Program/Course Requirements

Completion requirement

In addition to Faculty of Graduate Studies requirements, PhD students must complete:

a) VETM601;

b) MDCH605 or MDCH610*;

*A suitable entry-level biostatistics course may be taken as an alternative to Veterinary Medicine 605 or 610, with permission from the Graduate Program Director.

c) PhD students must take at least 6 additional units that are appropriate to their field of study and have been approved by their Supervisory Committee; and

d) PhD students are required to give one public seminar the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine community prior to completing the admission to candidacy process, and are required to give a second public seminar prior to scheduling the thesis examination.

All individuals working with humans or animals must have appropriate certification. In accordance with Canadian Council on Animal Care guidelines and the University of Calgary VPR office, all individuals who work with animals must register with the Institutional Animal User Training Program to complete the relevant U of C IAUTP online training modules and to determine what additional training is required as determined by their research program and any previous animal use training they may have. No animal work will be permitted until all training has been completed. The IAUTP online training modules can be accessed prior to arrival to the U of C once the student’s UCID is assigned, however, the associated written quiz and live training sessions must be completed after arrival.

In accordance with Tri-Council guidelines, all students performing research involving humans must have the CORE tutorial certificate prior to applying for ethics certification and must receive ethics certification prior to working with human subjects.

Additional Program Information

Completion requirement

Advanced Credit

Advanced Credit may be given for course work completed prior to entry into the program. The applicant must make requests for advanced credit as part of the application for admission.

Flexible Grade Option (CG Grade)

The Veterinary Medical Sciences Graduate Program will not permit the Flexible Grade Option (CG Grade) for any graduate course offered by the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Students admitted to the Veterinary Medical Sciences Graduate program will not be allowed to request the CG Grade for any course that is applicable to their degree; or apply any course awarded a CG grade towards their graduation requirements.

Students may not choose the CG grade for courses taken extra to load.

The use of the CG grade will affect students' eligibility for internal awards.

Credit for Undergraduate Courses

The student's Supervisory Committee may recommend credit for undergraduate courses provided they are relevant to the area of study. Final approval is required by the Graduate Program Director.

Time Limit

In accordance with FGS Academic Regulations, students in PhD programs are expected to complete their degree in four years, with a maximum time of six years.

Supervisory Assignments and Required Examinations

Completion requirement

Supervisory Assignments

Students will normally have identified a permanent supervisor at the time of admission.

In consultation with the student's supervisor(s), a Supervisory Committee will be selected that includes a minimum of three additional faculty members for PhD degrees. In PhD committees, one member will be named from outside the VMS graduate program. The appointment of a supervisory committee shall be completed within three months after starting the program. The Graduate Program Director will approve the composition of the committee.

Co-supervision may be required. See G.J. Supervision for appointment of Co-Supervisor.

Candidacy

Doctoral students must successfully complete all coursework, a written examination of a research proposal, and an oral field-of-study examination. Students with a first registration after August 2015 are governed by the candidacy policy described at: https://vet.ucalgary.ca/current-students/graduate-students/policies-forms.

Thesis Examination

The thesis examination for PhD degrees will consist of a public seminar immediately followed by an open oral examination. In the thesis examination, the supervisor is a full voting member of the examination committee.

Scheduling of the Examination

All members of the Supervisory Committee must have reviewed the student’s research, including a relevant written sample of the materials related to the thesis, before an examination can be scheduled.

Composition of the Committee

The Internal Examiner must be external to the home program.

Financial Assistance

Completion requirement

Full-time graduate students in the VMS Graduate Program will be offered a stipend as per the VMS graduate student funding policy. Funding support for the students may come from a variety of sources, including grants, awards and scholarships. Further information on funding opportunities can be found at https://vet.ucalgary.ca/future-students/graduate-students/awards-funding/faculty-veterinary-medicine-awards.

Part-time students are not guaranteed VMS program-set minimum funding.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Veterinary Medical Sciences

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Overview

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Program Details