Individual Graduate Programs by Special Arrangement

General Information

Under appropriate conditions, it may be possible for academic units to offer doctoral and master’s degrees even though they do not have established graduate programs. Such an offering is called an Individual Degree by Special Arrangement. Since these degree programs are created on an individual basis, the Faculty of Graduate Studies requires that applicants and academic units satisfy a stringent approval process.

In order to be considered for approval to offer a doctoral degree by special arrangement, the academic unit must have a regular master’s program and have graduated students from that program during each of the last three years.

In order to be considered for approval to offer a master’s degree by special arrangement, the academic unit must have an active Major or Honours undergraduate program and have graduated students from that program in each of the last three years.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to arrange the details of the program. The Faculty of Graduate Studies and academic units are under no obligation to arrange or approve special arrangement programs.

The Dean of Graduate Studies will set a quota for the number of individual special arrangement degrees permitted in any academic unit.

Admission

Applicants for degrees by special arrangement must follow the admission procedures and meet the entrance criteria for the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Potential applicants must develop the degree program and assemble the supervisory committee before making formal application.

Proposal Approval

Admission will be approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies once the proposal has been reviewed and approved by the academic unit. This proposal is jointly developed by the applicant and the projected supervisor and consists of a completed Individual Special Arrangement Program for Approval form (including signatures of proposed supervisory committee) and a rationale for the program.

Academic Supervisor

A member of the supervisory committee from the sponsoring academic unit must be designated as the academic supervisor.

Degree Program and Supervisory Committee

The supervisory committee must conform to regulations concerning supervisory committees. The supervisory committee for a doctoral degree by special arrangement must include at least one member from an academic unit with an active, regular PhD program, and one member must have successful PhD supervisory experience. The supervisory committee for a master’s degree by special arrangement must include at least one member from an academic unit with an active, regular master’s program. At least one member must have supervised successful candidates for graduate degrees.

Any changes to a degree program or supervisory committee must be made in writing and approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Program and Course Designation

The student’s official record will indicate the program as “Special Arrangement.” The degree program can consist of appropriate courses from within the academic unit as well as regular courses from other academic units. Academic units with no regular graduate courses are authorized to create the following courses for special arrangement degree students only:

1. May be taken more than once for credit provided course content differs.

2. Grading is INP, COM, N, F.

Graduate Studies Courses by Special Arrangement

Academic units without approved graduate programs may be permitted to offer up to 3 units of graduate course work under the GS designation. Proposals for these courses must include approval by the funding academic unit(s) before being submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies for final approval. Proposal forms and detailed instructions are available through the Office of the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Students must seek prior approval from their supervisory committee for inclusion of these courses in their graduate programs, although they will be permitted to register in them as “extra” to their program.

For descriptions of graduate courses by special arrangement (GS 500 and 501), see the GS course listings.