HRS - Thesis Policies and Procedures

Key Dates and Forms

Note the following key dates for Health & Rehabilitation Sciences. There are some differences from the schedule noted on the School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS) website. Submission deadlines to SGPS are for the program offices which first follows an internal process.

Master’s

The Master’s Thesis Examination Board form is due to Cathy Collins five weeks before the defence date. The board form is to be completed by the supervisor (with the exception of the room numbers, the name of the Chair of the Examination Board and the signature line). Supervisors should check with Cathy Collins regarding SGPS membership status for their examiners. If applicable, the designation of co-supervisor or joint-supervisor should be noted.
Program Supervisors must have SGPS membership in Health & Rehabilitation Sciences
University examiners must have SGPS membership outside of HRS
Examiners must be seen to be able to examine the student and the thesis at arm's-length, free of substantial conflict of interest from any source. The test of whether or not a conflict of interest might exist is whether a reasonable outside person could consider a situation to exist that could give rise to an apprehension of bias. Co-authors or collaborators of any component of the thesis may not serve as Examiners. The candidate's program must take reasonable steps to avoid recommending an Examiner whose relationship with the candidate or Supervisor could be seen as jeopardizing an impartial judgment on the thesis. A faculty member asked to examine a thesis should declare possible sources of conflict.
The Master’s Thesis Supervisor Approval form is due to Cathy Collins four weeks before the defence date. The supervisor approval form is to be completed and signed by the supervisor and the student is to sign it as well.
Four hard copies of the thesis are due to Cathy Collins four weeks before the defence date.
The very last day to defend in the 2011 Fall is December 15 with the final submission date of the thesis to Krystyna Locke in SGPS is December 22. Students will be awarded degree in absentia, February 2012 (but can attend Spring Convocation)
The very last day to defend in the 2012 Winter Term is April 23 with the final submission date of the thesis to Krystyna Locke in SGPS is April 30. Students will be eligible for Spring Convocation.
To submit to Krystyna Locke, schedule online

Doctoral

The Doctoral Thesis Examination Board form is due to me 8 weeks before the defence date. The board form is to be completed by the supervisor (with the exception of the room numbers, the name of the Chair of Examination Board and the signature line). Supervisors should check with Cathy Collins regarding SGPS membership status for their examiners. If applicable, the designation of co-supervisor or joint-supervisor should be noted.
Program Supervisors must have SGPS membership in Health & Rehabilitation Sciences
University examiners must have SGPS membership outside of HRS
External examiners must be from outside of The University of Western Ontario
- Examiners must be seen to be able to examine the student and the thesis at arm's-length, free of substantial conflict of interest from any source. The test of whether or not a conflict of interest might exist is whether a reasonable outside person could consider a situation to exist that could give rise to an apprehension of bias. Co-authors or collaborators of any component of the thesis may not serve as Examiners. The candidate's program must take reasonable steps to avoid recommending an Examiner whose relationship with the candidate or Supervisor could be seen as jeopardizing an impartial judgment on the thesis. A faculty member asked to examine a thesis should declare possible sources of conflict.
The Doctoral Thesis Supervisor Approval form is due to Cathy Collins seven weeks before the defence date. The supervisor approval form is to be completed and signed by the supervisor and the student to sign it as well.
Five hard copies of the thesis is due to Cathy Collins seven weeks before your defence date OR submit the thesis electronically six weeks before the defence date. Please follow the SGPS electronic submission guidelines
The very last day to defend in the 2011 Fall is December 15 with the final submission date of the thesis to Krystyna Locke in SGPS is December 22. Students will be awarded degree in absentia, February 2012 (but can attend Spring Convocation)
The very last day to defend in the 2012 Winter Term is April 23 with the final submission date of the thesis to Krystyna Locke in SGPS is April 30. Students will be eligible for Spring Convocation.
To submit the final hard copy to Krystyna, the student is to schedule online
To submit the final thesis electronically:
- Submit final copy of the work through Scholarship@Western
- If revisions were required, the supervisor will review the submission to ensure the changes were made
- Once copy approved, the thesis will be published to the public section of Scholarship@Western.

Thesis Defence Only Status

This option is open to MSc or PhD students who have met all of the above deadlines, but cannot schedule the examination date on or before the final date for the thesis examination (December 15, April 23). Students would have to pay part-time ancillary fees for the next term.