MSc Completion Requirements

Requirements

1. Students with a B.Sc. (Honours), accepted into the M.Sc. program, usually will spend at least 12 months in residence. “In residence” means work at St. Francis Xavier University that involves research and/or courses for the M.Sc. program on a full-time basis. 
2. The M.Sc. candidate must earn a total of 36 graduate credits.  Course work will count for 12 credits and must cover at least two of the areas of Theory, Applications, and Systems. See the current course listing for courses and the areas.  Research work will count for 6 credits and thesis work will count for 18 credits. 
3. Full-time students usually will complete the M.Sc. within two years of initial registration. All degree requirements must be completed within four years of registration in the program.

Program Completion Process

Other Forms: 
Annual Student Progress Report Form 
Graduate Program Extension Request

STEP 2. Formation of Supervisory Committee: A thesis supervisory committee will be formed at the beginning of the M.Sc. candidate’s graduate studies. This committee will include the candidate’s thesis advisor and at least two other faculty members, normally chosen from the Department of Computer Science. In the case of co-supervision, only one additional committee member is required.  

STEP 3. Course Selection and Graduate Study Plan: The M.Sc. candidate meets with the Supervisory Committee to discuss a graduate studies plan. At such meeting, a Graduate Study Plan Agreement (Faculty of Science)is completed. The Department Graduate Studies Coordinator keeps the original and a copy is given to the student and to each supervisory committee member. For each chosen course, the M.Sc. candidate and the corresponding course instructor complete a Course Agreement Form (Faculty of Science). The Department Graduate Studies Coordinator keeps the original course forms and delivers copies to the Dean of Science. The student is responsible for ensuring that the progress of his/her graduate studies follow the Graduate Study Plan Agreement. If any changes to the Graduate Study Plan Agreement are needed, the M.Sc. candidate is responsible for requesting a meeting with the Supervisory Committee to address the change. The student must deliver the updated Graduate Study Plan Agreement to the Department Graduate Studies Coordinator. Similarly, if any changes are made to course selection or course forms, updated Course Forms must be delivered to the Department Graduate Studies Coordinator. 

The M.Sc. candidate must earn a total of 36 graduate credits or the equivalent of 5 full courses in graduate work. Research and thesis work may count for up to 18 of these 36 credits. Course work will count for 12 credits and must cover at least two of the areas of Theory, Applications, and Systems. See the current course listing for courses and the areas. See course listings. 

STEP 4. Written Thesis Proposal: The thesis proposal format will follow the layout provided in the sample thesis proposal template. LaTeX is encouraged to be used to generate the thesis proposal. The supervisor must agree that the thesis proposal is ready for presentation before the presentation can be scheduled. After obtaining approval from the supervisor to move to Step 5, the MSc candidate is responsible for ensuring that each member of the supervisory committee receives a hardcopy or electronic of the thesis proposal at least 2 weeks in advance of the presentation date. 

STEP 5. Thesis Proposal Presentation: The M.Sc. candidate must make a formal presentation of the thesis proposal. The oral presentation shall not exceed 20 minutes. The formal presentation is normally made to the Department for which the thesis is being written, and it is open to the public. The proposal presentation will normally be chaired by the Department Chair or member of the Department Graduate Studies Committee. The student is responsible for scheduling a date and time for the Thesis Proposal Presentation that is mutually agreeable to all the members of the Supervisory Committee and to the Department Graduate Studies Coordinator. The student will ensure that the Department Chair receives the proposed date and time at least 16 days in advance so a formal announcement can be made at least two weeks in advance.   

A Thesis Proposal Approval Form is filled after the presentation. If the Supervisory Committee finds that the proposed research is inadequate or insufficient, the M.Sc. candidate will have one more opportunity to redo Steps 4 and 5.  

STEP 6. Written Thesis: The written thesis will follow the layout provided in the sample thesis template. LaTeX is encouraged to be used to generate the thesis. 

STEP 7. Formation of Examination Committee: The written thesis must be submitted to the Supervisor for approval before moving on to this Step. The Examination Committee normally will consist of the Supervisory Committee and an external examiner. The external examiner is a faculty member external to the candidate’s Department and may be, as appropriate, external to the University. In consultation with the members of the supervisory committee, the supervisor shall forward to the Department Chair the names and full contact information for three possible external examiners. The Department Chair will select and formally request one of the proposed external examiners to serve as a member of the Examination Committee. After receipt of positive confirmation, the Examination Committee will be formed. The student should ensure Department Chair receives a copy of the thesis and a completed and signed Submission of Thesis to External Examiner Form. Normally, the external examiner will confirm the thesis is eligible for defense and/or return their signed External Examiner Form two (2) week before the scheduled defense date.   

The M.Sc. candidate is responsible for ensuring that each member of the Supervisory Committee receives a hardcopy or electronic of the Thesis. The Department Chair will send a copy of the Thesis to the external examiner. The external examiner must submit a report on the thesis to the Department Chair. The Department Chair will forward the report to the Supervisor and to the Chair of the Committee on Graduate Studies.  

STEP 8. Thesis Defense Presentation: 

Before moving on to this Step: 

• The External Examiner’s report confirms the thesis is eligible for defense, and 
• The Supervisory Committee must agree that the Thesis is ready for defense. 

The student is responsible for scheduling a date and time for the Thesis defense that is mutually agreeable to all the members of the Supervisory Committee and at least one of the Department Chair or Department Graduate Studies Coordinator. The Department Graduate Studies Coordinator, the Chair of the Committee on Graduate Studies, and the Department Chair shall all be invited to participate in finding a mutually agreeable date. All communications with the external examiner will be done by the Department Chair up until STEP 9 (Final Thesis Submission step) has been completed. The student will ensure that the Department Chair receives the scheduled date and time at least 16 days in advance. The Department Chair will make a formal announcement of the upcoming Thesis defense at least 2 weeks in advance to the Department, University Faculty, staff, and students.   

The Department Chair will ensure that the Chair of the Committee on Graduate Studies receives the announcement at least two weeks in advance. The Thesis defense presentation will normally be chaired by the Department Chair or Department Graduate Studies Coordinator. Immediately following the public presentation, an examination of the candidate is held. The Chair of the Committee on Graduate Studies or his/her designate will be a non-voting member the Examination Committee. If the external examiner cannot attend the defense, he/she should submit (to the Department Chair) a list of questions to be asked to the candidate during the examination. The oral presentation shall not exceed 30 minutes. Normally, the public presentation and examination will not exceed 120 minutes.   

The examining committee will then, in-camera, arrive at a unanimous decision, agree on any changes to be made to the thesis, and consider whether the student is to be nominated for an Outstanding Graduate Student Research Award. Should the Committee not be able to arrive at a decision on the disposition of the thesis, the matter will be referred to the Committee on Graduate Studies. The decision of the Examining Committee, along with their names and, as appropriate, signatures, will be recorded on the thesis examination form, with a copy retained by the Department and a second copy sent to the Chair of the Committee on Graduate Studies.  

STEP 9. Final Thesis Submission: A final, corrected copy of the successful thesis must be submitted by the candidate to the Chair of the Committee on Graduate Studies for approval at least two weeks prior to the date of the convocation at which the candidate expects to graduate. Students are responsible for providing copies of the approved thesis, as per the approved Thesis Submission Guidelines, so that they may be deposited with the University Library and the National Library of Canada, for completing and submitting the required ‘non-exclusive use’ form, and for paying the appropriate thesis fee. 

Students are responsible for ensuring that they have registered for convocation by the required date and that they have fulfilled all degree and program requirements by the requisite deadlines.