for Kinesiology Students and Faculty Members

THIS IS A LIVING DOCUMENT. This manual is updated throughout the year.  Although the policies remain virtually unchanged, details and processes are revised as improvements are made.  We endeavour to provide clear and current information for the benefit of those assoicated with our graduate program. If you have questions, suggestions, or concerns please contact the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The procedures described herein are not immutable, however, and consideration will be provided on an individual basis if warranted, whilst assuring equity and departmental standards.  It is the responsibility of individual graduate faculty members to be familiar with and to comply with university and SGS Policy and Procedures, as well as the regulations and guidelines in this handbook.

• General Information

• MSc Program

• PhD Program

• Teaching Opportunities

• Useful Resources

Link to School of Graduate Studies
The policies and procedures for the Master’s and PhD Programs in Kinesiology are set out at the University level by the School of Graduate Studies. The University’s Policy and Procedures relevant to Graduate Programs can be found in the School of Graduate Studies Calendar which is revised each summer and posted to the SGS website at the beginning of the fall term. The  calendar can be found at: http://www.mcmaster.ca/graduate. It is the responsibility of individual graduate faculty members to be familiar with and to comply with university and SGS Policy and Procedures, as well as the regulations and guidelines in this handbook.

General Information

2.1 Administrative Procedures

Students will be required to complete a number of official forms as they progress through their studies. Please remember to give a copy of all these forms to Rebecca Clifford, the Graduate Administrator, IWC Room 219C, who will place copies in the student's file so that a record can be kept of all your academic transactions. Do not take or send forms directly to the School of Graduate Studies.

In September of an incoming year, students should meet informally with their supervisor to discuss course work to be taken while in the program and possible thesis topics. Students will be notified of  their TA assignments and will have to determine if course schedules will be in conflict with any of the assigned TA duties. If a conflict arises, immediately contact the Dr. Audrey Hicks, Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies, IWC 204 to discuss possible changes.

2.2 Coursework Requirements

In early September, students must register for the courses to be taken during the year. This process is done through SOLAR (Student Online Academic Registration). Courses for the full year may be submitted in September; however, should you wish to make changes to your course selection, you will have to do so before the date indicated in the Graduate Calendar (Final Dates to Delete Courses). Wait until January to make your second semester course selections if you are undecided.

Please note that it is necessary for all graduate students to register, attend, and successfully complete SGS 101 - Academic & Research Integrity training; successfully complete a minimum of five Health & Safety modules, and successfully complete the government mandated Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act (AODA) training before payroll will be authorized.

Attendance at and participation in the Department Seminar series is a program requirement for graduation. If you are not able to attend a specific seminar, it is your responsibility to inform the Dr. Stuart Phillips, Associate Chair, Grad Studies of your absence. Students are expected to attend all Grad Seminars during the years of their studies whether they are registered on a full or part-time basis. Failure to satisfy these requirements, as noted in the student’s annual progress report, may result in expulsion from the Program.  Seminar series attendance is mandatory for those who wish to apply for departmental travel funds (said student must be first author on a paper, provide proof of paper's submission, acceptance of same for presentation, and receipts for expenses incurred at the conference in question).

It is possible to complete all course work in the first year; however, for Master’s students some courses, eg. KIN 702 Individual Study, may be deferred to, and completed during the second year. Do not register for your KIN 702 course unless you are able to finish it in the term specified.

2.3 External Scholarship Applications

Scholarship applications are often available to be downloaded from, or filled out directly online at the appropriate websites. For scholarships that are ranked through SGS, deadlines for major scholarships are set by the School of Graduate Studies; from there, departmental deadlines are determined.  Please respect the department deadlines which provide the department ranking commitee with much needed assessment of Kinesiology applications. There will be no extensions to department deadlines.

Student's Responsibilities

• know the rules, regulations and requirements of the awards to which they are applying;
• solicit letters of reference from the appropriate faculty members, which should be sent directly to the Grad Administrator in IWC 219C before the deadline;
• if necessary, remind faculty to return the forms before the deadline;
• obtain original copies of all transcripts and/or ensure originals have been sent and received in the Admin Centre, IWC 219C. ISSUED TO STUDENT copies are not valid for scholarship applications;
• fill out application forms correctly and as completely as possible.

The availability of OGSST scholarships is not firm; however, if the program continues SGS will alert all departments.

Students are advised that the TA and internal Scholarship allotment (eg, full TA) stipulated in the Department’s original offer of acceptance may be modified if the student is successful in obtaining external scholarship support. See the sections on student funding expectations in the Master’s and PhD program sections below for a more detailed explanation of student salary calculations and expectations. Once in the program, changes in the student’s funding status for whatever reason (eg, increased research involvement and subsequent change in the balance of RA/TA funding) that differ from the original letter of offer shall be agreed to by the student and duly documented in their departmental file. If you are applying for scholarships that are not reviewed by the Kinesiology ranking committee or the School of Graduate Studies (otherwise known as 'direct submissions'), it is your responsibility to make sure that a copy of the completed application package is included in your file. The Grad Administrator can also provide assistance for direct submit applications.  If you are considering unusual grant opportunities or niche funding please involve the Grad Administrator or Associate Chair, Graduate Studies for assistance in planning your submissions.

Eligibility for OGS Scholarship
Must have an overall average of at least A minus, or the equivalent, on the last 20 completed one-term/semester courses.

Eligibility for NSERC Scholarship
Must have obtained a first-class average (A minus) in each of the last two completed years of study.

Eligibility for SSHRC Scholarship
Must have achieved a first-class average (A minus) in each of the last two years of full-time study or equivalent.

Eligibility for CIHR Scholarship
Must have a minimum of an A- (10/12, using McMaster’s scale) or the equivalent on the last 20 one-term/semester courses completed.

Please refer to the internet web sites for OGS, NSERC, SSHRC and CIHR details.

IMPORTANT Before completing an application form, please check to make sure that you meet the eligibility requirements. Please contact Rebecca Clifford, Graduate Administrator, IWC 219C or ext 23582, if you have any questions regarding your eligibility.

REMEMBER it is your responsibility to monitor ALL scholarship websites from mid-August on for information/guidelines, application forms, etc.

2.4 Travel Grants

You will likely have the opportunity to attend conferences and symposia during your grad studies. Consider applying for a GSA Travel Assistance Grant to help offset your costs. Travel assistance forms can be obtained here . Travel Assistance Grants are designed to assist graduate students to present their research findings at conferences or to undertake off-campus research relevant to their field of study.

GSA application deadlines for various travel periods are listed on the front page of the grant application forms. Depending on our departmental scholarship funding status, there may be a small allowance available to full time students attending as the presenting author of the research at a recognized National or International Scientific Conference. Application for these travel awards are made directly through Rebecca Clifford, Graduate Administrator, IWC 219C. Please note that attendance at the departmental seminar series is required in order to apply for travel funds.

There are often small travel grants offered to presenting students by the conference organizing committees.  Please remember to explore these funding options when you submit yout abstracts for consideration.

Regardless of whether you receive a travel grant or not, please remember to retain all receipts and conference programs.

2.5 Important 1st & 2nd Year Program Activities

Within the first year of the MSc program, and within the first 2 years of the PhD program, the student meets formally with his/her supervisor and discusses a potential thesis topic. Based on this discussion, an appropriate supervisory committee is formed.

SUMMARY OF 1^st and 2^nd YEAR PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

In early September

• Review Grad Studies regulations via the SGS website
• Meet with supervisor to discuss course options & potential thesis topic
• Review TA assignment for conflict with course schedule
• Request copies of transcripts for scholarship applications (if applicable)
• Complete course registration forms; remember to copy the Grad Administrator
• Apply for external scholarships; obtain references in good time for deadlines

Later in 1st/2nd year

• Confirm thesis topic and study plan with supervisor
• Report your progress to your supervisory committee

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MSc Studies

3.1 Student Funding Expectations

All full time Masters students are guaranteed a Teaching Assistantship (TA) or equivalent RA,  and a graduate scholarship for each of their two years in Master’s Studies. A full TA involves 260 hours of work at a current rate of $39.40 per hour.

Should the student win a major external award (NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR, OGS, OGSST, ONF), the value and hours of the TA will be reduced from 100% to 75% to allow the student to concentrate more time on research work. Therefore, the annual salary in this case will be comprised of

• 75% TA (195 hours work at $38.85 per hour)
• a departmental graduate scholarship, if the student is in his/her first year of the program
• the full value of the external award.

If the student does not receive a major external award, the department guarantees a minimum salary of $14,500 per year, prior to the usual deductions of tuition and taxes.

We guarantee the student this level of teaching/scholarship assistantship for both years of the Master’s program. Please note that the guarantee of ongoing employment as a teaching/research assistant is subject to the student maintaining satisfactory work performance.

3.2 Introduction to MSc Studies

MSc Studies in Kinesiology consists of both course work and a research thesis and takes about 2 years to complete . Candidates for the MSc degree are required to complete their courses with an overall average of no less than B plus. Requirements are successful completion of :

• KIN 701
• one unit of KIN 702
• and two units of KIN electives
• in addition, participation with no less than 75% attendance for Departmental Graduate Seminar series, is mandatory for both full and part time students

One KIN elective course may be replaced with an elective offered outside of the department with the approval of the supervisor and the Associate Chair, Graduate Studies. Additionally, students who have taken an equivalent course may be exempted from KIN 701 provided they have permission of the instructor and their supervisor.

Supervisory meetings are required for every graduate student in program, full time and part time.  A report of said meeting must be submitted to the administrative office PRIOR to the student completing his/her first year.  This report is to ensure that the student has received adequate supervision and made appropriate progress.  In the following year, a similar report must be submitted even though it is expected that the student will defend within that year.  The report form for supervisory meetings is found on the FORMS page, and is patterned on the SGS report for PhD supervisory committee meetings. Failure to file at least one supervisory committee meeting report per year for a student will result in a fine being levied against the supervisor.

TABLE 1 - Course Offerings For M.Sc. Program

Please note that not every course is offered in every year.  Succesful completion of a graduate course requires no less than B plus.  Failure to achieve this minimum in any course will result in the student being requrested to withdraw from the program.

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3.3  MSc Thesis Proposal

The student presents the proposal to the supervisory committee for discussion. This takes the form of both an oral presentation and a written proposal which includes a brief literature review, the rationale for the study, a clear statement of hypothesis or purpose, and the proposed design. After deliberation and discussion, the proposal is accepted as presented or modified - this may require more than one meeting - and a copy placed in the student’s file. Acceptance of the proposal should be documented and a written summary of this meeting retained by the student and his/her committee members, and included in the student’s academic file. The required supervsiory committee form is available on the FORMS page and must be signed by all members of the committee and included in the student's file.

Once the student begins collecting data, it is recommended that the student meet again with the supervisory committee early in the collection period but this could also be managed through a series of informal discussions.

3.4 Final Steps to Thesis Completion

After completion of data collection and analysis the student meets formally with the supervisory committee to discuss results and receive approval to write the thesis. The required supervisory committee form is available from the FORMS page and must be signed by all members of the committee and included in the student's file.

The student writes the thesis with guidance from the supervisor and committee members. Normally, the first draft is reviewed by the supervisor with subsequent input from the other members of the committee. When the document is considered satisfactory by the supervisory committee permission is given to defend the thesis. At this point the supervisory committee will sign a supervisory committee form indicating that the written thesis is satisfactory to defend. Please note that revisions may still be suggested. The required supervsiory committee form is available on the  FORMS page and must be signed by all members of the committee and included in the student's file.

An examining committee is struck and the oral examination scheduled. Examiners should have the final copy of the thesis in their possession for a minimum of two (2) weeks prior to the examination.

3.5 Thesis Defense

Composition of examining committee The School of Graduate Studies stipulates a minimum of 3 examiners for the examining committee for the MSc degree, including the supervisor. However, within Kinesiology the convention has been that the supervisor sits as a non-voting chair of the committee with the examining committee consisting of one or both remaining members of the supervisory committee plus at least one member external to the supervisory committee. Normally, all examiners have academic appointments at McMaster. Where the supervisory committee deems an external examiner to be of value to the process, approval for such an inclusion must be obtained from the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies.

Once the date and time of the defense has been determined by the student and supervisor, they should advise the Graduate Administrator so that arrangements can be booked and the necessary paperwork prepared.

The student orally defends the thesis and is judged on both the oral defense and the overall quality of the thesis. The oral defense and written thesis must be passed by a majority of the examination committee.

Revisions to the thesis as required by the examining committee must be completed and approved by the supervisor. Once the required revisions have been completed and approved by the advisor it is the student’s responsibility to submit the electronic copy of the thesis to the School of Graduate Studies for uploading to DIGITAL COMMONS.

Often students give copies to the supervisor and the committee members, and arrangements can be made through the Graduate Administrator to have these and other additional copies bound at cost by the same firm.

A Final Thesis Submission Sheet must by submitted to SGS following a successful Master’s Defense. This form is downloadable from the Graduate Studies website, which is accessible through the FORMS page.

3.6 Summary of Master’s Thesis Procedures

Master’s Thesis Procedures

• Confirmation of thesis topic
• constitution of supervisory committee by student and supervisor
• Formal oral and written presentation of proposal to supervisory committee
• Research proposal is approved, form signed; paperwork must be submitted to the Grad Administrator to ensure records are accurate
• Data collection begins; committee meeting is held early to review progress
• Formal committee approves student to write the thesis after data are collected and analyzed; paperwork must be submitted to the Grad Administrator to ensure records are accurate
• Initial thesis drafts are reviewed by advisor with input from committee
• Committee gives formal permission to defend the thesis; paperwork must be submitted to the Grad Adminstrator to ensure records are accurate
• Exam committee is struck; oral defense details are coordinated by Grad Administrator
• Student provides examiners with final copy of thesis at least 2 weeks before defense
• Student orally defends thesis; revisions are approved by supervisor
• Student provides electronic copy of revised thesis to School of Graduate Studies for uploading, including the Final Thesis Submission Sheet
• Student arranges for any hardcopies to be bound through the bindery directly.

3.7 Acceleration to PhD

Students admitted into Master's Studies who excel during their first year may be considered for "acceleration" into our PhD Program if the following criteria have been satisfied:

• completion of all Master’s level coursework with a minimum of an A average, including completion of data collection and submission of a written report for an individual's selected topics study or pilot thesis project;
• analysis and oral presentation of research data from one of the aforementioned projects at an appropriate public forum (eg, department seminar series) approved and attended by the student’s supervisory committee;
• recommendation for conversion in writing (template available on FORMS page) from the supervisory committee to the Associate Chair, Grad Studies following the oral presentation. Since a change in a student's registration status has implications in terms of TA arrangements, scholarship allocations, and space resources, such decisions must be made in consultation with the Associate Chair, Grad Studies.
• Change of Status form (accessible through the FORMS page) must be completed and submitted to the grad Administrator to ensure processing is done appropriately and records are maintained.

Supervisors considering the acceleration option for a student must inform the department's Associate Chair, Graduate Program, of their intent in March in order that appropriate TA and scholarship resources can be planned in the coming September.

All in-program student inquiries and requests concerning the School of Graduate Studies should be initiated by the Grad Administrator, unless specifically authorized by the Associate Chair, Grad Studies.

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PhD Studies

4.1 Student Funding Expectations

All full time PhD students will receive a Teaching Assistantship and a guaranteed graduate scholarship for each of the four years of study. A full TA involves 260 hours of work at a current rate of $39.40 per hour.  The minimum total annual salary stipulated by the University is $17,500 which includes a full TA , a graduate scholarship and/or a discretionary departmental top up. This is the minimum salary for a student who does not hold a major award.

Should the student receive a major external award, the department will not include the top up and the TA will be reduced from 100% to 75% in value and hours.  In this case, the student’s annual salary will be 75% TA, a guaranteed graduate scholarship, and the full value of the external award, less the applicable taxes and tuition. If the external award is lost or expires during the student’s time in program, the department will again provide the top up and full TA to reach the University’s minimum annual salary at the time.

We guarantee the student this level of teaching/scholarship assistantship for years 1 through 4 (should four years be required) of the doctoral program. Please note that ongoing employment as a teaching/research assistant is subject to the student maintaining satisfactory work performance.

4.2 Introduction To PhD Studies

Doctoral studies in Kinesiology consist of both course work selected from Table 1 and a research thesis. Duration is normally between 3-4 years for full time study. The department is committed to providing TA funding up to, but not beyond, the 4^th year should 4 years be required.

Information about scholarships, graduate travel grants, and SOLAR (Student OnLine Academic Registration) are listed under the MSc Program and also pertain to the PhD Program.

4.3 PhD Supervision

Within the first 6 months of beginning doctoral studies, a supervisory committee must be constituted for each doctoral candidate. The committee will consist of

• three to four members
• two of whom are members from the department, one being the supervisor
• additional members may be appointed from outside the Department.
• upon approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies, committee members may be appointed from outside the University (appropriate form is available on the FORMS page).

The duties of the supervisory committee include:

• planning the student’s courses, comprehensive examination topic, & research topic
• timing & scheduling of the written and oral comprehensive examinations
• approval of thesis proposal & guidance through the research process
• serving as members of thesis examination committee if appointed

The supervisory committee is required to meet formally at least once per year and to report the outcome of the meeting to the Associate Chair, Graduate Studies in the appropriate format. The student's report (pg 3) must not exceed the allocated space on the form.  Paperwork must be submitted to the Grad Administrator to ensure accurate records. Forms are available here.  Failure to hold at least one supervisory committee meeting per year for a student will result in a fine of $8,000 being levied by SGS that the student's supervisor will be required to cover.

4.4 Coursework Requirements

Students must:

• attend at least 75% of the Department Seminars. If a student is not able to attend a specific seminar, it is their responsibility to contact the Grad Administrator to advise of their absence. Failure to satisfy attendance requirements may result in expulsion from the program, and disqualifies the student from receiving travel funds from the department.
  
• successfully complete KIN 714 Directed Readings in Kinesiology – Special Populations
  
• successfully complete other courses, upon the recommendation of the supervisory committee
  
• be aware that KIN 702 Independent Studies cannot be taken as a required PhD course although it can be taken as an extra course
• be aware that the both PhD level Directed Reading courses, KIN 713 and KIN 714 , require that a detailed course outline containing the reading lists and method of evaluation be filed with the Graduate Administrator.
• be aware that evaluation of KIN 714 includes the writing and grading of a research grant proposal relevant to the topic of the reading course.

Summary of PhD Course Requirements

• KIN Master’s Studies course requirements or equivalent
• successful completion of KIN 714 plus any courses deemed necessary by supervisory committee
• satisfactory participation in Department Seminar series
• successful completion of oral and written comprehensive exam within first 24 months

4.5 Comprehensive Examinations

Procedures

• Unless agreed upon by the department’s Graduate Admissions and Review Committee, the comprehensive examination cannot begin until the student has been in the program (full-time) for 2 semesters and has completed all required course work.
• The examination procedure will consist of a written and an oral examination based on a topic that is mutually agreed upon by the student and the supervisory committee. The general topic of the comprehensive examination must be independent of the student's thesis area, as verified by the supervisory committee.
• A duly constituted comprehensive examination committee will then be formed consisting of three members; at least one member must be from the student’s supervisory committee (excluding the supervisor). The examination committee is responsible for evaluating the student's responses to both the written and oral components of the comprehensive examination.
• It is possible to appoint examiners from outside the University on the examination committee with the approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies. In such cases a request justifying the inclusion of the examiner and a copy of the examiner’s curriculum vitae must be forwarded by the supervisor to the Dean of Graduate Studies via the department's Associate Chair, Graduate Studies.
• Prior to the examination, the comprehensive examination committee will identify a general “theme” for the examination and three subtopics related to the thematic area.
• The subtopics must collectively address both basic and applied aspects of the main theme, and at least one subtopic must be related to a special population. Each committee member will be responsible for one subtopic, and each member will provide a list of no more than 15 readings relating to their respective subtopic.
• Students will have eight weeks to complete the readings and prepare for the written examination.
• No less than 48 hours before the scheduled day of writing, the examiners will each send one question electronically to the Graduate Administrator, copied to the department's Associate Chair, Graduate Program.  Questions are not to be forwarded directly to the student.
• The Graduate Administrator will provide the questions to the student at the start of the exam.
• The written examination will consist of three specific questions, one from each examiner related to each subtopic. The written examination will be a closed-book format completed within a single working day, 9am to 5pm. Answers are expected in essay form, are limited to a maximum of 10 typed pages per question, double-spaced with a sans serif 12 point font and 1 inch page margins. Written responses will be saved on computer disk or memory stick and submitted, at the end of the examination, to the Grad Administrator for electronic distribution to the examiners. The Grad Administrator also emails the answers to the candidate, the candidate's supervisor, and the oral examination chair.  No aids are permitted during the written exam with the exception of a clean copy of the original reading lists to which the candidate can refer.  Any diagrams that the candidate creates to accompany an answer are NOT considered to be part of the 10 page limit.
• Members of the comprehensive examination committee will evaluate the acceptability of the student's responses to his/her specific question at the earliest opportunity. Each examiner will decide whether the written answer is acceptable to have the candidate proceed to the oral defense and email their decision to the Grad Administrator.  Responses from the examiners are expected within 48 hours of receipt, unless arranged otherwise with the Associate Chair.
• Grad Administrator will notify the student's supervisor of the written decision in a timely manner so that an oral examination can be confirmed within one week of receiving the written answers; the Grad Administrator will inform the chair of the examination committee of the student's status following assessment of the written answers, and provide a package for the chair's reference.
• If the student's written answers are deemed acceptable for at least two of the three examination questions, the student will proceed to the oral examination, which will be scheduled one week following the written examination date. Only in exceptional circumstances can this time frame be relaxed at the discretion of the Associate Chair, Grad Program.
• During the oral examination, the student may have at hand a copy of each of the reading lists, questions, and their written answers, but nothing else, in order to defend his/her answers.
• If the student does not provide acceptable written answers to at least two of the three examination questions, the student will be deemed to have failed the comprehensive examination. However, the student will be permitted a second attempt as per the School of Graduate Studies Policy and Regulations.
• If the oral examination proceeds, each examiner (following the examination) will confirm his/her grade for the written portion and provide a grade for the oral components of his/her specific question. The student will be considered to have passed the overall comprehensive examination once all three examiners assign a pass grade to the oral presentation. 
• If one of the examination questions is deemed a fail, at the discretion of the chair of the comprehensive exam committee, the student will be required to perform supplementary work on this question in close consultation with the specific examiner responsible for this subtopic, with the examination chair overseeing this process.
• In the case of a failed comprehensive examination, and in accordance with School of Graduate Studies Policy and Regulations, students will be given a second opportunity to complete and pass the comprehensive examination.
• Failure to pass the comprehensive examination after the second attempt will necessitate withdrawal from the PhD Program.
• Grading of Comprehensive Exams: Each examination question will be graded on a fail (F), pass (P) or pass with distinction (P+) basis. To achieve a pass, students must achieve a P on at least two written exam questions. A pass with distinction will require a P+ grade on each of the 3 examination questions in both the written and oral portion. Pass with distinction indicates exceptional work on the part of the candidate.
• All comprehensive exam papers, reading lists, written exam questions, and answers to the written exams must be filed with the Grad Administrator.
• The supervisor is responsible for ensuring that the timing and scheduling of the comprehensive exams comply with these regulations. Any deviation from the timeline must be justified ahead of schedule and approved by the department's Associate Chair, Graduate Studies.
• The supervisor is also responsible for working with the Grad Administrator on the details pertaining to the examination schedule, such as date, time, and location of the defense.

Summary of Comprehensive Examination Procedures

• Minimum residency of 2 semesters (full time) in program before beginning
• Must have successfully completed all required courses with grades filed
• Must have formed a comprehensive examination committee
• Must have topics identified & approved by examination committee
• Supervisor notifies Associate Chair, Grad Studies and Grad Administrator of start times for the examination period.
• Supervisor solicits examining committee members, confirms willingness to participate and informs them of roles and responsibilities.
• ALL COURSE WORK, INCLUDING COMPREHENSIVE EXAMS MUST BE COMPLETED WITHIN FIRST 24 MONTHS IN PROGRAM

4.5.1 Comprehensive Examination Regulations

Role Of Graduate Faculty supervising PhD Students:

• Fill out the required form ; forward it to the Grad Administrator prior to the comprehensive exam
• Arrange booking of all rooms through the Grad Administratator
• Arrange booking the examination Chair through the Grad Administrator.
• Ensure that all reading lists, papers, questions, and answers are dated and submitted to the Grad Administrator so that it can be appropriately recorded
• If reading lists are received by the supervisor via e-mail and there is insufficient time to print them out on a proper page format , forward them to the Grad Administrator who will reformat the lists.
• Should there be an outside committee member, it is the responsibility of the supervisor to communicate with this person regarding the exam arrangements.
• If it is necessary to make any last minute changes regarding exam arrangements the supervisor must convey these changes to the Grad Administrator.

4.5.2 Comprehensive Examination Committee Structure:

• Comprised of at least 3 members (supervisor may be a member, but it is not necessary)
• Two (including the supervisor, if he/she is one of the three) will be from within the department
• Additional members whose scholarly interests include the area of the student’s main interest may be from outside the Department/University
• To appoint an external member from outside the University, it is necessary for the Associate Chair, Grad Studies to send a formal request along with the CV of the external examiner to the School of Graduate Studies via the Associate Chair, Graduate Studies using the appropriate form .
  

4.5.3 Roles and Responsibilities of Comprehensive Examiners

• For the written component of the comprehensive examination, examiners are expected to provide a concise and cogent single written examination question and a list of 8-15 readings consisting of primary research papers, relevant reviews or book chapters. Questions are to be submitted electroinically to the Grad Administrator no less than 48 hours prior to the start of the scheduled day of writing.
  
• Examiners are expected to evaluate the candidate's answers and respond in a timely manner to the Grad Administrator as to whether the candidate's answer is such that he/she can proceed to the oral examination.  Responses from the examiners are expected within 48 hours of receipt.
  
• For the oral component of the comprehensive examination, examiners are expected to come prepared to the oral examination with several questions related to their field of expertise and relevant to the written paper. An oral examination is approximately 1.5 to 2 hours in length and usually involves two rounds of questioning by the examiners, moderated by the chair.
  
• the roles and responsibilities of the examiners are detailed in the SGS calendar.
  

4.5.4 Comprehensive Examination Chair

• All members of the Kinesiology Graduate Faculty are eligible to serve as Chair for comprehensive examinations. The selection of the Chair will be made on a rotational basis from amongst the list of Graduate Faculty members.  Guidelines for serving as an Chair are found here .
  

4.5.5 Overview of Committee Structures and Roles

4.6 PhD Thesis

4.6.1 Thesis Proposal

The student will give a formal presentation of his/her thesis proposal to the supervisory committee for approval.  Members of the supervisory committee will then sign the appropriate form indicating that the thesis proposal has been approved; and the form will be submitted to the Grad Administrator. A presentation of the proposal at either the departmental Graduate Seminar or at a specially arranged smaller seminar is preferred, but not mandatory.

4.6.2 Completion of Thesis

• When the supervisory committee has approved the final version of the thesis, it may be submitted to the Dean of Graduate Studies for examination.
• Oral defense will not be scheduled until the report has been received from the supervisory committee and a date recommended for the defense.
• The student’s supervisor must inform the Associate Chair and Grad Administrator of the date, time, and location of the scheduled defense once finalized by Graduate Studies.
• Student must submit three (3) copies of the thesis to SGS; beyond that, it is customary to provide one copy to each member of the supervisory committee.
• Forms for the nomination of External Examiner for PhD thesis are found on the Graduate Studies web site. These forms must be signed by the Associate Chair, Grad Studies and a copy must be given to the Grad Administrator for the student's file.
• Grad Administrator forwards the completed documentation to SGS.
• Approval of an external examiner is the purview of the Dean of Graduate Studies.
• At least one month prior to the submission of the thesis, the names and contact information for three potential external examiners must be submitted to SGS via the on line thesis submission system.
• All communication with the external examiner must come from SGS.
• Examining committee will consist of the following members: the student’s supervisor, an external examiner, two representatives from the supervisory committee, and two representatives of the faculty at large
• If major revision is not required, an oral defense will be convened by the Dean of Graduate Studies, chaired by himself or his delegate and conducted by all members of the examining committee
• After the successful defense, the candidate must make revisions suggested by the readers and submit an electronic version to SGS for uploading to DIGITAL COMMONS, with the appropriate final submission form.  The student can arrange directly with the Lehmann Bindery for hardcopy binding, should that be desired.  The student does not need to provide the department with a copy.

Copies of all forms pertaining to student’s thesis progress must be signed by the Associate Chair, Grad Studies and put on their files in the Administrative Centre, 219C.  REMINDER: It is the responsibility of individual graduate faculty members to be familiar with and to comply with university and SGS policies and Procedures, as well as the regulations and guidelines in this handbook.

4.6.3 Termination of Departmental Funding

Degree completion sometimes extends beyond a given academic term and individual funding agreements between the student and the PhD supervisor. Supervisors must inform the Associate Chair of changes in the funding status of their students towards the end of their tenure so as not to put undue stress on department funding allocations.

4.6.4 Recommending Submission of Thesis in Required Format to KinPubs

We have been contacted by Kinesiology Publications (KinPubs), previously known as Microform Publications of Human Movement Studies, regarding students submitting their research to the thesis and dissertation database. Submitting to KinPubs increases visibility for your work internationally and can also be sited as a published thesis. Should you decide to publish your thesis with KinPubs, it is the student's responsibility to contact them regarding all aspects of this specialized service. For further information please contact: HSHP, 1243 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1243, (541) 346-0932 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

4.6.5 Degree Completion

After having completed all of the required course work, the PhD comprehensive exams, and having successfully defended the thesis, the student has satisfied all the academic requirements for clearance to graduate.

5. Teaching Opportunities

Efforts are made to provide teaching opportunities in our undergraduate program for upper level PhD students. Opportunities are based on the needs and resources of the Undergraduate Program and the teaching experience and expertise of the graduate students.

PhD students interested in teaching should ensure that their supervisor and the Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies, are informed and approval is granted by the Associate Dean, SGS. Advanced planning of 6 - 12 months is necessary for a course currently offered by the department.  It is necessary to facilitate course scheduling and budgeting planning cycles well in advance. If the teaching relates to a new course offering, the time may be 12-18 months to ensure curriculum approval.

Graduate students who teach a 3 unit course are paid as a sessional instructor ($6,325 at the time of posting). This requires the forfeit of TA/RA value and hours for the term in question. Graduate students must also ensure that accepting a sessional appointment does not contravene terms of awards or scholarships they may hold.

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6. Useful Resources

If you are considering a career in academia after graduation, McMaster’s Centre For Leadership In Learning prepares a helpful resource booklet entitled “Entering The Academic Profession” and copies are available by contacting the Centre directly.

You may also be interested in a Graduate level course (Education 750 – Principles and Practice of University Teaching) that is offered by the Centre for Leadership In Learning.

In September and October of each year, the School of Graduate Studies sends information to the department on both the Ontario Graduate Scholarship and Tri-Council Scholarship Programs. This information is forwarded to student via their McMaster email addresses.  It is the reposibility of the student to note the process and follow the guidelines in keeping with the departmental deadlines.

At the beginning of each academic term, SGS offers an online workshops on Ethics in Human Research (aka SGS 101) and Accessibility of Ontarios with Disabilities Act (aka SGS 201). This seminar  is designed to introduce graduate students to the ethical issues surrounding research involving human participants, and to ensure awareness of provincial accessibility legislation, respectively.  These workshops are mandatory and must be completed within the first 2 terms of the student's entry to the program.  Failure to do so can result in expulsion from the program or a decline of the clear to graduate status at the end of a students program. Register on SOLAR under the subject "SGS".

This handbook describes the general procedures guiding the administration of our Graduate Program in Kinesiology and is subject to change. The procedures described herein are not immutable, however, and consideration will be provided on an individual basis if warranted, whilst assuring
equity and departmental standards.