We acknowledge that the UBC Vancouver campus is situated on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam).
Any research topic related to the health of human populations is considered suitable for a thesis in the School. Specific research topics will be constrained by the availability of faculty with suitable content and methodological expertise to supervise the work. Students are encouraged to meet with many different faculty members to discuss potential research topics.
The supervisor’s role is to guide and support a student throughout the course of their degree program. Supervisors provide experience, expertise, resources, and mentorship, and help develop academic, research, and leadership potential. A supervisor would:
The thesis supervisor should be an Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor of the School.
The School also supports co-supervision of MSc students by two faculty members. In this case, the Nominated Supervisor is an Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor of the School, an the Co-supervisor may be a faculty member in another department or a clinical faculty member. For Co-supervisors not approved for supervisory privileges by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, students and Nominated Supervisors should request approval from the program by connecting with the Program Manager.
You are responsible for choosing your thesis supervisor. See Looking for a supervisor? to find out the best way to contact a potential supervisor, as well as a list of available faculty. You may also review a list of the School’s full-time faculty.
The supervisory committee consists of the supervisor and two or more other committee members. All committees must have at least three members. You work together with your supervisor to identify suitable committee members. At least one committee member should be a Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor of the School, or an Associate member of the School faculty. The majority of the members on the committee must also be members of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
Appropriately qualified individuals who are not members of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (such as clinical faculty, faculty with partner appointments, adjunct faculty, professors of teaching, senior instructors, visiting faculty, honorary faculty, UBCO faculty, affiliate professors, faculty members from other universities, and off-campus professionals who are academically qualified to advise graduate students) are welcome to serve on committees, but must be approved through the program. Students and Nominated Supervisors should request approval from the program by connecting with the Program Manager.
If your research interests or plans change, you can change your supervisor and/or committee members, although you should be aware that this may delay your progress towards graduation.
An online guide, the Handbook of Graduate Supervision, has helpful tips to facilitate the interactions between students and supervisors.
Also see UBC policies and procedures for graduate studies for information about responsibilities of supervisors, policies regarding thesis preparation, deadlines, and much more.
Presentation of the thesis proposal to the Thesis Screening Panel is optional.
There are no specific rules regarding thesis length or content. This should be determined by the student and the supervisory committee. Typically, a Masters thesis focuses on one main research question, which may or may not be closely linked to a faculty member’s research. The School strongly encourages students to publish their research results in the peer-reviewed literature. The written thesis must adhere to the formatting requirements of the University.
Due to COVID-19, all Oral Exams are taking place virtually. Please refer to the MSc Virtual Exam Protocol.
The Final Oral Examination, or thesis defence, is the last step toward the conferral of the masters degree. The exam process aims to provide students with the opportunity to showcase their work and have it reviewed by members of the academic community at the School.
The thesis defence is 20-minute presentation of the student’s thesis, followed by questioning from examiners, committee members, and the audience. Defences are normally open to all members of the university community and have a maximum duration two hours.
Prior to scheduling a thesis defence, the student must have approval to proceed from their Thesis Supervisor and their Committee. After the thesis has been approved to proceed, it is the joint responsibility of the student and the Supervisor (or Nominated Supervisor) to select a thesis examiner and schedule an oral examination. Once the examiner is selected, the student and Supervisor (or Nominated Supervisor) schedule the date and time of the defense. The student is responsible for submitting the MSc Thesis Defense Form to the program at least three weeks in advance of the oral defense date. Students should ensure that examiners are provided a copy of the thesis at least two weeks in advance of the scheduled defense date.
Please note that the examination and any subsequent revisions must be completed in time for final submission of the thesis to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies to meet graduation deadlines.
**Due to COVID-19, all Oral Exams are taking place virtually. Please refer to the MSc Virtual Exam Protocol. The MSc Final Oral Exam Procedures and Eligibility guide can be downloaded here.
The role of the chair is to represent SPPH and G+PS and act as a moderator for the defence proceedings, ensuring fairness. The chair must ensure that the student addresses any questions raised during the question period. The procedure the chair should follow is:
A minimum of three faculty are required to be present for the defence. This includes:
There is usually a minimum of five faculty present at the defence: thesis supervisor, two committee members, the examiner, and the chair.
The evaluation criteria for the committee are based on the student’s performance in presenting the synopsis, in responding to questions, and in defending the work. Attempt to reach a consensus on an appropriate category for the thesis based on the following:
Category 1
Minor revision that is typographical or editorial in nature. Requires approval by supervisor only.
Category 2
Substantive revision affecting the content of the thesis. Requires approval by the supervisor and supervisory committee.
Category 3
The thesis is unsatisfactory in its current form. Major rewriting and rethinking are required to produce a satisfactory thesis. Requires approval by the supervisor, supervisory committee, and external examiner.
If it is agreed that the thesis has met approval of the examining committee (category 1 or 2) for recommendation to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for acceptance, a Masters Thesis Approval Form must be signed and submitted.