Guided by a thesis supervisor and supported by a committee of two additional faculty members, each student enrolled in the research-based pathway will undertake an original scholarly contribution based on research conducted while in the program. The thesis must demonstrate that the student is acquainted with the published literature in the subject of the thesis, that appropriate research methodology has been used, and that appropriate levels of critical analysis have been applied. The thesis will be subject to external evaluation.
Students must have satisfied the six courses contained with their specific program of study with a minimum cGPA of 3.70
Students are not eligible to apply for supervisory assignment until the successful completion of EDUC 6093. Students will then submit their request for supervisory assignment to the Associate Dean (Research). Please use the Supervisor Request Form. This request must include the following information:
The area of research must fall within the field of Education and be connected to the student’s degree (in Adult Education or Educational Leadership).
Within six months of enrollment in the research-based pathway, the student will submit their thesis proposal to their supervisor, who will provide written feedback for the student to consider. The supervisor, in consultation with committee members, will confirm with the student what revisions are necessary before submitting to Associate Dean (Research) for final approval to proceed with proposed research. For more details, please refer to the Thesis Guidelines.
The list of faculty eligible for supervisory or committee roles can be found on the Master of Education website.
Note: Not all eligible faculty may be available for supervisory assignment. Please refer to the current term Faculty Availability list linked below.
Within six months of enrollment in the research-based pathway, the student will submit their thesis proposal to their committee, who will provide written feedback for the student to consider. The supervisor, in consultation with committee members, will confirm with the student what revisions are necessary before applying to Associate Dean (Research) for final approval to proceed with proposed research.
All proposals must include as an appendix verification of TCPS2Core completion and, at a minimum, a statement pertaining to research ethics.
For proposals that do not require formal approval from the University Research Ethics Board (REB), a statement explaining why this approval is not required is sufficient.
For proposals involving data collection from human subjects, or otherwise requiring REB approval, an REB application must accompany the final proposal, whereby approval to proceed with research is sought. Please use the current REB application form, available as a Word document.
The Yorkville University REB meets monthly, with applications due 14 days before the scheduled meeting. See the REB Timelines. In addition to Yorkville REB approval, the settings of research, including most school boards, post-secondary organizations, and other organizations, require their own ethics approval. No data may be collected before receiving ethics approval from both the Yorkville University REB and other ethics bodies, where appropriate. The University REB will issue a Research Certificate once all conditions for ethics are met.
Only after obtaining permission to proceed from the Associate Dean (Research), who will verify receipt of all necessary approvals, is the candidate permitted to begin their thesis research.
In consultation with their supervisor, students will submit progress reports to the Associate Dean (Research) every six months. This report will assist in structuring academic progress and planning for key milestones.
Should the student take longer than 12 months to complete their research, they will be required to submit a Research Ethics Renewal Form, along with a request for extension through the Office of the Associate Dean (Research).
The intention of Thesis Examination and Oral Defence is two-fold: it provides graduate students an opportunity to present and defend their research; it also serves as a celebration of the student’s knowledge in their areas of inquiry. As a way to promote the quality of graduate education, all students in the research-based pathway will be required to complete both Thesis Examination and Oral Defence before the degree may be conferred.
Thesis examination cannot be scheduled until the Supervisor and Committee Members have reviewed the student’s completed thesis in its entirety against graduate level standards for academic theses, including research material related to the thesis area. The Supervisor’s signature on the Notice of Examination Form serves to acknowledge that the entire thesis meets the minimum standard for graduation and is ready to be progressed to Thesis Examination.
Thesis Examination begins when the thesis is distributed to an internal and an external examiner by a Neutral Chair. The internal and external examiners may not discuss the thesis amongst themselves, with the student, or with the Supervisor or Committee Members. The Supervisor may, however, continue to discuss the thesis with the student to support preparation for the Oral Defence. The student is not permitted to submit revisions while the examination is in progress. Examiners have four (4) weeks to complete their examination of the written thesis and submit their assessments to the Neutral Chair. If an examiner suspects that academic misconduct has occurred in the thesis, they must contact the Associate Dean (Research) immediately.
Once assessments are received from both internal and external examiners, the Neutral Chair will forward the reports to the student’s Supervisor and Supervisory Committee.
The Thesis Examination Committee, including the internal and external examiners, will assess the thesis as one (1) of the following:
Fail. The student is permitted one (1) resubmission no sooner than six (6) months and no later than 12 months from the first exam date. No decision is made on the Oral Defence.
Once the assessment is Pass with no Revisions or the required revisions are approved by the Supervisor, the Oral Defence of the thesis is undertaken by the candidate. Normally, the oral defence is held no more than four (4) weeks after approval is granted. It is the responsibility of the Supervisor to schedule the Oral Defence, and to recommend all the Examination Committee Members to the Associate Dean (Research) in accordance with policy. Normally, at least two (2) weeks’ notice is given to the University Community concerning the date, time, and place of the Oral Defence.
The Examination Committee, which is approved by the Associate Dean (Research), is convened to make a recommendation of the final outcome of Thesis Examination and Oral Defence to the Dean.
The Examination Committee should consist of:
The Oral Defence is chaired by the non-voting Neutral Chair. The Neutral Chair is not permitted to vote, ask questions, or otherwise participate in the examination. The role of the Neutral Chair is to ensure that the examination is conducted in an equitable, efficient, and timely manner.
Immediately following the public presentation of the thesis, the Oral Examination of the candidate begins. Normally, the public presentation and examination will not exceed 120 minutes.
Examiners must be present, either in person or via virtual conferencing, during the entire public presentation and questioning process as well as the post-examination discussion and vote. All examiners must be given the opportunity to question the student about the thesis and public presentation material.
The Oral Defence is normally open to the public but only members of the examination committee may question the student during the examination. Once the examination panel has concluded questions, the floor may be opened to guests prior to in-camera deliberation.
Upon conclusion of the public presentation and Oral Defence, the Examination Committee meets in-camera to arrive at a unanimous decision and agree on any changes to be made to the thesis. The responsibility for ensuring changes are completed by the student prior to final submission of the thesis rests with the Supervisor, and these changes are to be completed within one (1) month.
Any procedural irregularities must be reported to the Associate Dean (Research) within five (5) working days of the examination date, regardless of the outcome of the examination.
The Examination Committee must recommend the outcome of the Oral Defence by indicating one (1) of the following:
Post-examination recommendation to the Associate Dean (Research) must be unanimous. If it is not unanimous, the Associate Dean (Research) will decide the outcome of the thesis and the Oral Defence.
In the case of a failed Oral Defence, one (1) resubmission will be permitted, and a new examination will be required. A revised thesis must be submitted before four (4) weeks in advance of the new Oral Defence.
A second failure of the thesis or the Oral Examination will result in the student being required to withdraw. In the case of a second failure, students have the right to appeal.
The composition of the Examination Committee will normally remain the same. However, upon the recommendation of the Associate Dean (Research) and approval of the Dean, an examiner may be replaced.
Student appeals of decisions of the Dean regarding the process for thesis examination may be made to the Appeals Committee in accordance with the University Appeals Procedures outlined in the New Brunswick Academic Calendar, available at https://www.yorkvilleu.ca/resources/. If students have any appeal inquiries, they are to email appeal.nb@yorkvilleu.ca directly. For all other inquiries or requests, please submit a ticket via AskYU.
Note: These FAQs will be updated as questions emerge.
Both pathways are 30 credits. See the program orders for required and elective courses in the plans of study HERE.
Thesis students can choose to either do fieldwork for their thesis or conduct a theoretical/conceptual analysis of a topic within the broad field of education. Possible research approaches include qualitative, quantitative, post-qualitative, mixed methods, critical, arts-integrated, and communitybased participatory research. Determining which research approach and its related methodology and methods to use is made based on the student’s interests and the nature of the inquiry.
Students will submit their request for supervisory assignment to the Associate Dean (Research) using the Supervisor Request form available HERE. The list of faculty eligible for supervisory or committee roles can be found on the Master of Education website HERE. Note: Not all eligible faculty may be available for supervisory assignment.
While students have the option to request changing their thesis supervisor should the academic relationship become untenable, it is not done without first trying to mediate the situation. The student will have a conversation with the Associate Dean (Research) to discuss the request to change supervisors. In consultation with the student and the thesis supervisor, the Associate Dean (Research) will determine whether mediation is required or whether the
supervisory relationship is to be ended. Note that a supervisor may also request to be removed from the student’s committee.
If the student needs to make changes to the research proposal after it has been approved, those changes must be done in consultation with the thesis supervisor and committee members. Should the changes reflect a change in methodology or methods, the student may need to re-submit the proposal for approval. Note: Any changes to research ethics protocols require prior approval from the research ethics board(s), either as a request to change protocol or as a new research ethics application.
Changes to the research proposal are made in collaborative consultation with the thesis supervisor and committee members. Should the changes reflect a change in methodology or methods, the student may need to re-submit the proposal for approval. The changes are to be filed with the Associate Dean (Research) once approved. Note: Any changes to research ethics protocols require prior approval from the research ethics board(s), either as a request to change protocol or as a new research ethics application.
No. The thesis is not like a course with DQs and scheduled assignments. The student works independently with the support of their supervisor and thesis committee. Students are expected to manage their timelines, while being mindful of deadlines related to proposal approval (submission within 6 months of beginning EDUC 7000) and research ethics application deadlines.
Thesis proposals are normally 5000-6000 words in length, excluding title page, abstract, table of contents, references, REB documentation (if applicable) and appendices. As a guideline, the body of the thesis is expected to approximate 30,000 words, or equivalent expression of multi-modal understanding, (not including Contents, Dedication, Lists of Figures, Acknowledgments, Lists of Figures, Tables, Images, References, Notes, and REB documentation). A thesis may be longer or shorter based on sound academic reasons. For more details, please refer to the Thesis Guidelines.
In consultation with their supervisor, students will submit progress reports to the Associate Dean (Research) every six months.
Details about the research ethics process for research involving human subjects are available from the YU Research Ethics Board (REB) website. Be sure to download the most current forms from this site before beginning your application. Please use the current REB application form, available as a Word document.
Thesis students can finish earlier, but how long it takes depends on the nature of the inquiry, the work needed for writing and revisions, and the time for written and oral defense and turn-around time for examiner feedback. Finishing within the year allotment is possible, but the cost of EDUC 7000 is not reduced, as it is based on credits earned. Additional continuation fees will be applied each subsequent term beyond the regular thesis terms.
