Graduate Calendar: Regulations: Doctor of Veterinary Science

University of Guelph Graduate Calendar

Regulations: Doctor of Veterinary Science

The normal basis for admission to DVSc studies as a regular or a provisional student is a DVM or equivalent degree which would a llow the applicant to be eligible for licence to practice veterinary medicine in Ontario. The applicant must have achieved high academic standing. If a student enrolled in the graduate diploma program achieves a superior record and shows a particular aptitude for applied studies, the Board of Graduate Studies, on recommendation of the Interdepartmental DVSc Program Committee may authorize transfer to the DVSc program effective in the follo wing semester. The recommendation must be made no later than the end of the second semester.
An alternative basis for admission is a DVM or equivalent degree plus either an acceptable graduate diploma oran acceptable MSc degree or PhD degree, with upper 'B' level average standing. Students so admitted may be granted credit for two semesters in the DVSc program.

At least nine semesters of full-time study must be devoted to the doctoral program. Credit may be allowed for up to two semesters of previous graduate study as indicated in 16.1 . For a student registered part-time, the minimum duration period is based on the equivalence of three part- time semesters to one full-time semester. A minimum program fee is applied when a part-time stud ent applies to graduate.

Completion

Normally, all requirements for the degree must be completed within twenty-four months of completion of the minimum duration.

Advising

Advisory Committee: This committee will consist of no fewer than four members of the graduate faculty. The graduate student normally participates in their selection. At least two of the committee members must be in department(s) outside the one in which the student is registered. The committee chair is normally the adviser of the student's program and is nominated by the department chair.

Interdepartmental DVSc Program Committee: This program committee, appointed by the Board of Graduate Studies, will consist of one member of the graduate faculty in each of the departments involved, and will be chaired by the dean of the Ontario Vet erinary College or a designate. The program committee will review and make recommendations to the dean of Graduate Studies upon all applications for admission; it will review the proposed program of study and the semester evaluation reports of each student (see the section on Departmental Review); and it will determine the membership of each qualifying examination committee. The program committee may specify regulations in a ddition to those set out here, and will be responsible for publicizing them in each department, where the student is responsible for seeking out this information.

Courses

The DVSc degree is an advanced applied degree which requires the acquisition of applied skills and in-service training, and the submission of a thesis based on research investigations in an applied area. Depending upon the background of the individual student, the proportion of time devoted to investigational work normally will be no less than one-third of the total.

Prescribed Studies: The program committee may designate certain courses be taken as part of the student's background in the disciplinary area of specialization. Other courses may be designated bec ause of the relationship to in-service training and applied skills. Such substantive courses comprise the prescribed courses in which the candidate must achieve an overall weighted average of at least 'B -' standing. At least 2.5 credits of prescribed courses must be completed, of which no more than 1.0 credits may be in Special Topics courses. Students who are granted credit for previous graduate study may, with the approval of the DVSc Program Committee and the dean of Graduate Studies, have the credits from prescribed courses reduced to no fewer than 2.0.

Additional Courses: In addition to the prescribed courses, the student may complete ancillary courses supportive of the discipline and specialty fields. The standings obtained in these addition al courses do not affect the average of the prescribed studies.

Program of Study

The program of study will involve coursework and research work on a problem with applied aspects. The total program, including the research proposal, should be formulated as early as possible, but in no case later than the end of the sec ond semester. Prepared in consultation with the advisory committee, the program is subject to the approval of the program committee and, ultimately, the dean of Graduate Studies. If it is necessary for any part of the program to be conducted off-campus, t he arrangements are subject to the prior approval of the program committee and the dean of Graduate Studies.
Each semester, the student's advisory committee prepares a written evaluation of the student's performance in coursework and of progress in applied skills. The evaluation will be discussed wit h the student before being sent to the program committee. If the student fails to make satisfactory progress, the program committee may recommend to the Board of Graduate Studies that the student be required to withdraw.

Qualifying Examination

Prior to the end of the sixth semester, the student is required to pass a qualifying examination to assess his or her overall ability in the selected area of specialization. The examination will be in two parts (one written, one oral), a nd will normally be completed within a two-week period. Upon completing it satisfactorily, the student is deemed to have met the departmental standards and becomes a candidate for the DVSc degree.
The qualifying examination is an examination by the academic unit in which the student is enrolled and the examination committee is appointed by the Interdepartmental DVSc Program Committee. The examination is conducted by a committee co nsisting of five members, as follows:

The chair of the program committee, who acts as chair of the examination committee;
Two members of the graduate faculty who are not members of the advisory committee, at least one of whom must be a member of the department in which the student is registered;
Two members of the advisory committee.

The qualifying examination will primarily assess the student's knowledge of the area of specialization, the basic sciences supporting this area, and to a lesser extent, the student's area of research. The student's general ability to int egrate and apply this knowledge is also assessed. In addition, the examination committee will take into account a written submission from the student's advisory committee evaluating the quality of the student's applied skills and performance to date in th e program.
The student is deemed to have passed the qualifying examination if not more than one of the examiners votes negatively. An abstention is regarded as a negative vote. The results of the qualifying examination will be reported to the dean of Graduate Studies through the chair of the program committee. The report to the dean will record the decision as unsatisfactory or satisfactory. If unsatisfactory, the student may be given a second attempt at the examination. A stud ent who fails the qualifying examination and who is being given a second opportunity to pass the examination will be required to repeat it no later than six months after the failed attempt. Academic units may impose a shorter time limit. A second unsat isfactory constitutes a recommendation to the Board of Graduate Studies that the student be required to withdraw (see the sections on Unsatisfactory Progress and Appeal of Decisions).

Thesis

   Each candidate shall prepare a thesis on the approved research project. The thesis is expected to be a significant contribution to knowledge in its field and the candidate must indicate in what ways it is a contribution. The thesis must demonstrate mature scholarship and critical judgement on the part of the candidate and it must indicate an ability to communicate in writing in a satisfactory style.
   The thesis will be based on the research project carried out in the DVSc program. Like all theses, it will contain a detailed critical review of the pertinent theoretical and empirical literature and place the work in the context of exis ting knowledge in the field. The hypotheses, research design, results, and discussion of the results will be presented in normal thesis format as approved by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

External Examiner: For each doctoral thesis, an external examiner from outside the university is appointed on behalf of the dean of Graduate Studies by the department chair, in consultation with the adviser and the program co mmittee chair. The nomination will be made when the candidate's adviser declares that the thesis is about to be prepared, normally no later than the beginning of the student's last semester. The external examiner will submit a written appraisal of the the sis (at least seven days prior to the examination) to the chair of the department. The external examiner is expected to participate in the final oral examination and to assist in evaluating all aspects of the candidate's performance.

Procedures: The thesis may be submitted at any time of the year, but candidates are advised to allow ample time for revision and examination. A copy of the schedule of deadlines should be obtained from Graduate Program Services by the candidate no later than the beginning of the semester in which the candidate intends to graduate.
   It is understood that, as the thesis is being written, the candidate will be in regular communication with the advisory committee.When a draft is completed which the advisory committee recommends for examination, the candidate, with the endorsement of the departmental chair, formally requests an examination. A copy of the final draft is then sent to the external examiner as fair copy of the thesis. Arrangements for the final oral examinations are made. It is understood that as a r esult of the final oral examination corrections may be necessary to produce a revised final draft of the thesis.

The Final Oral Examination: The final examination is devoted chiefly, but not necessarily entirely, to the defence of the thesis. It is a faculty (as distinct from a departmental) examination, for which the arrangements are made by the department a nd the college on behalf of the faculty in consultation with Graduate Program Services.
   The examination is conducted by a committee consisting of five members, as follows:

The chair of the program committee, who acts as chair of the examination committee;
The external examiner;
A member of the graduate faculty who is not a member of the advisory committee, selected by the department chair;
Two members of the student's advisory committee, selected by the advisory committee.

   The dean of Graduate Studies, or a designate, may attend a part or all of the examination. The examination is open to the public and members of the audience may question the candidate only upon invitation of the chair of the committee.
   The members of the examination committee, including the external examiner, report individually on the final examination and the thesis. The candidate is deemed to have passed if not more than one of the five examiners votes negatively. A n abstention is regarded as a negative vote. Concurrently, the members sign the Certificate of Approval, to be submitted with the approved thesis in its final form to Graduate Program Services. The rep ort to the dean of Graduate Studies will record the decision as unsatisfactory or satisfactory. If unsatisfactory, the candidate may be given the opportunity of a second attempt. A second unsatisfactory constitutes a recommenda tion to the Board of Graduate Studies that the student be required to withdraw (see the sections on Unsatisfactory Progress and Appeal of Decisions).

Copies of Thesis: Two unbound copies of the certified thesis must be submitted to Graduate Program Services by the deadline date shown in the Academic Schedule in the calendar. Both copies must include the Certificate of Approval signed by t he external examiner and the members of the examination committee. Also included must be a copy of an abstract consisting of not more than 350 words and a copy of the circulation waiver and the copying licence.

Publication: The Certificate of Approval indicates that the thesis is suitable for publication. The university requires publication of the thesis in the following manner:
   One unbound copy of the thesis is forwarded to the National Library of Canada, together with an agreement form signed by the candidate authorizing the National Library to microfilm the thesis and to make copies available for sale on requ est. The National Library will film the thesis exactly as it is and will list the thesis in Canadiana as a publication of the National Library. The National Library's Microfilm Publication Agreement will be sent to the candidate prior to the final oral examination, to be signed and submitted to Graduate Program Services immediately after the successful completion of the examination.
   An abstract of not more than 350 words, prepared by the author and approved by the adviser, is forwarded by the National Library to the publishers of American Doctoral Dissertations. The abstract is printed in this work and the av ailability of the thesis in microfilm at the National Library announced.
   The candidate, in consultation with the adviser and the department chair, shall have the right to request that circulation and/or copying of the thesis in any form be withheld for up to one year.
   Publication in the above manner does not preclude publication of all or part of the thesis in journals or in book form.

Departmental Regulations

Individual departments may have specified regulations additional to those described in this calendar. The student is responsible for consulting the department concerning any such regulations. University regulations, as specified herein, take precedence, and may not be overruled by any department regulation.