Thesis Requirement
A research thesis of no more than 200 pages, which involves an original contribution to knowledge, written and defended in an acceptable manner. The PhD candidate must defend their thesis through the Final Oral Examination.
Throughout the PhD program, oral examinations and committee meetings are held according to the timelines below.
Program Requirements
Please note that this is the typical progress through the PhD program for students who have completed a Master's. A student’s progress may vary, and students are encouraged to discuss their progress regularly with their supervisor(s). Normally a student will publish 3 to 4 journal articles by the end of their PhD program.
| Program Requirement | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHE2222H - Safety Training Workshop | Prior to starting research in the lab | |||
| JDE1000H - Ethics in Research | Fall or Winter session | |||
| CHE1102H - Research Methods and Project Execution | Second session of study | |||
| CHE3001H - Seminar in Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry | Fall & Winter sessions | Fall & Winter sessions | Fall & Winter sessions | Fall & Winter sessions |
| CHE3010Y - PhD Research Reading Committee | Within 9 months of beginning the program | ~9 months after Qualifying Exam | ~9 months after reading committee held in Year 2 | ~9 months after reading committee held in Year 3 |
| Electives* 1.5 Full-Course Equivalents (FCE) - 3 graduate half courses | Must be completed by the end of Year 3. | |||
| CHE1100H - Fundamentals of Chemical Engineering | Mandatory for students without an Engineering background. Counts as a 0.5 FCE elective course. | |||
| PhD Qualification Examination | By the 13th month in the program | |||
| Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles | Submit 1-2 articles for review | Submit 1-2 articles for review | Submit 1-2 articles for review | |
| Achieve PhD Candidacy | All academic courses must be complete, regular committee meetings must have been held and adequate research progress made. | |||
| Thesis | Writing completed and thesis defended at the PhD Departmental Oral Exam (optional) and PhD Final Oral Examination | |||
*Note on Electives
- at least one (0.5 FCE) course must be taken in a secondary area of study
- 500-level courses cannot be counted towards the PhD program
- CHE1430H, CHE1431H, CHE1432H, CHE1433H, CHE1434H, CHE1436H do not count towards PhD requirements
- A maximum of 1 APS/TEP (ELITE) courses can count towards the PhD course requirements, unless the student’s supervisor’s primary research interest is in leadership education.
Please note that this is the typical progress through the PhD program for students in the Direct-entry PhD program. A student’s progress may vary, and students are encouraged to discuss their progress regularly with their supervisor(s). Normally a student will publish 3 to 4 journal articles by the end of their PhD program.
| Program Requirement | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHE2222H - Safety Training Workshop | Prior to starting research in the lab | ||||
| JDE1000H - Ethics in Research | Fall or Winter session | ||||
| CHE1102H - Research Methods and Project Execution | Second session of study | ||||
| CHE3001H - Seminar in Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry | Fall & Winter sessions | Fall & Winter sessions | Fall & Winter sessions | Fall & Winter sessions | |
| CHE3010Y - PhD Research Reading Committee | Within 9 months of beginning the program | ~9 months after Qualifying Exam | ~9 months after reading committee held in Year 2 | ~9 months after reading committee held in Year 3 | ~9 months after reading committee held in Year 4 |
| Electives* 2.5 Full-Course Equivalents (FCE) - 5 graduate half courses | Must be completed by the end of Year 4. | ||||
| CHE1100H - Fundamentals of Chemical Engineering | Mandatory for students without an Engineering background. Counts as a 0.5 FCE elective course. | ||||
| PhD Qualification Examination | By the 13th month in the program | ||||
| Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles | Submit 1-2 articles for review | Submit 1-2 articles for review | Submit 1-2 articles for review | Submit 1-2 articles for review | |
| Achieve PhD Candidacy | All academic courses must be complete, regular committee meetings must have been held and adequate research progress made. | ||||
| Thesis | Thesis research is completed and writing begins. | Writing completed and thesis defended at the PhD Departmental Oral Exam (optional) and PhD Final Oral Examination | |||
*Note on electives
- CHE1100H – Fundamentals of Chemical Engineering (0.5 FCE) for those who do not have an Engineering background
- at least one (0.5 FCE) course must be taken in a secondary area of study
- a maximum of one (0.5 FCE) 500-level course can count towards Transfer or Direct-Entry PhD requirements
- CHE1430H, CHE1431H, CHE1432H, CHE1433H, CHE1434H, CHE1436H do not count towards PhD requirements
- A maximum of 1 APS/TEP (ELITE) courses can count towards the PhD course requirements, unless the student’s supervisor’s primary research interest is in leadership education.
Please note that below is the typical progress through the PhD program for students who have transferred from the MASc into the PhD program. A student’s progress may vary, and students are encouraged to discuss their progress regularly with their supervisor(s). Normally a student will publish 3 to 4 journal articles by the end of their PhD program.
| Program Requirement | Year 1 (MASc) | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHE2222H - Safety Training Workshop | Prior to starting research in the lab | ||||
| JDE1000H - Ethics in Research | Fall or Winter session | ||||
| CHE1102H - Research Methods and Project Execution | Seconds session of study | ||||
| CHE3001H - Seminar in Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry | Fall & Winter sessions | Fall & Winter sessions | Fall & Winter sessions | Fall & Winter sessions | |
| CHE3012Y - MASc Research Reading Committee | Within 9 months of beginning the MASc program | ||||
| MASc Transfer Exam | Within13 months after starting the MASc | ||||
| CHE3010Y - PhD Research Reading Committee | ~9 months after Transfer Exam | ~9 months after reading committee held in Year 2 | ~9 months after reading committee held in Year 3 | ~9 months after reading committee held in Year 4 | |
| Electives* Up to 2.5 Full-Course Equivalents (FCE) - 5 graduate half courses (depending on coursework completed during in 1st year MASc | Must be completed by the end of Year 4. | ||||
| CHE1100H - Fundamentals of Chemical Engineering | Mandatory for students without an Engineering background. Counts as a 0.5 FCE elective course. | ||||
| Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles | Submit 1-2 articles for review | Submit 1-2 articles for review | Submit 1-2 articles for review | Submit 1-2 articles for review | |
| Achieve PhD Candidacy | All academic courses must be complete, regular committee meetings must have been held and adequate research progress made. | ||||
| Thesis | Thesis research is completed and writing begins. | Writing completed and thesis defended at the PhD Departmental Oral Exam (optional) and PhD Final Oral Examination | |||
*Note on electives
- at least one (0.5 FCE) course must be taken in a secondary area of study
- a maximum of one (0.5 FCE) 500-level course can count towards Transfer or Direct-Entry PhD requirements
- CHE1430H, CHE1431H, CHE1432H, CHE1433H, CHE1434H, CHE1436H do not count towards PhD requirements
- A maximum of 1 APS/TEP (ELITE) courses can count towards the PhD course requirements, unless the student’s supervisor’s primary research interest is in leadership education.
Please note that this is the typical progress through the PhD program for students in the Direct-entry PhD program. A student’s progress may vary, and students are encouraged to discuss their progress regularly with their supervisor(s). Normally a student will publish 3 to 4 journal articles by the end of their PhD program.
| Program Requirement | Year 1 (Full-time) | Year 2 (Full-time) | Year 3 (Full-time) | Year 4 (Full-time) | Year 5 & 6 (Part-time) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHE2222H - Safety Training Workshop | Prior to starting research in the lab | ||||
| JDE1000H - Ethics in Research | Fall or Winter session | ||||
| CHE1102H - Research Methods and Project Execution | Second session of study | ||||
| CHE3001H - Seminar in Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry | Fall & Winter sessions | Fall & Winter sessions | Fall & Winter sessions | Fall & Winter sessions | |
| CHE3010Y - PhD Research Reading Committee | Within 9 months of beginning the program | ~9 months after Qualifying Exam | ~9 months after reading committee held in Year 2 | ~9 months after reading committee held in Year 3 | ~9 months after reading committee held in Year 4 |
| Electives* 1.5 Full-Course Equivalents (FCE) - 3 graduate half courses | Must be completed by the end of Year 4. | ||||
| CHE1100H - Fundamentals of Chemical Engineering | Mandatory for students without an Engineering background. Counts as a 0.5 FCE elective course. | ||||
| PhD Qualification Examination | By the 16th month in the program | ||||
| Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles | Submit 1-2 articles for review | Submit 1-2 articles for review | Submit 1-2 articles for review | Submit 1-2 articles for review | |
| Achieve PhD Candidacy | All academic courses must be complete, regular committee meetings must have been held and adequate research progress made. | ||||
| Thesis | Thesis research & writing completed and thesis defended at the PhD Departmental Oral Exam (optional) and PhD Final Oral Examination | ||||
*Note about electives
- at least one (0.5 FCE) course must be taken in a secondary area of study
- 500-level courses cannot be counted towards the PhD program
- CHE1430H, CHE1431H, CHE1432H, CHE1433H, CHE1434H, CHE1436H do not count towards PhD requirements
- A maximum of 1 APS/TEP (ELITE) courses can count towards the PhD course requirements, unless the student’s supervisor’s primary research interest is in leadership education.
Students whose research work is unsatisfactory in the opinion of their supervisor may have their progress to date assessed by a three-person committee made up of the supervisor and two faculty knowledgeable in the research area. The committee has complete authority to recommend the termination of a student’s degree program if adequate progress is not demonstrated.
We understand that challenging circumstances sometimes arise, and can get in the way of academic success. If you are experiencing academic, personal, or professional difficulties that make maintaining adequate progress in your program difficult, please contact the Graduate Programs staff in the Student Services Office. We treat all such inquiries with discretion and can connect you with the many resources and support services available to you as a graduate student.