PhD Program
As members of a community of scholars, PhD students are required to contribute to and participate in department events. PhD students must be participating members of at least one research group at all points in their academic career. PhD students are also expected to attend colloquia by guest speakers and thesis proposal defenses. Attendance is mandatory.
PhD students are assigned an initial supervisor at the beginning of the program. The supervisor serves as a mentor and provides advice for the initial direction of research and coursework. Typically, the initial supervisor is also the GP1 supervisor.
PhD Porgram Coursework
The PhD program consists of coursework, one language requirement, two Generals Papers, and a thesis. By the end of Year 2, students will complete 5.5 Full Course Equivalents (FCEs)
- 0.5 FCE, LIN2101H – PhD Junior Forum (Credit/No Credit)
- 2.5 FCE, to include if not taken previously:
- LIN1104H – Quantitative Methods
- LIN1121H – Phonological Theory
- LIN1131H – Introduction to Syntactic Theory
- JAL1145H – Field Methods
- LIN1145H – Semantics
- 0.5 FCE from the following group:
- LIN1070H – Language Processing (with the permission of the instructor)
- LIN1106H – Introduction to Experimental Design
- LIN1107H – Computational Methods
- LIN1112H – Phonetic Analysis
- LIN1156H – Language Variation and Change Theory
- LIN1211H – Advanced Phonetics
- LIN1255H – Advanced Language Variation and Change I
- LIN1256H – Advanced Language Variation and Change II
- LIN1271H – Advanced Psycholinguistics I
- LIN1272H – Advanced Psycholinguistics II
- LIN1276H – Topics in Speech Perception
- JLP2451H – Language Acquisition
- JLP2452H – Language Acquisition and Linguistic Theory
- 1.0 FCE, LIN2201H - Generals Paper I
- 1.0 FCE, LIN2202H - Generals Paper II
Students must take at least 1.0 FCE at the 1200 level, of which 0.5 must be in Phonology, Syntax, or Semantics. Courses are chosen in consultation with the Graduate Chair/Coordinator and the Supervisor. Normally, PhD students will take 2.0 FCE during Year 1 (three courses plus Jr Forum), and 1.5 FCE (three courses) in Year 2.
In order to remain in good standing, students must maintain a median mark of at least A- in all graded components of the program.
PhD Junior Forum (Year 1)
Year 1 PhD and Direct-Entry PhD students are enrolled in Junior Forum (LIN2101H), a professional development course completed in the first term of study. A credit/no credit grade is assigned.
Research Groups (GP)
Every PhD student must be a participating member of at least one research group during their academic career. Students are expected to be active participants in research group meetings, including giving presentations when appropriate. Students writing their Generals Papers (GP) are required to present at the relevant research group at least once per GP (see GP requirements)
Independent Study Courses
Only under very exceptional circumstances, a student may take an independent study course (Reading Course - LIIN1503H; Research Course LIN1505H) as an elective. No more than 0.5 FCE of the program requirement can be fulfilled by an independent study course. Students must get the preliminary approval of the Graduate Chair before approaching the instructor. Once the permission of the Graduate Chair and the instructor has been secured, the following form must be submitted, appended with a syllabus, for final approval and enrollment.
Timeline
|
Fall |
Winter |
Summer |
Year 1 |
Complete 1.0 FCE Complete Junior Forum Enrol in GP 1 |
Complete 0.5 FCE Continue GP 1 |
Defend GP 1 |
Year 2 |
Complete 1.0 FCE Enrol in GP 2 |
Complete 0.5 FCE Continue in GP 2 |
Defend GP 2 Complete outstanding language requirement Achieve Candidacy (ABD) |
Year 3 |
Research and writing |
Thesis Proposal |
|
Year 4 |
Research and writing |
Research and writing |
Complete and defend thesis |
* For students who began their studies prior to September 2023 please contact the Graduate Administrator if you have any questions
Direct-Entry PhDU Program
As members of a community of scholars, PhD students are required to contribute to and participate in department events. PhD students must be participating members of at least one research group at all points in their academic career. PhD students are also expected to attend colloquia by guest speakers and thesis defenses. Attendance is mandatory.
PhD students are assigned an initial supervisor at the beginning of the program. The supervisor serves as a mentor and provides advice for the initial direction of research and coursework. Typically, the initial supervisor is also GP1 supervisor.
Direct-Entry PhDU Program Coursework
The Direct-Entry PhD program consists of coursework, one language requirement, two General Papers, and a thesis. By the end of Year 3, students will complete 7.5 Full Course Equivalents (FCEs):
- 0.5 FCE, LIN2101H - PhD Junior Forum (Credit/No Credit)
- 2.5 FCE, to include if not taken previously:
- LIN1104H - Quantitative Methods (or equivalent)
- LIN1121H - Phonological Theory
- LIN1131H - Introduction to Syntactic Theory
- LIN1145H - Semantics
- JAL1145H - Field Methods
- 0.5 FCE from the following group:
- LIN1070H – Language Processing (with the permission of the instructor)
- LIN1106H – Introduction to Experimental Design
- LIN1107H – Computational Methods
- LIN1112H – Phonetic Analysis
- LIN1156H – Language Variation and Change Theory
- LIN1211H – Advanced Phonetics
- LIN1255H – Advanced Language Variation and Change I
- LIN1256H – Advanced Language Variation and Change II
- LIN1271H – Advanced Psycholinguistics I
- LIN1272H – Advanced Psycholinguistics II
- LIN1276H – Topics in Speech Perception
- JLP2451H – Language Acquisition
- JLP2452H – Language Acquisition and Linguistic Theory
- 2.0 elective FCEs; of these 0.5 FCE elective may be taken outside the Department of Linguistics, upon consultation with the Graduate Chair
- 1.0 FCE, LIN2201H - Generals Paper I
- 1.0 FCE, LIN2202H - Generals Paper II
Students must take at least 1.0 FCE at the 1200 level, of which 0.5 must be in Phonology, Syntax, or Semantics. Courses are chosen in consultation with the Graduate Chair/Coordinator and the supervisor. The Graduate Chair.Coordinator must approve all courses.
In order to remain in good standing, students must maintain a median mark of at least A- in all graded components of the program.
PhD Junior Forum (Year 1)
Year 1 PhD and Direct-Entry PhD students are enrolled in Junior Forum (LIN2101H), a professional development course completed in the first term of study. A credit/no credit grade is assigned.
Research Groups (GP)
Every PhD student must be a participating member of at least one research group during their academic career. Students are expected to be active participants in research group meetings, including giving presentations when appropriate. Students writing their Generals Papers (GP) are required to present at the relevant research group at least once per GP (see GP requirements)
Independent Study Courses
Only under very exceptional circumstances, a student may take an independent study course (Reading Course - LIIN1503H; Research Course LIN1505H) as an elective. No more than 0.5 FCE of the program requirement can be fulfilled by an independent study course. Students must get the preliminary approval of the Graduate Chair before approaching the instructor. Once the permission of the Graduate Chair and the instructor has been secured, the following form must be submitted, appended with a syllabus, for final approval and enrollment.
Timeline
|
Fall |
Winter |
Summer |
Year 1 |
Complete 1.5 FCE Complete Junior Forum |
Complete 1.5 FCE |
Enrol in GP 1 |
Year 2 |
Complete 0.5 FCE Continue GP 1 |
Complete 0.5 FCE Defend GP 1 |
Enrol in GP 2 |
Year 3 |
Compete 0.5 FCE Continue GP 2 |
Complete 0.5 FCE Defend GP 2 |
Complete outstanding language requirement Research and writing Achieve candidacy (ABD) |
Year 4 |
Research and writing |
Thesis Proposal |
|
Year 5 |
Research and writing |
Research and writing |
Complete and defend thesis |
Time to Completion
The Program Length for the Regular-Entry PhD is 4 years and for the Direct-Entry PhD, 5 years. The Time Limit for the Regular-Entry PhD is 6 years and for the Direct-Entry PhD 7 years. There is partial funding, known as Doctoral Completion Award (DCA), available for these additional two years (years 5-6 for regular and 6-7 for PhDU). In the past few years, the DCA for the first of these two years has come close to the guaranteed funding. The DCA in second year is significantly lower and varies depending on available funds and student needs in a given year. Students must have completed or at least scheduled their proposal defense to be eligible for any DCA funding.
Students who need to continue their studies past the Time Limit need to request a program extension with a rationale; these are subject to approval by the department and the School of Graduate Studies (SGS). No funding is available beyond the Time Limit.
Generals Papers
Every PhD student must write two Generals papers (GPs), completed by the end of the second year of the program for regular entry PhD students and by the end of the winter term of the third year for direct entry PhD students. GPs must be completed in 3 terms (12 months).
Students enrol in LIN2201Y for GP1 in Fall of Year 1 (Regular Entry - PhD) and Summer Year 1 (Direct Entry - PhDU). Students must enrol in LIN2202Y for GP2 according to the timeline (Fall Year 2 for Regular Entry - PhD and Summer Year 2 for Direct Entry - PhDU). Furthermore, at the beginning of each GP, students must submit to the Graduate Chair/Coordinator a GP Enrolment Form which established the topic of the GP, its area, the supervisor, and the second reader of the GP committee. GP Enrolment Forms must be submitted before the research gets underway and no later than October 31st for Regular Entry - PhD and June 30th for Direct Entry - PhDU students.
If a student fails to complete a Generals paper (GP) in three terms (12 months), they need to request an extension, which will only be granted with a compelling rationale. The expectation is that, like any other course, the Generals Paper is completed and assigned a grade within the allotted timeframe. Extensions should be the exception and not the norm.
The two Generals Papers (GPs) must be written in two distinct areas of Linguistics, with distinctness verified by the supervisor of the second GP, with the approval of the Graduate Chair/Coordinator. As a basic requirement, the two GPs should be supervised by different faculty members, with no more than one committee member shared between the two committees.
It is strongly recommended that at least one GP feeds substantially into the dissertation proposal (see thesis proposal).
Supervision
For each paper, a committee of three faculty members is set up: a supervisor, a second reader, and a third reader. The student chooses the supervisor in consultation with the Graduate Chair/Coordinator. The supervisor chooses the other two members, in consultation with the student. The student should meet regularly with the supervisor and the second reader while writing the Generals paper. The third reader is involved in the defense stage of the paper.
Presentations
As outlined above, students will make presentations to the relevant research groups. It is mandatory that at least one presentation is made to a reasearch group on each GP. This presentation will allow students to receive feedback on their work prior to completion.
Completion and Defense
Evaluation of the Generals paper is based on two components: the paper itself, and an oral defense. The committee members have two weeks to read the paper, and then the student meets with the committee in a closed examination. The student makes a very brief presentation, and the members of the committee then question the student. Questions are not necessarily limited to the immediate topic of the paper but may deal with relevant background or related questions. At the end of this meeting, the committee members discuss the paper and the defense, and arrive at one of the following decisions, which is communicated to the student at the end of the meeting:
- The paper passes as it stands
- The paper passes with minor revisions
- The paper fails
The committee also decides on a grade for the paper, with B- being the minimum passing grade. If the paper passes as it stands, the student need only submit the paper. If the paper is judged to pass with minor revisions, the student has one week to make the required changes. These are submitted to the supervisor, whose responsibility it is to see that they have been done satisfactorily. If the supervisor determines that they have been, the paper passes. If not, the paper fails. In case of failure, the supervisor prepares a written report indicating the areas of weakness. The student receives a copy of the report. If a paper fails, the student consults with the supervisor and the Graduate Chair in order to decide whether to continue with the same topic or to attempt a different topic. In any event, two acceptable papers must be completed and successfully defended.
When the supervisor has approved the final version of the paper, the supervisor notifies the Graduate Chair and graduate administrator, using the Generals Paper Completion Form. A PDF copy of the final paper should be sent to the Graduate Office. Completed Generals Papers are available in the departmental library.
Criteria for passing the Generals Paper
The paper must be a work of original research of high quality, which has the potential to be developed into a journal article. Factors to be taken into account in evaluating both the paper and the student's oral defense include the following:
- Knowledge of literature and major issues
- Originality and creativity
- Judgment and critical ability
- Form and presentation
In evaluating criterion (d), the committee may take into account the extent to which the paper is suitable for initial submission as a journal article.
Publication in a Journal
A student who has had a recent article published in a refereed journal may submit the article as a Generals paper. Such papers are treated like all other Generals papers. A committee is set up, and the supervisor and the second reader decide if the article is suitable as a Generals paper, and what further work, if any, is required. The paper is defended as described above. Publication in a journal does not in and of itself make a paper an acceptable Generals paper, nor does rejection by a journal make a paper unacceptable.
Candidacy
It is a regulation of the School of Graduate Studies that doctoral students in a four-year PhD program must achieve candidacy by the end of Year 3, as stated in the SGS Calendar. In our department, we expect students to acheive candidacy ideally by the end of summer Year 2 (Regular Entry - PhD) or end of Summer Year 3 (Direct Entry - PhDU)
In order to achieve candidacy in the Department of Linguistics, a student must have completed all of their coursework, both Generals papers, and the language requirement. In addition, they must have an approved thesis topic, a supervisor and a supervisory committee. A regular-entry PhD student who has not achieved candidacy by August 31 of Year 3 and a direct-entry PhD student who has not achieved candidacy by August 31 of Year 4, is not in good academic standing and may be denied further registration in the program. In highly exceptional circumstances, a student who has not achieved candidacy on time may be permitted to register for up to 12 additional months, at the discretion of the department. Further extensions require approval of the School of Graduate Studies and are very rarely granted.
Students who, for acceptable reasons, do not complete the oral and written thesis proposal by the end of Year 3 for Regular Entry PhD and by the end of Year 4 for Direct Entry PhD must nevertheless have an approved thesis topic, a supervisor, and a supervisory committee before the end of Year 3 and Year 4, respectively, in order to remain in good academic standing. This requirement will normally be satisfied at the time of May Progress (above) in that year, by which time the student has identified a thesis topic, a supervisor, and a supervisory committee. It is understood that supervisor and committee may change as the student prepares the written thesis proposal.
Thesis
Each student completes a doctoral dissertation in one of the Department's areas of research. During Year 3, the student must complete preliminary work before making a thesis proposal in the spring.
At the close of their secondyear for regular-entry PhD, and that of their third year for direct-entry PhD, the student selects a thesis topic, identifies a supervisor and two other faculty members who will serve as the supervisory committee, does some preliminary work, and prepares and completes a thesis proposal. The student should normally complete the written and the oral components of thesis proposal by the end of Winter session Year 3 for Regular-Entry PhD (by the end of Winter session Year 4 for Direct-Entry PhDU) to remain in good standing. The student is also expected to submit at least one abstract to a conference during this year.
It is strongly recommended that thesis proposals build upon research begun in a GP. Students should discuss with their supervisors the relation of their GP(s) to their thesis. At the same time, GPs and the thesis are separate requirements of the program, and a GP should not be considered, without revision, to be a completed portion of the thesis.
Guidelines for the written thesis proposal
A written thesis proposal must be submitted to the supervisory committee, and accepted, before the oral presentation. Generally, the supervisory committee meets with the student to discuss the written proposal and may require revisions prior to accepting it. If major revisions are required, the committee must indicate where the problems lie and what kinds of changes are necessary. If the committee cannot reach agreement about the suitability of the proposal, the student, together with the supervisor or the Graduate Chair/Coordinator, may choose a fourth person to evaluate the proposal. This person provides a written evaluation without consulting the committee. A final decision on the suitability of the proposal is then made by the committee and the fourth person. A student may not be allowed to continue in the program if an acceptable proposal is not received.
The written proposal should normally be between 20 and 50 pages long. It should contain:
- a clear statement of the major problem to be investigated in the thesis
- an outline of the major areas to be investigated, including discussion of the relation between each topic and the overall problem
- a review of the appropriate literature
- evidence of sufficient relevant prior work to demonstrate the student's readiness to undertake the proposed research (e.g., a draft of a possible chapter, Generals paper, or publication)
It is recognized that the thesis will develop from the proposal, and that it may ultimately differ significantly from the specific content of the proposal. Copies of thesis proposals are not made publicly available.
Guidelines for the oral thesis proposal
Once the written proposal has been accepted by the supervisory committee, an oral presentation is scheduled on a date to be arranged with the Graduate Chair. The presentation is open to all members of the Department, and faculty and PhD students are expected to attend. The presentation should include:
- a clear statement of the topic of research interest
- a synthesis of the major relevant literature, and how the topic relates to it
- an indication of the major areas of research involved in the dissertation
- a sense of the direction the student plans to take in carrying out the research
If the presentation does not meet these criteria, as determined by the faculty present, the student meets with the supervisor, and makes a second oral presentation no more than three months after the first. If the second presentation is also found to be unacceptable, the student will not be permitted to continue in the program.
While the writing of the thesis is overseen by a supervisory committee of three faculty members, students are also expected to present their work on a regular basis. Students are expected to give a presentation at least once per year, in the appropriate research group, or at an appropriate workshop or conference, until the thesis is completed. With the consent of the supervisory committee, a student may choose not to make a presentation during the final stages of writing.
The thesis must show “the results of original investigation, conducted by the candidate, on the approved topic from the major field. The thesis shall constitute a significant contribution to the knowledge of the field and must be based on research conducted while registered for the PhD program”. Calendar of the School of Graduate Studies, section 12.1.2.8
Each student defends their thesis at a Final Oral Examination (thesis defense), conducted by an examination committee appointed by the School of Graduate Studies. The committee consists of the student's supervisory committee, two members of the graduate faculty who were not closely involved in the preparation of the thesis, an external examiner, and an examination committee chair.
For more instructions regarding the FOE, please see:
SGS FOE Guidelines
SGS regulations
Monitoring students' progress through the program
At the beginning of each year until a student achieves candidacy, at the time of registration, the student and the Graduate Chair and their supervisor review the student's progress through the program, ascertain whether the student has completed all requirements to date, and discuss the student's plans for the coming year.
Every PhD and Direct-Entry PhD student is required to have a supervisor at all stages of enrolment in the doctoral program. Students are assigned an initial supervisor before Fall session Year 1 begins. Normally, this supervisor will serve as GP1 supervisor. If not, the supervisor changes to be Generals paper supervisor. Until candidacy, the supervisor us the current Generals peaper supervisor. For students who have achieved candidacy, and established a supervisory committee, it is the supervisor's responsibility to ensure that the student's progress is appropriately monitored.
May Progress Meetings
As stated in the SGS Calendar, “a student is expected to meet with [the supervisory] committee at least once a year, and more often if the committee so requires. At each meeting, the supervisory committee will assess the student's progress in the program and provide advice on future work.” These meetings must be recorded in the student's file and on ROSI.
In the Department of Linguistics, this formal requirement is fulfilled by the May Progress Meeting (also referred to as May Monitoring). All PhD students meet with their supervisory committee at the end of the winter term each year, to discuss their progress in the program. For students who have not yet achieved candidacy, the committee will be comprised of their Generals Paper supervisor and first reader, in addition to the Graduate Chair/Coordinator. Should the student not be enrolled in a Generals Paper, the committee will comprise of the Graduate Chair/Coordinator and two other faculty members.
In preparation for the May Progress meeting, all students should submit to the committee an updated copy of their CV, a May Progress form with the student portion completed, and their previous May Progress form. The committee and the student then discuss the student's progress in the program, and the committee provides advice on future work. The meetings are normally chaired by the supervisor, but any committee member may act as chair.
After the meeting, the committee completes the appropriate May Progress report. Copies are provided to the student, the Graduate Chair/Coodinator and to the graduate administrator. The supervisor discusses the report with the student, and the student may respond in writing.
The supervisory committee may meet more frequently than once per year, as deemed necessary by the committee. It should be borne in mind that these meetings do not replace the regular meetings between the student and the supervisor.
Repeated failure to achieve satisfactory progress in May Progress may jeopardize a student’s status in the program. Satisfactory progress is determined based on the goals and recommendations outlined in the May Progress report from the previous year. If the student’s progress is found to be less than satisfactory, a detailed 6-month timeline should be provided in the form and the committee should meet again in six months. At this meeting, a second Progress report will be completed. If progress is found to be less than satisfactory again, a second 6-month timeline should be provided, and the committee will meet again at the end of those six months. If the student’s progress is not found to be satisfactory at that point, program termination procedures will be initiated. If at either of the aforementioned meetings progress is deemed to be satisfactory, termination procedures will not be initiated. In other words, termination procedure is only initiated after two consecutive unsatisfactory progress reports.