Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Procedures for admission
In ad hoc Doctoral Programs
Introduction
Applicants who wish to pursue graduate study in an interdisciplinary area or in a department which is not currently authorized to offer graduate programs may be admitted into Ad Hoc programs. Candidates for Ad Hoc degrees are usually, for administrative purposes, attached to one department and develop the usual working relationships with research supervisors. Their admission must be approved by the Executive Committee of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
Procedures
The applicant should first contact the department most closely connected with the proposed research area in order to secure the cooperation of a professor who is willing to act as a sponsor.
The applicant will be asked to complete a McGill application form and provide transcripts, two letters of recommendation and a curriculum vitae, as well as a brief research proposal. The candidate’s file will initially be assessed by the department concerned.
The department together with the student and supervisor will propose an Advisory Committee, consisting of the supervisor and at least two members who have familiarity with the proposed research area and experience in directing graduate study. One member must be from a different department.
The Executive Committee of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies will endorse or reject the recommendation of the department.
Once the candidate is admitted, the Advisory Committee will:
Assist in course selection
Assist the supervisor in planning the student’s research and thesis
Arrange for Comprehensive Examinations
Recommend to Graduate Faculty names of External Examiners and members of the PhD Oral Examination Committee
Ph. D. Research Proposal (with a title)
The initial proposal should be a brief document (2- 3 pages) stating the problems to be tackled and the hypotheses to be tested. It should usually be prefaced by a brief account of the research trends which have led to the isolation of the problem and to the formulation of the hypothesis. Depending upon the type of research, it should include some indication of the methodology which will be used, e.g., methods of data collection and analysis, experimental design, etc.
Once admitted to the Ad Hoc program, the candidate is expected to develop a more substantial research proposal before undertaking doctoral research.
Procedures for Admission in Ad Hoc Master’s Programs (Thesis only)
Applicants who wish to follow Master’s programs in interdisciplinary areas or in departments not currently authorized to offer graduate programs may be admitted into Ad Hoc programs. The same rules and procedures as have been outlined for Ad Hoc doctoral programs will apply with one exception. Instead of a research proposal, the applicant should provide a brief statement of purpose. Ad Hoc admissions for non-thesis programs are not possible.
Revised September 1996