THE MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

2.2.2 THE MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE

Admission Requirements

1) Applicants with an honours degree in Biological Sciences or a related field may be admitted into a one-year (minimum duration) Master's program.
2) Applicants with a general B.Sc. degree in Biological Sciences or a related field may be admitted to a two-year (minimum duration) Master's program.

Program Requirements

1) Students admitted to the one-year Master's program will be expected to:
(a) comply with the general regulations outlined in 1.6;
(b) attend all departmental seminars in Biological Sciences (formal presentations of visiting speakers, graduate student seminars, thesis defense presentations and dissertation defense presentations) each year of full-time registration;
(c) present a total of two departmental seminars exclusive of the thesis defense;
(d) successfully complete a minimum of three graduate courses one of which may be in a cognate area. Statistics 65-453 (Statistics for Life/Social Sciences) may be allowed for graduate credit;
(e) complete an original research project and embody it in a thesis;
(f) defend the thesis orally at a public lecture or seminar.

2) Students admitted to the two-year Master's program, besides meeting the minimum requirements of the one-year program, are expected in the first year of the two-year program to achieve a level of qualification equivalent to an honours degree through research and a minimum of four courses.

3) Grading: A student must maintain at least a B- average in each Biological Sciences course and at least a B- average in any non-Biological Sciences courses.

4) Master's Committee: Within one term of the student's registration in the program, the research committee will be formed and the names submitted to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. The full committee will consist of at least three members—the research supervisor, one other faculty member from within Biological Sciences, and one University faculty member from outside of Biological Sciences.

The student should meet with individual committee members on an informal basis at least twice a year. The committee, in turn, must meet to:
(a) review and approve course work and the research proposal no later than six months into the program;
(b) discuss the student's research and thesis at least six months before the anticipated time of the final oral examination;
(c) participate in the final oral examination.

Research Progress: Each year from the date of initial registration, the student must submit a Research Progress Report to and meet with his or her Master's committee. In addition, the student must review his or her research in a meeting with the Master's committee at least six months before the anticipated date of the final oral examination.

Research Thesis: A thesis embodying the results of an original investigation in the student's major field is required of all candidates. The student must defend the thesis orally at a public lecture or seminar, which will be the final oral examination.