertation has been approved by all members of the student’s Supervisory Committee, and the completion of the final Supervisory Committee meeting report. The purpose of this defense is to rehearse the oral presentation for the SGS defense and to determine whether the student is ready for the SGS defense.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILED departmental defense procedureS

b)  School of Graduate Studies Final Oral Examination (FOE)

Arrangements for the PhD Final Oral Defense and for the preparation of the final thesis are given at length in the SGS calendar. The dissertation and the necessary documents must be submitted at least eight weeks prior to the oral exam. See the Graduate Department of Public Health Science  academic policies for forms and information for thesis preparation, including guidelines on multiple paper dissertations, and arranging the defense.

• Click here for Guidelines on Multiple Paper Dissertations
• Click here  for Producing Your Thesis guidelines on SGS website
• Click here  for Final Oral Exam Guidelines on SGS website

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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree requirements:.

• Between three and eight approved technical graduate courses
• JDE1000H ‘Ethics in Research Seminar’
• Attendance at the DLS is mandatory for all PhD students.
• PhD Background Statement
• PhD Qualifying Examination
• PhD Thesis Proposal
• Annual Meetings of PhD Supervisory Committee
• Department Oral Examination (DOE) of PhD Thesis
• Final Oral Examination (FOE) of PhD Thesis

Schedule for Timely Completion

ECE’s expectations for the timely completion of the PhD degree requirements are outlined below. Timely completion is a condition of financial support and continued registration.

SGS policy requires that the supervisory committee be formed and meet within the first 16 months of registration; in ECE this requirement is met through the thesis proposal (i.e. the thesis proposal presentation is the 1st annual supervisory committee meeting).

Thereafter, the student must meet with their supervisory committee at least once per year. As per Section 7.5.2 of the SGS General Regulations :

• “A student is expected to meet with this committee at least once a year, and more often if the committee so requires. At each meeting, the supervisory committee will assess the student’s progress in the program and provide advice on future work.”
• “A student who, through their own neglect, fails to meet with the supervisory committee in a given year will be considered to have received an unsatisfactory progress report from the committee.”

The Department Oral Examination (DOE) is the student’s final annual supervisory committee meeting. The DOE can replace the requirement of a supervisory committee meeting in the student’s final year if the DOE takes place within 12 months of the student’s previous supervisory committee meeting.

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• PhD Program Guide

To be in good academic standing, a student registered in Chemistry Department must:

• Complete all courses including research courses with a satisfactory grade of at least B- and maintain a minimum of B+ standing;
• Adhere to the specific requirements in their field of study;
• Meet with supervisory committee annually; and
• Comply with the General and Degree Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies (SGS);

The Department may recommend to the School of Graduate Studies the termination of registration and candidacy of a student who fails to make a satisfactory progress toward the completion of the degree.

In addition, make sure to review SGS guidance on Understanding Good Standing and Satisfactory Progress . It lays out expectations regarding coursework completion, supervisory committee meetings and evalutions, candidacy, and program length and time limit.

If there are challenges that may be hindering your progress, there are options:

• Centre for Graduate Mentorship and Supervision and/or Graduate Wellness Services for strategies.
• Additional advice from School of Graduate Studies
• Address the issue(s) with your advisory committee members.  Students may contact the Graduate Office to facilitate a meeting outside of your annual progress meeting with the Associate Chair.
• Contact the Graduate Office to seek advice.

Doctoral Supervisory Committee and Annual Meetings

Students must establish a supervisory committee  within three months  of entering the doctoral program. The committee will consist of the supervisor (or co-supervisors) and at least two University of Toronto graduate faculty members. One of the two members can be outside of the chemistry graduate department. Student must fill out the  Doctoral Supervisory Committee Enrolment form  and upload to the Chemistry Graduate Office drive .

How Do You Choose Committee Members? Committee members are best selected in consultation with your supervisor.   Here are some key questios when considering prospective members:

• Can they add value (eg. field-specific advice) to your research program?
• Will they be around and available for consultation and meetings throughout most of your program?.
• Will they be approachable and offer constructive advice?
• Can they be objective enough to help if problems arise?
• Will they be able and wiling to offer their opinion even if contrary to that of your supervisor or other members?
• Is there a good balance?  Do their reas of expertise cover a sufficient range?

Membership must remain the same throughout the doctoral program. If a member needs to be replaced, please forward another  Doctoral Supervisory Committee Enrolment form  along with a letter of justification for the change.

Students must also arrange a supervisory committee meeting  within twelve months  of entering the doctoral program. Thereafter, students are required by School of Graduate Studies to meet with the committee at least once a year to assess the student's progress in the program and to provide advice on future work. Students are expected to meet with their committee at least once a year, and more often if the committee so requires. A 20-30-minute meeting is generally sufficient but students or faculty may request for more time if needed. Students must fill out the  Doctoral Supervisory Committee Meeting Report  which needs to be submitted to the Chemistry Graduate Office after the meeting. If a member is unable to make it to the meeting, the student must arrange a separate meeting.  As a best practice and to get as much from this annual meeting, it is utmost important to schedule a it when all members are available. 

The meeting is meant to provide guidance and advice to both the student and to the supervisor from interested colleagues, to ensure that the progress towards graduation is satisfactory and to provide a forum to resolve any issues (eg. research, academic, personal) which may arise. It thus follows that if either the student or the supervisor (or, on occasion, the Associate Chair) feels that a meeting is in order outside the required annual one, it is their right to request such a meeting and the responsibility of all the members of the committee to agree to such a meeting.  

What You Can Expect of your Supervisory Committee Your supervisory committee should:

• Meet regularly (at least once a year)
• Provide guidance during your research
• Add complementary value to your supervision
• Provide meaningful written feedback
• Resource towards enhancing your professional development

The School of Graduate Studies have developed guidelines for students to peruse.  It provides information on responsiblities of the student, supervisor and advisory committee. 

A student falls out of good academic standing if the supervisory committee concludes that unsatisfactory progress is being made on two consecutive meetings.

Arranging the annual meeting is generally the student's responsibility. However, if a student experiences difficulty in arranging a meeting with any member(s) of their committee or should require additional meeting(s), they should contact the Graduate Office for assistance.

Failure to meet the above timelines can be grounds for termination in the program.

Time Limit for Completion of Program Requirements in a Ph.D. Program

A student enrolled in a full-time PhD degree program will be denied further registration in that program and will have their candidacy terminated at the end of the third year of registration in the case of a four-year program, or at the end of the fourth year of registration in the case of a five-year program (direct entry from bachelors degree), if, by that time, either:

• the candidate has not completed all requirements for the degree exclusive of thesis research including course requirements and qualifying departmental examinations; or
• the candidate does not have an approved thesis topic, supervisor, or supervisory committee.

In exceptional circumstances, such a student may be permitted to register in the program for two further sessions at the Department's discretion. Student must fill out a  Request for Extension to Achieve Candidacy form  and receive approval from the supervisor before submitting to the Chemistry Graduate Office. Continuation beyond two sessions will require the approval of both the department and the SGS Admissions and Programs Committee.

Our Department requires students to register in courses that run continuously throughout the program, e.g., ongoing research and seminar courses. The foregoing time limit does not apply to such courses. Doctoral students in their third year must be ABD (All But Dissertation) in order to continue in the program.

Course Reduction & Transfers

Course Reduction

With the approval of Department of Chemistry and School of Graduate Studies, course reduction may be granted for graduate work completed in another MSc program. This will reduce the number of courses a doctoral student will need to complete to fulfill in the program requirements. Students may request up to two half-courses which must be equivalent to courses offered by our Department. Graduate or cross-listed courses taken while in the undergraduate level do not apply.  Doctoral students who completed their MSc in chemistry at UofT are not required to submit a course reduction request. 

Since the course(s) has been credited towards another degree, the course cannot be transferred towards the doctoral degree.

To request a course reduction, the following documents must be submitted to the Graduate Office for approval within a year  of entering the doctoral program:

• Request for  Course Reduction Form ;
• Copy of the course syllabus for each course requested;
• Unofficial copy of transcript

Course Transfers

With the approval of the department and the School of Graduate Studies, transfer credit may be granted for graduate work completed in another program, provided that the course(s) has not been credited towards another degree. Transfer credit will be limited to two half-courses. Student must submit the  Request for Transfer Credit form  to the Chemistry Graduate Office for departmental approval.

Seminar Series

All students are required to participate and give at least two to four seminars in the doctoral program. Students who fail to meet the  seminar requirement  before their final oral examination will be denied by School of Graduate Studies to proceed with the examination. Students must contact the seminar coordinator in their field of study if they are due to present. The seminar series generally run from September to April.  For more information about the seminar requirement and oral presentation guidelines, review the program requirements for the doctoral program.  View  upcoming seminars.

Here are online resources for oral presentation guidelines and skills:

• Oral Presentation, Writing University of Toronto
• Presentation Skills
• Public Speaking and Graduate School
• Mastering the Art of Presenting

Comprehensive Oral Examination

The purpose of the examination is to test the knowledge of the student's subject area and to determine if the student is prepared to proceed on to the thesis writing. The examination typically lasts for 2 hours which includes a 20-minute presentation by the examinee.

Students may request to arrange a comprehensive oral examination generally after the completion of the required course work in their field of study. However, students should satisfy this requirement before the end of their third year of registration in the case of a four year program or before the end of their fourth year in the case of a five-year program (PhD direct-entry from Bachelors degree).

To arrange an examination, please contact the  Chemistry Graduate Office  with the proposed dates, and names of the three members of the supervisory committee including your supervisor (4 if co-supervised) and another University of Toronto graduate faculty member. No more than one member outside the Chemistry Department is acceptable. The exam requires four voters and the student needs at least 3 votes to pass (4 if co-supervised).

The examinee should print out the  voting ballot  for the examination. Examinations to be held in the Lash Miller building may contact the departmental  receptionist  to book a projector. If the exam is booked in LM151 there is no need to book a projector through the receptionist. Students also have the option to hold their annual supervisory meeting after the examination. The  Doctoral Supervisory Committee report form  should be forwarded to the Chemistry Graduate Office to ensure a record of the meeting.

If a student fails to pass the examination, a reconvened examination is to be held within one year. No new members shall be added to the committee except for necessary replacements to ensure a quorum. The chair of the examination is required to explain in a written report reasons for an unsuccessful exam and determine, if possible, a timeline to reconvene.

Fees for Final Year PhDs

Academic fees for full-time doctoral students in the final year of their program are pro-rated based on the twelve-month academic year. Incidental fees are charged on a sessional (term) basis.

When a final corrected thesis is submitted to School of Graduate Studies, fees and service charges are adjusted accordingly. For more information please review the monthly academic and incidental fees schedule with  Fees Department .

Doctoral Completion Award

The aim of the Doctoral Completion Award (DCA) is to help ensure that meritorious PhD students who are no longer receiving the normal funding from their graduate unit can complete their degree program within time limit. Students may receive a DCA only once during their program. Criteria and conditions include: academic merit and quality of research, the availability of alternative funding, and, if appropriate, special features of the research program that require more time than usual.  Deadline:  The Chemistry Graduate Office generally sends out a notification in the spring

Thesis and Planning for a PhD Final Oral Examination

Review the  SGS Guide to Program Completion . In addition, the Department follows its own procedures to ensure that the PhD candidate meets the timelines specified by SGS. 

Guidelines on thesis formatting, submission, copyright and deadlines can be found on the SGS website .   There are no specific requirements by the department but consult with your supervisor for their expectations.  Make sure to peruse the Writing at UofT for tips and advice and use the resources offered at Graduate Centre for Academic Communication .

Planning for the final oral examination must begin at least  eight weeks  before the proposed date(s) of the examination. Note that the two-week closure in December does not count.

At Least Eight Weeks or Earlier Prior to the Proposed Exam Date(s)

• The supervisor and student discuss the potential members of the Examination Committee. Please forward the names of the members to the  Chemistry Graduate Office . The quorum for voting members is four. However, SGS requires five voting members to obtain approval from the SGS Vice-Dean to book the examination. In case of emergency in which one of the members is unable to attend, the candidate can therefore still proceed with the examination since it meets the quorum. A maximum of three of the voting members of the Exam Committee will have served on the candidate's Supervisory Committee. At least two voting members (including the external examiner) will not have been closely involved in the supervision of the thesis. Eligible voters are the external appraiser, members of the graduate faculty of the Chemistry Department and members of the graduate faculty of other departments, centres or institutes of the University of Toronto.  
• The supervisor must submit a  list of three potential external appraisers  to the Graduate Office. The list should be in order of preference. For each name listed, the reason for the choice is presented with specific regard to the subject of the thesis. The first choice is generally approved unless the Associate Dean at SGS deems the first choice unsuitable. To avoid issues with SGS and delays, the supervisor and the student should ensure that there is an "arms-length" relationship between the external examiner and the rest of the examination committee.  
• Once the Graduate Office receives the list of the potential members of the Examination Committee, a request is forwarded to the SGS Associate Dean for pre-approval. Once approved, the Graduate Office may contact the members, including the external appraiser for their availability to determine acceptable dates for the examination. It is not required that the external examiner be present at the examination. Teleconference or videoconference is available upon request.  
• The student completes the thesis and forwards copies to members of the Supervisory Committee for the review. The members must have at least two weeks to review the thesis. Please contact them directly as early as possible to confirm if the allotted time for appraisal is sufficient in case of other commitments and to properly estimate a timeline. Forward a copy of the  Thesis Review Guidelines  to your reviewers along with your thesis. The advance reading by members of the Supervisory Committee allows the student to avoid situations where major changes are needed after the examination and a good quality appraisal can be expected.  
• The student amends the thesis based on the comments and suggestions from members of the supervisory committee. The members must also deem that the thesis is ready and may be forwarded to the external appraiser. A thesis may  only  proceed to examination without the approval of the Supervisory Committee, if there is a letter of authorization from the Associate Dean (SGS).  
• The student must certify that he or she has fulfilled all the degree requirements for his or her field of study. These include completion of courses with satisfactory grades, seminars, cumulative examinations (if applicable) and comprehensive examination. For more information about the degree requirements for your field of study, please refer to  PhD Program Requirements .  
• The student must confirm that the record of Supervisory Committee meetings in the Chemistry Graduate Office is up-to-date. The last committee meeting must have taken place within the last 12 months prior to the proposed examination date and the outcome must be noted as "satisfactory" on the record.

At Least Six Weeks or Earlier Prior to the Exam Date

• The student submits a copy of the corrected version of the thesis to the Graduate Office along with the signed  PhD Examination Form . The office will forward the thesis to the external examiner via FedEx. The supervisory committee members must have signed the form to confirm that they have read the thesis before a copy can be forwarded to the external examiner. An e-mail from the faculty members to the Graduate Office will suffice.  
• As well, a thesis abstract (no longer than 350 words) via e-mail must be submitted to the Graduate Office.  
• A copy of the reviewed thesis is also forwarded to the fourth University of Toronto examination member. The copy can be submitted to the Graduate Office if faculty member(s) is not easily accessible.  
• The Graduate Office books the examination at the SGS PhD Office and sends out a final confirmation of the examination date and location to the candidate and members of the examination committee.

At Least Two Weeks or Earlier Prior to the Exam Date

• A copy of the external appraisal is forwarded to the candidate, members of the Examination Committee, Graduate Chair and the Ph.D. Office. The student may discuss the appraisal with members of Examination Committee except with the external appraiser. The candidate may have the option to revise the thesis and postpone the examination date at this point.  
• An examination program is forwarded to the candidate and members of the Examination Committee as a final confirmation along with the name of the Examination Chair.  
• Prepare presentation (up to 20 minute for a closed oral exam or 30 minutes for a public seminar).   
• Review Voting Procedure.  
• Additional reading:  The Last BIg Hurdle

After a Successful Examination

Theses are submitted electronically to SGS and approved by the PhD Completion Office.  Carefully follow the SGS' instructions.  Theses that do not conform to the formatting guidelines will be rejected and negatively impact eligibility to proceed with graduation.  In addition, final corrections to the thesis must be approved by the supervisor before submitting to SGS. Please refer to  Producing Your Thesis  for more information. Enquiries should be redirected to the PhD Completion Office .

See also:  SGS Academic Calendar

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Theses and Dissertations

• Theses & Dissertations

Toronto Metropolitan University Theses and Dissertations

The TMU Library collects and makes accessible graduate dissertations (Ph.D) and masters level theses as well as some masters level major research papers. The TMU Library Digital Repository contains the most complete collection of these documents, online, and searchable from the website and via search engines like Google. Older documents may also be found in the TMU Library catalogue . The library no longer collects print copies of theses and dissertations.

To search for documents from a specific programme, try using a keyword search that includes the words "ryerson"  "dissertations" and a couple of words from the name of the programme such as "communication" "culture" or "mechanical" "engineering."

Theses and Dissertations from Other Universities

• Open Access Theses and Dissertations (OATD) Provides access to over 5 million theses and dissertations from over 1,100 colleges, universities and research institutions around the world.  
• Google Scholar Many universities currently receive graduate scholarship in digital formats only and have embarked on digitization initiatives to make older documents available online. Google Scholar is a useful tool to find this type of material.  
• Theses Canada Portal   Provides access to the full-text of many Canadian theses and dissertations.  
• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global (PQDT)(Access Restricted to TMU Community) Provides access to the full-text of over 400,000 Masters and PhD theses from 1997 onwards. In addition, citations are provided for over 1.6 million doctoral dissertations and master's theses from North American and European (including the UK and Ireland) graduate schools from the seventeenth century onwards.
• DART Europe E-theses Portal Provides access to research theses from 580 universities in 28 European countries.  
• NDLTD-Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations An international nonprofit organization promoting the dissemination of electronic theses and dissertations.  It includes finding aids for digital and some print resources.  
• Canadian Theses = Thèses canadiennes [1947-1980 print; 1985/86-1995/96 on microfiches] Indexes masters and doctoral works from Canadian universities.  Most of the masters works and some of the doctoral works are not listed in PQDT nor Theses Canada Portal.  Other print bibliographies of Canadian theses may be of value including Canadian Graduate Theses: 1919-1967: An Annotated Bibliography (Covering Economics, Business and Industrial Relations) and Jesse J. Dossick's Doctoral Research on Canada and Canadians, 1884-1983

TMU Undergraduate Theses (Major Research Papers)

Undergraduate theses for Civil Engineering are kept by the department.

A complete list of codes used and the department/school (some of which no longer exist) follows:

• LE3.R99 AC      Dept. of Applied Chemical & Biological Sciences
• LE3.R99 AE      School of Aerospace Engineering
• LE3.R99 AR      Dept. of Architectural Science
• LE3.R99 CB      Dept. of Chemistry, Biological & Chemical Engineering
• LE3.R99 CE      School of Chemical Engineering
• LE3.R99 EC      School of Early Childhood Education
• LE3.R99 EE      Electrical Engineering Dept./Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering
• LE3.R99 EH      School of Environmental Health
• LE3.R99 GE     School of Applied Geography
• LE3.R99 HT      School of Hospitality & Tourism Management
• LE3.R99 ID       School of Interior Design
• LE3.R99 IE       School of Industrial Engineering
• LE3.R99 LS      Dept. of Laboratory Science
• LE3.R99 ME     School of Mechanical Engineering
• LE3.R99 OP     School of Occupational and Public Health
• LE3.R99 PR     Continuing Education Division. Public Relations Project
• LE3.R99 SE     Dept. of Survey Engineering
• LE3.R99 UP     School of Urban and Regional Planning

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This guide has been created by the Toronto Metropolitan University Library and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License unless otherwise marked.

• Last Updated: Dec 14, 2023 2:54 PM
• URL: https://learn.library.torontomu.ca/theses

Psychology at the University of Toronto Mississauga is an experimental discipline situated within the life sciences and devoted to the understanding of behaviour.

Our faculty complement includes scientists who study:

• personality
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Our globally-ranked research reflects many analytic approaches to the investigation of behaviour and includes the study of both humans and animals. This range and diversity of our research expertise is reflected in our undergraduate program, which is broad and comprehensive, preparing our students for postgraduate programs and other occupations requiring a Psychology background.

As part of the tri-campus graduate department of Psychology, we also provide training at the MA-PhD level, and participate in a number of very successful interdisciplinary programs.

We invite you to explore our website to learn more about our research, academic programs and other resources.  

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Connecting pharmacogenomics research and community pharmacy practice

From left to right: Dr. Sotiris Antoniou, Dr. John Papastergiou, Dr. Stephane Steurbaut, and Dr. Bart Van Den Bemt.

Over his career as a community pharmacist and assistant professor at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, John Papastergiou led impactful research examining pharmacist-led interventions. Along with his pharmacy team and academic colleagues, he published papers on services such as immunizations and medication reviews, and their impact on pharmacists and patients.

That research, which started as small projects taking place at his three downtown Toronto pharmacies, eventually culminated in Papastergiou earning a PhD from Radboud University in the Netherlands, which he successfully defended this spring.

“We wanted to look at practices that would add value for pharmacists and patients.”

“First and foremost, I’m a frontline pharmacist and business person, so any of the work that we explored had to have the potential to become sustainable,” says Papastergiou. “We wanted to look at practices that would add value for pharmacists and patients but would also be practical enough that they wouldn’t be abandoned, and we could actually continue to offer.”

Papastergiou has been a recognized leader in the pharmacy profession for many years, with faculty appointments, consulting roles, regular media appearances and a number of leadership awards.

Adding a PhD to his list of accomplishments wasn’t initially part of his plan. But he says that as his research began to focus on a couple of central themes related to the scope of pharmacy practice, it began to make sense as a PhD thesis. Bart van den Bemt , a professor at Radboud University who was part of an international working group with Papastergiou, became his thesis supervisor and other research collaborators formed the rest of his advisory committee.

His projects centred on the use of point-of-care screening for conditions such as diabetes and chronic kidney disease in community pharmacies and how pharmacists could use pharmacogenomics—an approach to choosing the best medication for an individual based on their genetic profile—to improve patient care.

Clinical trial demonstrates value of community pharmacists using pharmacogenomics

A key part of Papastergiou’s thesis was a randomized controlled trial examining how pharmacists could use pharmacogenomics to help with tailoring medication for anxiety and depression based on a patient’s genetic profile. The study, which included more than 200 patients at his pharmacies, showed that patients who received pharmacogenomics-guided treatment improved more than patients who received standard care. Papastergiou says the study shows the value of pharmacogenomics and how pharmacists can include it in their pharmacies, and it was key evidence needed for insurers including Green Shield, which funded the study, to provide coverage for pharmacogenomics testing.

“We could show definitively in that trial that when pharmacists are armed with a genetic test, patients do better and improve quicker. It was very exciting to see that work,” says Papastergiou. “The overarching goal behind all this work was to show the value of pharmacists, that they can offer novel services within an existing workflow, and they can do it to improve overall patient care. We wanted to show that we could push pharmacists’ scope further and show the value of the work that we were already doing.”

“The overarching goal behind all this work was to show the value of pharmacists, that they can offer novel services within an existing workflow, and they can do it to improve overall patient care.”

While not every pharmacist needs to complete an advanced degree, Papastergiou says that clinical pharmacists who have rigorous research experience have an important role in changing pharmacy practice.

“We absolutely need academics and frontline staff, but for real change to happen, we have to have some people who understand what is needed to push the profession forward and can provide the evidence to support those changes,” says Papastergiou. “Pharmacists have been given an expanded scope, but stakeholders are asking for evidence about whether this is providing any value. We need more people who can understand both sides because that’s where we’ll get true practice change.”

Papastergiou’s research on pharmacists using point-of-care screening is already helping to change pharmacy practice in Canada and abroad.

“A lot of this early work started on a very small scale, but it has resulted in practice change and funding in Canada, and many community pharmacies across Canada are now providing this service. Now we’re seeing our collaborators in the U.K. start to roll it out based on our work, and hopefully we’ll see a global movement,” says Papastergiou. “This is the culmination of a lot of people working together with the common goal to move the profession forward, and I think we’re starting to see that impact.”

Faces of PharmSci: Freddy Shogry

Pharmacy program recognized with U of T award for enriching student experience

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