Master’s students must submit their research topic before the end of the second semester of enrolment in the program. Doctoral students must submit their research topic before the end of the third semester of enrolment (Academic Regulation II-7 - Theses, Article 7.4)

You can view if your thesis topic is on file by accessing your Candidate Center in uoZone

• From the uoZone Application tab, click Candidate Center.
• In Candidate Center, the My Research Projects section lists all current and past research projects. Each project has Research Topics and Supervisors subsections.

Students in the MSc Epidemiology program must choose whether they wish to pursue the Thesis stream, or the Research Paper stream, prior to their third enrolment.

• Research Paper Guidelines

A thesis is a significant original body of work produced by a student during his or her studies at the University.

Thesis type

A thesis must assume one of the following formats:

• a monograph, or
• a thesis in the form of one or more articles prepared for publication in peer-reviewed journals.

The same ethical and quality standards apply to all theses, regardless of the format they assume.

More information on writing your thesis and Article 7.3 for more details about the different formats.

Additional information on writing a thesis as a series of articles

Writing a thesis as a series of articles (also known as paper-based) is a possible thesis style in all programs.

Epidemiology (EPI) students

Epidemiology students are to refer to the Guidance for Thesis by Manuscript for details about manuscript-based theses in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health.

BCH, CMM, MIC and NSC students

The below information pertains to BCH, CMM, MIC and NSC programs.

Permission to write a thesis by articles, as opposed to a Monograph thesis, is granted by the Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) using the Thesis by Articles (PDF) form.

Not all students will have produced work suitable for presentation in the thesis by article format. In the Faculty of Medicine, this style is very rare at the Master’s level, and a thesis consisting of a single research article is not accepted.

Master’s and doctoral theses are subject to the below criteria;

• The students applying for the doctoral program should have at least 3 manuscripts that are published, accepted or submitted. At least 2 of the 3 manuscripts must be published or accepted.
• The students applying for the master's program should have one published or submitted manuscript.
• The student must be first or co-first author on a minimum of 2 manuscripts
• The work presented in the papers/manuscripts must be original and must advance the field of research significantly. Review articles cannot count toward the required number of articles.
• The student must have made substantive contributions to each manuscript.
• The student must have contributed significantly to the writing of each manuscript (i.e. the student wrote the manuscript draft including the results, methods and discussion sections related to his/her data contributions).

For students in BCH, CMM, MIC and NSC:

• At the last Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting, students will present their data and formally request "permission to write" from their TAC committee to write their thesis full-time.
• Once granted, students must submit the Permission to Write (PDF) or the Thesis by Article (PDF) forms (depending on the thesis type) attached to a Service Request, under the category TAC. 
• The Graduate office will review the student's request for Permission to write. Note: All program requirements aside from the thesis must be completed successfully prior to obtaining permission to write.
• In BCH and MIC, obtaining permission to write satisfies the seminar series requirement (5366/8366), as long as your Student Seminar Report (PDF) are up to date
• Completion of an MSc thesis should take about 2 months and a PhD thesis about 3 months, but students are expected to submit their thesis within 6 months of obtaining permission to write. A Progress Report will be required to enable future enrollment after that point (a hold will result).

Additional notes

• Please note that a maximum of one TAC member can be nominated as a Thesis Examiner, as per the Submission of the Thesis section below.
• The student must enrol in the term in which the thesis is officially submitted for evaluation.

Prior to the submission of the thesis for evaluation, the thesis supervisor must contact the thesis evaluators to both confirm their participation and to ensure their availability for a tentative thesis defence date and time.

Note: As of January 1st, 2025, the student, supervisor, and internal examiners must attend the scheduled defence in-person. External examiners will continue to attend virtually or in-person.

When setting a date and time for the defence, the supervisor must adhere to the following guidelines:

• The date of the defence should normally be no earlier than 8 weeks after the thesis is submitted for evaluation. (8 weeks are necessary to accommodate the initial processing of the thesis [examiner approvals, thesis distribution, etc.], the thesis evaluation period, and the university mandated two weeks for students to review comments prior to the defence).

• The recommended times slots are:

  • 9:30 am to 12:30pm OR 1:30pm to 4:30pm (these time slots allow the Graduate and Postdoctoral Office to assist with troubleshooting during the defence)

• All thesis evaluators and supervisor(s) must attend the defence

The tentative defence date must be indicated on the Thesis Submission form (available on the Forms webpage under 'research paper and thesis') included with the submitted thesis by service request.

The Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office reserves the right to request a new defence date if it does not conform to the guidelines or if a significant delay occurs during the evaluation process.

A student must be enrolled to the thesis activity to submit his/her thesis.

At the Faculty of Medicine, a thesis will be considered officially submitted for evaluation once all of the following are submitted:

1. One electronic copy of the thesis Students must submit a request for the "Submission of the thesis for Written Evaluation" through uoZone/Service Request (you might be required to click on View all to see all the options offered in the Research Category). This Service Request must include the .pdf copy of the thesis in attachment and must be approved by their primary supervisor by the submission deadline (to be eligible for reimbursement).

2. The Thesis Submission form (available on the Forms webpage under research paper and thesis)
   Students must submit the form in the same service request as the .pdf copy their thesis.

3. The List of Examiners for the Evaluation of the Thesis form (PDF)
   With feedback from their research supervisor, the student must submit a request in uoZone/Service Request. It is the supervisor's responsibility to contact the examiners and nominate only those who have agreed to participate in the evaluation.

• MSc students in Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Microbiology and Neuroscience

  • The list must include a minimum of two eligible internal examiners. A maximum of one TAC member can be nominated (optional).

• MSc students in EPI
  • The list must include a minimum of one eligible internal examiner, which cannot be a TAC member
• PhD students in Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Microbiology and Neuroscience
  • The list may contain a maximum of one TAC member.

  • The list must include:

    1. no less than four, and no more than seven examiners

    2. including a maximum of one TAC member

    3. at least one will be external examiner who meets the requirements specified in the Academic Regulation II-7 - Theses. The external examiner must be free from any possible conflict of interest with the student or supervisor (Examples of interest conflict)

• PhD students in EPI 
  • The above list applies, with the exception that a TAC member cannot be nominated as an examiner for the thesis

Additional document(s) to submit for PhD students

• An abstract of the thesis.
• The student's CV
• The external examiner’s CV.
  If possible, the external examiner’s CV should include their day and month of birth (to facilitate obtaining access to our evaluation portal).

More information

• Submission and Evaluation
• Deadlines for thesis submission
  Refer to the term of interest under the tab Reports, major research papers and theses (graduate studies)

Once the thesis has been submitted for evaluation, the student and the thesis supervisor(s) may not communicate with the examiners about the thesis evaluation until the thesis has been defended.

Typically, a thesis defence at the Faculty of Medicine will take place within 3 months of submitting.

The minimum evaluation period for a thesis (MSc or PhD) is 4 weeks. The Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office (GPSO) attempts to provide feedback from the examiners to the student at least 2 weeks before the oral defence, however some evaluations encounter delays.

Once all examiners have submitted their comments, feedback will be circulated to all participants, and the student will be asked to confirm if they wish to proceed to oral defence via in uoZone/Service Request.

Please consult the Academic Regulation II-7 - Theses, section 7.11-Thesis Defence

As of January 1, 2025, the student, supervisor and members of the thesis committee with the exception of the external examiner, must be present in person for the thesis defense. External examiners will participate online."

Time allotted for the oral presentation

MSc defences

Defences feature a 10-15 minute oral presentation by the student, followed by questioning.

PhD defences

• Epidemiology
  Defences feature a 10-15 minute oral presentation by the student, followed by questioning.
• BCH, CMM, MIC & NSC
  PhD defences feature a 45-minute oral presentation by the student, followed by questioning.
  This differs from the general University of Ottawa Graduate and Postdoctoral Procedures for an Oral Defence, where “Ten minutes is usually sufficient”.

After the oral presentation

After the oral presentation, a short break (5-10 minutes) will allow the student to prepare for questioning and for members of the general public who do not wish to stay for the oral defence to leave the room without disruption.

Following the defence, the Jury Report is accessible by the student in uoZone/Candidate Centre under Research Topic/Thesis Evaluations.

Procedure following a verdict 1

The thesis meets the requirements for the degree but minor corrections may be required. A period of 30 days are allotted for the preparation and submission of the final version.

Prior to the deadline, once revisions are acceptable to their research supervisor, the student must submit a request for the Approval of the final version of the thesis in uoZone/Service Request with their final .pdf thesis in attachment.

The Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office will review the thesis and the approved Service Request, and an automatic e-mail will be sent to the student advising that the thesis is eligible for final submission.

Procedure following a verdict 2

Students who receive verdict 2 at their oral defence must enrol for a period of 120 days (equivalent to one term), following the oral defence, to complete the revisions, and pay the tuition fees.

Important
If a student completes the revisions and submits the approved version of the final thesis to uO Research (RUOR) within 30 days of the defence, they will be eligible for tuition reimbursement.

Prior to the 30-day deadline, a student must follow the steps mentioned above for the submission request for the Approval of the final version of the thesis in uoZone/Service Request and include a note in the text box regarding the tuition reimbursement.

Procedure following a verdict 3

The thesis must be amended and the evaluation process and defence before the same jury must be repeated. Verdict 3 is equivalent to a failure and will appear on the student’s transcript as a grade of NS (unsatisfactory).

In the case of Verdict 3, the student must submit an amended thesis within three consecutive terms (1 year) of the original thesis defence. The student must be enrolled during these terms and must make satisfactory progress during each term.

If the student fails to submit the amended thesis by the deadline, or the student fails to enrol, a second failing grade for the thesis (NS) will appear on the student’s transcript and the student’s file will be closed.

Once the major revisions are completed to the satisfaction of the research supervisor, the student must submit a request for the Submission of the thesis for Written Evaluation in uoZone/Service Request, with a PDF copy of the thesis in attachment, as well as one unbound printed paper copy of the thesis, submitted in person to the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office (RGN2016, 451 Smyth Road), as per the Submission of the Thesis section above.

More information: Academic Regulation II-7 - Theses under 7.11 Thesis Defence.

Archived theses can be viewed at the digital repository of the University of Ottawa (uO Research).The University of Ottawa promotes the public and free distribution of research, including successfully defended theses.

Some theses are not currently available, as the data is protected under an embargo. A student may request an embargo on public access to a thesis in certain circumstances, such as where publication of the thesis carries a significant risk of harm to individuals, when a patent is pending or when a delay is required for publication of the thesis.

To request an embargo (optional)

Before depositing your thesis in uO Research, you must submit the completed and signed Embargo request form with the Service Request Approval Final Version of the Thesis.

Embargo periods at the Faculty of Medicine of six months and one year are most common; two years can be requested with additional justification. Five-year embargo periods require an additional approval from the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Medicine.

An embargo on thesis publication cannot be requested after the thesis has been submitted and approved online.

For more information please visit the FAQ page.

Step 1: Submit Required Documents

To be eligible to submit your final thesis to the library, you must first submit a request for the Approval of the final version of the thesis in uoZone/Service Request with the final .pdf thesis in attachment. Once approved by the research supervisor, the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office (GPSO) will approve the Service Request, and an automatic e-mail will be sent to the student advising that the thesis is eligible for final submission.

Step 2: Prepare your Thesis

Check that the formatting of your final version meets the criteria outlined on the uO Research and create a single PDF file for your thesis.

Step 3: Submit your Thesis

To complete your program requirements your final thesis must be submitted to, and approved by, the uOttawa library using the uO Research portal.

Your final thesis submission may be rejected by the library if the thesis is submitted to uO Research prior to the approval by the GPSO of the Faculty of Medicine.

Obtain your degree

Students must apply for graduation through uoZone/Candidate Centre (when applicable) in order to be eligible to graduate and receive a copy of their diploma.

All graduating students must register in order to receive their degree. Online registration is open during three periods of the year:

• To graduate in the spring:
  (Please note that these dates are subject to change without notice)
  • November 6 to 24, 2020, and
  • Mid-February to March 31, 2021
• To graduate in the fall: Late July to September 15, 2020

If you are expected to graduate, you will receive an email to your @uOttawa.ca address when online registration opens.

Before submitting a thesis, you must have completed all other program requirements, including residence. Verify your uoZone/My Academic Regulations for accurate completion.

For more information, read the above section on the Submission of the thesis.

The thesis supervisor nominates examiners who are willing and able to evaluate the thesis. The Graduate Program Director approves the examiners.

For PhD theses, the supervisor also nominates an external examiner.

Following the approval of the Program Director, the list is approved by the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Medicine.

For more information about the thesis examiners read the above sections “Submission of the Thesis” and “Evaluation of the Thesis”.

Once the thesis has been submitted for evaluation, the student and the thesis supervisor(s) may not communicate with the examiners about the thesis evaluation until the thesis has been defended.

Information about the thesis examiners read the above sections “Submission of the Thesis” and “Evaluation of the Thesis”

The Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office attempts to provide feedback from the examiners to the student at least 2 weeks before the oral defence, however some evaluations encounter delays.

Once all examiners have submitted their comments, feedback will be circulated to all participants, and the student will be asked to confirm whether they wish to proceed to oral defence.

For more information read the above section Evaluation of the Thesis.

Once the thesis evaluation reports have been received, the student may defend the thesis. However, the student may decide, in consultation with the thesis supervisor(s), to amend the thesis before defending it. If the latter option is selected, the student must enrol to make the amendments and resubmit the thesis for evaluation.

Please refer to Academic Regulation II-7 - Theses under 7.11 Thesis Defence.

No. Co-authorship of a thesis is not allowed.

Typically, your defence will take place within 3 months of submitting. Each participant (examiners, supervisor(s) and student) will be polled for their availability.

Please consult the section “Finding a Tentative Defence Date” for more details.

Please refer to the Important academic dates and deadlines (under Reports, major research papers, and thesis) to find out if you are eligible for the 50% or 100% financial credit. These credits do not apply for revised theses.

Yes, the student must make the required revisions and corrections and submit the final version of the thesis within 120 days of the date of the thesis defence. The student must be enrolled for one term during this 120-day period.

Please consult the section “Thesis Revisions and Corrections (Post Defence)” for more details.