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PhD in Environmental Studies Completion Protocol

Formatting & Preparation of Project Reports

• It is highly recommended that all MES students inform themselves about the formatting procedures that apply either to their project or thesis prior to embarking on the writing process. For information on this subject, please also consult the MES Program Guide.
• Please discuss specific project formatting issues and citation styles with your advisor/supervisor. 

Advisory Committees

• For a detailed discussion on committee composition and such, please refer to the School of Environmental Studies Program Guide on Supervisory and Advisory Committees.
• Committees should be formed during the first semester of the student's term of graduate studies. Committee members are chosen by the student in consultation with the supervisor or advisor.

Deadlines

• After you have discussed a possible degree completion date with your advisor, go to the SGSPA website to check for the deadline to which you must adhere if you wish to be placed on the degree list for a particular term. These deadlines are firm, and no exceptions are made.
• When working toward your degree completion date, please consider that you must ensure that your committee members have a minimum of 10 working days (excluding weekends and holidays) to read and comment on the draft stages of your work. Other internal timelines may apply if a committee member is away for a conference, for example.
• Date and Time of your Closure Meeting (if applicable) must be confirmed by your readers.

Copyright Information

• Queen’s has a new policy on copyright. For details go to Queen's Library at: 

Procedure for Completion

• The advisor and the student establish the examination committee.  Two readers are required.  One must be from outside the Department.  The outside reader may or may not be part of the advisory committee and does not need to be a faculty member. If an Advisor would like an exemption from the requirement for an external reader, application can be made to the Graduate Chair.
• The outside reader is given two weeks to read the report and is asked to submit a brief memo to the advisor indicating the outcome of the report (PASS/FAIL) and indicating whether major revisions are requested.
• If revisions are required, a memo noting that revisions have been completed will be submitted to the Graduate Chair of the School, Dr. Allison Goebel, by the advisor.
• All members of the examination committee are required to sign the Completion Form which is returned to the School Administrator (Colin) for submission to SGSPA.  If members of the committee are not available to sign the form, email or fax communication about the outcome is acceptable for submission purposes. Note the Advisor on the form.

Procedure for Closure Meeting (optional)

• A closure meeting, approximately one hour in duration, including the student, the advisor and the outside reader, may be held in order to discuss the report and any required or recommended revisions.

Forms

• Please print out the Pattern II and Pattern III Completion Form available on the SGSPA website. Select the Pattern II Project option. Once completed by your committee members, submit this form to the Graduate Assistant for further processing.

Project Submission and Binding Information

• Unlike a thesis, the master's project is not submitted to SGSPA for inclusion in the thesis repository on .  MES course-based students submit a pdf copy of their final corrected project report to the webspace for Graduate Projects as the final step in the completion process. Please make sure the copyright symbol is on your submission. Browse the communities and submit to
• If you have trouble, send the file to the School Administrator, Colin Khan, to submit for you.
• Colin can advise about the 

Thesis Examining Committee Membership

Division I

MES Thesis Examination - The examining committee must include a minimum of 5 faculty who are members of the Academic Staff listed at /academic-calendar/graduate-studies/academic-staff/, as follows:

•  1 Chairperson (chosen by the Supervisor in consultation with the Graduate Coordinator and Colin if necessary)
•  1  Head of the Department (or delegate from the School of Environmental Studies)
•   1 Supervisor or 2 Co-supervisors
•   1 Internal-External Examiner (a faculty member from a different research area)
•   1 Internal Examiner from Environmental Studies

The Chairperson's role is to manage the exam and (usually) not to ask questions of the candidate. 

Please consult with the Graduate Coordinator if you are unsure about the status of a potential examiner.

Notes for Division I:

1. At least one member of the Thesis Examination Committee shall be external to the candidate's home department.
2. Normally, the Chair of the Thesis Examination Committee for Master's students in Division I shall be external to the candidate's home department. However, a Chair from the candidate's  home department is permitted, provided that one of the examiners is external to the candidate's  home department. The Chair of the Master's Thesis Examination Committee is not a voting  member of the committee.
3. Normally, one of the examiners shall be external to the candidate's home department.  However, all examiners could be from the candidate's home department, provided the Chair of the Committee is external to the candidate's home department.
4. The Graduate Coordinator (or Head, if the Graduate Coordinator is a supervisor) shall be  responsible for approving the composition of the Examining Committee and signing the  applicable departmental form.
5. Emeritus Professors may not serve as Head's Delegate but may serve as Examiner if recent research activity is shown.
6. The completed signed departmental form to schedule a Master's Oral Thesis Examination shall be delivered to the School Administrator, Colin Khan, no later than 10 working days prior to the scheduled date of the examination. The designated departmental person shall indicate on the departmental form whether the student has met the course requirements for graduation and arrange for submission of the form and a copy of the thesis to SGS.  Other forms and information to the Chair and Examiners will be provided at that time.

Supervisory and Advisory Committees

• Committee composition should be discussed with the Graduate Co-ordinator.  Please consult the Committee Composition Guide  and the Supervisor-Examiner Guide for information.
• Committees should be formed during the first semester of the student's term of graduate studies. Committee members are chosen by the student in consultation with the supervisor or advisor.

Deadlines to Consider

• After you have discussed a possible degree completion date with your supervisor/advisor, go to the School of Graduate Studies website on completion under  to check for the deadline to which you must adhere if you wish to be placed on the degree list for a particular term. These deadlines are firm, and no exceptions are made. 
• When working toward your degree completion date, please consider that you must ensure that your committee members have a minimum of 10 working days (excluding weekends and holidays) to read and comment on the draft stages of your work. Other internal timelines may apply if a committee member is away for a conference, for example.
• Distribute copies of your thesis to all committee members including the Head or Head's Delegate.

Oral Examination Procedures

• Students will be notified of any required corrections by email.
• Revisions requested by the SGSPA and your committee members must be completed by you before submitting a final copy of your thesis to SGSPA by the respective deadline for a particular degree list.

Formatting and Preparation

• It is highly recommended that all MES students inform themselves about the formatting procedures that apply either to their project or thesis prior to embarking on the writing process.  SGSPA 
• Revisions requested by SGSPA and your committee members must be completed by you before submitting a final copy of your thesis to the SGSPA by the respective deadline for a particular degree list.

Forms

• Progress Report Forms must be completed at every committee meeting. The same form is used for both streams. Please submit the completed form to Colin Khan (School Administrator), who will produce a copy and keep the original in your file.
• Supervisory Forms are to be completed at the first committee meeting, and at the beginning of each academic year.
• Consult with Colin in Rm 3132 at least 15 days working days prior to the defense date so that a Chair and room can be secured for your defense and further instructions can be delivered to you.  MES students work according to Division I guidelines.

Thesis Submission and Binding Information

To ensure that you are on the degree list for a particular term, please remember that your thesis must reach SGSPA by a firm deadline. . To submit your FINAL thesis copy (PDF only) electronically, please go to the  or go directly to the

Submission of paper copies of theses:
Graduate Studies and Post-Doctoral Affairs 
Monday to Friday
8:30 a.m. to noon, 1:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Gordon Hall - Room 25

Inquiries may be directed to Rose Silva, SGSPA Thesis Coordinator.
Email: thesis@queensu.ca 
Phone: (613) 533-6000 ext # 77313
Fax: (613) 633-6013