Degree Requirements

Requirements at the M.Sc. Level

1. Candidates for admission to studies at the M.Sc. level must have a B.Sc. in physics, or equivalent, with high standing.
2. Basic departmental requirements consist of five one-semester courses (3 credits/course) to be chosen from a list approved by the department, two thesis research courses (PHYS 690 and PHYS 693) and an M.Sc. thesis. At least one of the 5 required courses must be at the 600 level or higher. For more details on degree requirements, consult the Physics section in the Faculty of Science Programs, Courses and University Regulation that can be found here in PDF format.
3. Candidates must take both professional development courses PHYS 601/PHYS 602 (together worth 3 credits).
4. Prior to or upon arrival at McGill, the M.Sc. candidate will be advised by the graduate program Director, who assists in the arrangement of a program of studies and the selection of a research director.
5. Upon the selection of a research director, the candidate and the research director will define the candidate's research topic. This occurs, at the latest within a month of registration.

Applicants are encouraged to seek out and engage a research director (mentioned in  points 4 and 5 above) prior to their arrival at McGill, which will help students start the research component of their degree requirements as early as possible.

Transfer from the M.Sc. to the Ph.D. Program

On the recommendation of the Departmental Graduate Committee, fast-tracking from the M.Sc. program into the Ph.D. program may be granted after one year, if:

• the student has fulfilled the M.Sc. coursework requirements, or;
• the candidate's Supervisor determines that the student qualifies based on the student's academic and research record

All students who transfer to the Ph.D. program are required to fulfil additional Ph.D. coursework requirements as outlined in “method 2” below, in addition to the courses taken as an M.Sc. candidate.

Requirements at the Ph.D. Level

Method 1: Candidates for admission to studies at the Ph.D. level directly from a Bachelor's degree in physics or equivalent qualification. The entrance year in this case is referred to as “PhD 1”.

1. Candidates entering in PhD 1 must successfully complete six 3-credit graduate courses at the 500 or 600 level or above, with at least three being at the 600 level, of which one should ideally be in their field of specialization.
2. Candidates must take both professional developments courses PHYS 601/PHYS 602 (together worth 3 credits).
3. PhD candidates must present themselves for the Ph.D. Preliminary Examination (PHYS 700) within five (5) terms (not counting summer terms) of initial registration into PhD 1. These examinations are normally scheduled in late spring.

Method 2: Candidates for admission to studies at the Ph.D. level already have an M.Sc. degree in physics or equivalent qualification. The entrance year in this case is referred to as “PhD 2”.

1. Candidates entering in PhD 2 must successfully complete two 3-credit graduate courses at the 600 level or above; one of these courses should be in the candidate's area of specialization. If the candidate completed two or more courses at the 600 level as part of the McGill Physics M.Sc. program, then one of these courses may be used as a substitute for one of the required courses (only upon special request to and approval by the Graduate Program Director).
2. Candidates must take both professional developments courses PHYS 601/PHYS 602 (together worth 3 credits). Candidates do not need to take these two courses if they have completed them as part of McGill Physics M.Sc. program.
3. PhD candidates must present themselves for the Ph.D. Preliminary Examination (PHYS 700) within three (3) terms (not counting summer term) of initial registration into PhD 2. These examinations are normally scheduled in late spring.

Letter of Understanding

In the first term of their program, students should create a “Supervisory Letter of Understanding” in discussion with their supervisor that lays out mutual expectations between supervisor and student. Instructions and guidelines for creating the letter can be found here. The letter should be signed by supervisor and student and then uploaded by the student to myProgress. Additional guidance for students on discussing expectations with supervisors can be found on the GPS website here. McGill's framework of graduate supervision may also be of interest to students.

Progress Reports

MSc tracking

MSc tracking is optional, but is recommended. For those that choose to have an MSc supervisory tracking committee, the procedures are as follows

• Entering MSc students, in consultation with their supervisor should set up a “supervisory tracking committee” of two members. One of the members is the advisor/supervisor. The other should be another faculty member. — In the case of joint supervision, the tracking committee should consist of the supervisors and one additional member.
• The role of the MSc tracking committee is to ensure that the research training of the student is on track and at an adequate level for a McGill MSc. The tracking committee may also act as an assessor for student's potential and capacity to move on to PhD, fast-track or consider other options.
• The MSc tracking committee must meet with the student at least once, shortly after the student's arrival at McGill.
The MSc tracking committee must also sign the student's progress report, which is to be submitted to the GPD.

PhD tracking

PhD tracking is mandatory:

• The PhD supervisory tracking committee comprises the supervisor (or all co-supervisors) and two additional McGill faculty members. All members of the committee can be from the same field as the student, but at least one member of the committee should be sufficiently removed from the student's research as to be able to provide an external perspective.
• The tracking committee must meet annually and pay close attention to the student's progress. The committee's report should emphasize strengths and weaknesses of the student's progress, i.e. points to improve/correct.
• Upon two successive unsatisfactory reports, the student can be recommended for withdrawal from the program. The tracking report should be submitted to the GPD.
• The progress tracking report must be signed by the supervisory committee.
• Students must upload their progress tracking report to their My Progress page, where the GPD will login and also sign electronically. This is how GPS keeps track and has access to the reports. Students should NOT submit the progress report directly to the GPD for manual signature.

Students must upload their progress tracking report to their My Progress page, where the GPD will login and sign electronically. This is how GPS keeps track and has access to the reports. Students should NOT submit the progress report directly to the GPD for manual signature.

Thesis Submission Deadlines

Information about the deadlines and all regulations about the style and layout of the thesis, including the all-electronic thesis (eThesis) is available at the GPS web site. It is in the student's best interest to be aware of the submission dates, especially when nearing completion of graduate work since missing a deadline can mean that the student will need to register for the next term and incur extra expenses.