IDGS 807 - Research Design and Biostatistics
This course is designed to provide students with the skills necessary to conduct population-based research, consider the questions being asked, and select appropriate measurement tools and data collection methods. The course also coveres data management and the ethical considerations of conducting population research.
IDGS 808 - Research Methods: Practice & Application
This course exposes students to research methodology and design and focuses on the practice and application to address real-world clinical and population health problems. Students are expected to attend didactic lectures, participate in small-group discussions, complete an online epidemiology training program, and showcase their research progress through several Research in Progress (RIP) presentations.
IDGS 900 - MSc Seminar
Students in the MSc and PhD programs are required to attend and participate in a minimum number of weekly graduate seminars.
IDGS 901 - MSc Project Proposal Seminar
The supervisory committee works closely with the student to develop their research proposal, which will form part of their degree program. The proposal is delivered as an oral presentation to the entire supervisory committee, who will grade it based on the student’s presentation style, understanding of the research topic to be undertaken, clarity of the hypothesis presented, and originality. If there are external members on the supervisory committee, they should be sent copies of the powerpoint presentation and may participate in the project proposal seminar through teleconference or by other means as available. Their physical presence in the location is not required.
IDGS 902 – MSc Written Project Proposal
The written proposal should document the aims of the study, the rationale for the study, and the design, methods, and procedures employed. The proposal should also describe the hypotheses to be tested and clearly define the timeline and the research project’s feasibility.
IDGS 903 - MSc Thesis
The final thesis is written in accordance with the thesis style and approved by the supervisory committee.
IDGS 904 - MSc Thesis Seminar
The oral presentation at the thesis seminar is attended by all members of the students’ supervisory committee and is graded based on the students’ comprehension of their work, interpretation of the results, ability to answer questions, and presentation quality. This serves as the culminating experience for the student’s research outcome. If there are external members on the supervisory committee, they should be sent copies of the PowerPoint presentation and may participate in the final seminar through teleconference or by other means as available. Their physical presence in the location is not required.
IDGS 905 - MSc Thesis Defense
The defense is often conducted at the same time as the final seminar and is intended to satisfy the supervisory committee members that the candidate has reached a level of proficiency in the subject of the degree.
IDGS 914 - Authorship and Manuscript Preparation
This course will assist graduate students in appreciating authorship issues, journal selection, and the preparation of manuscripts for publication and peer review journals. The first part of the course will begin with four overview lectures and small-group discussions on why authorship matters, who should be an author, collaborators who are not authors, and selecting an appropriate journal for publication. The second part of the course will be a self-study on reviewing appropriate journals and developing the manuscript using the principles obtained during the first four lectures.
IDGS 915 – PhD Research and Thesis Defense
The aim of the research and thesis defense is to provide an opportunity to demonstrate the student's content knowledge as well as to describe the contribution the student has made to the research field. It also allows the student to demonstrate the student's planning and analytical skills, and to show how the student has applied those skills in the student's research project.
IDGS 916 – Research Seminars (PhD)
The objective of this course is to provide an opportunity for students to engage in scholarly discourse to evaluate research methods, propose questions to help other scholars reflect on and revise scientific content, and improve their personal knowledge and skills in organizing and presenting scientific content for application in research proposals and thesis defense presentations.
IDGS 917 – PhD Research Proposal Seminar
The research proposal seminar aims to examine the thoroughness of the student's review of the current literature and ability to identify areas that warrant further research. The research proposal seminar examines students’ approaches to the research topic with an evidence-based mindset and allows them to present their thoughts articulately in a logical, systematic way.
IDGS 918 – PhD Written Research Proposal
The research proposal evaluates the student's ability to examine the current literature and identify areas that warrant further research and develop a logical scientific proposal. The research proposal demonstrates the student's ability to conduct a literature review, develop research questions and hypotheses, and articulate a coherent methodology, and to answer questions using a scientific approach. The written proposal should present the students’ thoughts in a comprehensive, logical, and systematic way.
IDGS 919 – Research Thesis, Publication
The student will implement the research proposal to collect, analyze, and produce results that answer the research question. The student is required to produce manuscripts and submit for publication. The manuscripts must be accepted for publication or published to complete the PhD degree. The manuscripts may constitute chapters in the thesis, formatted according to the journal guidelines. All other chapters and sections in the thesis must be formatted according to the School of Graduate Studies guidelines for the thesis.