Permission to write (and defend your thesis)

Background

Whether it is preparing an award application, a conference abstract, and/or other publication work, students are encouraged to practice scientific writing early and often as training for this penultimate milestone. Although numerous reports and articles are generated throughout the student’s graduate career, the thesis is a unique piece of writing; it acts as the formal record of knowledge gained and produced by the student during academic training. The thesis writing process formally commences with permission from the supervisory committee and must be recorded on the student’s committee meeting form/report.

TIP: Both manuscript and traditional formats are acceptable. Students unsure of thesis format requirements should ask their supervisor(s) for instructions.

Procedures

Before writing the thesis

The student should coordinate a supervisory committee meeting to garner formal permission from the supervisory committee to write and defend their thesis. This permission must be captured on the student’s committee meeting report/form.

Writing the thesis

The thesis itself could take several months to draft. Students should consult their supervisor(s) to determine how to approach the thesis writing process. For example, a student may decide to consult the supervisor(s) regularly to provide progress updates (i.e., after each chapter). Students may also benefit from resources (e.g., classes, workshops, consultations, etc.) offered by the Graduate Centre for Academic Communication for additional help and guidance on thesis writing.

After the thesis is written

The student should submit a draft of the thesis to the primary supervisor (and co-supervisor if applicable) for evaluation and feedback. The supervisor(s) should be given sufficient time (typically a month) to provide analytical and constructive commentary on the thesis. The supervisor(s) may also decide to send the student’s thesis to other committee members for feedback. If a decision is made to move forward with defense, then the supervisor(s) should discuss defense procedures, timelines, and expectations with the student. Otherwise, the student should repeat this process until permission to conduct the defense/exam is granted. The thesis must be completed to the satisfaction of the primary supervisor (and co-supervisor if applicable).

Contacts and additional resources

Graduate Centre for Academic Communication: https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/resources-supports/gcac/
SGS thesis guidelines: https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/current-students/program-completion/
U of T Library thesis guides: https://guides.library.utoronto.ca/thesis/