Field Guide
For advice see this Field Guide on how to navigate working with supervisors and other students on research projects.
TA Checklist
To feel more prepared and confident in your role as a TA please refer to this TA Checklist.
Meet with Supervisor
During the first month of a student’s program, it is important they meet with their supervisor to have a conversation and agree upon important goals and expectations. This can establish a more effective working relationship, avoid misunderstandings, and better facilitate the student’s timely progress through the program. It is advised that the student and supervisor complete the Milestones and Expectations form (.pdf) to guide and document the conversation and submit a copy to the Graduate Program Assistant. The form provided is meant to be a template and can be adapted/revised for different labs.
Supervisory Committee Composition
The Supervisory Committee for M.Sc. students usually consists of the Supervisor and one Committee Member. The Supervisory Committee for Ph.D. students usually consists of the Supervisor and two Committee Members. Both the supervisor and the committee member(s) must be members of the Biology graduate program.
The supervisory committee should be established in the first term of study and the signed Supervisory Committee Approval Form must be submitted to the Graduate Program Assistant by the beginning of the second term.
Additional information about FGS Graduate Supervisory Principles, Policies, and Practices can be found at Faculty of Graduate Studies—Thesis and Dissertation.
Committee Meetings
First-year students must meet with their supervisory committee at least two times for the first year, in Fall (November/December) and again in early Spring (March/April), and then one time per year for the following years in the early Spring (March/April).
The fall meeting for first-year students requires a Research Progress Evaluation report form (pdf below) and the supervisory committee should sign this form and provide substantive feedback.
The Spring Committee meeting (March/April) is a MANDATORY and formal meeting, which is graded as a pass/fail for the Research Progress Evaluation for all graduate students. You must register for the relevant course: MSc-BIOL 6021, 6022, PhD-BIOL 7021, 7022, 7023, and 7024 (all are graded as a pass/fail). See Research Progress Evaluation for information on the Research Proposal/Progress Report that must be submitted to your supervisory committee.
Students working in laboratory settings must complete WHMIS and other safety courses, as applicable, prior to research. Consult with your supervisor.
Students often must also obtain other approvals from York U (ethics approval, animal care training, fieldwork safety) and external agencies (i.e. collecting licenses, and import/export permits) prior to beginning their research. Consult with your supervisor.
A student’s research may be covered under their supervisor’s ethics/animal care/biohazard protocol. If so, copies of the supervisor’s approval letter must be submitted to FGS (see section on FGS Approval of Research Proposal).
FGS requires valid copies of all ethics, animal care and biohazard approvals.
If the research involves animals the student must take the online Animal Care course and complete the Medical Surveillance prior to beginning research; contact Wendy Lezama for more information.
Ethics, Animal Care, and Biohazards
FGS requires valid copies of all ethics, animal care and biohazard approvals. The student and supervisor should fill out a TD4 Form for research approvals (human participants, animal care, biohazards) and attach a copy of the supervisor’s most recent approval notice. This should be updated annually – and be attached to the Research Progress Evaluation form.
If the research involves animals the student must take the online Animal Care course and complete the Medical Surveillance; contact Wendy Lezama for more information.
A research proposal, approved by the supervisory committee must be submitted to the Graduate Program Assistant (biogpa@yorku.ca), the latest, in the second term of study. This requirement is in addition to completing the requirements for the departmental Research Progress Evaluation course.
Students should incorporate the revisions to their research proposal from the first supervisory committee meeting that took place during their first term and submit the revised proposal and necessary forms to their supervisory committee for formal approval.
The proposal, along with TD1 Thesis/Dissertation Research Proposal form (TD1 Form), must be submitted to the Graduate Program Assistant (biogpa@yorku.ca) who in turn submits to Biology Graduate Program Director and FGS for final approvals.
The approved FGS research proposal must be on file in the program office and FGS for a student to apply for internal awards and to defend a thesis.
TD4 Form Statement of Relationship between Proposal and an Existing HPRC Approved Project (TD4 Form) must be submitted with the research proposal for students doing thesis research involving human participants, animal care, or biohazards.
For research involving human participants, if the supervisor does not have an approved proposal through the York University Human Participants Review Committee (HPRC) then the student must complete and submit Form TD2: Research Ethics Protocol Form for Graduate Student Thesis, Dissertation, or Pilot Project (TD2 Form). The student’s research must not begin before formal approval by the HPRC.
Once per year, usually in April, graduate students undergo a formal pass/fail Research Progress Evaluation by their supervisory committee. Students must register for the 3 credit, pass/fail BIOL 6021/6022 (MSc years 1 & 2) or BIOL 7021/7022/7023/7024 (PhD years 1-4). Students whose progress is unsatisfactory may be required to do remedial work and be re-evaluated, or may be required to withdraw from the program.
First-year students are required to hold a first term committee meeting to discuss their proposal research, and to submit a signed Research Progress Evaluation form to the Graduate Program Assistant in 102D LSB.
The Research Progress Evaluation
First-year students should meet with their supervisory committee at least two times for the first year, Fall (November/December) and again early Spring (March/April), and then one time per year for the following years in the early Spring (March/April).
The fall meeting for first-year students requires a Research Progress Evaluation report form (pdf below) and the supervisory committee should sign this form and provide substantive feedback.
The Spring Committee meeting (March/April) is a MANDATORY and formal meeting, which is graded as a pass/fail for the Research Progress Evaluation for all graduate students and must follow the graduate program’s format. (In conjunction with MSc-BIOL 6021, 6022, PhD-BIOL 7021, 7022, 7023, 7024- graded as a pass/fail).
The Research Progress Evaluation requires students to submit a research report to their committee one week prior to the meeting, present a 10-15 minute seminar to their committee and answer questions about their research.
The report should outline the pertinent literature, describe the objectives of the research project, outline the methods and experiments, present results (including key figures and tables) and clearly state the significance of the results to the field. Progress reports do not normally exceed 10 pages (excluding tables/graphs).
All supervisory committee members must be present, and the Research Progress Evaluation Form must be completed and submitted to the Graduate Program Assistant.
In addition to submitting Research Proposal/Progress reports to the supervisory committee, it is mandatory that in the 2nd term of study (usually winter term) that students submit the TD1 Form, along with their research proposal which has been approved by their supervisory committee.
FGS requires valid copies of all ethics, animal care and biohazard approvals and where applicable the student and supervisor must fill out TD4 Form (.pdf) also for research approvals (human participants, animal care, biohazards) and attach the most recent copy of the supervisor’s approval notices.
View the collection of all Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) forms for our graduate community.
All Ph.D. students must pass a Ph.D. Preliminary Examination in order to continue in the Ph.D. program.
PhD Preliminary Examination Evaluation Form & Criteria (.pdf)
- Objectives
The objectives of this examination are to determine whether:
a) The candidate has adequate background and intellectual ability to pursue independent research in the field approved by the supervisory committee;
b) the proposed research is suitable for a PhD research program; and,
c) the candidate has demonstrated aptitude for conducting the proposed research by means of adequate progress and productivity. - Timing
For students entering the program with a master’s degree, the examination must be held within 18 months of first registering for the PhD.
For students converting from a master’s to a PhD program, the examination must be held within 20 months of first registering in the master’s program.
If the preliminary examination falls within two months of the annual Research Progress Evaluation, the student is exempt from such a report/committee meeting that year, and a “pass” will be recorded for BIOL 6022/7022. - Format
During the two to three-hour oral examination, based on a substantial written proposal and progress report, students must demonstrate adequate knowledge and understanding of the proposed research field and the broader areas of knowledge related to the field.
Students are required to:
(1) submit a detailed Research Proposal of at least 25-30 pages (double-spaced) not including tables/figures and references. This should be organized in scientific paper format (introduction and literature review, methods, results-to-date, discussion/interpretation) and conclude with a statement of future research plans and a timetable for research completion.
The introduction must include a comprehensive and critical literature review of the research topic. This literature review should include the key elements of (i) framing the research topic into an appropriate historical context of past research, (ii) identifying important gaps in knowledge and/or methodology, and (iii) providing critical analysis and synthesis of the literature (as opposed to simply summarizing published studies). If applicable, it should also explain key recent advancements in knowledge and/or methodologies and highlight conflicting theories and evidence.
The introduction must also include a clear statement of the research goals and/or hypotheses and predictions and explain the novelty and significance of the proposed research.
The introduction to the Research Proposal should be approximately 15 pages double spaced (5,000 words).
(2) Students should submit a draft proposal to their supervisor at least 4 weeks ahead of the exam. Examining committee members must receive the research proposal 2 weeks prior to the exam.
(3) complete an oral exam on the research proposal and the literature review. The 2-3 hour oral exam is closed and begins with a 30-minute presentation by the candidate, followed by several rounds of questioning.
(4) After the exam, the Examining Committee discusses the evaluation and outcome with the candidate and completes the Ph.D. Preliminary Examination Record Form and submits this to the Graduate Program Assistant who provides a copy to the candidate. - Accessibility and Accommodations
Students requiring accommodations are strongly encouraged to contact the appropriate accessibility office at the university well in advance of the examination. All accommodations will be made in consultation with the student and will follow applicable policies related to access to information and privacy.
Students requiring only a short extension of 2-3 months for the exam should seek support from their supervisor and get approval from the Graduate Program Director. - Examination Committee
The examination will be conducted by the student’s PhD supervisory committee plus two other faculty members from within the Biology graduate program.
For M.Sc. students transferring to the Ph.D. via the Preliminary Exam, the examination committee consists of the student’s M.Sc. supervisory committee plus three other faculty members from within the program - Setting up the Exam
(1) The supervisor must provide the candidate with the Biology Ph.D. Preliminary Exam Policies & Procedures document at least two months prior to the exam.
(2) The supervisor is responsible for selecting the members of the examining committee, informing the candidate of the membership, and setting up the date/time of the exam.
(3) The supervisor must notify the Graduate Program Assistant at least one month prior to the exam of the examining committee members, the date/time of the exam, and the title of the research proposal
(4) For MSc students intending to transfer to the PhD via the Preliminary Exam, the supervisor must inform the Graduate Program Assistant by January to reserve a funded PhD position for the student for
September.
Time Limits
For the M.Sc. degree students complete all degree requirements (including successfully defending your thesis and submitting the thesis online) within 4 years (12 terms) of registration in the M.Sc. Program. This includes both full-time (2 years maximum) and part-time (2 years maximum) registration.
For the Ph.D. degree the time limit is 6 years (18 terms) of registration in the Ph.D. including both full-time (6 years maximum) and part-time registration. Ph.D. students in year 6 (18 terms) do not receive a York University Fellowship.
Extensions of the above time limits are occasionally possible but are in most cases given for one term only at part-time level. To request an extension, the student must petition via the online Academic Petition portal. A very strong academic rationale, supported by the supervisor, must be made and students can expect difficulty in getting extensions. Petitions for extensions should be submitted 2 months before the end of the normal time limits.
Thesis Format
Prior to writing your thesis/dissertation please visit Faculty of Graduate Studies—Thesis and Dissertation.
Content and style should be approved your supervisory committee well in advance. Students may write a thesis/dissertation based on publications and/or manuscript-style chapters but this format requires a comprehensive introductory chapter/review and a concluding chapter that discusses the overall findings and implications of the entire thesis.
If a thesis or dissertation contains manuscripts or publications that are co- or multi-authored then it will be accepted for examination by the Faculty of Graduate Studies only if accompanied by signed written statements from the candidate and supervisor(s) that explains in detail the candidate’s contribution to the work. The statement should contain details about each publication: authors, title, journal, candidate’s contribution, signatures of candidate and supervisor.
To use published work in your thesis/dissertation, you must obtain permission in writing from all other authors on the papers and the publishers of the journals in which the work originally appeared. This is a copyright law. In addition, a statement should be included from co-authors that would permit the microfilming of the thesis/dissertation. The Faculty of Graduate Studies, Thesis Office will not accept your thesis/dissertation unless it is accompanied by these letters of permissions.
Setting up the Thesis Defence and Examining Committee
For M.Sc. thesis and Ph.D. dissertation, the thesis or dissertation must be approved as acceptable for examination by the student’s Supervisory Committee before a defence can be scheduled. Getting approval from the supervisory committee, including any revisions that the committee requires, may take 4-6 weeks or longer.
For both M.Sc. and Ph.D. defence examinations, it is the responsibility of the Supervisor to assemble the Examining Committee and determine a date for the defence; this must then be approved by the Program Director via the Recommendation for Oral Examination Form Master’s Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation. FGS must receive this form a minimum of 3 weeks prior to a M.Sc. defence and 4 weeks prior to a Ph.D. defence.
The Examining Committee for M.Sc. thesis normally consists of the Supervisor, the Supervisory Committee Member, one other graduate faculty member of the Biology Graduate Program (FGS Dean’s Representative), plus one graduate faculty member from outside the Biology graduate program and who at arm’s length from the thesis (Outside Examiner).
The Examining Committee for the Ph.D. dissertation normally consists of the Supervisory Committee (supervisor plus 2 members from Biology), plus one other graduate faculty member of the Biology Program (FGS Dean’s Representative), plus one graduate faculty member from another Program within York (Outside Examiner), plus an External Examiner from outside York University. A short version of the External Examiner’s biography and publication record is required by the Faculty of Graduate Studies to confirm his/her suitability to participate on the specific Ph.D. examination. Travel costs for the External Examiner must first be approved by FGS.
Students should not contact the external examiner directly themselves. The supervisor must determine if the External Examiner is willing to participate and provide a copy of the dissertation at least 4 weeks prior to the exam. The supervisor should provide generic instructions and notification that the Dean’s official letter of invitation will follow. The supervisor is responsible for confirming successful delivery of the dissertation (normally by courier).
Copies of the master’s thesis approved by the supervisory committee must be provided to the members of the examining committee no less than 15 business days before the date of the oral examination. Copies of the doctoral dissertation approved by the supervisory committee must be provided to the members of the examining committee no less than 20 business days before the date of the oral examination.
Format of Defence
Defences are open, though the audience is not permitted to ask questions and must leave prior to the final deliberations of the examining committee.
The student must present a seminar (M.Sc.: 20 min; PhD: 30-40 min) followed by a several rounds of questions from the examining committee. Total duration is typically 2 hr for M.Sc. and 3 hr for Ph.D.
The thesis/dissertation should be original, innovative, publishable and likely to make significant impact on the field of study. It should be well organized, clearly and concisely written and with adequate data presentation and tie the research accurately and adequately to the background literature.
The defence should start with a clear and logical presentation and demonstrate that the student has an acceptable understanding of the background literature, the technical and intellectual basis of the research, the way the research contributes to the general area of enquiry, and establish that the student has an appropriate ability to conduct independent research.
The quality of the thesis/dissertation and the performance of the student will be assessed via the Oral Examination Report Form and students may be required to complete minor or major revisions as necessary prior to the thesis being accepted by FGS.
Instructions for uploading the final, approved thesis to FGS can be found at Faculty of Graduate Studies – Thesis and Dissertation.
Any graduate student may petition through their program office to the Faculty of Graduate Studies for the waiving of one or more of the academic regulations and/or other requirements of the graduate program or of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Petitions are required for leaves of absence and extension of program time limits. The Academic Petition Portal should be completed and submitted with supporting documents to the Graduate Program Assistant.
See York Secretariat – Secretariat Policies and Faculty of Graduate Studies – Regulations for more information.
Only in exceptional circumstances will an academic petition for a retroactive leave of absence be granted. Graduate students may also submit a financial petition to Student Financial Services.
Academic petitions and appeals in the Faculty of Graduate Studies are governed by the Senate Guidelines.
Click on the form name to go directly to the form.
Supervisory Committee Approval Form
TD1 Form
TD2 Form
TD 4 Form
MSc/PhD Research Progress Evaluation Form
MSc Recommendation for Oral Examination Form
PhD Recommendation for Oral Examination Form
Academic Petition Portal
PhD Preliminary Examination Record Form (.pdf)
See Faculty of Graduate Studies – Current Students – Student Status for forms related to student registration and enrolment.
Faculty of Graduate Studies Forms
The following forms can be found the Faculty of Graduate Studies website:
- Academic Affairs
- Student Affairs
- Thesis and Dissertation
- Student Finances
- Graduate & Postdoctoral Professional Skills (GPPS)
Learn More
The Graduate Program in Biology at York is an exciting environment to pursue innovative, socially engaging, career-ready education. Contact our Graduate Program Assistant to learn more.