While these policies are overarching in the SGS, the specific program in each department is defined by the Departmental Curriculum Committee's guidelines. The Departmental Curriculum Committee is responsible for administering the department's academic programs.
The PhD degree programs at SGU require a minimum of 60-75 credits.
Students in the PhD by Thesis program are required to produce and defend a research proposal and a final thesis, and to publish or have accepted for publication two manuscripts in an approved journal. The publications should be based solely on the research undertaken in pursuit of the doctoral degree. Manuscripts must be developed to an acceptable standard and approved for submission by the Supervisory Committee. All named authors on the publication must have made a substantial contribution to the publication. The accepted or published manuscript may be included as a chapter in the thesis. Guidelines for writing the thesis and inclusion of the accepted/published manuscript are provided in Appendix A.
Students in the PhD by Publication program are required to produce and defend a research proposal and publish or have accepted four manuscripts for publication. The accepted or published papers are compiled to produce a thesis for oral defense at the end of the program.
If not sufficiently covered in the publications, the thesis would also normally include: (1) an introductory chapter to provide a literature review setting the context of the study; (2) a discussion/conclusion chapter to state the contributions of the research, areas for future research, and implications of the research; and (3) a stand-alone methodology chapter. If publications are used for the introduction, discussion, or methodology, an additional narrative will still be required to contextualize and tie the publications together.
The publications should be based solely on the research undertaken in pursuit of the doctoral degree. Manuscripts must be developed to an acceptable standard and approved for submission by the Supervisory Committee. Guidelines for writing the thesis and inclusion of the accepted/published manuscript are provided in Appendix A.
Irrespective of the PhD requirement, all completed theses, upon the recommendation of the Chair of the Supervisory Committee, are submitted to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies for submission to the external examiner. In addition, a final oral presentation and defense of the thesis must be successfully completed before the degree is awarded.
Admission
All requirements of the SGS and the curriculum committee of the specific department must be met for acceptance into the program. Applications must be made through the SGS of SGU. Admission to the doctoral programs will be based on: 1) master’s degree grade point average (minimum 3.0 on a 4.0 scale), 2) doctoral research proposal, 3) letters of recommendation from professionals, 4) prior research experience, 5) proficiency in English, and 6) completion of prerequisite courses, if required.
Advanced Standing and Transfer of Credits
Up to 24 transfer credits may be earned from a prior graduate degree program at an approved university. Recommendation for transfer of credits for advanced standing and for acceptance of non-SGU courses will be determined by the Departmental Curriculum Committee and presented to the SGS Dean for approval.
Course Requirements
Students must complete at least 60 credits of graduate-level (at least 800-level) coursework to complete the PhD degree. The distribution of the credits will be determined by the Departmental Curriculum Committee and approved by the Dean following review by the SGS Curriculum Committee. The PhD programs, which include research and thesis, would normally require a minimum of 37 credits of primarily 900-level courses (dedicated to research and thesis production). An example of the distribution of these credits is listed below.
900-level Course Requirements in PhD Degrees
Course code | Course Title | Subject | No. of credits |
IDGS 916 | Research Seminars | Attendance and participation in research seminars (students must attend AND participate in 32 1-hr seminars) | 2 |
IDGS 917 | PhD Research Proposal Seminar | Seminar on project proposal (oral presentation of the proposal) | 2 |
IDGS 918 | PhD Written Research Proposal | Project proposal - submission of written proposal | 3 |
IDGS 919 | PhD Research, Thesis, Publication | Thesis (research project, thesis, two manuscripts accepted or published) | 24 |
IDGS 904 | Thesis Seminar | Seminar on project outcome (pre-defense oral presentation of study and results to Supervisory Committee and preparation for final thesis defense) | 1 |
IDGS 915 | PhD Research and Thesis Defense | Final thesis defense | 3 |
MICR 825 | Scientific Text Organization and Presentation | Scientific Text: Organization and Presentation (STOP) | 2 |
Substitutions Within the Program
Courses may be substituted at the discretion of the Departmental Curriculum Committee.
Teaching Requirements
At the discretion of the department Chair, and following the recommendation of the Departmental Curriculum Committee, students may be required to serve as teaching assistants or as instructors in departmental courses. Students who are required to teach will normally be remunerated for this service at the commensurate approved SGU rate.
Supervisory Committee
By the beginning of the fourth term in the PhD program, students are expected to have selected a mentor with whom they wish to work. The mentor and the student will together determine the research project. Within two months of selecting a mentor, the student and mentor will choose a thesis Supervisory Committee composed of faculty whose interests and expertise complement the research project. The Supervisory Committee will oversee all aspects of the research, will administer the Thesis Proposal examination, and will review the student’s progress. The Supervisory Committee will be composed of at least three members, including at least two faculty members from the department and one faculty member from outside the department.
Preliminary Examination of the Thesis Proposal (Written and Oral)
A written proposal must be presented to the Supervisory Committee after selection of the full Committee. The proposal will conform to the format as defined in the thesis guide of the SGS and will:
1) Define the research question
2) Provide an overview of the relevant literature
3) Outline the initial steps in the research, including preliminary results
4) Clearly state the intended hypothesis, goals, and objectives of the research
5) Provide a realistic time frame to complete the research and writing the thesis
The possible results of the written portion of the proposal are satisfactory, marginal, and fail.
Proposal Seminar
Upon successful completion of the written portion of the proposal examination, the student will present the research proposal in an open seminar chaired by the Chair of the Supervisory Committee. At the conclusion of the seminar, the student will be examined orally by the Supervisory Committee. The role of the Chair will be to ensure that:
1) The oral presentation is held to a reasonable length of time
2) The student is evaluated fairly and rigorously, and
3) A written evaluation is prepared for the student and the Dean of the SGS
The possible results of the written portion of the proposal are satisfactory, marginal, and fail.
If the student fails the oral examination, the Supervisory Committee will review the status of the student and recommend appropriate corrective measures. These may include, but are not limited to, remedial studies, repeat of the oral proposal presentation, or modification of the research project. The Supervisory Committee will notify the student of its decision, verbally, immediately after the evaluation, and then in writing within a week of the seminar, with a copy to the Dean of the SGS.
Comprehensive Examination
Students must take a written comprehensive examination after completion of required coursework as determined by the Departmental Curriculum Committee. Possible results of the examination are: satisfactory, marginal (with remedial work to correct deficiencies), or fail. In the case of a student failing, the student will be provided one further opportunity to repeat the exam within a reasonable time frame set by the student’s Supervisory Committee.
Candidacy for the PhD Degree
Subsequent to the successful defense of the thesis proposal, the Supervisory Committee must submit a copy of the approved proposal to the Dean of the SGS and request the Dean of the SGS to issue a letter of candidacy for the PhD degree on behalf of the student.
After successful defense of the thesis proposal, the Supervisory Committee will meet biannually with the student to review progress. After each review, a written evaluation will be prepared by the Supervisory Committee, and copies given to the student, the Chair of the APRC, and the Dean of the SGS.
Thesis Preparation
The master's thesis will be prepared by the student under the direction of the Supervisory Committee. Members of the Supervisory Committee will act as consultants during the research and must approve the thesis during its development and in its final form. Students should allow at least 8 weeks for committee review and revision of the thesis draft.
Thesis Format and Submission
The thesis must be prepared and formatted in accordance with the SGS thesis guidelines. The Thesis Guide is shown in Appendix A.
External Examiner
Once the student’s Supervisory Committee is satisfied that the PhD candidate’s thesis meets the required standard, this information should be submitted on the official form to the SGS Dean’s office together with the name and address of the external examiner as recommended to the Dean by the Supervisory Committee, and who has agreed to examine the thesis. The SGS Dean’s office will then send the thesis and the external examiner’s form to the external examiner. The external examiner’s comments should be taken into account by the Supervisory Committee, and the student must abide by the ruling of the external examiner and the Supervisory Committee.
Final Thesis Examination
The thesis presentation and defense represent the culmination of the SGS experience. Following the final review by the Supervisory Committee and the completion of all required revisions to the satisfaction of the Committee, students will present the research in a publicly advertised seminar, at which all Supervisory Committee members must be present. Following the seminar, the Supervisory Committee will make a final evaluation of both the thesis and its presentation.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Upon review of the Academic Promotion Review Committee (APRC), a student with failing grades or whose GPA falls below 3.0, or who may not be making adequate progress toward completing the program within the maximum timeline will be placed on Monitored Academic Status (MAS). Deficiencies must be corrected in accordance with the stipulations and timeline determined by the APRC. Failure to do so may result in a recommendation for dismissal. Students who are recommended for dismissal may appeal to the Committee for Academic Progress and Professional Standards (CAPPS) through the established SGS appeals process. Students who are retained by the CAPPS, following a recommendation for dismissal, must indicate willingness to continue in the program and adhere to stipulations set out by the CAPPS. Failure to do so may result in a recommendation for dismissal.
Time Frame for the Completion of the Doctoral Degree
All requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed within seven years of matriculation into the program.
Requirements for Graduation
The student will be deemed to have fulfilled all requirements for the doctoral degree after successfully completing at least 60 credits with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.