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At the start of each term, you and your supervisor establish a plan for the coming term, and your supervisor evaluates your progress in the previous term. This is done via the one-page Graduate Student Research Progress Evaluation form. The form and any supplementals are signed by you and your supervisor. You keep a copy, and your supervisor sends copies to the grad secretary and to your supervisory committee.

Supervisory Committee

Chemistry MSc committees have at least two members.

1. supervisor
2. co-supervisor/member (a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry or another UVic department)
3. Optional third member (can be from Chemistry or another UVic department)

Final Oral Examining Committee

Complete rules are . As a quick reference:

• Supervisory Committee plus
• a chair from UVic appointed by the Faculty of Graduate Studies, plus
• an External Examiner nominated by your supervisor.

Around the one year mark, MSc students may want to consider transferring to the PhD program.

Please see "Transfer from MSc to PhD" in the Graduate Calendar, and discuss with your supervisor.

Congratulations, if you're planning to defend!

Let the Graduate Secretary Erin Hodgson chemgsec@uvic.ca  know.

Admin procedures

Again - please let Erin H chemgsec@uvic.ca know if you're planning to defend. She needs to submit paperwork for you, and can give you advice on your particular timeline. Discuss it with your supervisor too, of course!

Generally speaking, you’ve got about 7 weeks into any term to finish writing, in order to defend that term.

Timing

Work backwards, looking at your particular term to get the exact deadlines you need to meet:

• Defense date (Two weeks before term ends to give yourself time to revise, submit, and get final documents in after defense)
• Signed Request for Oral Examination form over to Grad Studies 20 business days or about 4.5 weeks before defense date.
• Revisions/ getting your Supervisory Committee to review, give feedback, and say you're ready to defend: two weeks before they sign the "ROE."  Ask your committee members how long they would like to review.

Other steps and forms

• Book the room: Sandra B can book videoconferencing if anyone is attending remotely. It's much better than worrying about Skype the day you defend. If you don't need videoconferencing, she can book you a regular room. 
• - you have to apply to graduate.  It's a non-refundable fee and you can't change terms, so check the deadline and perhaps wait until your defense is a sure thing.
• - discuss with your supervisor.
• - a completed hard copy of this form must go with you to your defense for your committee to sign. 

Writing Help and Guides

See the Faculty of Graduate Studies for writing groups, checklists, formatting guides, and samples.

Defense Procedure

The examination normally lasts from 1 ½ - 2 hours.

• Candidate begins with a brief (10-20 minute) summary of work
• Examining committee asks two rounds of questions:
  • External Examiner begins each round,
  • Committee member(s) from outside the academic unit goes next, then
  • Committee member(s) from the academic unit, and
  • Supervisor goes last.
• If there is sufficient time, the Chair may call for questions from other members of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
• If there is sufficient time, the Chair may call for questions from the audience.

Looking for conflict resolution, or whom to seek out if you're stressed or have a problem?Know that you can confidentially speak to anyone here:

• Chemistry graduate student representative Sun Kly
• Grad secretary Erin Hodgson
• Your supervisor
• Graduate Adviser David Harrington
• Chair Alexandre Brolo
• Faculty of Graduate Studies - their office is in UVC A207. Reception there can direct you to the right person or book appointments with an Associate Dean.
• Student Mental Health

The Graduate Student Task Force on Mental Health recently (Feb 2017)  put together this list: GradStudentMentalHealthResources.pdf