PHD THESIS REQUIREMENTS AND SUPERVISION

PhD Thesis Requirements and Supervision

Details related to the requirements of thesis at the institution are provided in the “Thesis Handbook: Graduate School”. Students are therefore required to read carefully the Thesis Handbook in order to thoroughly familiarize themselves with the applicable regulations.

As far as supervision of thesis research is concerned it is to be noted that the PhD thesis supervisor generally looks at the scientific work being prepared by the student, supervises it, and is committed to ensuring that quality standards of the work are being met. The supervisor is a person with the requisite academic qualification and experience in the chosen field of the thesis research. The supervisor has expert knowledge of the field in which the student is carrying out his/her research. The supervisor’s task is to guide the PhD student from commencement of the research through the oral presentation and defense of the completed research work (PhD viva). The thesis supervisor has to ensure that the PhD student takes initiatives and is creative. The supervisor has the duty to inform the director of the program on all matters related to the supervision of the PhD student. The director, in turn, informs the PhD Program Committee on all matters related to the PhD program.

The thesis supervisor is required to sign the Thesis Approval Form. Additionally, the PhD Academic Coordinator is required to sign the thesis approval form. The signature of the Academic Coordinator is an assertion of the authenticity of the adviser’s signature and of the acceptability of the thesis to the Graduate School. Therefore, this signature must be original. All required signatures must be submitted to the Graduate School on the same form in support of the thesis deposit.

A PhD degree candidate studying full-time is expected to complete all degree requirements within three (3) years of first registering as a degree-seeking student in the PhD program. A PhD degree candidate studying part-time is expected to complete all degree requirements within five (5) years of first registering as a degree-seeking student in the PhD program. Details regarding PhD thesis requirements are provided in the publication “Theses Handbook: Graduate School”. Students are therefore required to read carefully instructions provided in that Handbook.